My favorite pictures this week

Andrew the superhero. Facepaint by Sesame Place.

My family...minus 2. A sweet moment captured next to the sheep at the local grange fair.

Lily so pleased with herself because she climbed into her sand/water table. "Beach!"

Honestly. Seriously. Could he be any cuter? And, no, his ears don't do that naturally.

Exhibit A: Reasons why we have no full family pictures yet. None framed, anyway.

In a rush...

I'm trying to enjoy each day with my little ones. It's so easy to get buried under the avalanche of dirty diapers, laundry, toys...my God, the toys, clutter, dirt, etc etc. And while I'm struggling to catch some air under that mountain, I find myself thinking, "In just 3 years, Michael will be starting pre-school, and I'll have 2 hours a day to actually DO this stuff."

And then I get sad. (I never said I'm not insane...I'm allowed to be overwhelmed by my chores in one moment and saddened by the prospect of it ending in the next).

I really am trying to just appreciate this stage for what it is. No sports games to go to. Just a few parties. School is only a few hours a day, and laid back...no homework to struggle with in the evenings. The children go to bed early in the evening, so Jeff and I have alone time. They all still believe that their parents can fix anything.

And the kids themselves. Ah, I don't want to forget them either. They drive me crazy sometimes, but just because they're kids. ;) I want to appreciate the great things as well. Magical conversations with Andrew. Playing baseball with him and seeing him actually hit the ball most of the time...amazing. Listen to him get excited when he reads words off of signs ("Does that sign say 'golf' Mommy?") Reading chapter books with him before bed.

Watching Lily's face as she tries to crack us up ("What do you want for breakfast, Lily?" "I eat Pepere." giggles ensue). See her face light up and listen to her cheer after she goes down the "big" slide on our playset. Then listening to her cheer just as loud when Andrew does it. Listening to her put sentences together for the first time ("Daddy come home!"). Watching those chubby little legs bend as she does a somersault all on her own. Listen to her sing her ABC's, missing 3/4 of the letters.

Seeing the adoration of Michael as he gazes at one of us. Watching him suck on his feet (who doesn't love that stage?). Feeling that tense little body straighten and relax as he gets his first few sips of milk. Seeing him pull of the breast and stare drunkenly up at me with a last dribble of milk sliding out of the corner of his mouth. Comfort him when he startles as the loud noises that are constant in our house.

And watching them together. Will there ever again be a time where they love each other this much? Watching Andrew read a book to Lily, stroking her hair as he does it. Watching Lily get a big grin on her face as she leaps on Andrew to tackle him. Andrew chasing Lily, but knowing not to catch her...staying just far enough behind her to allow her to delight in the chase. And when she is chasing, letting her catch him once in a while. Lily sharing her night-night with Michael. Andrew stroking Michael's cheek and talking to him in a sweet baby voice. Lily giggling with glee when she and Michael lay next to each other to get diaper changes. Michael LIGHTING UP whenever one of his siblings is nearby.

Yes, it is hard to see it sometimes, but I'm sure these are the good old days.

Another conversation with Andrew

Due to popular request, here is another conversation with my 4 year old.

We were driving home from a doggy play date (Shadow and her friend Ella played, while their respective children also played, and their mommies got some social time). Andrew is in the back of the car talking non-stop...as usual. Here is an excerpt of our discussion...

A- Mom, I am going to live with you even when I get grown up.
G- If you want to, I'd be happy to have you. But if you get married, your wife will probably want to live in your own house.
A- Well, then I'll live next door to you. Okay? We can be neighbors. So either the house across the street or next door, okay?
G- That sounds perfect.
A- And we can eat dinner together every night. And if you move again, we'll all move together, okay?
G- I'm sure your wife will be thrilled.
A- When am I allowed to get married?
G- When you find the right person and you are out of school.
A- Well, I'm going to married right away. And me and my married person are going to live right next door, forever.
G- That's fine. But you should really wait until you find the person you really want to marry first.
A- Oh, Mom, there's lots of girls I want to marry. So many pretty ones and funny ones. I'll find someone.
G- Well, you have lots of time.
A- Hey, Mom, I'm thinking of an animal, do you want to guess which one?


Oh, he's a catch, I tell you! What girl wouldn't want a man that wants to eat dinner with his mommy every night? Too bad for her family...

