Anniversary trip to NYC II

We started Thursday morning relatively early (considering we were one time zone ahead, on vacation, and kid-less). We walked to the end of our block and enjoyed coffee and a muffin from Starbucks for breakfast. Then we walked past our hotel to the other end of the block (yeah, our location was that great!) and boarded the subway. In planning our trip, we both wanted to see most of the city and actually know what we were seeing and decided the best way to accomplish this might be through the Grey Line Sightseeing Tour, aka the red double decker buses. This turned out to be a great investment. We were able to get on and off the bus at our leisure, stopping where it was important to us, all while hearing cool facts about NYC: where events take/took place, names of cool buildings, where people live, where shows are taped, etc. We saw the building used in Gotham City for the Batman movie, the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld, Carnegie Hall, NYU, and where Marilyn Monroe sang "Happy Birthday, Mr. Presdient" to name a few. If we had ridden the subway the entire time we would have missed experiencing so much of the city!

We decided to let our first stop off point be Soho. We did some walking and looking - mainly taking it all in and then walked our way to Chinatown. We were in search of a good Chinese restaurant and chose Ping's on Mott Street.

Kris and I are fans of Chinese food. (When we traveled to Taiwan and the Phillippines on a mission trip with the BSU in 1998, we were introduced to the delicious dim sum - Ping's made a name for itself with its dim sum.) We were not disappointed! Our favorites were the chicken and shrimp dim sum.


We then took to the streets. I, in search of a purse/bag or two and Kris, in search of a sweet pork roll (a Chinese bakery treat). While Kris found exactly what he was wanting, I got more and more confused! So, we decided to call it a day in the Chinatown area. When we bought our sight-seeing tickets, we received free tickets to ride the water taxi. We decided to get back on the bus and make our way to South Street Seaport. We hoped to ride the water taxi but they were sold out for the day and told us to return in the morning. We got some Haggendaz ice cream and enjoyed the sights of the port. There were lots of people browsing the shops and kiosks and being entertained by the street performers. We were pretty tired and a good distance from our hotel, so we decided to make our way back. Since we were not wanting to sight-see, we took the subway. After resting a little and getting ready we were on our way to see Jersey Boys on Broadway!


The show was phenomenal! We sat through the entire performance clapping, cheering, singing along, and even tearing up (Presley, that is). We left the theatre so excited. They sang many of the songs that The Four Seasons are famous for. A few of our favorites: Sherry, Walk Like A Man, Big Girls Don't Cry, Rag Doll, and Can't Take My Eyes Off of You. The talent can not be beat! In one of our favorite scenes they set up huge stage lights at the back of the stage and facing the audience. They had the actors with their backs to us and singing toward the back of the stage...making us (the audience) feel like we were backstage at one of their concerts! Incredible! Kris had never seen a Broadway show, nor is he a "theatre" person...but this one had him hooked! We highly recommend it (just know that the language is strong a times)!


Do we look like tourists? I think the backpack gives us a way :)

While walking to the subway after the show, we stopped at a local diner and enjoyed some pancakes. We were ready for bed and headed that way, but missed our stop on the subway and ended up delaying our getting home by an hour or two! Our NYC traveling skills were not up to par that night :)

Stay tuned for day three of our anniversary trip!

Anniversary trip to NYC

In August, Kris and I celebrated our 10th Anniversary. YAHOO!! What a great 10 years. When I look back over our time together, it makes me smile. God could not have made a better partner for me (and He knew that) and every minute has been worth it! So, with such a milestone anniversary ahead of us we started talking about doing something nice. We would go back and forth on whether or not to spend some money this way. We could easily talk our way out of it, but just as easily dream our way into it! The closer our anniversary got, we bit the bullet and bought our plane tickets...to NYC! We have both been to New York before but had never been together. We were so looking forward to visiting the big apple, just the two of us. So, I hope to take a post or two and write about our trip. (Considering I am so behind on my scrapbooks I fear I am going to lose my memory of these precious days if I don't get them documented). I hope you enjoy reading about what we did. But, I am pretty sure it was much more fun to live it! :)

Our good friend (and Kris' boss), Lloyd, took us to the airport early, early on a Wednesday morning.



