Grandchild No. 5 - Kieran Michael Theriot

Poppa with Kieran - another HAPPY baby!

Biloxi - Aug 2004 (1 1/2)

The 4 boys at Biloxi

Christmas 03 in Philly with parents

Kieran, Luke, and Ryan "riding" Poppa's antique saddle.

     

     My son's second child, Kieran Michael Theriot, was born on 

Kieran and Luke - babies together!

March 27, 2002, just two months after his cousin Luke was born. Luke and Kieran are in the same grade at the same school, but their teachers know better than to put them in the same class! They are both class clowns and like to be the center of attention. Here is a picture of them during their first year; I think they are competing for attention already!      
           My daughter-in-law, Alicia, just called and reminded me that I wasn't even in town when Kieran was born. I had forgotten about this. I was still teaching and was out of town at a conference. I had considered cancelling the trip because, as I recall, Alicia was due the following week. Since she was having a section, we did not anticipate an early arrival! As it happened, the conference I attended was in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which happens to be where Alicia is from. Her family is still there. I had three nights there but only had the last night free. So her Mom, Nancy, and I had arranged to meet for dinner. While at dinner, we received the call that Kieran had been born. What were the chances? Alicia and Craig had just gone in for a routine doctor's exam, and the doctor decided it was time. The odds against both grandmothers being together that night (since we live so far apart!) must be astronomical! But if I had to be gone, I would not have wanted to be anywhere else. We made many wine toasts that night! Russell was keeping Ryan while the family was in the hospital. He and Ryan went to the hospital later to see Kieran and his parents.     

One of "many" boo-boos!

                I don't want to say that Kieran is "accident prone"; however, if ANYTHING is going to happen to any of them it is going to happen to Kieran.(See picture with "boo-boo"). I guess it started when he was not quite 2. We were all in New Orleans for the wedding of his dad's cousin. While Kieran and his family were at a restaurant, Kieran fell out of his chair onto the floor. We are still not sure exactly what happened. Either he had a seizure and then fell; or he fell and then had a seizure. Regardless of which came first, he stopped breathing. His parents had to put him in the hospital in NO for a few days. A few years later, he  complained that his legs were hurting. He had a hard time walking and, while at school, his knee start swelling. Once he got several bug bites that turned to bruises the next day. We didn't know what was wrong with him, but it was all strange! After several tests and doctor visits, it was determined that his blood platelets were low. 

     While these problems eventually got under control, there were still lots of accidents that just seemed to happen to Kieran. Once when he and Luke were jumping on Luke's trampoline, some wasps got onto the trampoline. Both boys scrambled to get off the trampolie, and Kieran was the one who fell on his chin and almost knocked himself out! If there is poison ivy around, Kieran will get it; if there are wasps, Kieran will get stung; it was Kieran who swallowed the marble!

     Kieran has always been a prankster and has endless energy. He once convinced ME that there was a

Look at that angelic face!

ghost in my house. He somehow managed to open and close

Poppa and I went with Keiran on a preschool field trip.

doors in other parts of my house and yet make it seem to me that he was by my side the whole time. He hides things from people and then plays dumb and just loves to watch them look for them. (In fact, I have a couple of things I need to ask him about now--but he is at camp. I'll get him when he gets back though).Who would think anyone with this face would do things like that!  

      Since Landon (his cousin) was a few years older than the other three boys, Kieran, Luke, and Ryan spent a good deal of time together. Here they are at Ryan and Kieran's house one Christmas riding a Santa gift.

Kieran (back seat), Luke and Ryan (front seat)

   

They also enjoyed summers at Grammy and Poppa's eating snowcones on the front porch, making and decorating Christmas cookies, and acting crazy in Grammy's jacuzzi!

  

Luke, Kieran, and Ryan

       Kieran and Luke (cousins) were baptized together, and they had their first communion together.    

Poppa with big brother Ryan and Kieran reading together

A couple of favorite Christmas pictures

      Kieran has a sensitive side, too, however. Once when he was about 5 or 6, while at a baseball tournament, his team was being presented trophies. However, they were one trophy short, and the last teammate member would not have gotten one. Kieran, being the sensitive child he is, handed his trophy to his friend and told him he (Kieran)  would get his trophy later. And he is great with his new baby sister (whoops, that will be a later post!).

     Poppa loved his grandkids so much, at least the ones he got to know, and would have been so wonderful with them all right now. They would ALL want to go to Poppa's house every day. He could talk 

Poppa loved his grandkids

 about anything and had so many things to show them--rocks, fossils, coins. He was a collector of EVERYTHING--everything children would love to see. He worked so hard all his life so that he could retire and spend time with his grandkids. We've learned the hard way not to take life for granted. It can change in an instant! Live every minute to the fullest, and don't leave anything unsaid!

    Below is a short video that is a good example of the personalities of both Luke and Kieran. Even though they aren't in the same classes, at the end of the school year the classes join for a "concert." The boys had to dress as cowboys, and what they are doing in this video has NOTHING to do with the school play; they are just being themselves!