Birthday with Andrew

(the present that I'd enjoy more without kids is a computer game that Andrew picked out for himself, I mean for me. I doubt I'll ever get to play it alone ;) )

The scene: Dinner has just finished. Jeff has put Lily to bed and I am upstairs nursing Michael in an attempt to get him down for bed. Andrew and Jeff are preparing the birthday cake.

Andrew runs up the stairs, "Mom, Dad can't find the birthday candles."
G- "Just use those star ones in the pantry"
Andrew runs down the stairs
A minute later, Andrew runs up the stairs, "Mom, we don't have 31 candles."
G-"Well, could we put a group of 3 and then a single one to make the number 31?"
A- "I think we should use just 1. Then there will be 5 left for my birthday in November."
G-"We can always buy more candles, Andrew"
A- "I think we should use just 1."
Andrew runs down the stairs.
A minute later, Andrew runs up the stairs holding a single candle.
A- "Mom, turn on the light."
G-"Andrew, I'm really trying to get Michael to fall asleep. Can you just tell me?"
A-"I picked out the purple star candle for you. It's my least favorite of the 6, so I can have my 5 favorites for my birthday cake."
G-"That's fine."
A- "Have you thought of a wish? You actually get 2 wishes, because this is a star candle. One wish on a star and one birthday wish. Even though I will have 5 candles, I'll still only get 2 wishes. Do you know what you will wish for? You can wish for anything...like maybe, 'I wish my kids would be more calm.' or maybe 'I wish Michael had a crib.' Oh, wait, Michael has a crib. Maybe you could wish that Michael had a bigger crib...you know, something like that. But remember, I will only have to make 2 wishes..."
G-"Andrew, I got it. Can you please go get my cake ready?"

It's random conversations like these that I wish I could freeze frame and remember forever. He was so earnest. Later he made sure I got the first piece of cake. And then he told me that tomorrow would be my birthday too, because Jeff's present hasn't come in the mail yet. He is so sincerely happy for me that it's my birthday. Not a bit of envy or jealousy or anything. He eagerly watched me open my gift...so excited to see my expression. I am in awe of his selflessness and love. How proud and happy I am that he's my son. And how he makes me laugh.

Oh, and Michael did NOT fall asleep. Shocker.

31

I'm 31 today. Birthdays aren't as exciting as they used to be...my day will be no different than any other. Except that I have a 4 year old who is very excited and proud that it is my birthday. Andrew and Jeff went shopping for my birthday gift last night, and so Andrew is very excited for me to open it tonight. He has not given me any clues, but I did get some info. He was looking at my wedding ring and he told me that a diamond is the strongest thing on earth. I asked how he knew it, and he said that Daddy told him. I asked if that was because they were looking at diamonds for my birthday gift. He snickered and said, "Noooo, but you're reallly going to like it!" So no diamonds. Jeff gave me the ominous clue, "Well, you might enjoy this gift more if you didn't have kids." Hmmmm, great.

Anyway, so birthdays have been kind of ho-hum since children...I can't go out to lunch, my co-workers haven't noticed, etc. But this year, Andrew has made it fun. He woke up this morning, bounded down the stairs and said, "Happy Birthday, Mommy!" and gave me a huge hug and kiss. Then we went to the park, and Andrew told every adult there that it was my birthday. He keeps singing the birthday song, and he is genuinely excited it's my day. Michael did his part as well...for 2 nights in a row, he's slept 8 hours in a row at night. Lily...well, she's just being Lily. We'll give her a few years. ;)

Thanks Andrew, for a great day!

Amazing Lily

Okay, if you don't want to hear me brag, you'd better not read this post. But if you DO want to read about me being a delinquent parent...please enjoy!

Lily is 22 months old. Soon she will be 2 years old, and I won't have to count her age in months anymore. -sigh- Such a big milestone...unless you are that crazy lady I met at the park who told me her son was 34 months old...you are a freak...I can't even do that kind of math without paper.

Anyway, I digress. Lily is so different than Andrew was...delightfully so. But one big difference I've been noticing is that she is in such a RUSH to grow up. She's not enjoying the subtle nuances of being 1...she's just rushing toward that 2 year old standing in her future. And unfortunately for Lily, her mother is balking at it.

Let me give you some examples of my 2 year old in training...