We boarded the plane and soon found out their were some mechanical issues that delayed us just long enough that we missed our connecting flight. But, no worries, because the airline got us on the next flight without any problem and we safely landed at La Guardia just an hour later than we had planned. We caught a cab to the Excelsior Hotel and checked in. Once we were settled we walked to the subway, bought a 7 day pass, and headed south to Coney Island. Kris and I had done a little research in preparing for our trip and had made several plans. Going to Coney Island was something we had tossed around, not really knowing what we were getting into, but thinking it would be fun nonetheless. When we first got off the subway we came upon Nathan's. You may recognize this place as it holds the hot dog eating contest every summer.



And I must say, they serve a pretty good hot dog!



We took a little time to walk around and explore the sights. I am not sure I have words to describe the place. Maybe fair-ish, maybe freak show-ish, but yet beautiful boardwalks and nostalgia abounding? Hard to imagine...I am sure! Anyway, we did not see much that we wanted to participate in. So, after a short walk along the boardwalk and admiring a close-to-sunset view of the water we stopped at the infamous Cyclone of Astroland. We walked right up to the counter, bought our tickets, and boarded the roller coaster in less than 5 minutes. It was loud, it was rickety, it was old, it was fast, it was an experience of a lifetime!





With the sun going down and the "crowds" becoming more and more shady, we boarded the subway and headed back to the Upper West Side. A first day together, well spent, and looking ahead with excitement! (Stay tuned for more about our trip in a later post)

The Virtual Pumpkin

Last Fall, my mother-in-law e-mailed me a link to a really neat website. The site is for virtual pumpkin carving. Weird, I know (but, cool none the less)! The kids had such a good time carving pumpkin after pumpkin. I thought I would share the site for all those interested...sure beats cleaning up all those insides time after time! We will save that for once it gets closer to time :) Check it out if you are interested!

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/timages/page/pumpkin_sim.html

The verdict is...

the Caramel Frappuccino recipe is a keeper! Oh, yes it is! I have made it everyday since first trying out the recipe and I am quite surprised how great of a substitute it is!

I have several things on my To Do List today. But two things I am especially looking forward to: 1) going to Mommy and Me with Bankston Hays and 2) Ann Elise's tea party at Preschool. I took both my older children to Mommy and Me (Wes more than Ann Elise, but, hey, he was the first right?!?) and enjoyed it thoroughly. We still sing songs that were our favorites from the class. Now that Ann Elise has started Preschool it has freed up some time to start taking the baby...and he is loving it! This will be our third week and I love the one on one time to focus on him. I love seeing his eyes light up and listening to his giggles. May I never forget the sweet, sweet smiles of these good times! And for the tea party, oh my is Ann Elise excited! They have been making things to prepare for this tea party and they have been talking about it. She has been excited for about a week. This morning it was so sweet. She was starting to put on her clothes and she said, "Mommy, is it tea party day?" "Is this what I am going to wear for the tea party?" "Is this tea party clothes?" To which I responded, "Yes, yes, sweet doll today is the day and I cannot wait to come!" She gave me the biggest hug. May I also never forget the joy that comes from being in "their" moment and sharing their excitement!

As Bankston Hays plays in the pack n play, let me get to picking up around here so that we can begin our fun day!

Starbucks Lovin'...

One of my all time favorite treats is a Caramel Frappuccino from Starbucks.



I love that it is coffe. I love that it is sweet with caramel. I love that it is cold and slushy. I do not love that it costs close to $5 to enjoy. So, I decided to Google for a recipe and came across several! I am looking forward to trying this soon...maybe this weekend!!!


