A clue...

We adopted a little someone yesterday.  We can't pick him up until Wednesday but we're getting ready for his arrival...

We are super excited about the new addition!  I'll be back on Wednesday to update with lots of pictures.

Happy Birthday, Chris!

Chris celebrated his 36th birthday yesterday!  We had a wonderful day together which was even more special because his mom, Jackie, arrived from Texas!

Chris and his Mom :)

36!  The boys loved making and decorating Daddy's cake.

It was a great day.  We are looking forward to a fun week together!

Wow!

As Henry was getting ready for school this morning, he surprised us by reciting the entire Pledge of Allegiance all by himself, without any prompting!

Pretty cool for a 4 year old!

Weekend at home...

We drove up to Maryland after school on Friday to visit with our parents, get family pictures taken, celebrate my cousin's wedding, and run the Army Ten Miler on Sunday.  While it was much too short of a trip, every minute of it was great... and I loved being together with my mom again.

Unfortunately we didn't take any pictures except these two...

Driving in DC to pick up ATM race packets...

Chris and I finished about 8,000 out of 32,000 runners.  Not bad!

It was a perfect weekend!

I love love love this...

I read this article/ letter today and it could not have resonated any more than it did with me.  I feel this completely.  It's titled "A Letter to Future Me: Remember How Much You Loved Them"...

Dear Me 20 Years From Now,

I wonder if you've become one of those women who briefly lingers around, a safe distance behind young moms carting their babies and toddlers through the grocery store with that far-off look in your eyes. If you gently smile at the mom when she looks up and catches your glance, obviously frazzled by how challenging taking 2 kids grocery shopping is, as if to tell her it's going to be okay. If you look at her and miss that time, want so badly to trade 5 minutes of the independence you have now that your kids are much older so that you can rest a toddler's head on your shoulder, or buckle a baby in their car seat, mindful not to pinch any belly chub in the harness.

I have a feeling that you might be, and there are some things I want you to know, some things I'm willing you to remember.

I want you to remember that they were the hardest thing you'd ever done. They challenged you, and they kept you up at night. They pushed your buttons, and they were never, ever quiet... unless they were in trouble. I want you to remember that you loved them the hardest you've ever loved anything, from day one, and every day after that.

I want you to know that you were completely overwhelmed nearly all the time. The thought of taking them anywhere by yourself made you want to hide in bed all day. You were overwhelmed by the responsibility. You had NO clue what you were doing. You were overwhelmed by how much they trusted you and how much they needed you. You were overwhelmed by how much you needed and loved them.

I want you to remember how it felt to lay side by side next to your 4-year-old before he drifted off to sleep. How you talked face to face, nose to nose, about his day. How you told him you were excited to see how much he would grow by the morning, and how in the morning you'd lay in bed next to him and stretch his arms and legs out, exclaiming, "LOOK HOW MUCH YOU GREW LAST NIGHT!" How that put the biggest smile on his face.

I want you to remember what it felt like to hold your 18-month-old on your lap, wrapping your arms around her and laying them on her bulging tummy. How the back of her head and the handful of baby curls at the nape of her neck felt and smelled when you rested your head atop hers.

I want you to know that you were acutely aware of how fast they were growing. Even though many days would pass in the blink of an eye, there would always be a moment when your world would snap to a halt, and you would look at them while they were doing something mundane and normal, and you would be painfully conscious that they were no longer the size they were last week, and that they would never be the size they are at that moment again.

I want you to know that you went to bed every night with one simple wish for the next day. To just do better.

Even though you were tired and challenged, exasperated and overwhelmed, you knew then that you would miss these days... most of them, at least. It was a truth that was hard to live with, and most of the time you ignored it because there was nothing you could do about the passing of time. If you spent your days mourning the ones that had gone by, you'd miss out on the days you were living in.

You knew you were on a light rail, moving at speeds you couldn't comprehend. You had no control over the ride that brought you to where you are today, but believe me when I say you searched so very hard to find the emergency brake.

Please know, please remember that you tried to savor that time. Be at peace, knowing you spent late afternoons curled up with them on the couch, that sometimes you just sat and watched them move and run, that occasionally you took inventory of all the things they'd learned in the last week, and that you appreciated your time with them the best you knew how. Know that despite your very best efforts, there was no way to freeze time.

I promise you, you tried.

Love,
you

I suppose we have to claim them...

They're ours.  And I think this video of them dancing and singing removes any doubt.

