Ya ever have one of those days?

No, I’m not talking about those days… I’m talking about a really good day.

Today was one of those days. Actually, we’ve had a few lately. I can honestly say yesterday was a great day. And Saturday was also an amazingly pleasant day.

So I guess the question should be, have you ever had one of those really, really good weekends?

The other question should definitely be WHY AM I JINXING IT? But that’s another blog post.

Today? We WIN at today.

We slept in until after 7. This almost never happens.
I cleaned for a couple of hours while the kids played happily. And together. Yep, I said hours.
I started a crock pot full of beef stew. AND it turned out to be a dreary day, so the stew was a great choice.
We ran errands. You may not realize how big this is. This single mom has been struggling lately just getting groceries. My, ahem, energetic children have been making it difficult. But today? Today we got groceries AND made it through Target and Walgreens. Whoa.
We ate lunch together at the table, chatting and enjoying turkey sandwiches and carrot sticks.
I folded and put away FOUR loads of laundry while the kids pretended to help by cleaning the living room.
Then, I cleaned the living room.
We went to the park.
And at the park? At the park the kids started playing hide-and-seek. Together. And I teared up because my children are not old enough to be the “big kids” playing hide-and-seek while others are being pushed by their mommies in the bucket baby swings.

But they are.
So then I played too.

After the park, we enjoyed The Smurfs Dance Party for the Wii that we rented yesterday. This game was another WIN.

And now the kids are in bed and I’m sipping on a beer. Thrilled with where we are and how we’ve grown, but reminding myself that blinking is simply not an option these days.

Growing up, there was a half naked picture of me in the hallway.

To be fair, it was part of a collage of photos, and it was small. I was young, and in the bathtub. Parents everywhere, myself included, have these same pictures.

As I reached my pre-teen years, I became embarrassed of this picture. Heaven forbid my friends or, gasp, a boy see this picture. I took it out and replaced it with a fully clothed photo.

My mom noticed in about 2 seconds, and was understanding… but asked for the bathroom photo back. It was never seen in the hallway again.

The point? The point is that kids do things that parents find cute. And we take pictures. Or commit them to memory. Not always specifically for the sake of embarrassment later in life.
That, my friends, is just an added bonus.

My children do some pretty incredibly cute things. Some, I have pictures of. Others, I just want to remember forever so that I can tell first boyfriends and girlfriends all about it.

So, while I won’t be cruel enough to post pictures here, I do take them. And print them. And LOVE them. I also will share a few fun stories that come to mind. These may or may not make dinner time conversations as my children grow.
(Completely unrelated note to my children: It is very important to be nice to your mama. That is all.)

- Last week, I ended up taking the kids to my Body Pump class. I usually go when they are with their father, but the dates hadn’t worked out that way and I needed to, well, work out. They have a great playroom there, so I got them situated and got my weights ready.
Exactly 3 minutes after the workout began, who comes running out of the playroom? Zac.
Oh, and his pants and underpants? They are around his ankles.
I wrote a text that evening that read something like this: “Zac only ran out naked from the waist down once, so I guess that’s a win, right?”
(My definition of win is skewed. Clearly.)

- The other day I asked Lilly to throw a piece of trash in the trashcan, which was about 20 feet away. She said she was too busy. I asked her again, adding a consequence if she made a poor choice. She picked up the trash, STOMPED across the room and threw it away. As she stomped back, she burst into tears and shouted, “Now I’ve wasted my whole life! humph!” and ran into her room.
First of all, who says “humph”? Also, wow I am looking forward to the teenage years.

- Lilly and Zac playing “helicopter,” which includes Zac laying on the ground in one direction and Lilly laying on top at a 90 degree angle. Once they are “in position,” they move their arms and make hilarious noises. Until someone gets hurt. Oh, and someone always gets hurt.

*** Your turn! Settle a debate: A photo of a young boy wearing cowboy boots with underwear but no pants. Cute or not cute? Please leave a comment with your thoughts on how hilarious and cute this would be! ***

Disclaimer: Do I need to write this? I in no way have the true intention of embarrassing my children on purpose. Clearly, that will happen regardless, as I’m a mom and they will one day be teens. Then again, I’m really super cool, so I don’t see how they could actually ever be embarrassed… in fact, they’ll probably want to hang out with me and only me and I’ll have to encourage them to go hang out with their popular but highly achieving and community minded high school friends. But that’s another story for another time.

Do you ever think about what a particular event or day will be like, only to realize that sometimes what you think will happen and what actually happens are two very different things? Let me explain.

Zac’s birthday was yesterday. Yes, we had a party on Sunday (which was a smashing success, thankyouverymuch), but I wanted to spend the day with him on his real birthday. I plan to do the same thing on Lilly’s birthday, of course.

Zac’s special day (the “in my head” version)

We take Lilly to school, and head out for the day. Zac feels special, walking out of school holding my hand, getting ready for a great day! We go to the park, weather permitting, before heading to the mall.

