The kids and I were treated to a Phillies game by Mom Mom :) We all loved it, and the Phils won!

 Jules got really into the cheering. 

 My sweet boy and I

Bike riding at East Goshen Park. They are getting so big! This was a really fun Saturday morning activity and I hope to repeat it often this summer. They rode over three miles while I pushed Jake in the stroller. 

Well, we are half way through it. I think that today marks the 1/2 way point of Nates trip to Turkey and Hungary. I'm so grateful to the friends who are having us over for dinner, playdates, or bringing meals. You make me feel very loved and very lucky.

I miss Nate terribly. The kids and I are fine, they are being great, its just so different here without Dad around. I really feel it at night and first thing in the morning ~ I miss talking to him about the nuances of the day or the funny things that the kids do. I'm trying to keep my chin up. I had the Broad St run on Sunday and did way better than I had hoped, so that was a bright spot. Again, I was teary at the finish wishing that my family was there to celebrate with me. Next year. I feel like I'm saying "next year" about a lot right now.

SPRUNG

Sun is shining, weather is sweet.

Like a convict sprung from jail, we are PARTYING around this joint. I was about one more day away from actually eating one of my babies, a'la hamster style, had we had to be stuck in the house together for another 24. Thank God for sunshine.

Luke and Julia were actually spinning around in circles laughing and babbling in the sunshiney playroom after breakfast this morning. Their fuzzy blond bed heads were thrown back as they looked up through the skylights, drenched in sunlight, and laughing like little madmen. They were drunk on sorely needed Vitamin D, I believe.

After two horrendous/did/not/leave/the/house days, the sun is out. Our tulips bloomed. Our flowers and trees are awakening from their long winter sleep. It's warm. I thought about golf. I though about tan little baby feet in sandals, and watermelon dripping down bare baby chests, and bubbles, and sidewalk chalk. I thought about naked time on the deck for the kids, and about hot dogs on the grill, and about sun warm just picked tomatoes sliced with buffalo mozzarella and garden basil. I thought about sand castles. I thought about eating shrimp and picking crabs while still wearing my bathing suit, tan and salty from a long day on the beach. I thought about babies sleeping on the warm sand underneath umbrellas.I could go on and on.

Never in my entire life have I looked forward to a summer like I am this one. Two walking kids, long days at the pool and beach, one nap schedule, and some actual time to play in my yard. Bring it on, sunshine, bring it on.

To everyone in the northeast today, ENJOY this lovely day.

Get Away

We are at the beach. Jules in Luke's old crib, Luke in the bed. Being here, I think back to last summer at the beach ~ nursing all the time, opposite nap schedules and the trials of two babies in cribs, and life feels very easy right now in comparison. Its simply amazing how quickly life/phases/trials come and go with babies. Not that they ever really go I suppose, they are just replaced with new phases and trials. I was just emailed this pic from a friend who took it last spring~ I was at Jeannie's wedding shower and Nate had both babies for the first time. He had Jules in the bjorn and Luke running around at a friends kid's lacrosse game. Big day for Dad. I can't believe that this little thing is almost one! We are simply hunkering down and relaxing down here ~ had a great breakfast at the Mad Batter this morning and are going to cook up a feast of seafood tonight. Its been nice getting away from the phone/computer/chaos that is home.

Luke sings now. We have been listening to two CD's from Laurie Berkner for a few weeks in the car. "Bootie Bootie Ya Ya Ya" and "This is me, this is me, this is me and my energy" seem to be my new theme music. Sexy. For whatever reason, those two songs in particular caught on with Luke and we sing them all.day.long. I love hearing his raspy little boy voice sing. He has changed me. I have the worlds worst singing voice (actually, my brother and I are probably neck and neck on that one ;)) and generally become a bit physically ill at the idea of having to sing in public.....but the joy of hearing Luke sing has me walking around singing all the time lately. Its embarrassing, but worth it. I am becoming a (bigger) dork at such a rapid pace its beginning to frighten me.

MARCH is almost here and I am so excited. Spring, baby, spring.

More on May

Lest you thought that I was exaggerating when I mentioned that Luke had a love affair with mulch, I opted to provide photo evidence. This was little Luke Dawg at the May Day festival that we went to last weekend. The pic of the kids and I is also from there. I cant even imagine a more beautiful and fitting entrance to a May Day festival than a cherry tree laden petal strewn path. Lovely.

The other pic is of sweet Jules smiling at Tracy. My girl looooooves Tracy (as do I).

Luke is doing so many new things its hard to even keep track.

