sometimes the tagalong has fun

R. still spends the majority of his time following the big kids around. 

•  It's time for field hockey practice
• lets go pick up A. from school, 
• A. has another swim meet... In Deleware
•  3 friends all have a birthday party on the same day and, they are across the bridge, during nap time...

  For the most part, he is a champ and follows along well.  He naps in the car and can transition to bed (most of the time).  He smiles at strangers and those that are closest to him all the same.  And, sometimes, things for the big kids actually turn out to be fun for him too....

R. 9 months and a new crawler.  Tunnels are sooooo fun

#teamcollins

B has a new job.  He has a new job as an addition to his old job.  It's more like a change in responsibility that would be an awesome honor if everyone that works for him is competent.  Instead, he has been building his own team.  It will eventually be amazing but for now, it means that he has been leaving our house at 6:00 am and returning at 9:00-10:00 pm.  So, the rest of us have been missing him a lot.  It also means that we have each had to pick up some slack.  

Today, we were on the way home from a book festival followed up by a birthday party.  K. And R. We're sleeping in the back seat and A. heard me trying to figure out how on earth that I would get food for an appetizer and a gift that I'm supposed to be taking to a party tonight let alone food to feed our family.  That amazing 7 year old got home, put on an apron, got out her kids cookbook and started making quesadillas.  7 minutes in and the cheese and grater are sitting on the counter b/c her little princess hands started to hurt from grating the cheese.  It's the thought that counts right:)

for the love of.... Toots

Apparently, K. also has a way with the ladies.  This is from his preK. Field trip to Adkins Arboretum.  Two seconds after I snapped this picture, I heard, "I tooted."  Then the three little girls giggled.  Oh five year old boys.... You are disgusting

the middle kid

K. was apparently meant to be a middle child.  He has just the right amount of plucking A.'s nerves to keep her humble.  

He also has the perfect amount of patience and nurturing to be a role model for R.  I still can't get over him.  My heart is so full watching these two boys together.  

Poor R. Just has to go along with his big brother.  

Whenever we are on the way to go pick up R. From daycare, K. Will yell, "I'm coming for you little dude."  And, I swear that R. spends a good part of his life rolling around looking for K.  I pray that they will always be this close!

On the road again

On the road again... We got back from vacation on Mon.  I worked Tuesday.  R. Was sick on Wed.  Thursday, we got the call that was expected yet still sad.  My beloved grandfather, James H. Brewster, passed away at age 89.  So, Saturday, we loaded up and headed out to Oklahoma.

Do you think these kids were tired?

Though we were there for a sad yet relieving situation, I feel like we made the best of it.  

Families got to be together and live out 3 days in total honor and memory of Grandaddy.  

However, the nursing home may not have liked our kids running all over, and ... Bingo was cancelled for the service...

Rest in peace, Grandaddy.  Until I see you again...

A. For president

When R. Was born, I cancelled our cleaning ladies for awhile.  I was home and could take care of the house.  A. literally thought that everyone in America had cleaning ladies and didn't know that most people had to run a vacuum and clean a toilet. So, it was good for all of us.  Well, when I went back to work in Jan., we hired them back.  Thankfully, we have the luxury of having help so that when I am home with the kids, I'm only spending part of my time cleaning up after them and doing the laundry, and cooking etc.  However, A. did not kike the way they were making her bed.  She wanted them fired.  On one hand, excuse me little entitled girl?  On the other hand, she has a point, they are providing us a service so we should be happy with that service.  So, we settled on writing them a note.  She left this note on her bed.  

Well, great plan except that they speak little to no English.  They certainly can not understand 2nd grade spelling of English.  So, back to the drawing board.  

But, expect this sign in about 40 years...

Take a timeout

Being a mom of three, I take life pretty seriously these days.  I feel like A. Is in a stage where she not only asks a million questions, but she requires vigilance to help her well, not be a jerk to anyone and everyone.  K. Is in lax which takes up a lot of time, and R. Is still waking at night and is very unpredictable during the day.  So, I've been doing more correcting, driving, and nursing than really enjoying my kids.  Well, in MD, it rained pretty continuously for 3 weeks.  That means that the pool that our neighbors are putting in is not only incomplete, but is pretty much a giant mud pit.  That's right, a giant mud pit was calling our name...

