First Big Girl Birthday Party!

This afternoon, Lucy is going to a birthday party for our 5-year-old neighbor. This is a VERY exciting prospect, as she is the only 3-year-old invited, it is a "glamour party" at a kid's hair salon AND it is a "parents drop-off and leave" scenario.
Needless to say, I've been talking and prepping her for this party over the last day or two. I've explained that the mom's don't stay at this party, and that some nice girl will do her hair and nails and then she'll get to play dress-up!
She stares at me wide-eyed as I explain what will happen....and then she starts with the questions...
"But who will take good care of me?" (Well, Riley's Mom will be there)
"Who will take me potty?" (You'll have to be a big girl and tell someone there you have to go)
"Can you peek at me through the window? (I'll try to come early and see you!)
I know she will be very brave and do great. And the other girls will have no idea she just turned 3 last month and this is just about the most exciting thing that's ever happened to her and that she has butterflies in her belly. But it will still tug at my heart to drive away and leave her brave self to the big girl party....

A Summertime Picnic...

A Question For the Ages...

We are watching Sesame Street, and there is a skit where Aaron Neville and Ernie are singing "I Don't Want to Live on The Moon."

Lucy asks, "Why is he wearing earrings?"
I tell her sometimes boys wear earrings for decoration.
"WHHHYYY??"
I know it, Luce...sometimes things just don't make sense in this world....

What I didn't mention were the other pending and obvious Aaron Neville questions I've had since his hit duet with Linda Rondstadt, "I Don't Know Much":
"What's with his creepy high voice?"
"What's with the large mole on his forehead I can't stop staring at?"
"Since you don't live in France, when do you stop wearing berets on a daily basis?"
"Is he wearing a purple robe while singing to Ernie?"
"Why is this guy rich and I'm not??"

And Breathe...

The last couple of days have been low-key and unscheduled. We have gone to playgrounds, painted, played outside, visited with neighbors and ran some errands. They have even been enjoying their time in the jogging stroller!
It's days like this that I wish lasted forever. Like yesterday, after the park, when I decided we needed to get ice cream at 2:30 in the afternoon. So we did...and we sat on a bench together and chatted about things. It's moments like these that remind me how lucky I am to be home with them on a Tuesday afternoon, chatting it up and enjoying the summer day.
We saw some older boys run past us and Lucy asked, "Why don't they have their mom with them?" I explained that when you get a little older, sometimes you don't have to have your mom go places with you all the time. She wondered why in the world she would want that? And I said, "Well, some day you won't want me with you all the time...but you'll always need your mom..."
She just stared off, thinking about all of it and licking her cone. So cute I could have died.

I Was Getting More Sleep Last Summer....

...which is ABSURD, because Tommy was only 4 months old! Sadly, it's a true statement. "Da Luce" has thrown us all for a loop with some sleeping/not sleeping activity totally out of sorts for her.
Just to remind you, I must say that Lucy has always been my sleeper! Until one month ago, I could literally count on ONE HAND how many times I had been woken up in the night by her in 3 years! She's been sleeping 12-13 hour nights since she was 10 weeks old! While being 100% breastfed! A freak of nature, one might say! Ridiculously good sleeper....
It started out low-key...a few push backs at bedtime with Dad about a month ago. Suddenly she needed one last special doll in bed with her or a glass of water. Over a couple of weeks, we realized these "small requests" were becoming 30 minute+ sessions. We were getting duped...by a three-year-old....and things needed to change.
So we got hard-core. We would warn her when she would start up her silly last minute demands, and then walk out of her room. She would scream and yell and pound on the door. I am talking some serious Class A temper tantrums. Finally she would crash.
Then, the 5-year-old down the street showed her how to open her safety door knob from inside her room. Umm yeah....so then she started coming downstairs to tell us, "She doesn't want/know how/need to go to sleep."
So then we installed a "hook and eye" feature on her door for when she threw her fits. Ridiculous...
O.k. so we think we've got this bedtime thing down for a couple of days. What does she do?
WAKES UP AT 5:30 AM AND STARTS YELLING FOR ME! And never goes back to sleep once awakened. Never. For the love of god....
Bear in mind, Tommy is ROCK STAR sleeping through all these charades and I am scared to death she is going to wake him...uuuuuggghhhh.....
Throw in a sprinkling of 1 a.m. wake-ups from her (that I will spare you the details on)...and yeah...this past month has been interesting.
We geared up last night before bedtime began. While snuggling with us on the couch, we went through what was going to happen. Matt told her if she did great, with no troubles, that there would be a surprise waiting for her this morning. She seemed to buy it. And went to sleep without a peep. Of course, it could have been the exhaustion finally kicking in...but I have no complaints! As I type this, it is 7:52 a.m. and she is STILL sleeping. Not ONE wake-up.
I will keep telling myself this is all a fluke...and pray for more nights like last night!!!

