The Kohlmans

Lincoln had lots of fun playing at the farm and at the barn last weekend! Friday was rainy and chilly, but that didn't stop Lincoln from dragging his aunts outside to play with the dogs and turn on the water.

Sweet little boy, Lately, I've been clicking on lots of posts with titles something like "Things I didn't know until I raised boys," or "What you can look forward to when you have a girl." You know, those titles that seem like they'll reveal all the secrets I'm missing. The lists are interesting, sure, or sometimes funny, often applicable, but they leave me feeling a little strange. It could be the sexist or stereotypical nature of the labels they put on boys and girls and children, but it's not (and that's perhaps a letter for another day). It's something else I couldn't put my finger on until now. Reading these posts feels weird to me because I'm not raising a generic child or just any little boy. No parent does. And that distinction matters. Lincoln, my sweet boy, your daddy and I are raising YOU. We aren't raising "a boy" or "a kid," we are raising Lincoln J, as we often call you... our Buster...

Almost every day, I have a moment that I think, I want to remember this. This is what makes life beautiful. Like how Lincoln is so engrossed in whatever fruit or breakfast food is on Penny's counter that he forgets I exist. Silly, hungry boy. Like how happy this little boy is to just be outside. Like the sound of his silly giggle and how he pants (yes, like a dog) when he's excited and happy. Like how he runs to me, arms outstretched, when I pick him up at the end of the day. Like how, sometimes, I am enough for him - just me as I am. Like how, while we were at the supper table tonight, the moving truck in the neighbor's driveway pulled away and Lincoln started waving, calling out, "Bye! Bye-bye! Bye!" Like how on the way to Penny's this morning, he insisted on having his dog book so he could "read" for the three minute drive. Like how he giggles and climbs on me when I do abs or planks in the living room, how he hand...

I have not been taking nearly enough pictures the past few weeks! I'm going to have to pick it up over the summer... Lincoln loves dogs. A while back, he figured out that we have the DVD Marley and Me. He will now go to the TV stand, open the door, and pull out all the DVDs until he finds Marley. Then it carries it around, declaring, "dog. dog. dog." We got a book from the library about dogs, and he sat next to me on the couch for the entire story, which never happens! I'm going to have to find some more nonfiction with photographs of dogs. One day he came home from Penny's with a tattoo! He's had a couple bad spills on the concrete. The first was when I was picking him up at daycare. He stubbed his toe on the step (trying to go up) and banged his forehead on the concrete porch. Ouch! (The picture above is from that day.) A week later, he was running to daddy in the driveway and fell, face first. Thankfully he didn't have any serious side...

Lincoln loves to play with Jazzy. She tolerates him well. He throws her a toy and laughs when she pounces on it and chews. He could do that all day long if she were game. He will pick up one of her toys and follow her around until she takes it from him. If she drops it, he picks it up to give back to her. He also laughs hysterically when she licks him. One night he tried to give the dog her ball, but she didn't pick it up when he threw it to her. So instead, he grabbed it and shoved it into her mouth until she would take it.

It's always awesome to get a text or facebook message from Penny with pictures of what Lincoln and his friends are up to at daycare. Here are a few of the gems I've had lately!