Surprises Galore!!

Oh. My. Goodness. Today may have been the longest, craziest, most stressful yet fun day I've had EVER. (And that is certainly saying something!) This evening I threw a "surprise" birthday party for Ben. I use quotation marks because I was apparently not good enough at making sure he didn't suspect anything or catch on, but nonetheless he didn't know exactly what to expect. However, making this party actually happen was an event in itself.

I had decided to have the party here in our front yard, and rather than go the "you're old/Over the Hill" route I planned a pirate-themed kid's party. So to start with, I had to come up with a way to get Ben out of the house so I could decorate and set everything up. Our friend Bob offered to take Ben out for a few hours. When I first suggested this to Ben, his reply was, "I really just want to take a nap on Saturday." Um... no? Finally he gave into the plan to go see the Avengers. Which turned out to no longer be showing as of this weekend. Ended up the guys just went to a few bars and killed time for a couple hours.

Then there was the whole no-electricity thing. We got hit with some crazy wind and thunderstorms late Friday night, and we lost all power in our house just after 11pm. It tried to pop back on twice at 5:30am, but only stayed on about 30 seconds and then cut off again. Then there was nothing. Not just for our neighborhood either - much of our area was without power. This meant the people I had ordered my catering from were not open, leaving me with no meal to provide our guests. There was no ice ANYWHERE, as people were frantically trying to save their perishables. It was just ridiculous.

But we were having this party. Ben's birthday had been pretty minimal up to that point, and despite what he'd tell you he had been fairly mopey all week long. I decided if we and many of our friends were going to be hot and without electricity, we might as well share in the misery and enjoy ourselves. So I continued getting ready for the party. I finally found an open pizza place, and although the wait time was 1 1/2 hours to get my pizzas, we had real food for people to eat. When Ben arrived, he seemed genuinely pleased to have everyone there wishing him a happy birthday. There was AMAZING cake, games, tattoos, eyepatches... overall a good time. I unfortunately was so over the whole thing by the end I will almost certainly never attempt a surprise party ever again. But we all had a great time celebrating Ben and what a great husband/dad/friend he is to all of us, and that alone was worth every second of labor put into the event.

Ava and Jocelyn arrrrrrr ready to party!!

so was Molly

our stinkin' AWESOME cake (thanks Sharon!)

to be clear, the entire treasure chest, flag, and map were edible, and the "sand" is brown sugar

awaiting the birthday boy's arrival

SURPRISE!! (well, we thought so anyway)

getting love from his girlies

Molly LOVES her birthday Daddy!

the kids were very excited to sing happy birthday

Ben played along very nicely

Jocelyn meticulously ate only the fondant and frosting off of her piece of cake

Molly and Marian needed to take a break from all the excitement

Shower Baby

Tonight Molly took her first shower. Jocie was already in the shower when Ben walked in with Molly and suggested she get in too instead of taking a bath. I was more than a little hesitant - even now Jocelyn can be very iffy with the shower. Sometimes she thinks it's great, then the water hits her the wrong way and she loses her mind. But I thought what the heck, we might as well give it a try. So I opened the shower door and helped Molly step in. She immediately went to where the water was falling, and stood in the downpour for a solid minute. Water cascading right onto her head, the child who cries when I have to wash the shampoo out of her hair was LOVING the shower. They stayed in almost 15 minutes before I finally cut them off (and was met with much whining to be sure). Yet another surprise from one of my children. I should know by now not to be surprised by their unexpected reactions to things, but I am still amazed day in and day out by my daughters. My bath baby has graduated to a shower sweetie.

