I'm the lucky one

Today I was putting the grocery cart back after a morning of errands with Jamie and Libby.  I was thinking about all that I had to do still today-drop off Jamie's preschool paperwork, head home, put away groceries, get the kids lunch (which entails 2 lunches since Libby can't eat everything Jamie eats), feed myself (which entails a separate lunch because I usually want more variety and grownup tastes than my 3 year old), cleaning up after lunch (which entails putting dishes away, putting food away, wiping counters, wiping tables, quick sweep under the table, and more likely than not giving the baby a bath since she has the worst table manners)...plus after that I'd have to get some laundry done, put two kids to bed (one needing nursing the other needing multiple stories) and then after just a little bit get everyone back up to walk the mile round trip to pick up Anne and get dinner for 5 started before John comes home at 6.  Phew.  That sort of a list runs around in my head daily if not more often.  No, not "if not more often"...It does run around more often than that. 

Needless to say I was feeling overwhelmed as I was pushing the grocery cart back...I was tired and hungry and the least appealing thing right then was 1. thinking of the laundry list (pun intended) of stuff still to get done and 2. thinking about how it would be at least an hour before I could eat since the two little ones have no concept of being able to wait for their meal.  I saw a man walking out of the store just then.  By himself.  Carrying one loaf of bread.  And I thought "Boy is he lucky...he's alone, he's getting peace and quiet and he can go home right now and do whatever he wants and not have to take care of anyone else.  He's so lucky.  I wish I were so lucky."  And as I thought that I was hit so hard, it was nearly physical, that he wasn't lucky....he didn't have two adorable children.  Both with the chubbiest, most kissable cheeks.  One that was snuggly, and kisses me with wet open mouth kisses and every single one of her problems can be solved just by spending time with me-usually in an embrace.  And the other a sweet, smart, charming boy.  Who would tell me stories upon stories and ask up the most thoughtful questions and say the sweetest things to me ("Mommy-don't tell anyone but you are my favorite mom.") and who comes up to us and says "Can I cuddle for just a yittle bit?".  That man, all alone without any sticky fingers grabbing at him, without any sweet, lispy voices telling him stories, without a baby having her tears instantly stopped the second she's picked up, he isn't the lucky one.  I am.  I am so very very very lucky.

Three and a half!

Jamie turned 3 and a half today!  Half birthdays are a big deal in this house!  You get to pick whatever you want for dinner, you get measured and you get your picture taken!  Jamie has grown an inch and a half in just six months!  I'm not sure at all what "average" is but that seems like a lot!  According to online growth charts he's near 75th percentile for height and is at 75th percentile for weight.  Considering both my girls are lucky to get to the 10th percentile, he is for sure our big boy!  I can't believe what a boy he's turning into as he leaves behind his toddlerhood!

Babies

One thing I actually really like is how similar my kids look. Anywhere we go, everyone who glances at our troop knows the three blond-haired, blue eyed kiddos go together.  I also love comparing baby pictures of the kids.  I love posing them in similar shots to see how they compared at similar ages.  Libby is what we call an "Atwood".  She looks so much like Jamie who looks so much like John who looks so much like his sister and they in turn look so much like John's dad.  They are Atwoods.  Anne is probably more a Gap (me) though that's only by default.  So even though Libby and Jamie are the two who look the most similar, I have below two shots comparing the sisters as babies.  I looked through all Jamie's baby pictures and unfortunately did not take a shot of him like these two.  I'll have to work hard to get other shots where the three look similar as babies.  But below are the two girls, both with the same towel after a baby.  They are just so sweet-"I just wanna hug 'em, and squeeze 'em and love 'em to pieces!"

Naps

Libby has been the best napper for us.  She (used) to take 2 naps.  The first would be about 2 hrs and the second would usually stretch into 3 hours.  In addition, she sleeps 11-12 hours at night-straight.  Okay, hold on, I have to wipe the tomato off my screen that you just threw at me.  I'm lucky I know.  Super lucky.  She has also taken 2 naps the longest-by that I mean by 10 months Anne was completely done with taking 2 naps and by 18 months she gave them up altogether.  Jamie took 2 naps right until he was 12 months and only gave up a daily nap a few months ago (he'll be 3.5 yrs this month).  Libby is nearly 14 months and until a few days ago she was taking 2 solid naps a day.  However, recently, I think she's letting us know she's done with that.  She goes down great for her first nap but for the second nap I'll still hear her playing in her crib for even an hour after I've put her down.  I've already shortened her first nap to about an hour and a half in anticipation of school starting and needing to wake her up earlier to pick up the kids but I think now it's time to start stretching it back and eliminating it altogether.  Fortunately we have over 2 weeks until Jamie starts preschool.  So I think I can spend that time working her nap and getting her down to one.  Sigh, my baby is getting so big and before I know it she'll be the one starting preschool!