1) Lily seems to think she wants to use the potty. Uh, WHATEVER? Here's a little TMI, but she only asks when she hasn't gone poop in a while. I think then she can actually feel it coming when it gets to that point and so she will ask to go potty (are you totally grossed out yet? Welcome to motherhood, where bodily functions have reached the social equality of, say, discussing the weather). SOME mothers, better mothers, would eagerly whisk her away to the potty seat and read her stories of Elmo going to the potty and go to the store and pick out pretty panties with princesses on the front. THIS mother, the bad mother, says, "No, just go in your diaper."

I know, I know, you are gasping with shock. But, seriously? She is 22 months old. I tried one morning to put her on the potty every time she asked. And she never went, not one little drop. And we had 5 wettish diapers that I had to replace. And I had to find a place to put Michael safely 5 times for NOTHING. Uh-uh. She's not ready. And I'm not ready. And I know there are mythical children out there who potty train before 2, but I envision that "potty-training" to equate to more "parent-training" than anything else; an existence filled with wet, soiled panties, puddles on the floor, and other disgusting exchanges. No thank you. I'll just wait until she's 3 years 4 months and is completely potty trained in a week like Andrew. No accidents. Okay, so I won't make her wait that long...but 22 months ain't happening. And why is is so exciting to have your kid potty trained? It's really overrated. Diapers are so easy...especially when you are out running errands. Okay, I've ranted enough.

2) Lily is desperately trying to learn her letters and numbers. All day, she points at letters and asks, "Wha's Da?" Which is really cool and I'm really proud of her...but secretly it gets old really fast. I think it's really me not wanting her to grow up so fast. Yesterday I was wearing a t-shirt with BORCHERS written in big letters on the front (thanks, Dad), and she came up to me, pointed at the word and said, "ABC's". Then she pointed to the B and said "B", then the O and said "O", and then her 1 year old brain bounced off to another activity, leaving me slack jawed at the fact she just started spelling the word on my shirt. My BABY, people.

3) Lily is counting, really and truly counting. She lines up her Cheerios and as she does it she says, "Uhn, dooo, feeee, fooo, iiiive, ixxxx, eiiiigh, niiii," Okay, so she never says seven...but, dude, she's not even 2! And I know she's counting, not just memorizing numbers, because she does things like counts birds flying overhead..."Birds, Mommy. Uhn, dooo birds!"

4) Lily has decided this week to start speaking in full sentences. Prepositions and everything. We were out to eat with Jeff's parents and she clear as day said, "Pawpaw go walk with me?" It's amazing and wonderful and I'm sure it's totally normal for her age (I haven't read a book about development recently, so I can't remember). But it makes her seem so OLD. Soon she will lose all those baby pronunciations like Andrew did.

5) Oh, yea, and she wants to sleep in a bed, not a crib. Since my sister so gracefully has lent me her crib, I was planning on keeping Lily in the crib until 16 or 17 at least. Why would you want your children roaming free in their rooms? Especially if your children were as uncoordinated as mine so cannot climb out on their own. When she asks to sleep in the twin bed, I just avoid the subject. Pin that Mother-of-the-year pin RIGHT HERE, please.

In writing this out, I think I've realized what my problem is. I remember Andrew doing all these things, and now he's just a big old kid. Not a baby, just a kid (who is wonderful and funny and not at all a disappointment...but you know). And I watch her and I realize how fast this stage of life is and as much as it drives me crazy sometimes I'm sad to see her pass through it. Take your time, Lily. I love you just the way you are!

MINE!

Lily learned a new word today. And she knows how to use it! She and Andrew were "playing" in the basement (read: fighting), and I hear her screaming "MINE. MINE CAR." Officially, Andrew cannot rip things out of her hands without me knowing about it. -sigh- Life as a referee has begun.

Other random notes from today:

I washed my kitchen floor today. I usually wash my kitchen floor and front hall when Lily is asleep. Okay, I don't usually wash my kitchen floor at all. Today, Lily was awake, and despite my warnings, she tried to walk on the wet floor. And she promptly slipped and whacked her head (nothing the Booboo bunny couldn't solve, though). For the rest of the morning, she wouldn't walk on the kitchen floor. At all. I had to hold her hand or else listen to her tantruming at the border between the family room and kitchen.

Andrew and I were playing Olympics (our latest imaginary game). He likes it when I'm the spectator (no competition that way). At one point he said, "I'm on the USA baseball team. You be the watcher. Pretend I'm your son." ? But you are my son?

Bigger than Andrew???