Mommy's Helper

Ava really likes to help out. I mean REALLY likes to help. I often find myself getting on her case about butting in where it's none of her business, or "helping" when I haven't asked and it's not in fact helping anyone. But today I was reminded just how a big a help she really is to me. For 2 days now Molly has been suffering from yet another weird fever, which results in her demanding to be held all day. While I admit I love some extra cuddle time, it's tough to take care of my other children at the same time. By lunch Molly had fallen asleep on my chest, so I asked Ava to make peanut butter sandwiches for herself and Jocelyn. She was glowing with excitement as she took care of making lunch. Then this evening when I was reading a book to Molly before bedtime, Ava sat down next to Jocelyn on her bed and quietly read her a Three Little Pigs story that Ava drew entirely herself a few days ago. (The book itself is quite impressive - 10 full color pages depicting the story of the 3 little pigs.) I know I could have handled the day without her, but it was so much easier with her help. She may help too much from time to time, but I am trying to wrangle back the frustration of that and just be grateful that Ava not only has the ability to help me on days like this, but the love for her family and desire to help out and make our lives easier and better.

Happy Birthday to Ben

Today is my wonderful husband's birthday. Honestly, it was pretty low-key as far as birthdays go. Ava and Jocelyn painted a banner for him to see when he got home from work and made cards for him. We got him a Perry the Platypus t-shirt for his gift (after our anniversary and Father's Day, there's just not much else left to get). I made pizza for dinner and brownies for dessert, but Ben had a softball game to play in with some co-workers so there was no time for brownies tonight. Hopefully Ben knows that the small affair that was his birthday celebration does not reflect how much he is loved. I am certainly glad he was born on this day 30 years ago, as are his daughters. So happy birthday, love. May the next year be full of even more joy and blessings than the years before.

painting Daddy's birthday sign

the birthday boy

Beautiful friends

Each year, Ava's dance recital opens up with a slideshow full of pictures taken throughout the year. It's always fun to see all the sweet and goofy pictures of the many dancers, and I have fun seeing a shot or two of my own dancers in the mix. This year I didn't get to see the slideshow until cast party. Almost at the end of the show, this picture appears on the screen:

Now, I don't find myself to be a very emotional person, but the second I saw this picture I teared up. This is Ava with Riley, who is Ava's best dance friend and probably one of her best friends period. They are together a lot, and have so much fun together. But to see this picture and the pure, unadulterated joy that is shining in both of their faces... I have looked at this picture at least 10 times today, just because it brings a warmth to my heart. A picture can truly be worth a thousand words, and I am so glad that this moment was captured for me to look back on for years to come. 

Forgive, Forget, Move On

We got back to normal life pretty quickly. Unfortunately, it seems this included my children's uncanny ability to ignore every word that comes out of my mouth. After an entire day of asking my girls to do things and them not getting done, I was pretty well out of patience. I was dressing Molly after bathtime, and had asked Ava and Jocelyn to get out of the bath at least 2 or 3 times. Of course they were not listening. So I went in to the bathroom and YELLED at them to get out. This of course led to pouting and crying, but they finally did as they were told and dried off and dressed in pajamas fairly quickly.

As soon as they came downstairs, I pulled both of them aside. I explained how much I truly hate yelling at them, that it's not something I want to ever do, but when they keep ignoring me I feel it's the only way to get their attention. They both listened intently, and when I was finished speaking they apologized for not listening. We hugged, and they sat down to watch their evening TV program. It was nice that so soon after a pretty big blowup I was able to talk with them rationally and we could settle our differences. I am glad that my girls are getting old enough to make amends with, and that they get over such situations quickly without holding any grudges. Tomorrow may not be perfect, but we will be moving forward and not holding on to the past, and for that I am very grateful.

Cast Party

We finished out our crazy dance-filled weekend with today's cast party. All the company dance members' families as well as many of the teachers and staff gussy up and have a banquet dinner to celebrate another successful year of dance. After the last three days of stress, tension, and exhaustion, it was nice to relax, eat some good food, and actually get to talk to these people I've been racing by between costume changes for several days. The girls had fun dancing and playing, I had fun chatting - nice low-key end to a long and tiring weekend.