A Sweet Reflection of Their Parent's Traits and Hobbies...

Yesterday afternoon, I went for a walk around the block with the kids, as we usually do after Tommy's nap. We met a little girl we had never seen before. Her name was Kirsten. Lucy stood there in shock and awe (as is the norm with another girl older than her) as I asked her how old she was. Kirsten was 7 years old.
"How 'bout that Lucy? She's 7 years old," I said to her, trying to get her to close the open mouth gape she had while staring at Kirsten.
Then, suddenly, Lucy snapped out of it and asked, "How's it feel to be 7?" which is hilarious in it's own right...but as a finale, she lets out a large fart, giggles "excuse me" and runs away.
Yeah....a sweet combination of curiosity and flatulance...it's what friendships are made of...

This morning, my mom took Lucy for morning playtime and Tommy and I had some quality time together. As he gets more toddler-ish, he is becoming more and more hilarious, as well. I was driving a running route for myself after errands, and he and I were jamming out to some lunchtime 90's rap. So, of couse, I threw my hands in the air like I really didn't care...and Tommy did the same. Then he started swaying BIG TIME back and forth in his car seat and laughing. A tear almost came to my eye as I realized, I am turning that mother out with my son for the first time and it is a total party...

Let's Try a New Week...

So we are starting fresh and anew at our house this week. We are going to try July over again starting today, since things have been nutty since the month began.
Commenters - you guys are hilarious. I know there are more of you out there who are being LAME-O and not letting yourself be known, but that's fine. Talk amongst yourselves....I know you are out there. ha ha...
Matt went back to work today and is doing amazingly well. If you had told me a week ago he'd actually be working today, I would have told you you're nuts! The only real issue now is that his wound is kind of getting yucky. Without divulging too much gross information, let's just say the built up wound fluid is coming up in the form of blisters and he's having to wrap the area to make sure it doesn't get infected. Ridiculous...anyway, so he is out making the "sweet moolah" for the family and visiting his big accounts that he hasn't seen in over two weeks.
Lucy didn't enjoy Dad heading out this morning...but after three hugs, two kisses, and telling herself Dad was "only going to the store for a minute," she seemed to be able to cope with him leaving.
The two of them had a rough day together yesterday. I stepped out a couple of times and found that I had to play peacemaker upon my return. She just really likes to push his buttons and for some reason, sometimes I am the only person who can calm her down or redirect her from her silly (aka obnoxious) behavior.
Tommy continues to intrigue me day after day. Today at a playgroup, he was perfectly content to lay back in a baby swing in a total "mack daddy" position, with this little smile on his face peeking over at me.
He is an interesting boy...
Could care less about: crazy sister in full on dance routine before his very eyes, other kids flailing/yelling around him, reading a book more than 10 seconds long, saying much of anything
Is pulled towards and loves: Anything physical like stairs, climbing, running and exploring, any older boys playing ball outside, any and all balls, Elmo, his Boppa, food (ate two and a half NORMAL SIZED pieces of pepperoni pizza last night) and hugging me.

Can I Get a Shout Out?

Last year, I actually went to the trouble of "counting" visitors to my site at the bottom of the blog. I used to get reports and all that junk on a weekly basis. I let that one go when I switched designs and have never gotten around to doing it again.
Anyway, I "hear" that people read my site fairly regularly and I was just thinking...who the heck are you people?
Shy lurking friends and family...make yourselves known!
Even if Blogger is being lame and not letting you log in as yourself, come up with a new name!!
My usual pals...give me a holla...(and for some reason, when Ellen DeGeneres says that, I laugh out loud every time)...
Come on...don't be shy....I'm begging for some double digit comments here!
I am a commenting WHORE! WHORE I say...
O.k...sorry...inappropriate...
Just curious...

Updates, Updates....

Great news! Matt WON'T need surgery! We are very relieved and grateful. Some aggressive physical therapy will take place over the next month, but hopefully he will be walking and possible working by early next week. I am happy our summer isn't ruined and that life could possibly get back to semi-normal in a week or so. I think he'll struggle with a sore thigh through the rest of the summer, but he's a tough dude so we will work through it. It's never a good time for life to stop for something like this, but with a one and three year old, in the midst of a fun and busy summer, it's REALLY not good timing. So, again, sweet relief!

