Kids & Art

Yesterday, we attended our first "shi shi" function as a family. It was a charity art auction for an organization called Kids & Art. They hold these workshops, where local artists and creative professionals volunteer time with children with cancer, and their siblings, to create artwork that is later auctioned off. Proceeds go to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). Roque and Arvin participated at one of their workshops last month, and the paintings they did were up for auction. The attire was "cocktail" and it started at 4pm and went till 7pm on Saturday. We got Greyson as dressed up as we could (poor baby, he doesn't have many fancy clothes) and headed out. It was kind of a fancy shindig, with waiters running around offering silver trays of hors d'œuvres and women in shiny dresses. There were lots of people and thankfully, a number of children. To my surprise, Greyson melded seamlessly into the party scene. He was unbelievably well-behaved. He loved sampling the appetizers, going up to the drinks table to look at the tealight candles, and listening to the live music. The crowds didn't seems to faze him in the slightest. He was social, almost mingling, weaving in and out of the crowd on his own, checking on the whereabouts of Papa, Brad and Arvin. When the live auction started, we put on a movie, and he just sat there really quiet and still. Since I'm not the most social person at parties, I was thankful to have him for a date. To top off the evening, Roque's painting, "Super Turkey" sold for $350! I was so proud of my boys.

Toddlerhood ebbs and flows. Some weeks, Greyson is too much to handle. Then others, like the past few, he is the Jokester, the Baby, the Learner, the Parrot...all in one, and it is delicious. I am loving his company these days. Maybe it's because he's becoming so articulate and that he's easier to communicate with, and less grumpy when things don't go his way. I don't know. I just know that for the moment, we're on the up tide. He says and does so many funny and endearing things that I'm always afraid I will forget them. For example, every night before Greyson goes to bed, he says, "Bye! See you tomorrow, see you next week, I love you goodnight!" Even after I close the door, he keeps saying it until we stop answering. It's the sweetest thing, having children.