STARBUCKS CARAMEL FRAPPUCCINO
(taken from http://www.legacyofhope.org/frappe.html)

3/4 cup double-strength coffee, cold
1 cup low-fat milk
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons caramel
2 cups ice

1. Make double-strength coffee by brewing with twice the coffee required by your coffee maker. That should be 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per each cup of coffee. Chill before using.
2. To make the drink, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until ice is crushed and drink is smooth. Pour into two 16-ounce glasses, and top each glass with whipped cream and drizzle additional caramel over the whipped cream. Serve with a straw. Makes 2 "grande" drinks.

Sunday morning ponderings of a three year old

Conversation while having breakfast before getting ready for Sunday School....

Wes: "Daddy, David got baptized."

Kris: "Really?"

Wes: "Yes sir, Sunday."

Kris: "That is great, Wes!"

Wes: "Yep"

Ann Elise: "Daddy, what does that mean?"

Kris: "Well, it is a way to show everyone that you love the Lord, that you believe in Jesus."

Ann Elise: "Now that's a good idea!"

My 10 month old

The day has come. My 10 month old is no longer a baby...he is a toddler. Well, not quite, but almost! This week I found him in these two places:





Now when did this happen? With every child the time passes faster and faster. Some days it would be pure bliss for it all to run in slow motion. I love this little guy. From his grins, to his little games (playing noggin), to developing and nurturing his curious little spirit, he makes me smile. Somtimes we take for granted the sweet smell of their baby scent or the smooth and soft rub of their skin. But, every time I get a moment to soak it in and truly enjoy the moment...LOVE IT! There is nothing like a baby in the house.

Another tooth post

What is it with my family?!? This year has proven to have tooth issues! Read this post and this post for what I mean! Last night Kris was getting the kids ready for bed with their nightly routine: baths, hair, pj's, teeth. When he noticed an addition to Wes' mouth. It seems as though his first permanent tooth is making its entrance! The only problem...it is coming in behind the baby teeth! We are excited for this new chapter;however, it does mean my baby is losing more and more of being my baby. Wes is excited! And he is looking forward to those baby teeth in front of his big tooth getting loose!

Can you see it?

All I want for Christmas...

is for my children (toddlers, albeit!!) to KEEP their two front teeth! Last night AE was going to help Kris feed the dogs (part of her chart). As they were entering the mudroom Kris stopped to turn the alarm off and AE tripped over his leg. She fell face forward and her front teeth hit the corner of the bench. Ouch! Of course, crying ensued and blood followed. For the first little bit we thought it was her bottom teeth. Well, as the blood subsided and we got to look around in her mouth, it was the TOP teeth. They did not get knocked out, but one of them was pushed back further than the rest of her teeth.


(this picture was taken 24 hours after the accident...much better than we thought!)


After she calmed down she was able to sleep peacefully through the night. Kris and I talked about it and decided since it was pushed back we should take her to the Dentist. Fortunately they were able to see her first thing this morning. Dr. Drew tried to push it back into place but it was just too painful. After x-raying it, the tooth looked fine...it was the one next to it that looked bad (About a year and a half ago she was...huhmmm...jumping on our bed and lost her balance crashing her front teeth into the corner of our bedside desk. It all got better but over the time the tooth has turned grey. We were told not to worry. They would not do anything for it since it is a baby tooth). So, as it seems, the grey tooth is the concern for now. As far as concern goes, Dr. Drew said it would be falling out sooner then it should. What is that supposed to mean? Next week? Next month? Or just when she is 5 instead of 6? This threw me into a tailspin of panic! FOUR YEAR OLD PORTRAITS!!! I have my children's portraits made at 4 years old. Do it real nice...buy a big one...have it framed to hang forever...you get the picture!


