Camp Mommy: Weeks 5-7

Moving right along from these past weeks to 2 more weeks of fun! Our 5th week started off with a very fun first visit for both Quinn and me to a rec center pool. Levi, Luca, and Quinn had a great time playing in the water, and I loved that the kiddie areas were perfect for them so parents can simply watch and spot as needed. We will definitely go back again. I also think Banner would love it there. The fun continued with a play date with all the cousins at Grandma's house the next day, more My Gym on Wednesday, and library story time on Thursday. Banner and I ended our week with a road trip to GFC with Mara and Caden. We spent the night in a hotel after a night of catching up with friends, dinner, Shabbat, singing, playing, and fireworks. The following morning, we did more exploring at camp and really enjoyed our time with Caden & Mara. In the meantime, Quinn was having a blast at home with Daddy, who made sure to wear Quinn out the minute he got up Saturday morning: car wash, errands, walking around the pond at Daddy's office, a visit to Grandma, My Gym, etc.

Caden & Banner at Greene

Week 6 was busy as well! We started the week at the Perot museum, exploring and playing with Grandma, Amanda, Aunt Kira, Levi, and Luca. Quinn loved the sand, the water, and playing with the "groceries," especially sorting them and putting them in and out of the bins and grocery bags. We overstayed and had to rush to Aunt Kira's house for lunch to be home in time for nap, but that was a lot of fun eating at her house. On Tuesday, we went to the splash park after another story time at the library.  On Wednesday, another My Gym class, and on Thursday, a visit to the Children's Aquarium. By Friday, we were worn out... but Daddy came home early from work, and we went to Grandma's for swimming before dinner. The boys have been doing a lot of that lately - swimming at Grandma's house with Daddy.... I'm not sure who likes it best: Quinn loves learning to splash and play in the water, Banner is becoming quite the little fish jumping in and swimming and going under to get the rings, Daddy says he just loves the time with the boys and watching them get so good at swimming, and I... well, I like that I get a break! We will truly miss these summer days!

Week 7 began with a visit to The Coop, a place we'd never been before. The kids seemed to enjoy it - the slides, the balls, the dance floor, the toys and ride-ons. Later in the week, we went to the Fire Department for a tour, and on Friday, we went to an open gym for a fun preschool play group with Grandma and Levi.

Only one more Camp Mommy post before it's back to work and back to school! How is that even possible!?!?

22-Month Newsletter: Quinn

Dear Quinn,
So very close to TWO, and you are more and more independent, verbal, and adventurous. Just this week, you discovered how to get yourself into your high chair by yourself - scaling it and the chair next to it to carefully maneuver your body. You are putting more words together, and you are very intelligible. In fact, yesterday at My Gym, you asked the teacher for help all on your own, and her response was, "Thank you for using your words so nicely!" Your receptive and expressive language skills definitely help keep tantrums at bay when you need or want something. We can talk it out and talk it through, and I love that we communicate so well together.

So, what else have you been up to this month?

-We went to San Antonio this month - to Sea World and to the Alamo. We visited Uncle Trey's store, too. We celebrated Banner's birthday, my birthday, Father's Day, July 4th, and you got to see your first fireworks show. We've been busy with Camp Mommy activities nearly everyday, so when we drop Banner off at camp, you start listing the people we may potentially see: Ella? Luca? Levi? Kira? Amanda? Randi? Grandma? And, most days you ask to go to camp with Banner: "Camp. Me!"

-Any time I ask you what you want for snack or lunch, you respond with: "ice cream." This cracks me up a bit, because it catches me off-guard nearly every time. I don't know why since it's the same answer all the time -but it just occurred to me the other day that you always say this.

-You and Banner are really into little Legos. It's hard for both of you to share, but you are also both getting good at negotiating trades with each other. He knows he has to give you something in return for taking a Lego (or other toy) away from you.

-You love noodles/pasta, yogurt, cheese, pudding, ice cream, strawberries, frozen blueberries, chocolate, watermelon, and pizza (if it's not cut up!).

-You are still in love with Elmo & Abby.

-You are in the midst of cutting your upper right canine, bringing your teeth count to 13. You're still behind in that area, but you're slowly catching up.

-You enjoy watching Nemo, Shrek, Joseph, and The Letter Factory. Your favorite songs to request are "We Will" (Rock You), and "Lego" ("Everything is Awesome," the song from the Lego movie).

-You ask to go potty, but you rarely do when sitting on the toilet. You have peed a handful of times, but usually only right before bath.