*My boy walks up and down the steps now. No more crawling for him. Big fella.
*He knows where his head, ears, eyes, mouth, shirt, belly and feet are.
*He dances better than his Mama. He has this new twist.....it involves holding his right arm up as though he was do-se-so'ing a partner (or...how I would imagine one do-se-soe's a partner anyhow...my last square dance was some time ago now). Have no idea where he got this new move, but man, it makes us laugh. Him too.
* He says - Ma Ma, Da Da, Shoes, Snack, Juice, Jules, Teeth, Uh Oh, Dog, Hot and a plethora of other things only he can understand.
* He is obsessed with airplanes. Every time he hears one he points up at the sky shouting "Ah ah!". I never before had any idea how many freakin airplanes flew over our home in one day.
* He gives the best kisses in the world, complete with sound effects now.

Ms. Jules is a flirty little fool. I adore it. She seems so BIG to me already for only being 7 weeks old. I have a joint 15 month and 2 month visit for the kids in the coming weeks and I cant wait to get her weighed. (I'm definitely bringing along emotional support as both critters have to get shots....argh).

It's Mothers Day eve. I have lots of thoughts about Mothers Day buy I think that I will have to wait till tomorrow to share them. Right now I have blathered on enough already.

Stop to smell the flowers

Its Wednesday night. Nate has been away since the crack of dawn on Sunday morning. Both babies are sleeping at the moment. Both are fed, reasonably clean, and very happy. This is the first time Nate has travelled since Julia joined our family, and man do I miss him. There has been a silver lining to this long trip though......I have learned a lot about my kids, and a lot about my family and friends, and a lot about myself.

In the day to day since Julia was born I have been very busy nursing, changing, entertaining, writing thank you cards, cleaning, cooking and falling in love with her. My little Luke's care often and mostly fell to Nate. While I busily worked in the kitchen/laundry room/house in general with Jules in the sling the bulk of the "play with Luke and keep him alive/out of trouble/happy bit" fell upon Nates shoulders. It's been great to have some time to simply hang out with and enjoy my little man while Nate was gone. The mere reality of two little babies under my care has kept me from much cooking, or cleaning, or really too much of anything at all while I got to simply enjoy these sweet little beings.

My son LOVES to be outside. Loves it. Like, clamors at the door yelling "Deck Deck Deck" every 10 minutes or so. Rain or shine, cold or hot, thats where he wants to be. One of my big hopes for my kids is that they love the outdoors, that they love to play with sticks and mud and salamanders, that they rip their jeans and make tree forts and play kick the can and catch lightening bugs (or, really, that they do anything but play video games and intone "Mom, I'm bored" all day long). I just never expected that the urgent need to be OUTSIDE would begin at 14 months old. And I certainly never expected to have a newborn to be tending to at the same time. We have two decks at our house. One which has steps down to the yard, and one which has no ground access. Luke loves both equally, and both present equal challanges (to me). The one with ground access means that little man wants to walk down the steps all the time into the yard. The one with no access means that Luke can play "Newton and his apple" while he tests the Universal Law of Gravitation.....Right now the area about 15 feet below the deck features a sippy cup, a spoon, a block or three, a plethora of dogfood,and one of Jules' onesies. Nice. Gravity still seems to be in effect around out house. Thanks Luke. This weekend we have to work on getting a gate for the other deck so that we can begin to spend more time over there.

It was warm enough out today that Luke sported his first pair of shorts since last year. My guy is THICK. Like, cankle thick legs and round healthy meaty baby guy thighs. I love em. I went and bought him a pair of sandels, which seemed to be a hit. We have visited the playground behind our house every day this week, and Luke now climbs up the jungle gym thingy and goes down the sliding board all by himself. My Mom has been a tremendous help this week, and my house looks much the better for it. If you have called and I have not called you back, forgive me. By the time night rolls around I cant wait to climb into bed with my little girl and love on her for a while before I fall asleep by 9 pm. Last night I scared the poor child as I screamed as the Flyers scored an overtime goal to close the series with Washington and advance to the next round of the playoffs. I'm going to make it up to her by taking her to the Sixers playoff game on Friday night. Two teams going postseason! Go Philly!

I know that this post makes no sense, but its where we are at the moment. I'm proud of myself for getting these two precious babies up and fed and cleaned up and dressed and loved and nurtered every single day. I may not have done much furniture shopping, or closet organizing, or photo album creating.....but as my Mom reminded me.....right now just steering these little creatures through the day is in and of itself an accomplishment. I'm proud of my husband, who is working hard for us. I'm proud of my kiddos, who grow and learn and crack me up. I'm incredibly greatful for the help we have gotten this past week, from Carolyn, and Mom, and Erin, and everyone else who has chipped in. Thank you! :)