Just Us: The Next Generation On The Links

This weekend we went to Charlotte to celebrate Coleton's 7th birthday.

If there is any doubt that time passes quickly by, look at grandchildren. They go from newborn to real kids in a heartbeat. I can clearly remember looking into Coleton's crib and commenting on how small he was. He was all eyes with this funny, tilted little nose. He would watch you like there was a question on his tiny lips that he wanted to ask you. His first time parents measured each ounce of food, each poop and each burp.

Fast forward 7 years. Now Coleton can accurately quote sports statistics, and uses words like, "literally" in his sentences. He wears glasses and hates to lose at board or card games.

He showed an interest in golf, probably because his father, grandfather and uncle play, so he got a small plastic starter set a year or so ago. This year for his birthday, we went in with David and Brenda and got him a real, child's golf set, complete with the bag, the driver and all of the other clubs. Tony and Marie bought him a left handed "driver tool" to get him used to the grip. He loved everything and spent a lot of our visit swinging at golf balls in the backyard. Very often, he got more loft and distance than I do on the course.

Just when I was thinking of how grown up he was getting, he came in from the backyard and announced that he had to go to the bathroom and it wasn't just to pee. TMI, his mother reminded him, as he went into the bathroom near the kitchen.

As Marie and I continued to talk at the kitchen table, we heard a distinctive "bathroom" noise coming from Coleton. "Coleton," Marie yelled,"shut the bathroom door." Coleton responded, "But, I want to be part of the conversation." After that, he was the conversation.

We had a nice time in Charlotte. Tony Jr., made pork chops for dinner--one of Coleton's favorites, and then we had birthday cake.

Anthony and Owen were lots of fun. We played Uno and "guess the animal," where we had to act like an animal and have everyone guess what we were. I tried to hop like a bunny and heard the crunch of cartilage in my knee, so I gave up. Tony put a small, wooden hammer on top of his head and gave the clue as, "da-dumb, da-dumb, da-dumb." The kids didn't get that he was a hammer head shark. I guess "Jaws," isn't a good bedtime movie.

We hope that this is the start of a new generation of 3 Men and a Bond. Tony Jr., Coleton and Anthony or Coleton, Anthony and Owen, all golfing together and remembering how they got started.

We didn't bring Dixie with us, in part, because they just put Tyson down and we didn't think it would be a good idea to have a dog running around. Instead, she spent the day with her Godparents, Jan and Stu. She actually went to a birthday party for Jan and Stu's twin grandchildren. They love Dixie and she was certainly a hit. Jan sent us a picture of Dixie sitting on the furniture like she owned the place. Jan and Stu's daughter, Amy, sent a big chicken leg back home for Dixie to have later--she had one while she was there, so of course she needed another one. This was the first time that Dixie met the children's other grandmother, so she spent a lot of time being cute and getting loved--Dixie, not the grandmother!

And so, we are on to Cleveland next and then David, Brenda and Alex are coming to Leland around Labor Day.

It's been a busy and fun summer so far. We can't wait to see the "kids," and everyone in Cleveland.

Memories from Charlotte and Other Places