Kite Festival

Saturday was the first day of Washington's famous Cherry Blossom Festival. Our favorite part is always the Smithsonian Kite Festival on the National Mall.

Let Spring Break Begin...

Atley spent his week at school in a wheelchair and loving all of the attention he was getting. The kids all made him cards, one little boy brought him some LEGO men and another brought him flowers. Thanks kids for encouraging him to be even more reckless. I guess we can't blame them entirely, he was spoiled by us all weekend beginning Friday after school when we took him to Baltimore to the Aquarium, where his dad carried him most of the evening.

Warm Weather + Atley = Catastrophe

Actually, you could substitute just about anything in place of "warm weather" in the above equation and get the same outcome. The weekend was gorgeous and the boys spent most of their time outside. It was wonderful until Atley decided to climb a tree to talk to our neighbor over the fence. The branch he was standing on broke and when the bough breaks the Atley will fall. He landed on his left foot and let out a blood curdling scream. Honestly, my first thought was, "Oh, thank goodness he didn't land on his head again." I also remember Nash saying, "Oh crap mom, Atley broke his leg."

Anyway, I waited until Monday morning to take him to the doctor. Of course he couldn't put any weight on the foot so I had to carry him and try to keep track of Nash all while balancing the most enormous belly since the Octomom. At one point Nash wiggled away from my firmly grasped hand and bolted for the parking lot after which the 5 year old on my back exclaimed, "You better watch him better mom or he's gonna be at the doctor next because he got hit by a car." Thanks Atley!! First stop, pediatrician. He examined Atley and concluded that in his opinion two bones were broken in the foot but he would have to see a radiologist. He concluded by asking, "Any questions?" Nash replied by saying, "Can you please get the baby out of my momma now?" The doctor just laughed and started to leave when Nash stopped him by saying, "Hey, you forgot to give my brother a shot. He needs a hundred. He has been really bad."
Next stop, across town to the radiologist. Apparently, me carrying Atley and Atley getting so much attention was about all Nash could handle because he was horrible. He refused to get out of the car, so I was forced to carry both of them in a torrential rain storm while Nash screamed and kicked like a man possessed. We were quite a spectacle as we burst into the radiologist's office soaking wet and crying. Nash finally calmed down and asked for a drink. I gave him some water that he spilled. Then he had a tantrum and declared to the full waiting room that he wanted "hot coffee." The receptionist looked at me cross and said, "You have these twins and now your pregnant again. Lord bless you." I didn't have the courage to confess that the boys weren't twins. I was too embarrassed to comment at all. The nurse finally called Atley's name at which time Nash immediately began demanding that Atley get a hundred shots. The radiologist began asking Atley questions like what do you want to be when you grow up. Atley replied with, "I'm going to be the president." Radiologist: "Wow, are you going to give your brother a job." Atley: "Yeah, I'm gonna make him Secretary of State so that I can send him away to Japan." After X-rays another drive across town to visit the Orthopaedic Pediatrician. Conclusion, the injury was not castable but he must wear a brace and stay off of it for at least a week. They wouldn't prescribe crutches in fear that he would just fall off of those and injure himself worse. They suggested I send him to school in a stroller. They obviously don't know Atley very well. He fusses about everything he wears in an effort to impress his classmates. There is no way I am getting him to school in a baby stroller.

So, he is home today and I carry him most places or he crawls with his left foot draped over his right heel and every once in awhile Nash will try to jump on his back for a ride and chaos will ensue. Someday when they are raised with little families of their own, I may look back on this day and laugh. I am just afraid that a more likely scenario will be that they will be in the State Penitentiary and I will look back on this day and cry.
Last night when they were both finally asleep and I laid down to relax and to watch Dancing with the Stars, I had an anxiety attack when I remembered that in a month I would have another. If Nash's behavior was any indication of how he will react when he is not getting all the attention I am in serious trouble. Everyone says things like, "Oh, she will be so sweet and calm." But, she can't possibly be, and if she is, she will never survive a childhood in the same house as Atley and Nash.
The one shining moment in my long day was when Atley made the statement, "Wow, it sure is a good thing that Heavenly Father protects me or I would be dead already." Yeah, Atley it sure is a good thing!!