(Wes' four year old portrait)

But one of my whole points in doing it at 4 is to get a good picture before they lose that baby look AND their baby teeth!!! What if my baby loses her tooth before her baby tooth picture?!?! I still don't quite have that answer. I am thinking I might fudge the rule a little and have her portrait made this Fall instead of waiting until the Spring. She would only be 3 or 4 months shy of 4. Don't you think that is acceptable? I know I am making WAY more of a big deal out of this than I should be. But I am a mother and my babies will not look like this forever. And it is important to me!

A new week, a new outlook

I am really looking forward to starting this week off on the right foot. I know it is a little ambitious of me to think every week will be like this for our family of 5. However, we are finally to the point of getting into out "school" routine. And I. Am. Excited. Even though Wes has been in school since August 12th, Ann Elise just started. This will be her first full week (albeit 3 days) of Preschool. This makes me happy because we now will know what our weeks will look and feel like on a more consistent basis. And that makes me happy. I like structure. I like having a plan. I like control - oops! That was hard to admit!

I just finished cleaning the kitchen (minus mopping - that will have to wait until Tuesday), cleaning out the fridge, and unloading and realoading the dishwasher. This makes me happy because we will wake up to a shiny sink...any FLYers out there? I am a fan of FLYing but have never been able to keep the pace. But I do believe it sounds heavenly! Kudos to those of you who keep with it! I also got our kids new "Good Morning Charts" printed, laminated, and hung. We went over them tonight before our devotion so that they would wake up expecting what I expect :)

I wish I had the energy to stay up a little longer and knock out a few other household chores. But in my best interest, I am going to head to bed soon. I want to start back on my morning exercise routine and this is just the week to do it! I have not gotten back into exercising seriously since preparing for my brother's wedding.

I spent some time this afternoon doing a little "blog cleaning". I hope this will inspire me to be a better blogger. We really do have a great life and fun times around here. I know it is important for me to document them while they are fresh on my mind so that the memories will be preserved forever. So, my prayer is that with this new outlook (and new blog look) that I will get on with it! If you read back through earlier posts, you might find that I was referring to my children by other names. Back when I started to blog I was not sure that I wanted to use their names, I have since changed my mind and will no be referring to them for who they are.

So, as I head to bed I look forward to writing again soon. I'd like to leave you with these precious pictures

Wes' First Day of Kindergarten
August 12, 2008


Ann Elise's First Day of Preschool
September 4, 2008

Delicious!

I love some cheese dip from one of my favorite mexican restaurants, Las Margaritas. Unfortunately, this restaurant is located in my home town almost 4 hours away! I occasionally get the craving and go on the hunt for some. As we had some friends from out of town coming to visit a few weekends ago, I was menu planning. I came across a recipe for a dessert that everyone was giving five stars. The recipe went great with a mexican themed meal and so that was the direction I took! As I was doing my grocery shopping, I came across



and it was very good! Not to be compared with my favorite...but a good second that can be purchased at Wal-Mart! To go along with this yummy appetizer I chose a menu of Smothered Mexican Lasagna, Chips and Salsa, the above Cheese Dip, sides of shredded lettuce, guacamole, and sour cream, and Sopapilla Cheesecake. This meal was DELICIOUS! I cannot rave more about it! So, I wanted to get the word out. Try these recipes. They are sure not to disappoint!

PS - If you have a cheese dip recipe that you have found to be tried and true....I'd love to try it!

The Carter Wedding

What a super time was had by all!


My precious brother and his wife married on Mother's Day weekend and we had the best time celebrating! My family is so fortunate to be gaining such a sweet daughter and sister-in-law in Stacey. We think the world of the bride my brother has chosen and look forward to many, many years of joys and celebrations with them! Daddy and I were honored to be a part of the wedding party and enjoyed every minute of the weekend! From the bridesmaid's luncheon at IV's, to the Rehearsal Dinner at Park Heights, to having our hair and makeup done, to the ceremony and dancing the night away at the reception, fun was abundant! Congratulations you two! May your marriage be full of love and happiness!