They're singing, "Girl look at that body.  Girl look at that body.  AHHH.  Girl look at that body.  AHHH!  I work out!  I'm sexy and I know it.... I've got passion in my pants and I ain't afraid to show it.  SHOW it.  SHOW IT!" 

In case you couldn't tell, they're singing LMFAO's song, "Am Sexy and I Know It" which does have a catchy beat...

Chris's "reintegration 2 week block leave" starts after work today!  We are heading up to MD tomorrow to have family pictures taken on Saturday morning, celebrate my cousin's wedding on Saturday afternoon, and run the Army Ten-Miler on Sunday.  It'll be a busy weekend!

The drive should be interesting because Peter broke our DVD player in the van yesterday.  How did that happen??  Because this happened...

While I was in the Target parking lot a man backed right into the back bumper.  Sigh.  Fortunately his insurance has been very prompt in offering to pay for all repairs but it's still a pain.  While I was talking with the police officer, Pete was inside the van roaming around (because the parking lot was too busy to let him roam there while I filled out all the paper work).  Apparently that free time is when he decided to shove several DVDs into the machine.  Lovely.  Fingers crossed that books keep everyone entertained for the 6 hour ride up and back.  Fat chance, right!?

I'll be back with weekend pics soon.  Have a great weekend!

Dadisms...

Dadism:  Tell me the facts.

My dad was a really good listener.  I have to admit it's not a trait you'd immediately think of when considering my dad's personality, but it was true.  Dad genuinely listened when I talked with him, which lots of people don't do.  They're busy looking over your shoulder or making something to eat or fidgeting with their clothes or trying to figure out when it'll be their turn to talk or swatting little kids away.  I'm guilty of doing all of those things too but my Dad wasn't.

Anyway, as many of you know, I'm a worrier.  It's just the way I was made and while I try very hard to  focus on all of the positives in life, sometimes my mind wanders and I worry a bit too much.  I really can't watch shows like "Intervention" or "Addiction" or surf places like WebMD for too long lest my head and heart start to go into overdrive about all of the horrible things that could happen to my babies or the people I love.

Sometimes my worrying is focused inward like when I thought I had lung cancer.  Turns out the sharp pain I was experiencing in my chest was from a boogie board fall during our honeymoon in Hawaii.  (Yes, please feel free to laugh.  And yes, I went to have it checked out.)  Or the time I was scared I might have AIDS (those public service announcements worked on me!).  And some of you may remember the long months I was convinced I had Multiple Sclerosis.  Turns out it was just a case of anxiety.  Whaddya know?  ;)

I've gotten much better about not taking little symptoms and blowing them up into WebMD-worthy problems and, in large part, it was from talking with my dad.  When I'd get spun up over some ailment he would always ask me, "Beth... what are the facts??  Tell me the facts.  Do you really think MS symptoms change daily?  Does that sound logical to you?  With all of my health problems, do you think I'd ever make up new ones?  No.  No, I wouldn't.  Normal people don't do that.  Stop it."  We'd have this conversation every single day until I felt better.  Seriously.  Every day.  He'd call me up around 10:00am from work and say, "Alright, tell me about your symptoms."  It's funny now thinking about it and believe me, he and I shared tons of laughs about it after each "episode of worry" had passed.  "Remember when you had Black Lung, Beth?  That was a good one." and he'd tease me and we'd laugh.

I know it may seem silly and trivial but it wasn't.  To feel like someone really cares about your worries and anxieties and doesn't brush you off... it's hard to explain how reassuring those talks were.  And now, when I can feel myself starting to overly worry about the boys or myself or anyone I love, I try very hard to stop and ask myself, "What are the facts, Beth?  Does it seem likely that all the boys now have meningitis or are you just getting spun up over a simple fever?"

It's not the same though.  He did it a whole lot better.

Emergency surgery...

No, no... not for any family member (thank God), but for Peter's beloved Bunny...

When I picked Pete up from the gym day care this morning, the lady told me he was "swinging Bunny around by his arm."  Well, apparently that'll do it.  And this isn't the first time Bunny's had surgery.  Over the summer one of his little legs had to be reattached.  Considering how much love Bunny endures, I suppose these surgeries aren't a surprise.

Aunt Megan and Uncle T got Pete this bunny as a gift when he was born.  Hmmm, I'm starting to think it may be time to buy a back up??  I think they got him from Anthropologie (who no longer sells them)... and Nordstrom's is currently out of stock... and well, there are a few on ebay but I'm starting to panic!  Here's one I found from the official Jellycat website but I'm thinking he looks more like Bunny's older brother and less like his twin... you be the judge.   Bunny's Twin?

