boo-boo

this weekend...

I have big plans this weekend…including (but not limited to):

• straightening up the house
• drinking some wine from a box
• collecting cicada shells for Jack’s new collection (is this gross?)
• watching Lila crawl around (because she finally started, yippee-yahoo…oh crap I have to start cleaning my floors!)
• painting my nails a fun color (yellow, maybe)
• cutting the grass (yes, this is fun to me)
• drinking beer from a can
• hanging with my favs

…extra long weekend, I love you!

machines!

This weekend we went to an event called "Meet the Machines" sponsored by a local construction company. I had no idea what to expect, but suffice to say it was overwhelming and brilliant and I've never seen so many little boys so happy in one place!

Next year we'll get there earlier (even though we showed up at 10: when it opened...apparently you need to get there at like 9-9:30 if you even want a chance to operate a scooper truck or go up in the high lift! Fail.)

Lucky for us, Jack was happy enough to meet Bob the Builder, run around with his hard hat on, explore every vehicle imaginable, and get sandy & sweat digging for treasure!

Also, the monster truck had a "For Sale" sign on it, and Jim is quite interested...have fun living in it, honey!

Next year we'll be better prepared for the chaos and excitement...also, I hope Lila's done teething by then because she was a little too preoccupied with her sore gums to enjoy the machines!

(cell phone pics=boo.)

compliment...

"...your family is unbelievably dapper. Good looking gang!" (from Seth over at The Midweststyle...)

Made my day...even though he thinks St. Louis is a Chicago wannabe...pshh!

technicolor children...

(with Photoshop Express on my iPad)

drawings

I introduced Jack to the iPad last night...complete with cautionary warnings (i.e., "Don't ever touch this without asking Mommy or Daddy"/"Be VERY careful and touch it gently"/etc.). He calls it a lily pad.

We went through alphabet tracing aps (so neat!) and shapes/colors aps and reading aps...his favorite ap so far is Glow Draw...

He drew me a picture of myself (below)…can you see me? He also started to sign his name on the bottom right, and might have lost interest...


I'm going to limit Jack to 15 minutes of iPad before story time at night, and we'll either read books on it or play educational games (I really love the letter tracing!). I don't want him to become addicted to the technology (I'm the pot calling the kettle black here...). Now that the weather is warming up (kinda), I'd much rather he spend his time playing outside and searching for worms and swinging and imagining...

luck...

We have bad luck…with things. Our trees cracking, breaking, falling…our cars popping tires on the highway, and later requiring a new computer chip costing roughly a mortgage payment…pipes backing up (gross!), electricity surging, outlets busting, doors jamming, windows leaking…it’s one thing after another with the house, the cars, the things… It feels like we’re always bracing ourselves for “what’s gonna happen next”...

But then, I see my little girl light up when I walk in the door, and jump up and down in her excer-saucer until I hold her…and my best guy squeezes my face so tight when he plants a hard kiss on me…and I have no idea how I go to be so lucky.
Seriously, I’m the luckiest. I get to witness these children be spectacular every single day. I get to call them my children. I get to be their mom for the rest of eternity. I’m overcome with humbleness and love.

Whatever mess can be made of my things, my stuff…bring it on. Because someone thought me worthy enough to have these children, and I am eternally grateful. I will forever ask, "How did I get to be so lucky?"....but then, maybe not...maybe this one time, I will try to just go with the flow and not over analyze the hell out of it...I have much better things to be doing with my time...like be lucky.

Mother's Day all over...

Yesterday was like Mother's Day all over again...except for the relaxing/pampering/lazy aspects...

Our family photo session pictures arrived in the mail after a month and a half of anticipation and they did not disappoint. I'm obsessed and in love and ordering too many canvases...I can't stop staring!