Jocelyn with two of her best dance friends, Cameron and Hayley

my kids were of course the first on the dance floor

Molly getting her groove on

the Dance Moms

Mmm, cake!!

Ava requested I take this picture

getting down with Mr. Greg

Molly "having fun with" (aka terrorizing) Mr. Bob

Casey and Jocie

my girlies

Dance Family

We finally made it - Recital Day! Ava and I arrived at the high school where the recital took place at 11am, and finally were driving home about 10:30pm. Ava and Ben did great, as always, and everything seemed to go as smoothly as could be expected.

As we were getting ready to leave, there was a bit of commotion. Three of the girls we have become very close to are moving dance studios over the summer. They are older than Ava by a few years and not in her same group, but they are close friends just the same. As we entered the dressing room to gather our things, many of the older girls were just SOBBING. I think much of that can be attributed to it being 10pm and the girls being beyond exhausted, but just the same they were all very sad to be saying good-bye to their friends. (Nevermind they're not actually MOVING anywhere - there's no reasoning with an exhausted and emotional tween.) Ava was doing fine, sitting coloring while I cleaned up a bit. Then about 15 minutes later, she suddenly runs up to me, bawling herself. I guess she was left alone with her thoughts for too long and realized how sad she would be too. As I'm hugging her, one of her friends Casey came up to hug her good-bye. She ended up making an Ava sandwich with me, hugging the both of us. A few seconds later Ava's other friend Avery came over too to join the teary hug. And I have to be honest, for as irrational as it all seemed, I found I had tears in my eyes too. These girls were just so heart-broken, it was hard not to get caught up in it.

And that's when I realized again just how blessed we've been to find not just a dance studio, but a dance FAMILY. These are families that we have shared holidays, birthdays, and many random nothing days with. We hear of our kids' successes and struggles. The guys all bond over being the fathers of daughters, and we moms embrace our Diva Dance Mom titles. These ladies helped break me in to the madness that is being a company dance mom, showing me the ropes and always being willing to lend a helping hand (and the occasional glass of wine). I didn't ever have close friends when I danced. I got along with the people in my dance classes, but we never saw each other outside of class. My parents certainly had no emotional ties to the studio or the people there. Over the last two years these people have truly become our family. And like family, the Rubys and Gilsons better believe that they can change dance studios, but they aren't getting rid of the Sewards that easy, and we will continue to see them and share in their lives for many years to come.

the Best Babysitters

WHEW! Another crazy day of running around doing dance dress rehearsals. Today, however, my blessing is by far the women who are taking care of Jocelyn and Molly this weekend while I am doing dance with Ava. Ben's cousin Bev (who is also Molly's godmother) is a full-time nanny in Richmond. So what else would she like doing on her days off than watching my kids? I was trying to remember when we first had her come help watch the girls, and I think I was pregnant with Molly. Every so often something comes up and either Ben's not here or we'd just like some extra help, and Bev always swoops in to save the day. (We do have her come visit just for fun too - it's not ALWAYS a working trip.) She adores my kids and they adore her. Ava was even disappointed she couldn't stay and play when she heard Bev was coming to hang out with her sisters. This weekend Bev's friend Bekah (who also nannies) came to play too. I leave my kids with sitters occasionally, but very rarely for multiple days in a row. I am sure they were not always on their best behavior, but never for a second did I worry about them being more than these young ladies could handle. They will be my knights in shining armor this weekend, and there is no way I could go through this weekend and stay sane without them. So thank you Bev and Bekah for loving my girls and being willing to spend your days off caring for them, loving them, and making my life much more stress-free.

