These kids amaze me. They are this little trio of dynamite and pure joy and delight on the beach. Luke and Jules are best friends, and stand together as Jake's champions. Jake, of course, considers himself their peers, so they make quite a cute threesome as they take on the beach. I thought that they would have more of a healthy fear of the ocean this year which would lead to more sitting. Ah, no. It was a purely athletic endeavor keeping everyone alive, but a really fun one at the same time. Luke and Julia are smart, and know their limits, but still require constant vigilance. The water was WARM (for Memorial day, around 65, totally beautiful) so we were IN it all day long. Jake has no fear. No fear. All the child wants to do is gather rocks (this one may end up on that show Hoarders some day) and throw them, obsessively, into the ocean, while running full bore into the oncoming waves. If a 2 year old was ever at risk for a rotator cuff injury, it is Jake, after this weekend. Not to be all brag Mom, but Luke is a really, really good baseball player. He has mad skillz with the wiffle bat. And my Jules awed me. My "I don't like sports" child is suddenly slugging it, and was SWIMMING in the ocean all day long with no fear. I can say that I am loving every bit of this change, and not even saying a word about it lest I jinx it in some way. My job is to love her whoever she is, and wherever she is at, however inwardly tickled at this new development I may be :)
Our very first family bike ride at the beach, where the bigs are riding their own bikes rather than riding in their bike seats on our bikes. We didn't all ride.......I was layed up with a bum leg, so Nate went running with Jake, and my Mom and I walked while the kids rode. I was so proud of them as they navigated the throngs of the people on the promenade ~staying on their side, keeping their eyes ahead of them, it was awesome. They are getting so big! We keep bikes at the house, but buying a bike hitch for three knowing that Jake is hot on their heels is wild! This kid stuff is getting real as we exit the baby stage!
Jake and his Mama as we remember his epic birth. I will be 87 and remembering the events of those painful, yet beautiful days. Those days changed me, in the best way, forever. They also gave me my sweetest little love of a boy.
Daddy, work, the swing, and the happy brood.
Little signs of a VERY low key birthday start to show up around the house :)
A very happy birthday boy enjoys his cupcake. I can't help but to contrast this with last year.....when the poor bugger was sick and we left the beach early....had a seeming remission....and were in the hospital a few short days later, missing his party. This year my sweet boy had an extended three day party ~ birthday eve, picture birthday with uncle charlies, and post birthday Maggie and backyard party with the Prells :)
My Jake. Jake......You are a lover. I don't ever want to compare you to your siblings as the last thing I will ever, ever do (as I have seen the catastrophe it can cause in my own family of origin) is create competition within a family..........I can say that what I love about you is your independent nature coupled with your fiercely lovable nature. You are a lover, Jake. You can self entertain......and you can make any person in the room, at any time, feel like they are the best, most important thing, you have in your entire universe. You love to hug. You love to kiss. I have yet to see you be aggressive (though no doubt like any normal child it will come.......but man you are just quick to smile, quick to hug, quick to laugh, and quick to forgive). You are FUNNY, little dude. There is little doubt you will be the class clown. You pick up on the vibe of what is going on so quickly and adapt your actions to it incredibly fast. You live to entertain your sibs. You are a mix of tender and fearless.....though you have a really good sense of your limits, which admittedly are few. When I ask you how old you are you say "two", then you look at me with your devilish twinkle and say "five" and then belly laugh.
You are, like as of two days ago, deciding to potty train. You are shocking me with this. I was very much planning on dealing with this towards the end of summer......but, without going into graphic detail, (or posting the awesome picture of you going #2 for the first time ever on the full size toilet at ACAC like, completely out of the blue two days ago???????? out of respect for your privacy but against every desire I have to show off your hilarious proud face) and then astounding me tonight by meeting all of your bathroom needs (like, both sorts) for the entire evening (after your 3.5 hour nap, DUDE!). You are a little sunbeam, Jake. I'm not even shit proud mom talking here. You are just a really, really easy little guy. The only complaint I have about you at the moment is that you are heavy, and I am lame. Like, not just lame personality wise (I have that too), but lame physically. You get so sad when I can't carry you down the stairs in the morning, baby, and it just kills me, we cry together. Your talking is awesome. ME TOO. WATCH MEEEEEE! I HAVE SOME OF THAT!!!!!!! LOOK AT THIS!!!!!!!! I SEEEEEEEEEE (this one is hilarious, because as soon as I take a photo, Jake needs to see my iPhone. Remember the days of seeing your film pics like weeks later? Jake is 24 months and knows instant gratification in photos. Scary.
