Humbling

In the spirit of recording the good, the bad, and the ugly....shooooeeeey tonight.

We went to Saturday night church so that tomorrow Pat could sleep in for Fathers day and we could have a relaxing day. Church went fine, with reports that Fin loves Sunday School and Cole snaked his way up on stage during kids worship time and was dancing with the band. Typical.
Since we met up with Nicole, Rob and Sarah, we seized the opportunity to have dinner with them afterwards. Although Pat and I both had those little voices in our heads saying, "It's nearing bedtime...you don't usually eat out at places that don't serve FAST food", we pushed through it. Poor choice.
While I loved being able to hang out with my sisters, it was chaos city. The boys were on rare form. Finley ate at a snails pace and we basically had to force feed him so we didn't hear a 1/2 hour later that he was starving. Cole was climbing everywhere and he wiggles out of the seat belt of the highchair so that can't even contain him. He was under the table, elbow deep in Sarah's cup, running into the kitchen...I've probably blocked out the rest.
Humbling night because Pat and I felt like stellar parents of course, AND it was in front of my family, AND it never really turned itself around. We had a family meeting afterwards where we talked about behavior and expectations (Cole totally got it I'm sure), said prayers to ask for forgiveness, and it was early bedtimes for both.
Thank goodness His mercies are new every morning. Because I could use some new mercies, and probably a fuzzy navel too if we're being honest.

My Happy List

My sister Nicole sometimes makes a happy list and I was inspired by her in my honeymoon of summertime. Here are some things that make me happy:

1) The Farmers Market

The boys and I have been going weekly to the Raleigh Farmers Market to stock up on fresh fruit, veggies, flowers and bread. I looooooove it. The boys and I gorge ourselves on free samples of peaches and blueberries while we peruse and point out every sparrow that's mooching off of the crumbs on the ground. This week I met up with Sarah and Kier and we all split a lemonade cookie. Please note Cole chillin in his stroller.

1 

Blue eyed baby boy

Every week Fin wears his superman cape to the Farmers Market so now all the farmers ooo and ahhh over him. He truly believes he can run supernaturally fast when wearing it. Old ladies and strollers, step aside.

Cole flirting with birdies

Fin getting a little boost into his tree climbing venture.

2) My boys always make me happy. Duh.

3) Sweet baby Noah

He's seriously the sweetest. And boyfriend's leaving me for two weeks to go to the beach. I expect him to bring me back saltwater taffy for putting me through all that heart ache. At least absence makes the heart grow fonder.

4) My re-done fireplace. It's not super clear in the picture but our fireplace had dark green granite which went with nothing and looked very...eighties to me. I've always hated it. Sarah kindly surrpised me by buying the supplies to transform it from this...

To this....

I LOOOVE that it's all white now. It freshens up the room and no longer clashes with anything.

I also love the summery print I got off of Etsy for the mantle. So cheerful.

These are just some of my happy things but I like to pause now and then and be grateful for the littles.

Living the Dream

Before I start this post I'd like to say that my iphone camera lens has fractured. And I'm SO so sad about it. It still takes a picture but it is so fuzzy and I have to run it through a filter and lighten it up to get it to be somewhat decent. And this is my only source of digital camera to record things so I'm doubly sad. Have I mentioned I'm sad? Moving on...

Fin spent the night at Aunt Sarahs last night and basically went to Disney World for the night. They took Nanny flowers as a surprise, Ate at her house, then drove out to get icecream with Aunt nicole. Can you get a cooler Aunt than that?

Pat and I wanted to use the oppourtinity to love on Cole since he rarely (ever?) gets one on one attention from both of us at the same time. He's not deprived or anything, but we wanted to make him feel special. After the gym, Pat met Cole and I at a mexican restaurant. There was much sugar packet shuffling, honking of noses, and dipping entire hands in sour cream.

Can you tell he ate up the attention? (Blurry picture get out of my life).

After dinner we went to the dollar tree and let Cole pick out a new ball. I also needed a need bathroom trashcan. BEST.2.dollars.ever.spent. Enter Cole putting a ball in a trashcan for the rest of the night and the entire next morning. It never got old.

After we put Cole down, we Facetimed with Fin. When he popped up on the screen I laughed out loud. Sarah had dressed him wrapped in a scarf and he was drinking juice out of a wine glass. SO so funny. He looked like he was hosting Masterpiece theater. He was giddy excited to tell us about his night. Also, his face is even cuter on Facetime.

Cole with his ball, trashcan and marbles. A boys best friend. He kept popping into Fin's room saying, "Minley??" which I thought was so sweet. The boys were happy to be reunited and I got my Fin boy back.

It was a blessed time for both my boys and OMG is it quiet with just one around the house. Not good quiet though. I'm used to having a running dialogue of everything we are or will be doing. The silence was deafening.

freeze frame

"Quick mom, Coleys cuddling in my lap and I'm rubbing his head. Take a picture before he moves!"