Let the Dancing Begin

Today was the start of our yearly dance marathon - it's recital time! We had rehearsal today, will have another rehearsal tomorrow, then two recital performances Saturday, followed by cast party Sunday. I am sitting at my computer nursing a glass of wine which is going to make me pass out at any minute. (Exhaustion and alcohol don't mix... who'd of thunk?) It was great seeing Ava having so much fun today. She had no idea what a long afternoon/evening it was. (We arrived at rehearsal shortly after 2, left just after 9.) She was watching her friends dance, playing with her classmates in the dressing room and auditorium, dancing on stage during breaks. She finds such joy in dancing and in her dancing family, and it brings me joy watching her have so much fun. Now if I can just mainline some caffeine the next few days, and we'll be doing just fine...

Will put some videos up of Ava's routines at some point, but I am just too tired to wait for my camera to upload all those pictures tonight. Another time... stay tuned!

Little Momma

Molly has become quite the little nurturer over the last month or two. She almost always has a baby doll in her arms, or at the very least a stuffed animal or some sort she is taking care of. This morning we hosted a playgroup, and one of our guests was a 4-month-old little girl. Molly was VERY excited to have someone here smaller than her, and spend almost the entire time playing with baby Gracie. There were a few times I had to remind Molly to be gentle with the baby - she is clearly used to being manhandled by her older sisters - but despite having her feet yanked on and no less than 8 toys crammed in her seat at any given time, Gracie was highly entertained by Molly. She even got fussy when Molly eventually moved on to play with someone else.

Whether inspired by her baby friend or not, Molly then spent the rest of the day toting around a stuffed Cookie Monster and a baby doll bottle. She fed Cookie his milk approximately 56 times throughout the day, and made sure to burp him nearly every time. It is too funny seeing my baby pretend to take care of other babies. I love that she is already a very nurturing soul. I hope that while she may outgrow the baby dolls, that her desire to care for others is a quality she keeps for many years to come.

I love the look Gracie is giving Molly in this picture

having SO much fun taking care of Baby :)

Brave but Weird

I've said this many times, and I believe it with my whole heart - my kids are weird. Seriously, sometimes they do things that are very atypical of most children. Today was Molly's 18-month well-child exam with the pediatrician. She did well as always, smiling and doing what the doctor asked of her. Then I was told Molly was up for 1 vaccine today. Honestly, vaccines don't stress me out anymore; I guess after 3 kids I've gotten used to the whole process. So the nurse comes in and I lie Molly down. I'm resting my hands on her upper body but not applying pressure so she doesn't panic from being held down. The nurse administers the shot, and I see Molly tense up and look at me with a frowny face. She sits up to see the nurse has put a Garfield band-aid on her leg. I say, "Ooh, look, a sticker!" Molly looks back at her leg, then starts examining the band-aid more closely. She was more upset when I had to cover her "sticker" up with her pants than when she got the shot! I've never seen a child handle shots so well. It's very odd, but I love my odd children and appreciate when their weirdness makes my life easier.

Oh, and when Ava heard Molly was getting a shot, she asked if she had to get one too. I said no, only Molly needed a shot today. Ava replies, "Aw man! I wanted to get a shot too, so I could be brave again." WHAT?!? What child says such a thing? Weird, I tell you. Just plain head-scratching weird.

Snuggle Buddy

I don't relate to Jocelyn in many ways. She is big both in body and personality; I tend to be on the small side on both fronts. She tackles anything head on; I prefer to err on the side of caution. She is loud and expressive, while I embrace my internal monologue and an borderline introverted. I often chuckle in amazement that this child is my daughter, with 50% of her genes coming from me.

Another difference between the two of us is that I am not a very physically affectionate person, while Jocelyn is very touchy-feely. This afternoon, I was exhausted and for once so was she, so I made her come take a nap with me. In my queen-sized bed, Jocelyn literally crawled into the curve of my body as I lay on my side, forcing me to spoon her. After a few minutes I needed to roll over, and after doing so Jocelyn adjusted herself so her back was not just touching me but LEANING on me. For being someone with a pretty big personal space bubble, I have to say it was nice napping with Jocie. She somehow manages to bring out my inner snuggler, a fact which never ceases to surprise me, and makes me smile every time.