Swimmin'

Basketball is over so now we are on to the next activity, swimming lessons. And here are the two kids that refused to swim in our pool last summer. Now, they apparently think that they are fish. Nash keeps asking when we are going to open our pool because he is ready to go "swimmin." Me, I'm just terrified for summer because I think Nash actually believes he can swim. The funnest part is listening to their hippie swim instructor. I swear he traveled some sort of time warp from Woodstock. he told me the other day, "Wow, man that's a groovy maternity outfit." Hilarious!

Thanks Jill!

I have to show off baby Harley's first gift. My friend Jill created this awesome car seat cover that I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! She is super talented and I want to be just like her when I grow up. (Actually, she's younger than me, but I still aspire.) Jill can make you one too! She says the cost is around $60 depending on the type of material you choose. Thanks again Jill!

Wishing my life away!

Do you ever find yourself wishing your life away? I find that I am always wishing for something different than the realities of the present. I catch myself saying, I wish it were summer. I wish it were the weekend. I wish the car were paid off. I wish the boys were more independent. I wish this baby was here! And the wishes go on and on.
On Monday I took the boys to the park. This was the first time in almost six months of winter that we were able to enjoy this activity. As I watched them play and more importantly as I struggled to keep up with them in my condition, I began to think about something Scott told me a few days previous. I am sure I must have been complaining about something and wishing that this pregnancy was over. He never says much so I try to listen when he actually does. Scott said, "This is it, Melisa. You will never be pregnant again! This is the last 8 weeks that you will ever have to do this. You should try to enjoy it!" At the time I thought to myself, "Obviously, you have never been pregnant!"
But, several days later, while at the park, I realized he was right. I doubt I will ever feel any nostalgia about pregnancy. However, I will feel nostalgic about the time when Atley and Nash were 3 and 5, when Nash was my baby and Atley still needed me. When baby Harley was as close to my heart as she could possibly be and all my grandparent's and my parents were alive and doing well. Someday I will miss the days when I had to deal with grated cheese food fights and tiny fingerprints all over the walls and windows. I will miss hearing the word "Mommy!" two or three hundred times a day and all the chaos and noise that seem to be ever present in our home.
Life is about to change and while I am excited and I welcome those changes with outstretched arms, I am going to try to enjoy this time with just my boys. I am going to try to enjoy the little baby safely tucked inside my tummy where she is protected from those same little boys and the rest of the world too. I am going to stop wishing my life away and enjoy the realities of the present.

A Break from the "B's"

It seems like our life over the last couple of months has been consumed by the letter "B"-Basketball, Babies, and Birthdays. Every weekend brings another birthday invite from one of Atley's classmates. Scott plays basketball twice a week and Atley plays on Saturday. And with March Madness just around the corner basketball will remain a big part of our life over the next month. I have been busy with doctor's appointments, baby bump brunches, baby showers, baby stuff shopping and just generally complaining about my aches and pains and sexy figure . Did I mention that there are 17 women in my life expecting babies and two of them are having twins? That's a lot of babies and a lot of parties. Despite the birthday, baby, and basketball schedule we did manage to enjoy the 50 Degree weather we had this weekend. It is so exciting to see the snow slowly starting to melt and the daffodils beginning to peek up through the frozen ground. We made our way to OLD TOWN Alexandria, so that the boys could spend their good behavior money at their favorite toy store. (Hey, don't look so surprised they behave well occasionally!) Then we had SMORE's at one of our favorite restaurants. The boys played with their new treasures in the "empty for winter" fountain at the town square and then we headed to Gravelly Point to chase seagulls, search for sea shells, and watch the planes take off and land at Reagan National. It was so incredible to be outside again after such a long and hard winter. By the way, don't forget to vote for your favorite baby name on my sidebar!

Yum! Yum!

My new favorite! Just add juice or milk in the blender. I buy in bulk at Costco but I have also seen them at Wal-Mart!