...how lately my kids are not just siblings but more like friends.
Whether it's rocking out during a jam session,
lending a helping hand of encouragement,
or preparing a delicious meal together,
an undeniable bond exists that is getting stronger every day.
...how I'm kinda liking the new dinner table arrangement with Mike and I at the two heads and the kids sitting in chairs (O in a booster tray thing attached to the chair) on one side. No more highchair! That's good, right? And if Collin had it his way, Livi would be sharing not only the table but also his room and bed with him. After all, "I have two pillows," he said. He loves her so much, and she equally adores him. It's a mom's dream. Can I freeze them at this age so it lasts???
...how my first baby, Sampson, is just not himself since being diagnosed with diabetes. Am I administering the insulin correctly? Is it enough? Is he getting enough to eat and drink? Is he going to make it a few more years? Oh, my sweet, handsome boy, please get well soon.
...how Collin really knows how to turn on the ol' charm with his constant flow of kisses and "I love you so much"s and telling me I'm the best mommy and his favorite relative. Talk about a sweet boy!
...how I'm looking forward to being done with my two grad classes to renew my teaching license as well as having the basement renovated into a fresh, usable space for our family, but I can't get my brain excited enough to really jump in and do the work. Damn you, Procrastination.
...how I can't wait to meet my very first niece or nephew in March and spoil her/him with kisses, squeezes, and smiling tears of love. Collin is convinced the baby is a girl named Kasherena. His heart is set on it. So far he is 2 for 2 on guessing baby gender (Oliv and Blake's sister); hopefully he won't be too disappointed when Matt and Kat reveal her name, and it's not Kasherena.
...how my grandpa (a.k.a. Great Grandpa Wow to C&O) will be turning 90 in less than three months, and I'll be heading up north for the big par-tay. With his genes plus Nana's, my parents and I should be all set in the longevity department. Betty White just turned 90 this past week, btw, and she rocks.
...how this year's Cherry Blossom Festival might just include three of my best girlfriends from high school who are willing to travel from CO, NH, and FL to VA so that we can be teenagers again. :)
...how awesome it was to find more hardcover Sesame Street Book Club books circa 1981 at McKay Used Books for only $.50 a pop to add to my, I mean Collin and Olivia's, collection. Thank you, Mom, for saving everything. Really. Reading to the kids is special in itself, but reading books that were read to me from my childhood? Well, that just adds a whole other dimension of special to the experience.
...how Collin will be starting actual preschool in the fall (and he'll have two years of that on top of the two he's already had at Ladybugs), and while I'm supposed to be freaking out and visiting schools every chance I get and waiting in line or on lists, I'm just not. Is that bad? I mean, it's preschool, not college. As long as he gets to play with other kids, follow directions, and use his imagination while learning a few new things in the process, I'm happy. Broad Run has a preschool program that pairs up high school students with the little guys to do all of the above for a fraction of what it costs to send Collin to one of the church schools or that school that starts with an M that shall remain nameless as far as I'm concerned.
...how my baby girl is growing up too fast. She is now walking, albeit hesitantly, and talking up a storm. She has words, sounds, or signs for at least 35 words/concepts already (yup, I made a chart like I did for Collin and counted). I can ask her to do something like put the track back in the basket or pat her head or wink, and she'll do it. Her hair is long, soft, and beautiful and makes her look like a 2-year-old, if not older. She weighs about 23 pounds, but I still insist on putting her in the Bjorn so that we can attend Mommy and Me because I can't imagine her being too big or old to go. The other day, I finally boxed up the 12-month clothes that she hasn't been able to wear since before she turned 12 months old as well as some 18-month items that are already too small (she'll be 15 months in just about two weeks). For the first time EVER, I packed up all the baby blankets, receiving blankets, burp cloths, etc. I thought I was doing okay until I found a baby keychain and a newborn sock under the dresser. I can pretend all I want by bringing my "baby" to bootcamp in a front carrier, but that tiny, little sock...well, needless to say, I got a little emotional. I bypassed this stage of mourning the bygone baby with Collin because we knew Olivia was coming and left everything as it was. I'm pretty much over it, but I just can't stop thinking about...
...how Livi was conceived when Collin was exactly her age now and what if...
But I'm not moved enough by this thought to actually follow through.