I psyched myself up, declaring myself fun mom for at least an hour.  We all put on old clothes and old socks and headed out.

I watched and laughed as the kids went sliding down the hill, rolled arounds, and even as they threw mud at me.  I thought R. Was hysterical trying to march in the mud.

It was all fun and games until we started to smell like rotting, decaying trees and we had to get cleaned up.

Then, K. screamed like I was murdering him as I sprayed him with the hose, A. Made the ridiculous decision to fill up a bath rather than shower the remainder of the mud off, and R. Put his grubby hands all over the floors and walls before I could get his slimy, wiggly body into the shower.  Good bye fun mom...

3rd kid

How do you know that you are the 3rd kid?  Your mom doesn't pack any baby food for the entire vacation but figures you can survive on avocados and bananas.  Then, when we have to go to resturaunts to eat during vacation, she finds anything and everything to entertain you while everyone else eats their delicious dinner.  Well, sometimes that entertainment doesn't work and you end up eating a coaster until the waitress has to tell your sorry parents to prevent you from choking.

All right... 6 months old is time to start some green beans, right?

Find the fun

Day 2 of vacation was perfection, that's why I wrote about it first.  But, day 1, though still great, was not quite as good.  When researching the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, I saw that Saturday was the Turtle Rescue Day.  Perfect, time on the beach, more time with CMA, community service for A.  What could be better?

Well, A. Has been so into planning these days that she can't focus on the right now.  "Mom, after we are done with this, can we go in the water?"  "Mom, do we have to walk far to get there?"  "Mom, what's for lunch?"  AAAHHHH.... B. And I counted 14 questions in 3 minutes where we simply answered, "I don't know, let's just wait and see?"  K. Calls her, "A. A., the girl who wonders."  I now just simply say, "threshold" meaning that I have reached my question threshold for the next 10 minutes.  Man, those are 10 painful minutes for my girl.  

So, let me set the scene... R. Did not like sleeping in his pac n play so he slept with us all night.  He was awake earlier than normal, we tried to have him nap at the condo but he decided against it.  We tried to have him nap in the car but he decided against it.  We were already starting with a cranky baby.  B. Is not a fan of the beach at all so we had a cranky baby and a cranky daddy.  We didn't know exactly where to park so though I packed lunch and towels etc., we didn't want to lug it all the way down the beach to find the service project so we left it in the car.  We walk the 4-5 blocks to find the service project area where my questioning daughter, and cranky family members just wanted to get in the water.  Why didn't we do that first?  I don't know except that there was a time limit on the activities.   We get to the service area and I know that the kids would have loved it except they were so focused on the water and R. was totally focused on eating.  

Instead of learning and feeling great on the beach, we were all snippy and did not have good hearts ready to serve.  

So, switch gears... I took R. and K. down to the water.  While the other two stayed to finish some service and check out the booths.  

That lasted about 7 minutes before R. was too hungry to be content anywhere.  I left to find a shady area to feed him and hope he went to sleep.  When I came back about 20 minutes later, the tide and shifted; no more grumpy kids.  Instead, they were wrapped in baby blankets and my moby wrap freezing since their towels and clothes were all in the car.  They were done with the beach and ready for the next activity.  

But, at least not grumpy or planned, just ready to find some relaxing fun.  

Free food from the awareness day... Perfect fun

Ice cream on the pier while searching for manatees... There weren't any, but it was fun!

An amazing beach playground. Sweet, sweet vacation fun.

Best day of my life

Anyone that knows my daughter, knows that she loves dolphins.  Despite her lack of attention or follow through on... Anything else, Dolphins are the exception.  So, B. And I have been planning a trip to Clearwater Marine Aquarium, the home of her 2 favorite dolphins, with the kids for a few months.  This time, all of my expectations were met.  This time, A.'s awe and wonder were visible just like I imagined.  This time, K.'s love of all animals allowed him to focus like no other 5 year old.  This time, R's laid back demeanor allowed him to nap and wake up on a beach then boat, then plane without too much fussiness.  

CMA totally gets your heart strings.  They play the music from the movie all around Hope and Winter's pools.  Yes, I totally teared up!!!

OK, so maybe more than tears.  I had some silent crying.  

