Today

 

Today my baby Samuel was feeling almost all the way better, and I was feeling about 70%.  (what, did I not mention that I was sick too?  Well, I didn’t want to burden you…)

 

 

 

Today Isaac figured out that if he lined up his action figures on the air vent when the house fan is on that all of the Batmans’ capes fly up!  And do I need to tell you how adorable that is?

Ack!  Little boys ache my heart sometimes.

 

 

 

Today it was hot.  Well, by Oregon standards hot.  And I turned on the central air conditioning.  Yes I did!  And I only felt (feel)  (its still on)  a little bad about it because what’s the use of having central air if you don’t use it when your hot?  And when you are cranky/sweaty/suffering?  And it is only money after all- BRIAN!

Today I was getting out the next size of summer clothes for Samuel and I came across Isaac’s old “Big Brother” shirt.

And I did a happy little dance as I went and shoved that shirt back in the very back of the closet.  Because, Hallelujah!,  today is not the day that I will be needing that shirt.  And hopefully not tomorrow either.  Or for many many more days barring a miracle or a failure of modern-medicine.  Say it with me, “MAX CAPACITY.  I AM AT MAX CAPACITY!!”

Today I shut the boys out in the backyard with the sprinkler for the second day in a row.  And I told them that they were NOT allowed to talk to me (because can they please please please just stop talking to me for TWO MINUTES and then I will feel so refreshed!  And ready to listen again!)  and then I went and got on Facebook and ate (the last) ice cream sandwich.  Then I felt guilty, like I always do when I tell them to not talk, so I threw out some popsicles for them (from last year) and they were happy again.

…Until they were not happy and were making “booty prints” on the sliding door (those are exactly what you imagine they are) and crying/whining/fighting until I let them in to track mud and sticky handprints all the way to the shower.

That is called the price you pay for an ice cream sandwich and 5 minutes of peace.

Today Samuel did this while I was vacuuming up the outside-tracked-inside-mess:

That is my coffee that he dumped on the ground (not hot, because it is NEVER hot when I get a chance to drink it) and an apple core from the trash.

He is not at all sorry.

 

 

While I was cleaning that up I actually lay (laid?) on the kitchen floor for a minute- because remember that I’m only 70% better?  And right then it felt more like 25%.  But then I had to get up speedy quick because I kept seeing so many more things on the floor for me to clean up.

 

But then tonight while I was rocking Samuel to sleep he gave me lots of kisses on my neck, and now the house is so peaceful, and I am about to climb into bed and watch a show with Brian, and it makes me think about how much I love my crazy days with my boys right now!

It makes me think (now that I have a minute to think) about how very, very lucky I am.

And how quiet my days will be some day when all of these boys are gone. (So wonderfully, wonderfully quiet)

Caitlin-of-the-singing-heart

 

On Thursday I went to get him out of his crib and he was a furnace.

Burning head on my shoulder, sweaty hands in my hair, and bright eyes glassy.

The thermometer read 104.7

For hours we sat in the rocking chair, me sponging his head with a washcloth, him staring off into space and dozing.

 

And I felt…well…nauseous actually.  Rocking for hours will do that to you, as will the gut-twisting worry that comes with your kids being sick.

 

But also, my heart was singing.

 

“Yes!  This!” it sang.  “THIS is why you push through the hundreds of days at home with your babies.  THESE hours of rocking and soothing and comforting.  He needs you and here you are.  Filled with the peace of knowing that THIS is the only place that you need to be!”

These affirming moments can be few and far between.

While 95% of the time being a stay-at-home mom is freeing and affirming and meaningful, the other 5% of the time…well…I don’t want to say that you feel like your soul is being sucked out of your body with the boredom and monotony of it all, but WHOOPS!   Looks like I just said it. 

So, in case this heart-singing moment fades, I am leaving a message to myself:

 

 

Dear future Caitlin-of-the-booger-smeared-yoga-pants who is in the middle of a laundry-dishes-timeouts-bodilyfluids kind of monday-tuesday-wednesday-thursday-friday,

 

You are doing important work.

 

Love, Caitlin-of-the-singing-heart

 

 

The inner workings of Samuel

 

“I would like in NOW!  In! In! In!!”

“Why did you make me come in, stupid?  I clearly want OUT!  OUT! OUT!!”

“I will refuse to eat any food unless it is ‘candy’ or ‘cookies.’ 

