Happy Birthday to Husband!

This past weekend, it was someone special's birthday!!  (And it's not Maggie). Yesterday, I told Gabriel is was Daddy's birthday.  He went on a long happy jibber-jab about it, asking all sorts of questions.  "Where's the party?  Where's the presents?  Gonna have a party...  and a cake... and put candles on it.... and blow up the cake!!"  Oh gosh, I love toddler jabber.  It's so cute and you know they are saying it all silly and nonsensicle but you don't ever want to correct them.  A little part of you wants them to stay like that forever.  Like, it's ok if you say "bow up the cake" with that adorable high-pitched toddler boy voice, omitting the L in "blow" forever as long as you stay under three feet tall too

We had big plans this weekend, of going camping and using the tent and supplies Jordan got for his birthday last year but was never able to use.  We'd have brought along our plastic wine glasses and a white table cloth and a cake and celebrate in the shade of a campsite surrounded by mosquitoes--but it would have been fantastic.  The weather had other plans for us.  Starting Friday evening, it rained (torrentially) for the entire weekend.  And it was only 12 degrees.  Blah.

So we had a restful weekend, sleeping lots and recovering from all the busy-ness of the past week.  Besides, if our children have it their way, they'll be celebrating for the next week or more--taking the balloons in the bath with them, clinging to them at the breakfast table, eating cake everyday after supper until it's gone.  And it looks like we might just be celebrating again next weekend anyway!

So happy birthday to my best friend, my fovever love, a brilliant man, loving husband, energetic dad.  We love you!

 

 Oh, he's a trooper, putting up with me.  Ha!

A Little Graduation for our Big Boy.

Just like that, a year has flown by!

I remember last summer calling the nursery school day after day after day checking their waitlist to see if there was any way to get Gabriel into the nursery school there.  I was in a panic!  With a (somewhat) newborn who needed a lot of attention and a two and half year old who needed even more, how were we possibly going to survive the year?!  Putting Gabriel in nursery school turned out to be one of the best decisions. 

Not only did it give him a break from home life and me a break from being pulled in so many directions, but he made some fantastic friends, developed a much more extensive vocabulary and learned some of those basic skills he will need to get through school--like sitting still for more than 30 seconds and working with others.  He has come a long way from the child who ran around in circles the first couple of days to this new mature "big boy" who is able to articulate his needs and problem solve and write his own name!  

And this is also thanks to some incredible teachers with many years of experience being mothers themselves as well as teachers.  Thank you for making school such a positive experience!

Our little gymnists!

When I heard that some of the mamas in our group had signed up for gymnastics this winter, I thought, "YES!!!!!!!"  I was running toward the computer to sign him up.  It was exactly what he needs.  He has 100% LOVED it since the first day--running around, skill-building, discipline. 

I was amazed to see him focus on flowing through movements with a clear beginning and end--arms up in the air straight, ending with a pose.  I love how it challenged him to be focused and pay attention to the details of his body moving in space.  'Cause we all know that that body sure does move through space at rapid speed!  There were so many skills I saw him accomplish that I never even would have thought of to do with him.  Which is why is it so great to have professionals working with our kids.

Meanwhile, on the side-lines, my little fire-cracker of a girl was the entertain for us mamas!  We had every intention of chatting on the bleachers, sipping our coffees while our little ones had fun.  I should have put HER in gymnastics.  She was doing laps of the bleachers, watching them like a balance beam, deeking in and out of change rooms leaving a trail of cheerios and cookies behind her.  I laugh because I've always thought of Gabriel as our wild child.  But sure enough, this girl is busy, busy, busy and in clear competition with her big brother to keeping her parents in top shape chasing after her.

So, it looks like gymnastics will be in our future!  For at least one of our children, if not both!  (And for many of our friends).  So proud of our little guy and all his friends for all the new skills they learned this spring!