Me, Stacey (my sister-in-law), and Holly (my sister) at the Bridesmaid's Luncheon


Daddy and I before the ceremony


Neal (my brother-in-law) and Holly before the ceremony

My brother was a cheerleader at Ole Miss and his father-in-law was a cheerleader at Mississippi State. They are in a battle of "getting" each other. So, my brother had Colnel Rebel attend the reception!


My Mom and my Brother dancing at the reception


Doll, Dash1, and Dash2 in their wedding attire. We had a babysitter with them throughout the wedding and reception. However, we brought them to the church for pictures. After getting home, we took them to a local rose garden and took a few pictures since we had not taken any the day of the wedding!


Mac and South (my sister's boys) at the church in their wedding attire. (My sister remembered to take a cut picture while they were dressed!)

Mini Getaway to Good Ol' New Orleans

As I mentioned in yesterday's post we took the kids on a mini vacation to New Orleans for a few days. Our primary goal was to attend the C-USA Baseball Tournament at Tulane and cheer on our Golden Eagles. However, we had to throw in a little kid friendly fun : ) while we were there! We had a super trip! New Orleans is just a hop, skip, and a jump from our city, so the trip was an easy one. We treated the kids to a day at the IMAX Theatre and Aquarium, a day at the Zoo, and their first experience to Cafe Du Monde. I must say all three were a treat...even for the adults!


We chose the Dolphins and Whales IMAX movie and I was so proud of Dash1 and Doll. They kept their 3D glasses on and enjoyed the show. It was pretty cute to watch them reaching out to "touch" the creatures. We were fortunate the movie time was close to Dash2's nap time and he slept through it.




The Aquarium was equally delightful. They enjoyed exploring the exhibits, watching the sea creatures swim by in the big tank and walking through the tunnel "surrounded" by the ocean. I was especially proud of Doll - she wanted to pet the baby shark!










Later that evening we walked along the riverwalk to the Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarter. I was really looking forward to sharing such a great place with the kids. I am sure they are not old enough to fully enjoy the experience; however, this place holds a special place in my heart with lots of great memories with special friends. And afterall, there is nothing like a fresh, hot beignet covered in powdered sugar. And they are made even more delicious by eating them in the open air cafe! I think Dash1's face says it all!







I was kinda surprised at the activity level of the French Quarter. It has been years since I visited. Maybe my visits mainly fell on weekends back in the day of working summer camps on the coast. However, I must wonder if this was due to Hurricane Katrina. It did not dampen our experience whatsoever! It may have even lightened it. We were not constantly sheltering our children from the "not so pretty" New Orleans vibe.


The Zoo was equally rewarding. We have a local Zoo that we frequent often. But, getting to go to a Zoo with BIG animals like elephants, giraffes, and sea lions brought some great smiles from the five dubs! I'll leave you with a few of those!

I'm not so sure about this...

I really want to be a blogger. I can sit and read my favorite bloggers for an hour at a time (not that I should do that, of course). I have a few faves that I visit daily, sometimes more :-; and I enjoy reading about their days...even if they write hardly anything at all! I can come up with ideas to write about and have the thought, "Oh this would be a good post". But, days and then weeks pass and I just don't get it done. Then the "good post" is outdated. You can see what I mean by checking out the date of my last post. What does that say? Yep. you read right! March 16th! Yikes. I need to get with it.

I must admit we have been swamped with busy-ness! This Spring has been more busy than just the "busy" of a stay at home mom to a 5, 3, and 6 month old! We have been involved in three weddings (one of which was my brother), Dash1 finished up Preschool, is playing Coach Pitch, and is taking swimming lessons this week, Doll is getting geared up for her first ballet recital, and we took a mini family vacation to New Orleans last weekend. On top of this schedule we have been trying to finish our upstairs. It has been a long haul but we are soooo close! We have all the walls painted (a few are in need of their second coats) and are ready to start finalizing the trimming out. Then the biggies left will be flooring and plumbing fixtures. YAHOO!!! I am so excited! We will be moving Dash1 and Doll upstairs, gaining another family room, and (drumroll, please) my scrapbook desk.