Happy Father's Day

Today is Father's Day, so it seems only fitting that a bit of my post be about the father of my children. Today was not a perfect or even smooth day by any stretch. We tried starting off the day right, bringing Ben his gifts along with breakfast in bed. This quickly went awry when I had to remind Jocelyn to let Daddy open his own presents, then chase after Molly who had thought sticking her hands down her poopy diaper would be a fun way to start the day. But once again Ben showed just how great a dad and husband he is by taking it all in stride with a smile. From antsy kids in Mass to massive meltdowns before bedtime, it was by no means a "special" day, but it was a day in which the kids loved on their Daddy and made sure he knew just how special he is to them. We are all pretty darn lucky to have Ben in our lives, and I hope he was able to feel at least a little special and honored today.

the girls "loving" on Daddy :)

I do have to add another fun moment for the day. This afternoon Ben took Ava and Jocelyn to the pool in our neighborhood, but after the last two days I thought it would be better to give Molly a little break and keep her home. So we played a little, and then had dinner just the two of us. I didn't realize until today just how much we have both missed our one-on-one time when the girls were in school. It was really nice eating with Molly, doing "cheers" about 58 times and just laughing with each other. It has given me renewed resolve to make special time for each of my kids as the summer progresses. Those times together really are very special.

Saying "cheers," one of Molly's new favorite mealtime games

Not a bad looking dinner date :)

Water Babies

Today we went to one of the local water parks. As we walked out the door at 10:35, it felt just barely above 70 degrees outside. I looked at Ben and said, "This is a completely stupid idea." I am happy to say I was 100% wrong. It was a BLAST. The water was a little chilly, but the kids didn't complain. We were there a solid 3 hours, going down slides, wading in the baby pool, and swimming (with assistance) in the bigger pool. We took a snack break and lunch break, and re-sunscreened several times. Molly was about to pass out in my arms by the end - I think the zoo and the water park were a lot for her to handle - but Jocelyn and Ava left pouting. I seriously think we could have stayed all day long and those two would have been perfectly content. It was fun watching them enjoy the water, each in her own way. I am very much looking forward to many more water adventures as the summer unfolds.

At first Molly didn't want to get in the pool... but she had no issues dumping water on her head

Jocie and Daddy in the "big kid pool"

going down the wading pool slide

Ava's turn

Energizer Bunnies

My children amaze me. Every day they astound me in a different way. Today I am stunned at their never-ending energy levels. These kids are NEVER at a loss of spunk and spring in their step. We went to the zoo this morning. We spent 4 hours walking from exhibit to exhibit, yelling at animals, making funny animal noises, and having meltdowns. Molly managed to sleep for 30 minutes or so in the stroller (she missed the pandas and elephants), but other than that the only down time was on the car ride home. (And I'm not sure it could be called down time when Jocelyn spent 95% of the trip terrorizing her sisters.) We had 25 minutes to stretch our legs and get a snack before heading back out for Ava's last dance classes of the year. After we got home and had dinner, Ava and Jocelyn said they wanted to play their Wii dance game. Seriously?!? How these children had any energy left to even stand, much less dance, is beyond me. But they had a blast, and as you can see below Molly joined in the dance party as well. I honestly have no idea how they never run out of energy. I guess it's just my job to keep up as best I can.

Odd Man Out

Today was pretty rough. I'm feeling like we're hitting a beginning-of-summer hump, when the kids are tired of being home listening to me all the time. Today was "boring" because all we did was run errands and go to swimming lessons. The girls were not HORRIBLE, but they weren't good either. They have just pretty much gotten to ignoring me entirely, which is a pretty crappy conclusion for any parent to come to. When Ben arrived home this evening, I was in a self-appointed time out in our room while the girls hung out in the living room. It seems Ben is still in the girls' good graces, because they were all joking and playing around all evening. By bathtime Jocelyn and Ava were ganging up on their Daddy, calling him a "stinky boy" and other such nonsense. I've got to be honest, it was fun watching the girls rag on their daddy as he tried his best to put on a brave face. I'm not sure he was enjoying being reminded he is but one man in a sea of Seward estrogen, but it was nice for me to see my kids smiling and having fun. Who knows, maybe tomorrow I'll even get a smile or two of my own.

