Shades of Summer

This past week was such a busy one, jam-packed with outdoor activities and special outings and it felt like the first real taste of summer. Remember that feeling of anticipation as the remaining weeks of school slipped from the calendar? It was sheer joy when the final bell rang and we were out for summer…an entire summer…3 whole months of freedom and fun, and the possibilities were endless. As a kid, I remember thinking that every night felt like a Friday night, and every morning was a weekend morning…Lazy and delicious. My little people are still too young to get that feeling, but I felt it just watching them this past week. It felt like school was out for summer, and I was happy.



It started on Wednesday with a trip to the zoo. This wasn’t the most well thought out trip…we decided to go with my Mother late that morning. So by the time we made it to the zoo, I had two cranky, hungry kids that were badly in need of naps. And because I live in Southeast Louisiana, the temperature was in the 90’s by noon, and most of the animals had settled into heat-induced comas. This made for an interesting day. Parts of it were great fun and laughter…and other parts (meltdown at the carousel, meltdown at the playground, meltdown at the train) got downright ugly. Luckily, I didn’t photograph those parts. Here are some of our happier moments…













Thursday I surprised Mason with a trip to the pool after I picked him up from school. This was Maddie’s first time to the pool, and she loved it! She loved to watch Mason run through the spouts, as she squealed, splashed and clapped her hands. We had so much fun!










My sunbathing babe...







Saturday was another birthday party, and Sunday was a Mother’s Day Crawfish Boil at my parents’ house.







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This was a special Mother’s Day for me. It was my first with Madison, and my first as being a mother of 2…which I must say, is dramatically different than mother of 1. I have learned so much this year about what it really means to be a mother…to accept the perfect imperfections and know that’s what makes our life more beautiful and more real. I have learned that life doesn’t come with a script, and I have found a more alive and authentic version of myself that exists only in those moments when I really allow myself to let go. My babies have taught me how quickly this precious time flies by, and how to soak up every single last drop before it is gone.









They allow me to see the world through their eyes, and it holds so much more wonder and beauty than anything I had seen before…and for that gift on this Mother’s Day, I will be forever grateful.

Milestones

Milestone: mile•stone (noun)
A stone showing distance to a place. A significant or important event in the history of a country or a person’s life.


Milestones can happen at any moment, at any age, and for any person. They can be big or small. They can mean everything to one person, and be insignificant to another. They can bring both satisfaction and frustration.

When Mason was a baby, I lived by the charts that told me what he should be doing and at what time. I wanted to be sure that he was on target, and that he was progressing in growth and skills at the appropriate times. As focused as I was back then, you would have thought the milestones would have meant more to me. As soon as Mason achieved a goal, I mentally checked that off my list and moved on to the next…Never completely content to just sit back and enjoy the pure wonder of a baby learning to do what babies do. I was a “Mommy on a Mission.” You’ve seen and heard them before…usually sipping frappuccinos under park pavilions, pushing strollers around the mall, or in the hallways of your daycare or preschool. Their casual conversation so often comes back to what amazing feat their little one has accomplished…..3 months ahead of schedule. They live by the milestone charts. It’s funny now when I hear them…I realize they have tunnel-vision. They can only focus on that one single thing right in front of them, and in the process they are completely missing the big picture.




I’m looking at things differently now. The older Madison gets, the more she separates herself from the rest of the pack. She is unique in so many ways, and her timetable for reaching milestones will be as well. I don’t get so caught up in the charts anymore, because I know that the same rules don’t apply, and knowing that somehow allows me the freedom to enjoy each and every accomplishment so much more. Knowing how much harder we are working for each milestone makes them so much sweeter once they are reached. Although she amazes me on a daily basis, this week Maddie decided to check off a few milestones of her own, and I couldn’t be more proud. In one short week, she said her first words, “Mama and Dada” (in that order! LOL), she started using a sippy cup, and she waved bye-bye for the first time as Chris took her away for her nap. My little lady is leaving behind her baby days and well on her way to being a full-blown toddler…and, no…I’m not ready.






Chris reached a milestone of his own this week…
Happy 33rd Birthday Sweetheart!




Mason was so excited about the singing card he picked out, that he woke Madison up that morning with a little serenade…She loved it.





