Monday, September 27, 2010

Dear Coach K,

Its fun - and a little strange - to think about the person Sam will grow up to be. Will he be tall? Will he be artsy like me or good with numbers like Phil? Will he like school? Will he be a swimmer or a basketball player - or both? or neither? Who knows. And actually who cares? It doesn't matter what he wants to do as long as he is happy - and of course polite, courteous, and respectful and all those other things a mother hopes she instills in her son.

But I will make some predictions. Although he is a fish in the pool, I wanted to make sure he was balanced by bringing out a toy that was given to him by someone who knows a little bit about the game (and about raising boys!). I have to say he is a natural. He was palming the ball. Dunking. Dribbling (well, straight up drooling actually). Boxing Daisy out. Dropping a tre (well it was a deuce, but who's counting).

We'll wait on the sports verdict for now, but I sure hope he plays basketball. Just because swimming practices are WAY too early for me to get up to. 530am and I don't get along.


best. birthday. ever.

My first 29th birthday was Saturday. From what I hear, it is the first of many? If they are all as great as this one, I'll be very lucky!

We spent the morning at my sisters after spending the night there the night before. I went out for a few drinks for the first time in a REALLY long time. I honestly don't remember the last time I was in a bar - drinking.

The afternoon we picnicked in the park with 3 of my favorite people and 4 very silly boys (2 grown, 2 still in diapers - guess who is who!)

That night, Phil and I went out to celebrate BOTH of our birthdays to Charleston. I was always a skeptic of that place. Could it really be that fabulous? Was is really worth all that money? YES and YES. Seriously, I'll save all of our date money for the year if we can go there once a year as our only date. I could probably write a post in detail about the fabulousness of each of my 5 courses (yeah we pigged out) but I'll save you from the torture and jealousy.

Sunday the celebrating continued with yummy made from scratch lasagna my sister made as my family gathered around the old farmhouse dining room table that fulfilled its destiny to be moved to my sisters house. Food. Wine. Friends. Family. Memories. It was a great weekend.

The absolute best part of my birthday weekend wasn't the seared tuna and duck fat potatoes (I'm usually against eating the duck fat dishes for ethical reasons, but wow was it worth it), it was being around my favorite boys. I couldn't love them more!

Picnic - Sams favorite teether. He's so green.

hanging with the aunties


Holding on tight to the swing and loving every second. So relaxing.




Sam found the party bucket and had a blast tipping it over. . . 

. . . And getting in it, too.


Saturday, September 18, 2010

Scuba Sam

First day of swim lessons. I dont know who had more fun, Phil or Sam. Probably Phil. As you can see in these pic, there couldn't be a prouder Daddy. I think Phils been waiting his entire adult life to answer the question "What did you do today" with "I went for a swim with my son!"  I love my boys :)


A few more from his lesson:






Swimming today was the end of a very snot filled week. Sam had a fever this past weekend that lasted for a few days. I think it was from his 6 month shots, no big deal, but then he came down with a cold so the days were filled with snot and coughing. I felt bad for him, especially now that I think I have his cold. Ugh. So it goes!

But even with a fever, and cold etc, he slept through the night every night this week! Now if I could only get my own butt to bed earlier I could stop being sleep deprived. Easier said than done.

I don't know why I stay up so late most nights. Most of the time that is when I'm working, editing, emailing, working on the business. But lately I also have been caught in up reading blogs. I think it's really an awesome time we live in where you can connect with someone over a computer screen. Where words, which have always been powerful, can make the person reading them feel as though they were written just for them. There are so many inspiring people out there, and it's even easier with blogs, facebook, twitter, etc, to be inspired by them.

I always saw this blog as more of a journal for me. I don't know who reads it, and it really doesn't matter. I vent, I share, I talk about my life and  my crazy world. It might not be crazy or interesting to anyone else, but it's mine and I love it.

I do wish I had more time to blog. It's a good thing that I've been busy, really. Filling my weekends with photo sessions and my weekdays with Sam is perfect. I do think I'm going to need more "me" time. More bubble baths, more gym time, ooooooh and maybe a pedicure???? Yeah right. I think back at how my mom did it with 3 girls and now I understand why she never did any of those things. There wasn't ever any "her" time. I wish I would have paid more attention to that. Maybe I could have been a little quieter at the end of the day, pulled less hair, threw less things at my sisters, stuck less fingers in my sisters sugar-free pudding (that was a rough night!). But I'd do it all the same if it meant I would still have the connection I do with my mom and sisters. It took me a while to get there with mom. I wasn't the easiest teenager (or college student) to have as a daughter.  It took me a while, too, with my sisters. I am the youngest who only ever wanted to be just like them, but I'd be damned if I let them know that. So in some ways, I hope I'm not like my mother - I definitely don't want to give up "me" time altogether. But knowing that she put us first every second and that we were in her mind with every decision she made . . . being a bit like her wouldn't be a bad thing at all.


A few from our week:

Too bad he wasn't cute with a fever.




I decided I want to be in a shot every now and then...

Getting that snotty nose under control - with the help of snoop doggy dog. (thats what I call his blankie)

and a little love from the real doggie dog too...


and then we crashed....