What is this that you are giving me?  Yogurt?  A carrot stick?! WAAAAH!! ONTO THE FLOOR WHERE IT BELONGS!!”

“You wont give me that thing that I want because it is hot/sharp/deadly?  Allow me to show you my displeasure by throwing myself on the floor screaming.  Really, you brought this on yourself.”

“Did you leave the bathroom door open?  Rats.”

“Did you leave the bathroom door open? Rats.”

“Did you leave the bathroom door open?  YAHOOO!! Toothpaste buffet here I come!!”

“Throwing random things in the trash is always hilarious.  And throwing them in the toilet is DOUBLE hilarious.”

“Are you going into your bedroom to put on clothes and shutting the door?!  How dare you!  Allow me to booty…bonk…the…door…repeatedly…until…it…flings…open.”

“Once I get into your room that Vaseline on your bedside table has a date with my face.  And your mattress.   And your Kindle.”

Post-playdate UPDATE!

 

Our first official school playdate was a success!

Joseph said that Isaac wasn’t embarrassing at all, it wore everyone out, and my children were only moderately disobedient and inappropriately aggressive so…win!

As for me, this little mama is going to be SORE tomorrow!  I have never been through boot camp per se, but climbing through some of these inflatable obstacles has got to be close to it, right?  Right. (my blog, my exaggerations)

 

Also, there was only one embarrassing moment when the other mom first arrived and I tried to get out of an inflatable-jumpy thing so that I could wave to her, and I totally maybe fell completely over a little?

But maybe she didn’t see me?

Or she thought I was jumping on my face?

 

Playdate

 

Today Joseph is having his first playdate with a friend from school.  We are meeting him and his mother at a local play area, and I am bringing all 3 boys for obvious reasons (no nanny.)

When I was talking to Joseph about it, he turned to Isaac in the car and said, “Dude, when you are around J, you need to be calm.  And cool.  Because he is a really calm and cool guy.”

At which point Isaac began thrashing around like a crazy person and yelling “BAAAAAAAH!!”  all for no apparent reason.

Joseph just stared at him with furrowed brows and shook his head slowly like, “I’m doomed…”

Sorry, Joseph, that your brother is crazy and will probably embarrass you 1 TRILLION times before you leave for college.  But, siblings are truly the best gift I could have given you.

You’re welcome.

(PS- wish me luck too on my mom-date!  Do you think she will like me?  What kind of jokes should I use?  How much is too much sarcasm? Change out of my stretchy pants before-hand or no?)

(No!  That was just a test of your true friendship!)

Just for you

 

 

In case you are having a bad day?  morning?  moment?  Feel free to refer to these pictures of Isaac as often as necessary

 

 

(psssst!  He actually did lick the cake.  Just a little.)

Easter 2014

 

Easter this year was not exactly what I thought it would be.

Here is where having a blog gets a little tricky- because without one I probably wouldn’t remember that on Easter 2014 my dryer broke, 3/5ths of us were sick so we had to skip church, and that Joseph went to bed early crying with a stomach ache.

But, alas (and also hooray!), I do have a blog, so I will have to remember the bad with the good.  And there was a LOT of good too!

I think, when the good outweighs the bad, it still counts as a success!

(pictures for the next 5 miles.  Feel free to skip them…If you have no heart!)

 

(six years old hurts my heart.  So old! still young! waaaah!)

Brotherly…love?

I’m worried that when I look at these in the future, I won’t remember what their laughter sounded like.  What a sweet sound!  (followed often by tears)

From earlier that morning:

He actually saw his Easter basket for the first time at about midnight, when he was up for the millionth time with a cough.  He asked if he could eat his bunny THEN, but I made him wait until morning (heartless!)

He spots an egg right….here:

Sweetie Isaac gave a bite to his brother (complete with germs!).  I just love his face on this next one- an expression I see every day.  Joseph exclaiming about something and Isaac looking upwards, nodding in agreement

Sweetie Isaac then shared with his baby

…who didn’t want to give it back.

so, whoopsy!  chocolate bunnies for breakfast for all!

Lastly, bedtime, and poor sick Brian was too tired to continue.  Luckily, he had two little boys to make him feel sooooo much better:

See?  Now I’m feeling like it was maybe the BEST EASTER EVER after all those great pictures!  Hooray Easter 2014!!

 

(I have lots of laundry to do.)