-You've had a rough patch of getting to sleep this month. I really think you need a later bedtime, but that's difficult when Banner needs to go to sleep (since he doesn't nap like you do). It's a work in progress, and you may end up getting a later bedtime than him pretty soon if this continues. You just take a very long time to fall asleep at night.

-You know your colors: green, blue, yellow, orange, red, pink, purple. We're working on white, black, and brown.

-You learned to tell "knock-knock" jokes from Ella, and you think you're hysterical. Your joke goes like this: Knock-knock... who's there?.... Daddy!.... Daddy who?.... DADDY! and then you proceed to laugh incessantly like you told the funniest joke ever. Then everyone laughs because your laugh is too adorable. And, then you tell the same joke again.

-You are the most well-mannered little guy (mostly). You say "Thank you," and "Please" without needing to be told. You also say "Sorry" now. Last week, you dropped your blueberries out of your bowl, and when I went to come help you clean them up, you said, "Sowwy." You seriously don't have a mean bone in your body, and you are usually so willing to share, help, clean, hug, and cuddle. Sharing isn't always easy, but in general, you will have your turn and then be willing to give the toy to the next person.

Quinn, I'm savoring these next couple months before you turn 2. My baby is getting too big too fast, and so much is about to change for you. You're starting school at the end of next month, and Mommy is going back to work part-time. And, although I worried about you for many months when making those decisions, you are more than ready to be in a "school" program. Some of my most favorite times with you in the past few weeks have been at My Gym classes or at story time at the library, where you follow along so well - and independently. Seeing you do well on your own and seeing you be so successful makes my heart sing, and to see your satisfaction and your confidence grow is so special. I love watching you glow and feel so proud of yourself. You are one very amazing little boy.

I love you, Quinn Redding!
Happy 22 Months, My Love.
Love,
Mommy

Camp Mommy: Weeks 3-4

Our fun summer continues on! Camp Mommy started the first week of June, and it was awesome! Since then, Quinn and I have done some really fun stuff while Banner was in camp (and of course some fun stuff when Banner could join). Here's a little peek into our last couple of weeks:

We kicked off week 3 with a visit to the Heritage Farmstead. Quinn loved the animals, and they were just waking up when we got there - full of noises and ready to eat! The next day, we attended another My Gym class - where Quinn is just having a ball! It's become my favorite day of the week, and I'm so glad we signed up (and took advantage of their teacher appreciation special a couple months ago)! Later that day, we had a sprinkler play date at our house. Thursday, we went to Jump Mania with friends and then ate lunch at our house with Ella. On Friday (my birthday), we started the day with some donuts, then went to the car wash where we celebrated some more! Banner wasn't feeling great, so we went to hang out at Grandma's instead of the movie we had planned on.

Week 4 was slow because we all had a stomach bug over the weekend, so we laid low on Monday. Tuesday, we went to story time at the library with Ella, then we went to CooCoo's, which was kind of a dud for this age group. But, Quinn LOVED the train rides he went on over and over again. Wednesday, we went to My Gym again... such a blast! Then, after we picked up Banner from his long day of camp, we met Ella & Randi for fro-yo! Thursday, we played at Central Market. Friday, we hung at home in preparation for July 4th fun! The boys spent the night at Grandma & Papa's house, and the following morning we went to Gretchen & Avi's house for a fun pool party. That evening, we went to Zaide & BeeBee's and then to Aunt Jacque & Uncle Freddy's house for dinner and fireworks. The boys did awesome and LOVED the fireworks. Happy Birthday, America!

Tummy bug blues

Snow Cones at Gretchen/Avi's on the 4th

Water balloon fight with Andre & Carter

Trying to negotiate his way into getting that balloon from Quinn

Negotiation complete

The Giffords

Marin

Quinn watching his first fireworks! Kept saying "more" and "again" afterward

35-Year Newsletter: Amber

Dear Amber,
I'm taking the advice of a friend of mine who wanted me to blog about my own birthday and "what new words" I've learned this year. :) I think it's a great idea. Why not tell myself where I am at 35-years old? So, here goes:

Typically, I look forward to my birthday. It used to be my most favorite day of the year. June 26, always too far away... couldn't wait for it to get here. And this year, that changed. I don't necessarily have a fear of the number "35," but it was this year at 34 that I began to feel extremely existential. People around me - people younger than me or people very close in age - have faced some very difficult stuff. And it's getting scarier. My kids are getting big fast. I think a lot about my parents and my aunts and uncles and how time with them is limited. It always has been, but it's the realization that they won't be around forever - it's the memories I have of them when they were my age - it's knowing how fast time flies. It's just been getting to me lately. I just want time to slow down. I don't want it to stop, of course, just slow (the _) down!

