Good as Gold

This is such a sweet video that our good friend Bryan Kenitzer (wwww.bayareavideographer.com) made of Andrew. Bryan is really talented and we wish that he could just follow the boys around and record these fleeting moments of their childhood all the time.

I haven't posted too much about Sweet Anwoo, apart from how he gets mauled by his brother, because it's almost unbelievable how easy this little guy is. And, really, I know no one, least of all anyone with children, wants to read about that so I'll make this brief. The truth is, he has got to be one of the happiest babies out there. He smiles and coos and kicks his feet and chews his fingers and mostly loves to get any attention at all from his brothers-- even when it involves being sat upon and results in copious amounts of goober all over his head and face from their enthusiastic kissing. The boys love to get him laughing which they can do by yelling "Roar!!!" which Anwoo thinks is comic genius. This little guy is just good as gold and I love him with all my heart.

Thoughts on Mother’s Day

So, I am up late writing out my Mother’s Day letters to my kids. With three I thought I needed to start early. Last year I didn’t finish (ok, didn’t start) Oliver’s until the middle of June. I was completely wiped out from the flood and early pregnancy so I had some excuse. Anyway, as I was writing tonight I had two thoughts that I wanted to post here.

1) Ryan is out of town this weekend. Some people I have told are shocked, “Out of town on Mother’s Day?!? What are you going to do??” But the truth is I am actually enjoying his being out of town this weekend. I know he is having a fun time (SCUBA diving in Honduras with a buddy from Raleigh) and that makes me happy. And I can do my own thing this weekend, which may be an adventure, or may be nothing.  I can set my own schedule. After the kids go to bed I can stay up late and work on projects and read and putter (I am a world class putter-er) and just relax.

So for Mother’s Day this year I am going to be engaged in Mothering—and that’s exactly how I’d like to spend it. I am really enjoying my kids right now. I know I used to feel this way a lot, but I haven’t felt so happy in being a mother lately (like since before Andrew was born). But I think it’s due to a combination of their getting a little bit easier and my getting better at not sweating the little things (like the giant dust bunnies under the furniture or dirty greasy fingerprints everywhere).

2) As I’ve struggled in my role as a mother, I gain new respect  for my mom. She did a lot for us growing up plus she had a full-time job. She kept so many balls in the air, it’s true, but the really amazing part to me is that I don’t remember her ever being cross or acting stressed out. I’m sure that she was often cross and stressed out, she just didn’t act that way around us. I don’t remember her yelling or blowing her top. I think I’m doing a better job in recent weeks of not losing my temper but I’m still not where I’d like to be.

I remember once, when I was about 3 or 4 and had just learned to write my name, I carved my name with a penny into the side of our car door. I remember that my parents were quite upset but I know they didn’t freak out or spank me or put me in time out for the rest of my childhood. I feel sometimes that I am so tightly wound, with absolutely no sense of humor or perspective, that someone would literally die if one of my kids were to pull something like that. But instead my parents got appropriately mad (I can’t remember what they did but it didn’t involve screaming or physical violence), I learned a good lesson, and I wasn’t permanently scarred by the experience. You see, I wasn’t trying to be naughty. I honestly thought they would be proud of me. I was thrilled that I could write my name and was so surprised that they didn’t think it was as just wonderful to see my name etched permanently into their automobile. I feel like Elliot does stuff like that a lot. He is just exploring his world, trying out his new skills and spilling /breaking things/tracking mud all through the house in the process. It is a real lesson in self-restraint. I need to have more patience. I know I have little patience when I’m tired so I’m going to sign off.

Easter pictures

  

We went to an Easter egg hunt at one of Ryan’s co-worker’s house. It was an “eggstravaganza” with well over 400 eggs hidden for only 12 kids. The winner ended up with 81 candy-filled eggs. Holy cow, that’s a lot of candy! The kids, Elliot especially, were thrilled with their get. But sadly, it was a short lived candy binge. You may have heard of the Grinch who stole Christmas, but chances are you haven’t heard of the Grump who threw away all his kids’ Easter candy. He lives here at our house. I pleaded with him not to do it but I suspect he recognized my true motive (to eat most of the candy myself) and insisted that we throw it away. It was more painful for me than for the boys who didn’t seem to notice that their stash disappeared.

 

They also had a sponge relay race. I love the intensity on Oliver’s face waiting for the start signal. He was definitely giving it his all. He was really upset that his team were not crowned “World Champions, West Coast Division.” The bigger kids took that honor.

 

A little bird has made her nest on our Easter wreath. Isn’t it beautiful with the sweet alyssum flowers? On Sunday there were 3 little blue eggs inside.