Traditions

When I was a little girl, I'd spend a week each summer with my grandparents here in Birmingham. We lived in Nashville and it always felt like such an adventure to leave my parents behind and spend all week tagging along with my grandmother to playdates with my cousins, her job at a mother's day out program (where Liam goes to school now!) and trips to the zoo. There were two things that my grandma always let me have during those visits: happy meals & lipstick. It became our tradition & she always made me feel beautiful, strolling around the zoo at eight years old with hot pink lipstick on.

I've mentioned here before how unbelievably lucky I am, that my parents live in town and keep the boys several days a week when I work, when I have appointments, or when I just need some time to myself. My boys are lucky too, that they are growing up with grandparents who love them so much & are so involved in their lives.

Just as we have our routine at home, the guys have their routine at "Marmi & Poppy's House." On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, I meet my parents in a Starbucks parking lot close to work & we do the "trade off." There's an office park down the streets with several man-made lakes that are full of geese.

It's become a tradition for them to look for the "ducks" each morning & occasionally, my parents will bring some old bread so that Liam can get out of the car & see them up close. A few weeks ago, my parents were keeping the boys for a few hours on an off day so that I could run some errands without the little ones slowing me down.

I had my camera in the car, so when they mentioned they were going to "feed the ducks" I decided to tag along and take some pictures.

I thought that Liam would be terrified when they came closer, but he was intrigued.

They smelled the bread and swarmed around him!

He couldn't have been more proud of himself, feeding these geese.

 And he had a great time with Marmi & Poppy.

I love that my parents have started their own traditions with my boys-- ones that they'll look back on when they are older be thankful for! I love the memories they're making.

P.S. Because they were matchy-matchy that day, a pic of the boys together!

(Not the best pic of them, but I'm convinced it's impossible to catch them both smiling at the same time. I surrender.)