Zac does not enjoy shopping, but he LOVES the mall playground. Last time we were there, to see Santa, he did not get a place to play.

I can hear his squeals of delight while running to the playground. I let him play for as long as he wants, then we head to lunch. We probably head to either Jason’s Deli or Monkey Burger, and talk about fun things while enjoying lunch.

We head home, and Zac probably falls asleep. I let him snooze for a while, then we cuddle and read some books under a blanket. For the remainder of the afternoon, I ask Zac what he wants to do, and we do it.

We pick Lilly up early, and the three of us go to dinner. We sing Happy Birthday to our boy, and head home for a peaceful bedtime.

Is that too much to ask???

Zac’s special day (the “reality sucks” version)

The night before Zac’s special day, I tell him and Lilly the plan. Lilly throws the worlds biggest hissy fit about wanting to stay with Zac. I talk her down, eventually, reminding her about the special days she has and how this is important.

At bedtime, Zac sniffles and wimpers that he’s going to miss Lilly the next day.

Off to a great start, people.

Special Day morning, we get up and head to Dunkin’ Donuts for a special breakfast before dropping Lilly off at school.
This is the best picture I could get. And yes, my son looks like a vampire.

We drop Lilly off, and decide it’s too cold to play outside so Zac and I head home for about 30 minutes. I hear “I miss Lilly” about 17 times during those 30 minutes.

For. Pete’s. Sake.

We head to the mall, chatting excitedly the whole way. We get there, and turn the corner to the play area. I’m excited. Zac has to go potty.
So we do.
Back to the play area. I’m still excited.
Zac… sits with me. Climbs on my lap, in fact, and says that he wants to go home.

Whaaa???

I feel his head.

OH. CRAP.

Yep, he’s sick. We sit and talk and I hold him as he buries his head into my shirt. How did this come on so quickly? We meet up with a few friends who were dropping really cool things off for us, and head home.

At home, Zac naps for a bit, and then we do get our snuggle time in on the couch.

Eventually, I decide to take him to Urgent Care. Yep, he has Strep. Again.

My mom picks Lilly up and buys the kids treats while I get the prescription.

Happy Birthday Son.

~   ~   ~

In all seriousness, I am glad he was home with me when he got sick. I just feel SO badly that he spent his birthday sick. Still, we did get to enjoy cuddle time, and the medication makes him feel so much better and very quickly.

Today, my son turns 3.

As every mother throughout history has asked… Where has the time gone?

We had a party on Sunday. Today, Zac and I will spend the day together.

But, for now, a letter to three year old Zac.

~  ~   ~

Dear Zackary,

Today you turn three, and there are things I don’t want to forget. You are the sweetest boy, and you bend over backwards to “help” me and your sister. You carry (drag) my bags in from the car. You cater to Lilly’s every whim during imaginary play. You love helping make dinner and set the table. You open and close doors for us as well.
As three approached, you started testing. Testing bedtime. Testing behaviors. Never taking away from your sweet and helpful personality, but you’re realizing that you have choices and you’re practicing to make them on your own.
Bedtime? Bedtime is work. You want me in your room until you fall asleep. The moment you give that deep breath and sigh… and I know you’re down for the night… that is a beautiful moment for me.
You potty trained yourself in about a weekend. Can I just say, thank you for that?
You still suck your thumb and your have your beloved “Ball Blankie.” This blankie will not last another year, as it is falling apart so quickly. These are habits that I know we need to break, but it breaks my heart a little to think of you not needing these things.
You love books. And cars and trucks. Any book about a car or a truck is a serious win. You want to sit on my lap and cuddle with me often. This? I hope this never ever changes.
You love your sister more than anything. You eat well, but distract easily. At times, you get “crazy eyes,” and there is no turning back.
You are my main man, and you are growing so fast. You are quickly turning into everything I hope for you and more.
It goes without saying that I love you more than anything. Happy birthday son.

~   ~   ~

It’s finally starting to feel like Christmas around here.

The tree is up. We are decorated inside and out. It’s cold and rainy.

The shopping is *almost* done. The wrapping has *almost* begun. We are reading Christmas books and watching Santa cartoons. We are drinking hot cocoa.

The kids are happy. I am happy.

~   ~   ~

We are still creating our Christmas time traditions around here, and I’m ok with that. We have a few traditions currently that we are loving

Breaking Ornaments – As we decorate the tree, and ornament is bound to get broken. What can we say, those suckers are slippery!

Making Messes – As I clean and decorate one room, the kids destroy another. It’s a really fun cycle that commonly keeps us occupied for days upon days.

General Destruction and Chaos – I blame the extra candy matched with less outside play time. Energetic little ones is a recipe for fun, and also danger.

In all seriousness, though, we do truly enjoy this season. We cuddle, we talk excitedly about Santa, we walk Winterhaven neighborhood looking at lights.

What are your holiday traditions?