I was reading a post of one of my faves this week and she was writing about how much she missed having her own room once she got married. I can empathize with her. I have not ever thought about it in that manner. But, after reading her post, I must admit I agree. I am so looking forward to having a space of my own to house "my" things. And a place I hope will be come a special retreat for me (albeit tiny)! So, I finish this post with a reminder to myself...get with it girl! Blogging is fun! It is a way to document our lives...very busy lives...but lives that one day I will love to remember!

Talking about hitting the ground running (literally)

So Dad was barely home for several hours before Dash1 had Coach Pitch practice. And then he turned around and had practice again on Saturday. Great Grandmother watched Dash2 so the rest of us could go and help out with practice. What a gorgeous day. We were even saying we were hot! Just wait till August :) After hitting the batting cages for a while the team headed to the field for some defensive practice. Shortly into it Dash1 and another boy were headed after the same ground ball and collided. Dash1 (pretty tall for his age - and a head taller than this teammate) ran into another little boy and his mouth hit the back of the little boys head as they tumbled to the ground. Dash1 got up screaming and we could see blood. Dad and I both made it to him about the same time. Dad kept him spitting the blood out. At first we thought he had just busted his lip. But time would tell us that the lip was fine...it never got swollen. However, his two front teeth are another story! They are very sore, blood has pooled and dried above them, and they are loose. Poor baby! I hate to see him hurt like this. And on top of that what do you do with a mouth injury on a Saturday afternoon?!? Well, fortunately I have a friend through Bunko whose husband is a local dentist. I called him and he advised us to do nothing. Basically we have to sit and wait. They may fall out (in that case they would not put them back in since they are baby teeth) or they may stiffen back up in about 6 weeks and be fine. As the night came he was feeling better and slept well. This morning the teeth look much better! His gums seemed to be pretty bruised but other than that maybe those baby teeth are going to hold in there a little while longer!

Surprise! Daddy! Welcome Home!

So, about the surprise I mentioned in an earlier post...our good family friend (also Dad's co-worker) asked me earlier in the week if I would be interested in riding the bus to the airport to welcome Dad home. I thought it was a fabulous idea and was really looking forward to it. I knew the kids would think such a big bus was super! However, after the week had passed I was tired. My mom and I and the three kiddos ended up going out of town for the day Thursday to see her mother (my grandmother). IT was a great day! She had never met Dash2. And she thought he was adorable! We ate lunch and hung around her house till early afternoon before heading home. And once we were home we went to the Globetrotters. I just was not up for packing up and heading out bright and early Friday morning and riding a bus. However, our friend suggested that he take Dash1 and Doll. GREAT! I knew they would love the big bus and the independence of a trip without me AND Dad would be super surprised! So, off they went on their adventure. Dad was beside himself! He could not believe they came to meet him at the airport. What a great welcome home!

It is great to have him home! Life runs very smoothly with him around. He is s great husband and a super father!

4 Months Old

Dash2 hit the 4 month milestone this past week. What an exciting time in his little life! He is laughing, rolling over, following you with his eyes, grabbing at toys above him, holding his head up great and getting stronger everyday!. We go to the Doctor tomorrow and I am sure he will start you on cereal. It is hard to believe the time to start "food" is right here on us. We are loving everything about having a baby in the house again and Dash1 and Doll could not be more proud of their little brother!

A little Spring Break treat...

With it being Spring Break I wanted the kids and I to do something special. I did not want the week to pass us by waiting for Dad to return and life to return to normal. But everything I imagined us doing for "fun" ended up being more than I could handle with three children...one of which needs to eat or nap every 1 1/2 hours! But, on Thursday night a good family friend treated us to the Globetrotters. We had a super time! Dash1 REALLY enjoyed himself. I think he was the perfect age. He was belly-laughing through the entire show!