ALSO, my long-awaited Mother's Day present finally arrived...and iPad2...holy overwhelm! I've been searching the best apps for children and photo-taking and figuring out who I can use FaceTime with and, of course, showing Jim how to correctly play Angry Birds and getting lost in Pinterest...goodbye DVR'ed shows because it will be a struggle to tear me away from this gadget...

liley & her blankie

The blanket that Nani has been working on since before Lila was even born is officially complete! It's a million percent adorbs...and even though Lila was fast asleep by the time I was finished "ooh-ing" and "ahh-ing" over it, I eventually passed it off to her and covered her as she peacefully slept.

And she slept better than she had in a while...no midnight rousing to reinsert her paci...and she woke up the happiest little thing...in turn causing her brother to wake up in a likewise happy manner...(I bring Lila in with me to wake him up: she sits next to Jack and pats him/pulls his hair awake...most days, he pulls her in close to him until she drools on him enough to sit up.)

All the happiness was simply contagious, so Jim and I both went about our happy mornings, destined to have happy days.

Moral of the story: Nani's blanket, made by hand with love, makes us all happy.

Self: need to take "real" pics of the blanket and not just camera snaps. Sor.

my mother's day

I had a perfectly wonderful Mother’s Day. It was low stress and low maintenance and exactly what I wanted. Nothing lavish or fancy…and I loved every minute. I also dressed the kids in matching outfits because 1: they were adorable, and 2: someday they won't want to dress alike, or even have me dress them at all, and 3: because I felt like it!

I was just plain happy all day long. We made an impromptu visit to the petting zoo. Jack wanted to go to the “real” zoo, but that’s a bit of a production and I would have needed to mentally start preparing for the trip from the time my eyes opened (I have a problem).

While the rest of the family napped, I enjoyed 1 hour (in 15 minute increments in which I poked my head inside to ensure Liley was still napping) lounging in the sun with Pandora (Damien Rice Radio) and getting an awkward necklace tan line…it was great.
I’m thankful that I’m a mother. It’s tiring and stressful and hard…but, as I’d say during a job interview, “I thrive in challenging situations”…and I don’t know if I’d say I’m thriving so much, as surviving each day in a jungle of laundry and dishes and macaroni and peas, but I love this mom-thing. Love. It.

PS: I only got 2 pictures taken of myself and the kids, and I'm kicking myself. But I'm also mentally kicking Jim for not telling me that my hair was a huge, hot mess. Honestly, I won't take offense if you tell me to spend an extra minute in front of the mirror. Well, I might take offense but I'll thank you when I review the pictures.

things i love about you, mom...

You’re funny…
You can make me smile no matter what.
You show me what it means to be a good mom…every.single.day.
You make me happy.
I love hearing you sing your songs about anything and nothing…even when they get stuck in my head.
You are the one person who can “talk me down” when life overwhelms me.
You always put us before yourself…and never give it a second thought or ask for anything in return.
You taught me what it means to love unconditionally.
You’re spontaneous.
You showed me the importance of following rules.
You let me break the rules sometimes.
You are always proud of me…for the big things, and the little things.
I love making you proud.
You have awesome legs…you do!
You make good food…and no matter how closely I follow your recipe, my meatloaf will never taste like yours.
You are always “on”…I’ll never understand how you do it.
You taught me to love antiquing…I love finding vintage treasures.
You taught me about the value of money, and finding a good deal.
You always have your soda and always know where the closest “soda store” is.
You’re Jack’s best friend…and becoming Lila’s favorite too.
You never missed a game.
You love to watch the Cardinals.
You don’t mind embarrassing us.
You’re never embarrassed by us (right?).
You showed me to always have manners, and to be nice and respectful…because mean people suck.
You always believed in me.
You always stand up for me.
You have a great laugh.
You’re an amazing Nani to Jack and Lila…they light up when they see you and that makes me happy.
You’re pretty.
You’ll do anything for them.
You showed me to always work hard, and to always do my best.
You work harder than anyone I know…and you never complain about it.
You’re a kid at heart.
You’re tough.
You always cheer the loudest.
You don’t need much to be happy.
You’re smart.
You always know just what to say.
You spoil us all: with presents, treats, food…but mostly love.

girls...