  K., R. And I got to hang out while B. And A. Had a behind the scenes tour.  Hang out meant that I sat in a corner to feed Rhys while K. started at the GIANT sea turtles and drew pictures in the fossil display.  It was almost 2 hours and he was totally enthralled.  I think other people have seen the entire aquarium in 2 hours.... Not the Collins Family... Yes, I teared up that he was so conten and that R. was so cuddly.

Next stop was the dolphin watch.  Unlike the whale watch that B. And I went on in 2010, this one was NOT disappointing.  1.5 hours and about 10 dolphins later, A. And K. we're still into it.  R. Was finally peacefully at rest.  I was cuddling with R. Watching the big kids with their daddy and feeling the perfect weather.  Yes, I teared up again.  

Then, we went downstairs to the observation deck.  A. Had her hand on the glass and Winter swam by.  In's A.'s mind, Winter looked right at her.  In A's mind, R said "wi her" clearly meaning that he knew the dolphins name.  Then, A. teared up.  

Best.Day.Ever

Texas football?

We aren't living in VA anymore.  Nor, are we raising our kids in the 1980's.  So, I should have known that lacrosse in MD in 2016 is an entirely different ballgame.  I know that I wrote about our first week of lacrosse before, but, I have been so surprised, that I feel like I should revisit the topic of my first year as a lacrosse mom.  

1) K. has improved DRAMATICALLY since the first practice.  He now knows how to cradle and somewhat knows each position.

That means that he learned to shadow on defense.  It means that he and one guy from the other team are stuck together like glue.  It means that the other kid may or may not throw dirt in his face and I have to stand on the sidelines and pretend that I don't want to go wallop that kid in the face.  It means that K. May or may not poke a kid repeatedly with his stick and I have to pretend that I don't want to go wallop my own kid with said stick and tell him to behave.  

It also means that when he is on offense, I have have to watch him stand with his stick up as the bigger boys throw and catch the ball over his head.  It means that I have to be ok when they aren't nice and toss the ball to him.  It means I have to realize that he will learn eventually and that being one of the youngest on the team will give him more years to learn.

2) The team has gelled a lot more and the parents are at least cordial.  I still may be dealing with a bloody nose on the sidelines by myself, but, they do at least acknowledge our presence.  

3) The coaches, these guys are amazing.  Much to my initial chagrin, they are good role models and they are teaching discipline on the side lines.  They allowed fun, encouraged sportsmanship, and kept my boy's interest peaked the entire season. 

So, we apparently have a little laxer.  And I, apparently have a lot to learn to be a sports mom.  

Missing the point

Sometimes, I think that I'm helping to take my kiddo to the next level.  I expect her to come to some amazing understanding of herself and those around her.  I expect her to have automatic compassion and really feel for others.  Then, I have to remember that she is only 7 and though she may be picking up small tidbits of life lessons here or there, she still has a ways to go.  One of these times was when we went to go see Bethany Hamilton.  A., whom loves all things ocean, found interest in Bethany Hamilton after watching her movie Soul Surfer.  She has watched the move no less than 15 times.  Bethany's true character demonstrating compassion, determination, truthfulness, and loyalty all come across in the movie.  So, when I saw that she was coming to Deleware, I bought us tickets for the brunch.  I had these visions that A. And I would listen to her story and be able to talk about how A. And Bethany are alike.  I thought she could learn from her about confidence and body image.  I, clearly, thought A. was at least 15 years old.

What it really turned out to be was A. Having brunch, wanting a book, then wanting to hear about the shark attack, then wanting to hear about Bethany meeting Winter and Hope at Clearwater Marine Aquarium, then having to go to the bathroom, then feeling hungry again, then wanting more juice.   When Bethany began to talk about all the things that I envisioned, A. Zoned out.  It was too much.  It was over her head.  I started to get frustrated.  I pulled her squirmy self onto my lap and practically willed her to understand.  Then, she turned and kissed my cheek and I realized that she is still a little girl.  I realized that she still has so far to go.  I realized that she has time for the big topics and big conversations.  I realized that she may not even remember a single thing about the event but she will hopefully remember that I took her there.  I realized that these little bits of conversation may eventually build up into her head and make sense but for now, knowing that I'm her biggest ally and that I want her dreams to come true is enough.  So today, I helped to make a dream come true!

A.,  You are my dream come true!  I hope that I can help make yours come true as well!

Love, Mommy