Kisses

Molly decided that a 45-minute nap was sufficient this afternoon. I disagreed. Strongly. Molly had fallen asleep in the car on the way home from playgroup, and apparently did not transfer as well to her crib as I had thought. For no sooner had I fed Ava and Jocelyn and sent them to their corners of the house for quiet time, than I hear happy yet very AWAKE babble from my youngest daughter. I was really tired this afternoon, and had been banking on getting at least 20 or 30 minutes to lie down and recharge. When it became obvious Molly was not going to fall back asleep, I set up the baby gate, put some blueberries and Goldfish crackers in a bowl, and brought her downstairs. I thought if she could just entertain herself for a short while, I could lie on the couch and at least semi-recharge. Long story short, it didn't work. However, Molly created a new game: she would eat one blueberry or cracker, then run over to me lying on the couch and give me a big kiss. Molly has never been a big kissing kid, so even one kiss from her is a treat. She must have known giving me kisses would keep her on my good side, because while I was sorely missing my own quiet time, it was pretty special getting so many kisses and grins from my precious daughter.

Drama Queen

I have decided Ava would make the perfect reality show contestant. The child has NO internal voice - she says what she thinks at all times. Today was full of little instances that support this. First, I was walking by the bathroom earlier, where Ava was getting ready and talking and singing to herself the entire time. Five whole minutes (at least) of utter nonsense, just whatever popped into her head at the moment. This evening she had a major meltdown and was sent to her room. As I neared her door to go and talk to her, I hear her talking to herself through her tears. Monologues on how unfair her life is, how mean other people (especially her parents) are, etc. But the best part was probably when we were cleaning up puzzles this afternoon. I was counting in my head the number of pieces I was holding. Ava looked at me in astonishment and said, "Mommy, how are you counting without saying the numbers??" :) She is my polar opposite. I embrace the silence that forever eludes me as a mom; she can't fathom how you would count without saying the numbers aloud. All I have to say is TV execs better watch out. I hope Ava's never one of the crazy-extreme people on an attention-begging reality show, but she will master the confessional segments like none other!

Brush-a, Brush-a

It seems Molly is once again teething. All in all, teething for Molly hasn't been too awful: she'd have a slight fever and feel puny for a day or two, have one really rough night, then have a tooth break through and be done. These canines, however, have given her a run for her money. She's had at least two or three of these teething bouts in the last few months, but nothing is coming through. This morning she was her normal self, then she woke up from her nap with the same random fever and puniness. As we were getting ready for bedtime, I took her into the bathroom to give her some Claritin and Tylenol. She saw her toothbrush, and asked for it. Instead of brushing for a minute or two like normal, Molly just GNAWED on that poor toothbrush for almost 30 minutes. I finally pried it out of her hands as she was going into her crib. Poor child might have an achy mouth, but at least her teeth are extra gleaming tonight.

Brushing those pearly whites

See Momma? So PRETTY!!

Technology Galore

My dad came into town last night after the girls went to bed. This meant from the time they woke up this morning until the time they passed out tonight my daughters have been crazy excited - as in literally bouncing off the walls. By the time the girls were in bed, all the adults were very ready to unwind. Enter the gadgets: we turned college baseball on the TV, Ben started streaming random videos on the laptop, and my dad and I both were playing Solitaire - him on his Blackberry and me on my tablet. We were all sitting in the same room in complete silence and in our own little worlds - and after the chaos of the day I would not have wished for it any other way.

