Aunt Kim

I love being Aunt Kim! How can I be so in love with this child that is not mine and I hardly know?
I had the most wonderful time with Kevin, Kasandra, and Blake.


I got to steal him away all for myself for two nights, while Kev and Kas caught up on some much needed sleep. Now that my own kids are reliable sleepers, I didn't mind waking up for a couple of nighttime feedings. It truly is the most special time with a new baby. You are just too tired to really enjoy it with your own kids. When all is calm and quiet, you can hear every little gurgle and sigh, you close your eyes and inhale the unique smell of this baby...every baby smells a little different you know!


Holden was enamored with him and it was beautiful to watch her "help" with bottles, pacifiers, and burp cloths. I was playing with her in the kitchen and she heard him cry. She stopped and said, "Hold on Mommy, Blake needs me." I melted. She was not the most helpful sister to her brother when he was a wee one, so it was sweet to watch her dote on Blake.


Everett wasn't too concerned with him either way. I think he is anxiously awaiting the day they can cause trouble together!



We spent some great time with everyone! Crazy dinners with toddlers and screaming babies, a big Mother's Day picnic where we got to see lots of family, some quieter nights at Kas and Kevin's when my kids had sleepovers with Mimi, and an INSANE breakfast at my favorite diner.


The PA leg of our vacation was wonderful and I think everyone was mildly happy to see us go and get their normal quieter lives back! But I think they miss us already...too bad I am not getting back on a plane with my monsters for at least five years! Hee Hee



Quote of the Day
"A babe in the house is a well-spring of pleasure, a messenger of peace and love, a resting place for innocence on Earth, a link between angels and men."
-Martin Fraquhar Tupper

Seriously

A perfect bedtime and peaceful night! We are completely shocked.

However, I thought this would be the first step towards independence, losing a lovey, and possibly losing the thumb sucking, that is not the case. "Other Baby" has officially been adopted and Holden has latched onto her wholeheartedly.

Oh well, at least this one is clean!

Uh Oh

So, I have tons of stuff to post about my trip to Pennsylvania, my nephew, Blake, and Severin and Colleen's wedding, BUT there is a much bigger and more pressing event going on around here today.

I knowingly, nervously, and joyfully drove away from the pool without Purple Baby. I know, I know, worst mother in the universe. But, let me tell you....I am sick of that dirty rag. Sick, sick, sick. Holden leaves her in the most random places....like the backyard kiddie pool , inside the seat of her tricycle she never rides and is hidden in our garage, and a rest stop in Maryland. I am glad she is becoming more independent and she doesn't need the baby 24/7, but this misplacing her ritual is getting old. We, suckers that we are, are the ones running around like maniacs looking for her while Holden stomps her feet and declares she will not go to bed, leave the house, or eat her lunch until we find her. I seriously spend 1 hour every day looking for that dumb thing.

We were all packed up and loaded in the car to go to the pool this morning and just as I was about to pull away, "Where is Purple Baby?!?!" UGH-So she and I get out of the car and spend ten minutes looking for her ALL over the house and finally we locate the little trickster and Holden hugs her with fierce intensity and true love. I mean it, she LOVES that thing. So we get to the pool meet Amy and Allie and have a great time playing, swimming, and eating lunch together. Then, it's time to leave and it takes me 30 minutes to gather our stuff, get us all dressed, and wrangle the kids out to the car. Again, as I am about to pull away, I realize, "Where the hell IS Purple Baby?!?!... Did h take her in?... I think so....Did I see her in the actual pool area?...Not so sure." So I instantly pick up the phone and called Ian to have a family meeting. I told him that I would rather eat dirt than drag us all back into APEX to search for that doll. He says, "Well, if you don't it is going to be a loooong night." And in my frustration I said to myself, "screw it" and I drove away!

Ha Ha Ha-I felt so reckless and then instant remorse as Holden wailed pathetically, "PPPuuuurrrppplllee BBBaaabbbyy!" So I called APEX and the girl a the desk sent housekeeping down to search the area. I felt optimistic since we had only just left and for sure no one else would want to steal that dirty old thing. H cried the whole way home and collapsed on the couch in tears. But, miraculously she came around, she went for her nap with no tears or mention of baby. She was carrying around a little Panda for a while this afternoon and about 45 minutes ago she picked up "Other Baby" and she seemed to fill in right where "Purple Baby" left off. When Ian came home from work, she didn't even mention it to him.