This was also the year that my hair decided to betray me! While I've had grays since planning my wedding (yes, the year I was engaged was the year I started getting gray... imagine that!), this year took the cake for most grays acquired. Chalk it up to age or parenthood or stress. Who knows what causes it? But, there's a swarm invading my head. I know I'm not alone, and my peers are telling me they are experiencing the same thing. But that doesn't necessarily help that existential feeling. I don't want to see my friends getting older either.

At 35...

I feel confident about who I am. I'm liking the mother I am, even though I have a lot of work to do in that department, too. Sam and I are strong and happy. I'd love a new house. I'd love to be a better house-keeper (or at least have one! see below, though!), but I realize I'll always fight a battle with clutter with two boys in my house. I'm excited to start my new part-time job in August. I feel good about how my kids are developing, and I'm so grateful for their health and happiness. I wish I had more time with friends, and I miss my girl time very much. My favorite things to do are sleep, shower, and veg on the couch. Yes, I'm pretty easy to please - but those things can be hard to come by around here! I'm entirely sick of thinking about food (meals for kids and what they might attempt to eat, snacks for when they're hungry, how I should be eating better, how much do we have left in the house before I have to go to the grocery store for the __th time this week, cleaning it off the floor, wiping it off the table, etc). I'm slightly negative about our world - politics and our leaders, my faith in humanity, our dependence on social media, the headaches I get from the negative news coverage. I still love pizza, mac and cheese, pedicures, spending all day in my pajamas if I can, seeing my kids happy, sleeping through the night, back rubs, date nights, and chocolate. And, I still hate being hot! :)

You wake up too early, usually around 6:30, or anytime before then: 1:20, 3:40, 5:10. . . you know, whenever the kids decide to climb into bed or scream your name at an ungodly hour. You go to bed way later than you should, but that's mostly because once it's quiet in the house and you have time to yourself, you don't want to let it go. It's too hard to climb into bed to end the bliss of a peaceful evening - although it just might be your favorite time of day as your head hits the pillow. You've grown leaps and bounds in the past few years - mostly able to touch any bodily fluid and not flinch or think twice. You've been puked on, spit up on, had snot wiped across you, pooped on - it just doesn't phase you. 

New words and phrases I learned this year: "yesternight" from Banner (it's a real word!), "laryngomalacia" (Quinn's diagnosis at 10-months-old), "herpangina" (an illness Quinn had last summer), "bronchiolitis" (an illness Banner had in the winter), "No, that doesn't work for me," when I can't/don't want to do something, "That's 1," (our system for disciplining the boys). I'm sure there are plenty more - but I can't quite think of any right now.... another symptom of aging (or motherhood?), where I can't think straight anymore.

So, how did we celebrate the big day?

On this actual birthday, we started celebrating last night - when Sam and I had a date night, thanks to Mom who watched the boys. Sam and I went to dinner, and after I returned from using the restroom, there was a letter waiting for me in my seat. When I opened the envelope, inside was a gift certificate for a house-keeping service! Perfect gift that will keep on giving!! Then, this morning, we celebrated by starting the day off with donuts then a special trip to the carwash with both boys where we enjoyed cake and cupcakes with Levi, Luca, and Amanda (thank you, Amanda, for such a yummy treat!), then hanging out at Grandma's. Banner didn't feel well today, so our plan for a movie date was not in the cards, but we just hung out with Grandma, Levi, and Aunt Kira and then got ready to go out to eat. I have to interject here that something amazing happened today, and Sam called to let me know about it while we were at the carwash and then we watched news coverage of it while at Grandma's house. The Supreme Court finally ruled it unconstitutional to forbid same-sex marriages. What a great day to be celebrating! I'm over the moon for this decision, and that it happened on my birthday was icing on the cake! Anyway, then we went to Kobe, where I've celebrated almost all of my birthdays since I was 17 years old. So delicious... and it's fun to watch the kids watch the chef!

Even though I was really dreading this birthday for a while, and I don't like the idea of time slipping away from me so quickly, I had a great birthday. I heard from friends and family near and far - got calls, text, cards, gifts, and lots of love! I do know how fortunate I am to have so many amazing people in my life, to have my health, to have my babies, to have my Love, to have my support system and true friends, to have my home and my education and even my mobility. I don't take any of it for granted!

You are one very lucky lady, Amber, and it's been a pleasure being you for 35 years.
Here's to healthy, happy, and many more years ahead!
Love,
Amber

Mara made cupcakes for the occasion! YUMMY!

The cake the restaurant made for us - although they cut Banner out :(

Banner did NOT feel well :(

Anniversary of the day we met. Our "Birth" Day!