Swim Lessons

I have to admit-the whole reason for this post is to post the pictures below.

Aren't the kiddos simply gorgeous there?

Anne and Jamie had swim lessons this summer and they both did great!  Both of them went up a level, which in 5 yrs of swim lessons has never happened, let alone two times!

Anne really took off with swimming this year.  While she is not swimming yet, she went from being terrified to even step off into the pool to being able to jump in, dunk her head under, hold her head under, do front and back floats unassisted, doing front and back glides unassisted, and being able to move her body through the water one body length unassisted.  For a girl that seemed to be doomed to never swim, this is amazing!

With Jamie we didn't see such drastic improvement but only because he hasn't been as afraid of the water.  He still needs help with most of the above skills I listed for Anne but all in all he, too, did awesome this year! 

 

 

First day, Full day!

I am a wreck.  I've been fighting back tears for an hour and a half now.  Even with 2 other little ones here making noises, messes and kisses the house feels very empty and alone.  Someone is missing.  Anne went off to FIRST GRADE this morning!  This was by far the toughest parting for me.  I barely blinked when she went to three year old preschool.  I didn't blink when she went to four year old preschool.  I got teary eyed at kindergaren.  But this year I'm full out crying.  I got to walk her into her classroom today and I couldn't stop crying the entire time.  I could barely talk I was so upset.  I tried my very best to reign it in because I was afraid if she saw me cry, she'd start to cry.  Last year especially she had a hard time with us leaving her but this year she's fine.  She was her normal go-with-the-flow self.  Ready for me to go and ready for her day to start.  I barely had time to snap a few pictures before she was gone.  And now I still have five hours before I go pick her up.

I know without any doubt at all we are all going to thrive wit her at school.  She loves school.  I love getting breaks.  Its a win-win.  But I do miss her so very much.  Especially this first day.  It was only yesterday that she went off to three year old preschool and now she's finally in full day school.  I don't know how it happened.  I think I must have blinked.

Anne's very first day of (pre)school-3 yrs old

Anne's first day of first grade-6 yrs old

The saddest, most pathetic, heart wrenching moment of my parenting....

This morning Jamie woke up crying.  John deals with the kids in the morning so Jamie told him he had a bad dream.  It seemed he was able to shake it off quickly, got dressed and started his day.  An hour later John told me Jamie had a bad dream.  I asked Jamie what it was about and he burst into tears.  Jamie has the ablity to cry huge, giant crocodile tears and that is what started flowing as he cried so hard he could barely talk.  But this is what his dream was about:

"There were bugs.  And they were trying to eat me.  And when I ran away I fell and I looked back and they were coming at me.  And I cried and no one came to help me."

Oh. My. Goodness.  My heart broke.  Into a thousand pieces.  I was acutally upset, angry with myself, that I couldn't have been in the dream to protect him.  Talk about feeling like a bad mom-my precious three year old son was being attacked by bugs, had fallen down, was hurt, crying out for help....and no one came...not even his mother.  I know I didn't do anything wrong but boy did I wish I could have helped.  I hugged that little boy as tight as I could.  I told him I loved him and that I would always be there to help him if I could.  I reminded him that God is always with him.  That He's right there with him, protecting him.  I told him if he ever gets scared he just has to pray and tell God that he's scared and God will be right there to help him and comfort him and protect him. 

Let's hope he doesn't have a dream like that again any time soon.

Michigan Vacation

Our friends Meg and Dale retired this year and moved up to Northern Michigan. They own and unbelievably beautiful lake mansion home and even more gorgeous scenery surrounds their home. They live right on the water-one of those homes that actually owns a small section of beach. They invited us to spend a week with them and we did and had just the most amazing time! We went on lots of hikes, beach walks, boating, some sightseeing (their section of MI is responsible for 75% of the nation's tart cherry production so we saw and tasted all things cherry), bike rides...lots of fun and relaxing stuff! We did so much more than we would have if only John and I had orchestrated it...and we loved it! Thank you Meg and Dale for having us out to your house-we were so blessed by it and hope that we get to return next year!

Getting ready to go out on the boat

Jamie got to drive!  (And so did Anne later on)

John and Jamie tubing

Sleepy baby!

John and Anne tubing

Me tubing

Gorgeous sunset

More breath-taking scenery

All of us after a hike

The kiddos playing on a small dune

Libs hanging on my back-where she spent a lot of time

MMM!  We love cherries!

Taking a break for cuteness

Meg and Dale's house

Hmm...what's this?  Sand?  Should I eat it?

Yes, I think I will eat it

Another simply gorgeous sunset

Blueberry picking on the way home

Even Libby figured it out!