So Michael had his 4 month appointment today. Remember little Mike? Mr. "Let's-drink-formula-because-I-can't-gain-weight"? This same little guy who hasn't had that fattening formula for 2 months now?

He is taller than Andrew was at 4 months.

:)

Yes, taller than my giant firstborn who the doctor asked today if he was excited for 1st grade (um, not for 2 more years). But 2 pounds lighter than my first bohemoth.

For the record: 15lbs 8oz (65th %ile) and 26 1/2 inches (85th %ile)

For the record...this is how big Lily was at 6 months...well, she was a little lighter, but almost.

-sigh- My baby is growing up too fast...

The trip, the trip!

(for more pictures...as if you'd actually want to see more...check here.)

I had planned on writing out the trip journal style, but that is too long and too boring...and I stopped writing down what happened after Tuesday. Michael didn't sleep the best, so I spent my precious evening hours playing cards with my family instead of logging what had happened. So sue me. ;)

Here are my favorite cute kid things from the week:

---When we first arrived, I overheard Andrew telling Colin, "It's not just Lily and me now...we have a baby now too."

---Colin must have said a dozen time, "Hey, I think I'll call this baby Michael." Good idea, Colin!

---All 3 kids were chasing around our GORGEOUS rental house, and Andrew fell. While he was crying, Colin and Lily stopped. But apparently, Lily wanted to continue. She shoved Colin full in the chest and said, "Chase!" Colin looked a bit shocked...and I'm a bit worried about Tiger-Lily in school now. ;)

---Colin thought Lily was older that she is. She's only about 3 pounds lighter than him, a few inches shorter, and they wear the same size pants...so you can understand the confusion. He kept getting frustrated with her when she wouldn't talk to him or tell him they were best friends. Kate finally got through to him by explaining that she is a "Polywog"...the age designation at his daycare. He immediately understood and explained to the rest of us that "She's just a Pollywog."

---Lily fell in love with the beach as soon as she saw it. She was constantly calling out, "Bee-cha, Bee-cha" But she was a little confused...she thought the water was the beach. So as the waves would ebb away from her, she would call out, "C'mere Bee-cha, C'mere". Also, the "beach" only existed in her immediate area, so she would randomly call family members to come and enjoy her beach, "C'mere, Pepere, Bee-cha"

---Lily also loved riding bikes...if we weren't at the Bee-cha, she wanted to "Rahd Bahk". And as she went, she would yell, "Faster!" to Jeff. Little dare-devil.

---Lily actually loved everything. She woke up in the morning wanting to go to the "Bee-cha. Wah-wah. Birds." On the way to the beach, she'd see bike riders and say, 'Rahd Bahk!" Once on the beach she wanted to race, chase, and dig.

---Andrew did his normal 5 days to adjust and 2 days of super fun. He just hates water in his eyes, sand on his skin, being hot, etc etc. Poor guy just takes a while to get used to stuff. Unlike our Tiger-Lily.

---When a wave would hit Lily, she'd say, "Yea, BABY", like Austin Powers. Her brother taught her that.

I stopped keeping a log after Tuesday, because the kids were so tired and grumpy that there was nothing really cute to keep track of. We played HARD Sunday and Monday...perhaps too hard. They had re cooped by the last day at the beach, Friday. We had a long drive there and home (God Bless my parents), but the kids did really well, all things considered. Driving to SC from Philly is very different than driving from Ohio...mostly because you have to get past Washington DC. Icky traffic. Icky is the censored word.

Now we are trying to get the kiddos back into normal mode, while doing laundry and unpacking. Lily got used to sleeping in bed with people, and she cried for FOUR HOURS last night, wanting to "Peep peep Mommy Daddy bed" (sleep in Mommy and Daddy's bed). Tonight she wanted to sleep in her twin bed set up in her room. That was really intended for guests...isn't it too early to switch her into a big girl bed? She is also requesting to use the potty all the time...but that's another post.

All in all, a fantastic vacation! I loved spending time with my sisters and their families. Everyone got along and was very considerate of other people...difficult when so many are under one roof. I only hope that they got the same impression from us and our rag-tag crew.

Just a minute...

We're back...and I have lots to post about...but I need just a minute to get out from under the PILE of laundry and car games and beach sundries and other CRAP that has landed on my house. My house that was messy to begin with. I'll try to update soon!

Here's a little preview...