Lucy and Tommy are being great about it - albeit semi-confused. They seem shocked when we get home from something in the middle of the day and yes, Dad is STILL laying on the couch, in the same position as 3 hours earlier when we left. On a Tuesday. Lucy keeps saying, "Can I get you anything, Dad?" "How's your leg, Daddy?" and "Is your "Owie" all done yet?" She's sad her Dad can't wrestle with her every second, but she's very patient and understanding. Like Sunday night when she reassured him, "That's o.k. Dad, you can just sit and watch me do gymnastics."

I have found that when I get really stressed, and I can fortunately count on one hand how many times I have been this stressed and worried...my coping technique is to stay very busy. I can't sit home and wait for the test results...I have to get out there and do things with the kids and make their life as normal as possible. They keep me strong when I feel like I am going to burst out in tears or just sit in my car and feel sorry for myself. There is no time for that..too much needs to be done and for that, I am grateful. These past few days have shown me that I am stronger that I realized and the kids have made me that way.

.....................................................................................

Lucy was an adorable girl up north last week. In the mornings, when everyone was off doing something and Tommy was sleeping, we would go down to the beach together. She would often times say something so ridiculously sweet to me that in an instant, I would realize THAT moment was all that really mattered in life. I can't remember them all, but one morning we sat together in our respective beach chairs. I helped her fix her pants and she said to me, "Thanks for being so helpful, Mom. You are the best mommy in all the world. In the whole world." I thanked her and we hugged, and while we hugged, she whispered in my ear, "Of all the girls...of all the girls..."

I'm not really sure what she was trying to say but I think she meant of all the girls, I am the best mommy out there. Ha ha...or at least that's my interpretation, of course.

One morning, she went on a tangent, asking me questions about her birth.
"Why didn't you have clothes in your stomach for me, Mom?"
"Why was I "anaeged" (our family weird word for naked) when I came out?"
"Why did Tommy and I take turns?"
"First I came out...than Tommy came next!"
"Did you come out of Daddy's tummy, Mom?"
Hilarious....

And we would just talk and laugh and hold hands on the beach and it was pretty much the best. For as much "button pushing" that girl can do to me, Lucy at 3 years old is pretty much as good as it gets. I wish she would stay this age forever. But maybe I will be saying that at 5 years old. I hope I am, anyway.

Tommy continues to be an exploring and verbally exploding little man. He can now say "Boppa" to my Dad and "Yeah" when I ask him a question like, "Would you like a waffle for breakfast?." He also says, "Shrek" which is random since he has never seen the movie...but Lucy has a Princess Fiona doll, so he is spoken about often. He was very brave in the water and sand all week. He's also working VERY hard on perfecting his up and down out of chairs. The boy would do it all day if I let him. One day, he sat in his little chair for almost an hour, just passing a toy back and forth to my Dad. I think he thinks he's pretty cool. I am sure it's very empowering. I can't believe he will be 16 months old this weekend. Too crazy.

Life really is good and there is much to be thankful for tonight.

AND IT WAS GOING SO WELL...

Our great vacation week kicked off with me completing my first 10K race. It was super fun and motivating and I thought we did pretty well. 9:17/mile and 33rd for my age bracket. Karen and I chatted the whole time and that made it go by quickly...now it's on to the 10 miler at the end of August.





















Then, we headed up for our week-long vacation on Lake Huron. Tons of relaxing, sunning, eating and drinking. It was nice to check out of life as usual, turn off the computers and phones, and just chill. Lucy and Tommy loved the beach and hanging out with Meema, Boppa and "E.E." Matt and my Dad enjoyed many rounds of golf. Good times all around...



























And then, on our last day, late in the afternoon...Matt went water skiing. And he fell. And the handle plowed into his thigh. And he crushed one of his quadracep muscles in his right thigh. He had to go to 2 ERs over the weekend and is getting an MRI tonight to make sure he doesn't need surgery (which, pray to the Lord Jesus, they don't think he will). Yeah...good times and a good ending. Ahhhh...things happens when you least expect it. In the meantime, this two day experience has CEMENTED into stone our already VERY firm plans to not have a third child. I barely have time to get the guy a glass of water to take his Victodin. Ha!

I had plans to write an entry with my beachtime thoughts I had about checking out of life for a while, and cute stories about the kids. But right now I am just running around too much to stop and write it all down.
I leave you with one quote from "Da Luce" said on the beach mid-week while putting her arm around Tommy and I, "I LOVE MY FAMILY!"