Camping!

This past weekend Chris took the big boys camping with James's Cub Scout pack.  The boys were busy all weekend doing lots of cool outdoor activities... building campfires, making their own food, playing football, carving pumpkins, making new friends, and enjoying the fall weather.

The church where the Scouts camped this weekend for their "trial run,"
also Henry's preschool and home for the Scouts' weekly meetings.

Fortunately, the weather was beautiful all weekend!

Father and son...

Learning a new game...

Some of the older Scouts teaching the younger ones...

Walking on stilts...

Henry did really well on them!

Ross (one of J's buddies) and James

Waiting for breakfast...

Waiting for lunch...

Henry in the mix!

The boys' jack-o-latern and campsite...

Petey enjoying the fun!  He wants to be big so badly.

James seems to love Scouting and fortunately Chris is home to participate in the weekly meetings and attend the outings with him.  Chris and I did have to laugh about the intensity of some of the parents though... as they were packing up to leave this morning, the Scoutmaster asked Chris if he'd be up for walking around neighborhoods to sell popcorn with the boys later in the day.  He looked at her and said, "Um... absolutely not."  So funny... and only something a guy could get away with saying!

Field Trip!

Today I took Henry and Peter on a field trip to Daddy's new office.

"Hmmm... what can I get into?!"

T-R-O-U-B-L-E!

Cute!

Yeah, we stayed about 5 minutes... Peter put his mitts on just about everything which left Chris's office looking like a tornado blew through.  Afterwards we took the boys to McKeller's Lodge for lunch.  I would say it was nice but really that would be lying.  Was it nice being with Chris?  Yes.  Was it nice being in public, at a restaurant with my children?  Not so much.  ;)

Good times...

Yesterday the boys had their 6-month (which was closer to 12-month, BAD mommy!) dental check ups.  In all honesty and fairness to the big boys, they were great.  Henry didn't make one peep the entire time his teeth were being cleaned.  Amazingly silent!  James was great too but told us 100 times that he was starrrrving.  Of course the appointments took forever.  Who knew when I scheduled both appointments for 3:30pm, we were really getting the 3:30 and the 4:30 slots?  AND IT TOOK EVERY BIT OF 2 HOURS.  

Henry getting his teeth cleaned

Trying to keep Pete entertained by watching Henry...

Once Henry was done, I took the little boys outside so they could run off some energy.

 Up and down, up and down... until Pete ate it on the concrete one too many times...

So then Henry suggested playing hide-and-seek.  Yeah... those steps lead right to the front door.

Pete's new favorite game.  He says (in his way), "Ready, set, GO!" and jumps.  We did that for awhile until he ate it here one too many times...

Still playing... now with a "scary" face...

Right.  So after about 30 minutes of these fun games, we went back inside just as James's sealants were drying on his molars.  And then we waited for his fluoride treatment and the sweet lady trying to book our follow up appointments which took about 18 minutes because surely I was the very-first-customer-she-ever-booked-an-appointment-for!, and then we got to leave.   I'm thinking Chris should probably bring the boys for their next appt... no sense in me having all the fun.

Charleston...

Chris and I were lucky enough to spend the entire weekend away in Charleston, South Carolina!  We had a wonderful mini vacation and are so grateful to Keith and Marta for watching the boys for us so we could do so.  We had so much fun and I know the boys did too!

We totally fell in love with the city.  It is absolutely perfect...

Our hotel was beautiful and overlooked the water.  The best part (aside from the concierge upgrading us to the Penthouse Level!) was that it was entirely free since Chris used our Marriott points.  Yippee!

We tried to check out as many bars, restaurants, shops, and hot spots as we could during our stay.

Overlooking the city from The Vendue Rooftop bar...

Heading back to the hotel on Friday night...

On Saturday we got up early and went for a 5 mile run along the water...

Relaxing and enjoying a cup of coffee at the hotel...

One of the best parts about the weekend was the 2 1/2 hour nap we took after our run on Saturday.  I'm telling you what, it was fan-tastic!  Which meant we were totally rested for our second night out on the town.

Drinks on the rooftop of The Pavilion...

This was such a cool spot!  I'd love to go back...

Chris trying on my sunglasses.  They look good, don't they?

On Sunday morning we drove around ogling the beautiful homes... (All of these pictures are taken from the car with my iPhone... there are so many gorgeous ones I missed.)

Before saying goodbye, we enjoyed breakfast at a quaint little spot called The Meeting Place.  Delicious!

It's pretty much official.  We can't wait to move to Charleston!  :)