Date Night

Tonight Ben and I celebrated our anniversary (a few days early - our actual anniversary is Monday). We did something we rarely do: got babysitters to watch the kids and went out on a date, just the two of us. We ate at an Irish pub in Shirlington, then went and watched the movie "What to Expect When You're Expecting." The movie was perfect - hilarious, especially since we could relate to SO many parts. As I sat watching it, I got to thinking about how blessed Ben and I are to be sharing this great adventure of marriage and parenthood together. Monday we will be married 7 years, and in that time we've moved 4 times, had 3 children, and experienced numerous ups and downs. I can't imagine my life without Ben. We balance each other and keep each other sane (most of the time). I don't know that I can say I love him more now than I did on our wedding day, because I've always loved him with my all. But my love has certainly become deeper and more complex. I'm very glad we had the chance tonight to spend some rare one-on-one time enjoying each other, and can't wait for many more date nights in the years to come.

Daddy's home!

Ben has been in Virginia Beach the last two weeks for a Navy Reserve course. He came home last weekend, but other than that it's been just us girlies. As much fun as we've had, when we came home from dance tonight to find Daddy's car in the driveway, the girls went NUTS. There was much squealing and hugging to be had. Ben is very loved and was very missed. It's good to be a family of five once again.

I don't why I can't get the picture to rotate, but it was too good a picture to not share. Smiles all around!!

Stepping Up

I woke up this morning with a weird crick in my back, near my left shoulderblade. It ached but was only minorly bothersome. For some reason, however, the pain went from dull and little to sharp and intense just as I was giving the girls a bath. I managed to get them out of the bath and dressed for bed, but then I had to go lie down, I was in such pain. All three girls seemed to sense I wasn't kidding around, and behaved wonderfully. Ava cleaned her room for 20 minutes without complaint. (I think she was playing some too, but it was all pleasant so I'm certainly not complaining.) Each girl tried to come snuggle with me at some point, which while uncomfortable was very appreciated. It was nice to know that if I am in bad shape, my kids don't immediately prey on my weakness, but rise to the occassion and make me a very proud Momma. Now to just sleep the right way tonight so they don't have to take care of themselves tomorrow!

Little Piggies

None of my kids have been graced with lots of hair as babies. Ava was almost completely bald until the age of 2; Jocie's hair grew in only a LITTLE faster. Molly's hair, however, is way longer than her sisters' at the same age. Funny thing is, it's also much thinner than Ava's and Jocelyn's. On days like today when Molly's hair is looking especially straggly, I've found I can put her hair into teeny pigtails. They are absolutely ridiculous but completely adorable. There's no looking at that little head with her silly piggies in and not immediately feeling your mood improve.

not really easy to see the piggies, but pretty cute nonetheless :)

Many Minis

Today there were many small moments that made my heart smile. Rather than just choosing one, I thought I'd just share them all!

* This morning I put Jocelyn's hair in a ponytail with a flower pony holder. Ava saw her sister and insisted I do her hair the exact same way. I cringe every time my kids look too matchy on accident, and just hate when they do it on purpose. But I saved my individuality speech for another day and appreciate that my girls love each other enough to WANT to look alike.

* Molly helped me unload the dishwasher this morning. It took about 5 times longer and I had to redo most of what she did, but she was so proud to be helping me. I know better than to take for granted a child who actually wants to help with chores.

my little helper (and for the record I have no idea why she was wearing a bib)

* We spent about an hour and a half at Ikea this morning. They have a play area the older 2 girls get to play in for 30 to 60 minutes - this time it was a full hour - and afterward we went to the restaurant, where on Tuesdays kids eat for free. So for $4.19 we all ate and the kids got some good play time in - not too shabby!

makes me smile every time I see it :)

Bookworm

I love to read. I am pleased (heck, ecstatic) to say that I have passed along this love to my daughters. My kids have a ridiculous amount of books. Molly takes a board book with her to naptime each afternoon. I read at least one book to the girls every night at bedtime. During the school year, Ava would go to the library once a week and bring home one book. A few days ago, I decided that this summer Mondays would be library days. We are lucky to have a library about a mile and a half from our house, so it makes sense to make this a normal stop on our weekly schedule. Today was extra special because Ava got her very own library card. She was SO excited and proud. And I have to say I was pretty proud too - proud that my daughter considers a library card such a big deal. She checked out her books, and carried them and her card to the car with great care. I hope she always loves books this much. That would certainly be a success as far as this Momma's concerned.