Bedtime is in approximately 67 1/2 minutes and that is where the real test will happen. I am feeling a bit hopeful, which may bite me later on. Am I terrible just abandoning my baby's most precious thing in the entire world? Will she be forever traumatized because of this premature and heartless break up?

I will update tomorrow!

Quote of the Day

Children have neither past nor future; they enjoy the present, which very few of us do.
~Jean de la Bruyere

Yowza!

Update....
flying across the country with two toddlers is not really fun. It pretty much is the worst thing I have voluntarily done to myself.

We got to the airport and my suitcase weighed too much so I had to put all of the heavy stuff into a backpack. Therefore I had three bags, a double stroller, and two children to get onto the plane. Then there was a gigantic line at security and Everett screamed his head off for thirty minutes straight till we got through it. I mean screamed like I was tickling his feet with razor blades. Luckily, everyone was nice and a few ladies tried to help. We got to the gate and ran around for forty minutes till it was time to board. We got all settled, I fed the kids lunch, and just waited to take off and get them to sleep.

We sat on the runway for 1 1/2 hours because of high winds. I was all out of tricks by the time we finally took off. Everett was done with snacks, toys, and dvd's. He wanted to move. I finally got him to sleep on my lap and Holden needed a bathroom break. So, what to do? Off we three trotted to the bathroom, Everett woke up screaming, Holden peed all over herself, and I tried to get the situation under control with the three of us smashed in that tiny space. We got back to our seats (poor aisle passenger next to us...) and 7 minutes later Everett pooped and we went back to the bathoom. Now, you would think that one of the two female flight attendants relaxing with their People magazines would have at least asked me if they could help, hold a door open for me, something!?!? No, they watched me wrestle both kids into the bathroom again and as I was closing the door one of them smugly said, "there isn't a changing table in there." THANKS!!! So we moved across the aisle to the other bathroom and I took care of business. We visited the restroom three more times throughout our 4 1/2 hour flight (with no assistance from the delightful flight attendants). No sleeping and alot of jumping around, crying, and fussing was our entertainment.

A lovely older woman helped Holden off the plane and carried one of my bags. As we were exiting and saying goodbye to our friendly flight attendants, the three of them stared at me holding a screaming everett a backpack, and a suitcase, the pilot jumped out of his seat and grabbed my suitcase and walked it all the way down the jetway for me. Someone else helped assemble the stroller and we were off.

All I can say is....we got here...alive.

Panic

Ok...tomorrow is the day. I will be flying across the country with a one and three year old. I am so scared I am almost crying. If it weren't my spanking new shiny nephew I am not sure I would do this. Holden is good. She enjoys coloring and watching her dvd's. Honestly, she would love to sit and watch movies for hours if I would let her. It's Everett I am really concerned about. He doesn't really sit still. Even when he eats he runs around. I am praying he will sleep for a good portion of the flight. I am praying I don't lose him when he runs away from me in the airport (which I know he will do about 6 times).


Security could be tricky. I need two hands to fold up the stroller and load it on the scanner....hmmm those two hands are supposed to be holding my two kids. You do the math. I may go to Target in the morning and buy Ev a leash. I will freely admit that I judged those parents toting child leashes before I had kids, even when I was pregnant. How barbaric, treating your child like an animal. Well guess what? My child is an animal! Scout listens WAY better than he does! He seriously will not stand by my side. It is his mission in life to run, to be free, to practice his newly learned skills. I am cool with that when we are in our own house, but not on an airplane.



I am armed with LOTS of snacks, new movies, a charged dvd player, and about $100 worth of new toys.

All of that aside, we are very excited to visit my family and my new nephew. We will be heading down to DC for Severin and Colleen's wedding too! I have one flower girl and one ring bearer....should be interesting! Whatever happens, the trip will be well worth the drama and insanity of the traveling.

Quote of the Day

"Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life."

-Jack Kerouac