Jake, all in all you are dangerous. You are the kid who teases parents into having a 4th. You taunt them, you lure them........you bathe them in the sunshine of your sleep, and your great eating, and your perennially sunny personality. You cuddle them, and kiss them, and tease them into thinking that surely ONE MORE would be just a JOY! And then its twins. Or colic. Or a bed rest pregnancy. Or a miscarriage, or an unhealthy baby, or a difficult delivery (my specialty)........you little tease. I can tell you that I was flirting with the idea of a 4th for a very little bit there. And you know what? This weekend, this beautiful, blissful weekend, this biking wearing, long days on the beach, non nursing, non going home to nap, PLAYING with my kids, not just corralling or herding them, not going to the beach with a baby strapped to my body in 90 degree heat while pushing a double stroller.....well, it was awesome. And I don't want to ever go back. Our family is complete. I sit at my family and see all of the faces who belong here. My boys, with their whip smart, hilarious, and incredibly perceptive sister in the middle. This is us. The Mangans. Jake, I resist your sunshine allure, my friend. Instead I just drink you in like medicine. You are beautiful, and rare, and lovely. Thank you for being you, and thank you for being 2. We all are literally enthralled with you, little buddy.
Luke and Pop Pop and Uncle Pete and Daddy head out for Luke's first real fish. This meant that the women had the beach (with 5 kids), with the help of the studly Uncle Rich and our friends on the beach. They caught three keepers (Luke bagged his first one!!!) 10 in all, Luke had his lunch, got a little quiet, threw up on deck, caught a nap on the ride home, and once he hit the dock was already begging for his next trip. Atta boy. The sea bass was delicious. Luke and I shared it for dinner :)
Sleepy after a hard days work :)
Jake opening his birthday presents.
Julia in pure euphoria.
Jake, Samantha, and Julia.
We were locked and loaded by 8:45 on Friday morning. As Nate had been at a work show all week he had a lot to catch up on, I drove, so he could work. We put a movie on for Luke and Jules on to keep the noise at a minimum (they have wireless headsets) and Jake is rear facing, and set out. We beat the traffic, the ride was smooth, our little German (our nickname for the Jakester, who speaks in a guttural shout, in repetition, " WATER! MORE WATER! MORE WATER! BYE BYE WATER BYE BYE WATER! A PLANE A PLANE! BYE BYE PLANE! BYE BYE PLANE!" etc.....as we saw a ton of water, and a ton of planes, and a ton of "BLUE CAR!"....the ride was punctuated with a lot of Jake's happy interjections, amidst Nate's conference calls and the likes......but it was a smooth, easy ride. Drove through overcast fog with little traffic, and were in and unpacked before lunch. Fed the kids, and were thrilled to see the sun burn off the cloud cover by one. Nate had work to do, so he retreated to the office while I got the bigs ready for the beach and put Jake down at 1:30. I layed out his beach ensemble, packed up drinks and snacks, and headed up with Bec and Rich and sweet Tessa and my parents. Thanks to our box on the beach, all of our beach chairs and umbrellas and miscellanea are already on the beach waiting for us. It was AWESOME for me walking up to the beach with my two big kids and no stroller and no sling!!! What a treat after 5 years of slinging someone up there in the heat! Luke and Jules were a BLAST in the water, I was amazed at their joy and comfort in the water, despite the relative rough surf for so early in the season. It was probably 80, with a beautiful breeze, and as it was early on Friday afternoon, hardly anyone was on the beach. Moments like these make me appreciate "the program" as my friend calls the SAHM life. "The program" can be trying in its moments, but all in all, I wouldn't trade it for the world. Jake slept until 3:30, Nate wrapped up his work, changed Jake and they joined us on the beach. As it was such a lovely day we stayed till 5:30. Wrapped up the troops and came home for some outside showers in the sunshine, a fantastic dinner of whitefish/veggie steamed grill packets with brown rice........and put our tired worn out kids to bed. Nate and I took a walk up to the outdoor "mall", bought him a new suit, a present or two for Jake (we are so not big present people), and scoped out cupcakes for Jake's birthday party the next day.