Doll's first taste of cotton candy had her sold. I went in Friday morning to wake her up for their surprise (I'll post about that in a minute) and she drifted back to sleep after waking for a short second or two. I attempted to wake her again and she said (in a monotone, very sleepy voice) "I like cotton candy". It was so funny!



Thanks to my mom! She ended up traveling this way for her Spring Break. She was a big help around the house. More or less, it was just nice to have another adult to pass the time with, to help control three kids while running errands, and to help mealtime be successful! While she was here she also had the treat of watching her 4th grandson/5th grandchild, Dash2, roll over and begin to belly laugh. Such a good week!

Gotta love it!

After posting my last post Dash1 and Doll come whizzing by the computer desk saying "BUZZ" and "FLY, FLY". As I turn to see the commotion I reaize they have found themselves dressed as bugs. Yes, bugs. They have turned the head pillow cushions to our patio furniture into wings. I love to see them using their imaginations. And let me tell you...they have ALWAYS been good at that!

So, here are front and pack pics of my two BUGS...





Doll also brought me this bowl. She had caught a caterpillar (It had already passed) and felt it needed a warm bed. She is so cute. Yet another example of how she puts others before herself.



And with all these picture posts I could not leave out Dash2! Now he is a cutie! He will be 4 months Monday.

Doing it alone

This week is gonna be tough. I wish I did not see it this way. I wish it would just gradually GET tough, if you know what I mean. It almost seems worst KNOWING it will be tough! Daddy is in Baltimore for Spring Break. He took a group of about 25 students from BSU on a mission trip. They are staying in the city and helping with outreach for a local church plant, doing some light construction and painting, and basically loving the people of the neighborhood. He will have such a good week. It is so refreshing to get away and love on people who need it. And more importantly show them the TRUE LOVE they need. I always loved going on mission trips and look forward to the day I get to go again. And wouldn't it be great if we could go as a family?!?

Anyway, back to the basis of this post...this week is gonna be tough. It is my first attempt as a mother of three to do a week, alone, all day, every day. There is something different about those words. Because I do do it all during the day everyday. But throw in nights and no super Daddy to help...that is the difference. I had thought we might spend the week in my hometown with my family but that did not end up working out for logistical reasons. And as the week got closer, baseball practice, the cabinet guy, the sheet rock guy, etc. started setting plans for us, so it is best that we are just around here. My mom may come later in the week. We'll see. So, I am doing my best to keep my cool. To keep organized and well planned so that we do not have a week of shot nerves and tears. I started our day with a big plan for us to go have a picnic at a local state park...but halfway into those plans Doll emerges from Dash1's room in an old pair of his shorts, black socks, and an old pajama shirt (all too small for Dash1 and already stored neatly, mind you!)...Dash1 has pulled out the table air hockey/pinball machine...and Dash2 is ready to eat. WHAT!?! I am in the middle of planning a perfect picnic. What do you mean you would just rather play dress up in your brother's old clothes? What do you mean you would rather pull out a big game that makes loud noises? What do you mean you are hungry, didn't I just finish feeding you?. Here I go again. Daydreaming perfect plans (in my mind) only to realize this picnic is best served in our own back yard! Yes, they peacefully ate in their tree house as I fed Dash2. And it was...perfect. Why do I feel the need to do so much, to try and make it better, almost bigger than real life? When, after all, better is just us. Just the backyard. Just family time. Around our own sweet house.

So, today has reminded me to not focus on doing it big and doing it better. Just do it. Do it the best way I can. Do it and Dash1, Doll, and Dash2 will all be happy. So, as I finish this post, Dash2 is ready to eat and Dash1 and Doll are blissfully enjoying each other's company...all in our own sweet house!