Second Chances

Being a mom can often be frustrating. You spend millions of breaths telling your kids how to behave and why, yet they still decide to do whatever they please. Today I was reminded that all those breaths really aren't a waste, and children do truly live in phases.

Molly has been AWFUL at church the last 2 Sundays. Either Ben or I have had to take her to the back so as not to ruin Mass for everyone else. This morning wasn't even sure I wanted to try. But Ben and I opted to give it a go. I loaded up my purse with all kinds of goodies, and braced myself for the worst. By some miracle, she was a completely different child this morning. With a little help from some books, sippy cup, and goldfish crackers, Molly barely made a peep. Ben and I both were able to not just attend Mass but actually get something out of it - what a concept!

Later this evening at dinnertime, I called the girls to the table to have tortellini with mini chicken sausages. Ava and Molly ate without complaint. I knew from the start Jocelyn would be my challenge. In the past few months she has become a much pickier eater. One of the foods she really doesn't like is hot dogs, which to her were what the sausage looked like. I had given her only two pieces, and required she eat one before leaving the table. After a bit of protest, she actually ate both pieces. I was shocked! I hadn't expected her to even give in to one piece, much less two.

Just when I think I have things figured out or start to give up hope, my kids go and surprise me. I was glad Molly and Jocie stepped up to the plate and exceeded expectations today. I only hope I can remember these moments the next time I feel ignored or ridiculously repetitive.

Renaissance Man

This morning, I was folding a load of the girls laundry. Ben came up, looked at the pile rather bewilderedly and said, "I don't even know which clothes belong to which child anymore!" Then he spotted a leotard, folded it, and put it on top of a pile. "At least I know who THAT belongs to!" He smiled triumphantly. I looked at it, tried my hardest not to laugh, and replied, "Then why did you put Ava's leotard on top of Molly's dress pile?"

This interaction had me thinking all day, though: Ben is a pretty extraordinary husband. He may not be able to sort the kids' clothes correctly, but at least he folds them. And after a week of doing heaven-knows-what in his Navy reserve course he's taking, he came home and this morning did his own load of laundry. Didn't even ASK me to do it. He watched the younger two this morning while Ava and I ran an errand. Ben doesn't cook dinner as much as he used to, but only because he gets home later with this new job - he's always been more than willing to help with meals, as he did this evening. Every now and then Ben will hint (or outright say) that he feels under-appreciated. I tend to rag on him with the reply, "If you were any different I wouldn't have married you." And in a sense it's true: I married him because he's not a bum who goes to work and then comes home to sit on his butt while I do all the chores. He may load the dishwasher wrong or put the kids' clothes in the wrong drawer, but I appreciate all that he does, and if nothing else give him an A+ for effort.

Summer Schedule

Today seemed like our first "slow" summer day. In other words, we only had activities in the afternoon, so the morning was spent at home. I tried to get some cleaning done, and after a little while the girls got the picture and stopped hanging all over me. Ava and Jocelyn had a tea party, played school, and colored. Molly was not invited to the tea party but tagged along for coloring. At 10:20 I fed them a snack (pretzels and raisins) and let them watch one 15-minute show as a sort of break. Then there was a dance party and playtime with Barbies squeezed in before lunch. Best of all, the girls did EXCELLENT at cleaning up after each activity, a concept they have never grasped. There was very little arguing or whining. I can't expect it to go this smoothly all summer, but we sure have things off to a great start.