Saturday, December 6, 2008

Full to brimming...

...with the Christmas spirit. Rachel is sooooooo excited about things this year she is practically floating! Let's get the tree.....we need ornaments........how about our wreaths?..........can we do this now?? She never stops! Ben knows he is supposed to be excited, but he is unsure why which is really cute, and Becca is just her smiley self. How wonderful to be blessed with the happiness and innocence of children at Christmas.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

On the Road for Thanksgiving

Forgive the delay in posting this, but I wanted to get it "on paper" so-to-speak. Talk about needing to write a book! It would be a sarcastic one, for sure. A tongue-in-cheek look at travelling with children during the holidays. I bet it would be a best seller and I would make millions and could retire at 45 (although how do you retire when you don't have a job?? But I digress...)
The kids got up, as usual, at 5 AM. Ugh. Breakfast, get dressed, hair, teeth, shoes....then the nitpicky stuff.........pick a snack and go get the book you would like read before bed. Find some paper and crayons for the car and get water in your thermos. You can watch tv while dad and I pack the car, but be sure that you are ready to go when we call you. Lets see....diapers and wipes, formula and bottle liners, clothes for 5...........bibs, R1's school pictures, blankets for the car.........two high chairs, butt paste and baby advil (just in case). *deep breath* Are we there, yet??
OK, everybody in....let's see. We have gas, three kids, two sizes of diapers and formula--oh, wait! The dog! Sniiiiiiiickers! Come on boy, hop in. Leash, dog food, small kennel for night time....OK, I think we are ready to go!
And away we went like a herd of turtles. Oh, crap! Go back...we forgot the pack-n-play for the baby. Argh!
And away we went like a herd of turtles.
OK, we're rolling now! Made it to Antrim (5 miles- yahoo!) *cough, cough* Man, I should have packed my own thermos. Oh, wait! The Cumberland Farms is open.....
OK, we are seriously set and on the road again. *cough, cough* What? A kernal is stuck in your throat? *cough, cough* Try some water. *cough, hack, cough* No luck? *hack, gag, hack* GAG??? Pull over! Out you go, babe....that's it.....bend over so you don't get any on your clothes..........you're OK..... that's it....here's a wipe for your face. Better? You can't feel it anymore? Great! Hop back in....How much longer? Umm, another hour and a half, sweetie.....we're still only in Antrim.
And so it went. It took two more potty breaks but other than that we were able to move along and reach our destination. A truly happy thanksgiving!

Bittersweet

I just put Rebecca down for her morning nap. As I was walking with her I was singing a lullaby and rubbing her back. She was, as usual, snuggling her head down into my shoulder under my chin. But then she did something she hasn't done in a long time- she pushed sideways and let herself slide down until she was cradled in my arms like an infant. It made my heart sing.
She is always so busy now, crawling around, bothering her brother by trying to get to his new farm set, standing and cruising..... it actually stopped me in my tracks to realize that there is still just a smigeon of baby left in her. She was so beautiful laying there next to my heart. I want to remember it in my mind's eye forever. She is my last baby and while I know that there are so many bigger and better things to come, I will miss being able to cradle her to my heart, watch her little fists as she rubbed her eyes and hear her sigh as she settles into my arms. For that second I was her world as much as she is mine. In that instant we made such a basic connection......so sweet.....so innocent. Love in its purest form.
She is my last baby. Pray God that I am around to meet my grandchildren and make that connection all over again. It just struck me in that precious moment in time what a bittersweet thing it is when you realize that your baby, your last baby, is on the verge of not being a baby anymore.