Saturday I was up bright and early sipping tea on the front porch with my Dad. Luke woke around 8, Jules at 8:30, and we finally woke the Jakester at 9. In the interim I biked up to our favorite pastry shop and bought cupcakes for his birthday eve birthday party and browned the GF sausage for Nate and I as we were making pasta and meatballs for everyone else. Fed the kids breakfast and headed out for a bike ride, then came home and let them hang with Daddy while Bec and I rode bikes to the farm stand to get salad stuff. Prepped the salad, made lunches, packed drinks, and were off to the beach by 10:30 or so. Between Luke and Julia playing baseball, playing in the ocean, throwing shells and rocks off of the rock jetty's, and making sandcastles, the kids were more than ready to eat lunch. By 1:30 I told Jake it was time to lay down, baby powdered him down (IF YOU GO TO THE BEACH AND DON'T KNOW THE BABY POWDER TRICK ASK ME!), and he dutifully and happily climbed up in his stroller, laid back, and closed his eyes. I threw a towel over the gap, walked down by the water, stood still pushing him back and forth.....and within 5 minutes he was out cold. He slept for 2.5 hours. Did I mention that Jake rocks?
Great pasta and gravy and meatball and salad and sausage dinner that night.....then cupcakes. Jake loved it. He was into it. Such a wonderful change from last year. Chilluns off to bed, we watched the sixers, and that was that.
Sunday was my boys big day! This was a big day for Luke, as he was going fishing on Pop Pop's boat. I was a little anxious about having Jules and Jake on the beach by myself, but it actually worked out to be my most restful day on the beach! Julia and Samantha are best buddies, and played all day. Jake took another 2.5 er.......and life was just easy. Great lunches on the beach, great rest, great weather......just great. I was thrilled to get a text heating that Luke had gotten a fish! ! We wrapped up the beach early that night as we had a family portrait that night.....and extended family portrait....so that meant 8 adults and 6 children 5 and under. Doh! Showers, tshirts, early dinners of hot dogs and burgers, lots of sweating mommies trying to get themselves looking at least presentable while simultaneously showering feeding keeping clean and then dressing and hair doing and cheerful spirit keeping doing was....well....we did pretty well. I'm really excited to see the photos :)
We rewarded the kids fantastic compliance with a walk to Uncle Charlies.......then off to bed it was. Monday we slept late, opened presents, recapped on the porch, and the Mangans rolled out before 10 as we were entertaining that night.
It was an idyllic weekend, barring my frustration and pain over my injury to my leg. The kids made me so proud. They rolled with it all......I could not have been more proud of them. We hit up a farm stand and the Fresh Market and put on a salmon and chicken grilled salad spread for our friends, took care of the garden, did some bare bones unpacking, stayed up way too late with the neighbors after the Prells left, and tumbled into bed tan and full and content beyond measure.
It was my favorite Memorial Day weekend ever. I've never been more relaxed and content with my family. I have a lot of issues going on physically going on right now, but the joy that I feel seeing my kids being so happy, so healthy, so loved and content and easy and excited made my stuff take a back seat. I don't know how this is happening, for all of the nights that I go to bed feeling like a failure, or feeling like I just can't do this well.......well, times like this just are like money in the bank. I know that I'm not doing it all right. I'm probably not even doing half of it right. But whatever we ARE doing right, was evidenced this weekend. They were just so very, very happy. They were positively joyful, and compliant, and everything that I would hope that they could, and will, be. I loved my time with Nate, and with my Sister and with Rich and my Parents.....I love seeing other people love my kids, and seeing my kids love and adore them. I loved snuzzling my sweet niece Tessa, and seeing my kids adore their baby cousin.
Family. It is a blessing. Memorial Day 2012 is a treasure in my joy bank.