Radio

It was going to be just us for the evening. As Pat and Fin scootered away towards the neighborhood pool (literally, they were on scooters with backpacks on), I had big plans to make brownies to surprise them for when they got home. Cole could help me dump the package in and he could lick the WHOLE spatula, not just one side. I was looking forward to our sweet time together.
But the second Cole saw his beloved brother and dad disappear it was melt down city. Since I try to be a lady and not curse :o) we'll just say that the coley bear hit the fan. The fact that he traded his normal 3 hour nap for a 10 minute one today was oh so evident.
So I wrestled him into PJ's amidst his protests, draped his favorite blankey over my shoulder and sat down in his rocker to cuddle him. Since he stopped nursing, Cole rarely is just still on my shoulder. But tonight he sank into me, quietly sobbing, totally beyond himself. I started humming his favorite songs and quietly the sobs stopped and were replaced with a quiet, "No". Cole has always preferred that I be his radio and will let me sing a song for only a few seconds before he decidedly says, "No" and I have to move onto a new song. It's pretty challenging to think of that many songs on a moments notice, let me tell you.
He allowed me to sing Twinkle, Twinkle as long as I desired. Slowly his breathing became more rhythmic. His little hand clutched my earring in my left ear as I pushed the rocker back and forth with my Converse sneaker on the footstool. As his quiet snores started, I stopped singing and started praying over him.
That God would use Cole's strong will for Him. That He would guide me in how to parent him best. Thanking Him for that needed quiet moment. Asking for patience in this season of toddler hood.
Because in a blink, this baby/toddlerness will be gone. I can tell already as I rub his little back how much he is growing. How long his little body is getting as he's draped on me.
When I began to start falling asleep, I carried him over and laid him down softly. So it still was a sweet night with Cole, just different then what I had envisioned. And now that I'm painfully aware of how big he is getting...I really need a brownie.

Funny Finisms

Latest words of hilarity from my three year old...

1) On the way to Fin's first swim lesson this week he wanted to call Pat at work. He didn't answer so Fin left a message saying, "Hey dad, it's your buddy Fin. I just wanted to let you know I"m on my way to swim lessons and I"m SO excited".   
 It's your buddy Fin...are you kidding me with that cuteness???

2) Today I made french toast for Fin, Cole and Annie for lunch. As fast as I could make it, they were inhaling it. Literally I went through a whole loaf of bread, it was ridic. I told the kids, "I can't believe how much ya'll are eating, I've never seen you eat this much!". Fin immediately exclaimed, "I know mom, this is a nightmare!".
I.Just.Died.

3) Tonight Fin was sitting up on the table while Pat and I were eating dinner. He knows he's not allowed to sit up there so Pat told him to get down. Fin slid off ever so slowly and then asked Pat soberly, "Can I just put one butt cheek on the table?".
He will be a lawyer. And I will never have to pay another traffic ticket again. Woot!

Weekly Update

Our days are flying by. I haven't blogged about them as much, although I have taken pictures because usually by the time the boys are in bed and I flop down on the couch I debate, "Upload pictures to my blog or race to Happy Holly's before it closes in ten minutes?". Judging by the lack of blog posts, I'll let you decided the winner of that debate. Lot's of summer things ahappenin' round these parts though.

My little (big) three year old started swim lessons! He was so nervous about it but has really loved them except that the kid has negative body fat and freezes his little butt off the whole time getting in and out of the pool. He's literally purple at the end of his lessons. Of course Annie is in his class and while they always sit side by side, Fin still wiggles out of any hand holding she initiates. This is business, not pleasure Annie.

As a treat today after lessons we went to our favorite lunch spot with Pat...Namoli's. It is the BEST pizza place and it's run by Pat's friend Jack. We love Jack and we get there right when it opens at 11 so the boys have free roam of the restaurant without bothering anyone/Cole rifling through anyone's purses looking for sippy cups.

Cole's favorite picture on the wall that he always stares adoringly at...Micky Mouse.

My fav thing about this place is they have a whole bookcase of things for kids. Puzzles, coloring books, etc. Fin loves their superhero coloring books.

Cole loves runnign back and forth on the benches. *sigh* you pick your battles people.

We finally made it out to the Farmers Market last week and stocked up on tons of fruits and veggies. L.O.V.E that place. Last night Fin and Cole helped me chop up tons of veggies to roast for dinner. Well, Fin cut them up. Cole took veggies in and out of the bowl exclaiming, "YAY" everytime.

Grandmas don't fret. That is a real knife but just a butter knife. And he's very careful with it. And that's why you have 9 extra fingers, right?

You take one look at this kids face and tell me what kind of personality he has. I love him to pieces.

In conclusion: We are busy, we are happy, we are beat at the end of each day, and we luuuuurve summer.