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And for those who have asked about the treadmill sessions…Maddie is doing really well with it! She did 10 minutes on Monday and 12 minutes on Saturday!




I am so hopeful that this will help her take those first steps…but like every other milestone, I know she will do it in her own time. That’s the thing about milestones…they mark the progress we make throughout our journey- not the speed we kept along the way.

Date nite and the runaway lizard

Another busy week and weekend comes to an end, and I’m left feeling full…full in the way you feel on Christmas night…after a full day of opening presents, eating, laughing and spending time with family and friends. Full in that exhausted, but completely content kind of way.

Our weekend started with the elusive date nite. Since Madison’s recent bottle strike, we have had a difficult time leaving her for any length of time, so dates have been few and far between. We had a great dinner at one of our favorite Italian restaurants. We took our time, and actually ate our food like normal people…I usually attack my food with the speed and gusto of a small Asian woman in a hot dog eating contest...Chewing is optional. On this evening, I actually tasted the food before swallowing it…and it was heaven. We had a great time. We drank wine, used salad forks, and talked like adults…It was a real date. Now I’d be lying if I said we talked about anything other than our little people…and why is that against the rules on date nite anyways? Yes we had lives before them, but they make everything more fun and every story more colorful…so yep, we talked about our little bugs the whole time!









One of the more colorful stories that we talked about was the new house guest that had made himself at home with us. At some point while playing outside, Mason left the backdoor open…and the lizard moved in. Gross. So now I’ll be thinking about a lizard when I slide into my slippers…but wait, there’s more. Chris tells me he chased him down, moved furniture, and finally had the little squatter cornered when he made a grab for him….and ended up with his tail….only his tail.
OK.
So, you are telling me there’s a runaway torso of a lizard, hiding somewhere in my house, without his tail? Yep. Perfect. See, without date nite, I may never have had the pleasure of hearing this enchanting tale of speed and bravery.


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So, we are trying something new with Madison’s PT. We have a giant treadmill that she is using with our therapist to try to teach the rhythm and movement associated with taking steps. She hangs over the treadmill Pinnochio-style in this harness, while the PT moves her legs and stabilizes her hips. Pretty fascinating stuff… But little girl is not a fan just yet.



She is quite a trooper though. I will keep updating on the progress with the treadmill, and hopefully it will be a great tool for Maddie. I feel so blessed to have a PT who is willing to try new things. Sometimes I feel we are throwing things at the wall to see what sticks…but when we find what sticks it will definitely be worth it! Thank you Michele!





This weekend was also our first outing with the SBA Greater New Orleans group. It was the annual picnic at Lafreniere Park. We met so many wonderful kids and parents who are in the same situation as us, and it was great to just speak the same language.






Mason shows off his Cheetoh face...



the hill that kept Mason busy the entire day...



Maddie made some new friends













Another fun, full weekend...time to go home!

Mindless ramblings and pics to match

I'm tired. And not thinking clearly. So if this comes out as a complete mess of words and phrases that don't amount to one single complete thought...my apologies. This was a gorgeous, hot, sunny weekend that demanded yard work from start to finish, and I am now left to nurse my sore muscles and sunburned skin.
But...the new mulch looks great. And, there's nothing I enjoy more than digging in my yard in the spring. I find it therapeutic. I can completely tune out the daily stresses, and just focus on the simplicity of digging and planting. And I love the payback. I love that I get to watch these things grow, and watch our yard as it is constantly changing and becoming something new. I love that it is something we can all do together that doesn't involve the TV, or packing a diaper bag. And I love the satisfaction I feel when the work is done, and we can relax and enjoy the space we've created. And we have been enjoying it...every day.










Madison has been doing great. She loves the swing we hung for her on the swingset. Mostly, I think she's just thrilled to be playing on the same toy as Mason. She adores him, probably more than all of us put together. And I love that. She baits him when he walks past her...giggling and bouncing up and down, just begging him to join in her game. And when he does, she lights up like nothing I've ever seen. Mason is the only person who can make her crack up laughing by doing really nothing at all. While the rest of us make complete fools of ourselves for the tiniest smile, he just looks at her from across the room and she bursts into laughter. It's great to watch. I hope they always have that connection. I hope he always want to protect her as much as he does right now. And I hope she always lights up when she sees his face.








Aside from the yard work and outdoor fun, I got to have a night out with Mom. As part of her birthday present, I reserved our spots in a Painting with a Twist class for this Saturday night. It was a 3 hour class where we got to recreate a work of art in a very simple way, and leave with a painting that suggests we almost knew what we were doing. Everyone is encouraged to bring a bottle of wine, and have fun time with it…So, by the end of the night and the bottom of the bottles, every painting is looking like perfection. Although it was more intense then I thought it would be, we had so much fun. Here is my masterpiece.







So plans for the return trip to Philly are in full swing. it looks like we will be there for the first week of August for Madison's 1-year evaluation. I can't even believe I am talking about Maddie being a year old...SO not ready!!! The bigger she gets, the more the realization sinks in, and every day I'm understanding more and more how differently I see things now. She has changed my perspective completely, and I realize now that it was definitely in need of changing. I know that she is making me into the person I was always meant to be...all of us are better for it. Sometimes I hear others complaining about there lives, or always wanting more than what they have, and it all sounds so trivial and meaningless…I want to shake them and say “You’ve got it made! Everything you could possibly want is right in front of you, and you’re too busy looking elsewhere. Wake up and enjoy what you have while you have it!”



Not everything in life always turns out the way we plan….Doesn’t mean it can’t be amazing. Our life is amazing, and the simplest things bring the most joy. Have an amazing week!

Easter weekend

Wow, what a weekend! This was one of those that you jump into head first and don’t emerge until sometime Tuesday. It started on Friday…I took the little people with me to Hammond to visit my Grandparents. Mason loves going there, because it’s like being in the country…there are cows and horses, and bell peppers in the garden, and an old wooden swing hanging from the trees.

He loves that my Grandpa always has something for him to plant and water. He is such the BIG helper these days…any task at all, he’s up for it, and gardening is always a favorite. On this day, green onions were waiting for him when we arrived, and he was more than willing to plant each one in the ground…and he was so proud to show everyone his hard work. There are so many things I’m loving about Mason at this age…His infectious giggle, his shy smile when he’s proud of something he’s done, his ability to turn a hectic, running late-spilled coffee-can’t find my keys-type of morning and declare it an “Idea Emergency” for which a brainstorming session (Movers-style) can instantly fix. But mostly, I love how he allows me to see everything through a 3-year-old’s eyes. He finds joy in the simplest things…like the weeds in my neighbor’s yard. He picks them for me and swears they smell “delicious”…and he’s right, when he gives them to me, they do.



The single best part of my day is when he wakes up. I love that moment when I’m on the sofa having my coffee, and he comes stumbling down the hall, turns the corner, and cheerfully says “Good Morning!” in his groggy little voice. Then he wraps his little arms around my neck, crawls into my lap, all arms and legs…then somehow manages to fold up into a little ball and snuggle there with me. It’s moments like this when I wish I could bottle him up and keep him little forever.



We had a great time dyeing the eggs together Saturday morning. He was so excited, and so focused on getting each one just the right color…it was so sweet.








The fruits of our labor…






We went to church on Saturday night, because we knew the Sunday service would be packed, and we had a full day planned out.








Easter Sunday. Maddie wore a bonnet, just because Easter is a perfect excuse to.











We had an egg hunt in the back yard that morning with some neighbors and family. I live in an amazing place where people wave and talk to each other as they walk their dogs, where all of our kids go to each other’s birthday parties, and where surprising acts of kindness and generosity are normal occurrences. Our neighbor stopped by with yet another bag of beautiful clothing for Madison, Easter cupcakes, and these adorable yard signs that she made for my little people…Thank you Donna! Your kindness is overwhelming.





So after a very full day of fun for the littles, Chris and I got to go out with my parents, and my brother and his wife to see Wicked in New Orleans. We had so much fun, and enjoyed every minute of it…so, exhausted? Yes. But I wouldn’t change a thing. Weekends like these are the reasons we look forward to Fridays…they hold promises of fun, and laughter, and special times with our people…they are sometimes exhausting, but always good to the last drop.