• Sunday evening the boys went out on a fishing trip. Caught this depressing-looking fellow. Steve took him (or one of his unfortunately hungry friends) to Miss Kim down at the 7-11. Steve makes friends everywhere he goes. And not just because he's passing out free ugly fish. Steve absolutely LOVES taking Sam fishing with him. And Sam loves it just as much, if not more than Steve does. Steve makes a big deal about packing special snacks and drinks (even going so far as to buying organic fruit punch juice boxes- I won't lie, I snorted when I saw them sitting in the fridge) and Sam eats up the one-on-one attention he gets when they go out for the day.

• On Monday we went to a little pool party at a friend's house. Sam and Molly are notoriously scared of water and getting wet and it's completely because they haven't been exposed to water outside of baths and showers. But once they got in and warmed up, they did NOT want to get out. Perfect pool intro! I wish the pool clubs here did not require me to sign over my firstborn to be an indentured slave in order to afford it. I told Steve recently that all I ever did in the summer when I was little was swim. Swim at the neighbors, swim at the Y, swim at the country club. Always swimming. And more often than not, being able to swim has been more of a special occasion for Sam and Molly than the norm. Sad, but true. Of course, they have gotten to do plenty of things that I never got to do growing up (travel the world, vacation in Hawaii, act like the NYC skyline is just "meh", so please don't go feeling TOO sorry for them. They will survive.)

• Worth mentioning (again, if you follow on instagram)- Sam changed out a roll of toilet paper all on his own, without being asked. He has also been extra appreciative of everything lately, even going so far as to thanking me at the end of the day for all of his meals. "Thank you for making me breakfast and lunch and dinner and letting me have that popsicle after dinner. I really appreciate that." Melt my heart and make me feel like a million bucks! While there are plenty of days that I stare at the calendar and count how many days are left until school starts, there are just as many that I shudder at the thought of him being gone from me all day long. And I can't write anymore about that or I will cry.

• Gorgeous rainbow the other evening. I wonder if there is a pot of gold in the living room of that penthouse. I guess it wouldn't surprise me much.

• Another day, another park. Every park here seems to have sprinklers of some sort. They run all day and waste a terrific amount of water. Molly and Sam have absolutely zero interest in these features of course. Sam will occasionally skirt the edge of the spray and proudly show me how wet he got (three faint drops). I applaud his bravery and he gets back to it. A grandmother with a foreign accent and two fair skinned children (she said they were redheads but I just did not see anything other than dirty blond..) came up to me and said, "Oh it looks like a redhead competition!" (?)  asked me where we were from, trying to figure out where we immigrated from obviously. I told her I hailed from Alabama. That almost seemed to offend her and her European heritage. She asked where my husband was from. I told her Philadelphia. She looked a little disturbed (like, how can Americans pull off red hair??? We are Irish! That's OUR thing! UGH) and I explained that his mother's side of the family is Irish and she looked relieved. It is so funny the things that come out of people's mouths. A lady in Target approached me yesterday and told me I had my hands full (ironically, my hands were empty at the time) and said she didn't know how I did it. She stared at me, awaiting some sort of response as to "how to do it" and so I said, "well, you just... you just do it! No other choice really." She then went on to explain that you couldn't take a stroller on the trains back in her day (the horror!) and it wasn't until she started driving that things got easier (a-MEN!) and then asked why I would live here with children. Ha! I told her we just moved here, won't be here forever, etc. She seemed relieved to hear that. I feel like a few people on my facebook would have taken that encounter as a chance to whine about how anti-children people nowadays are, that lady needs to mind her own damn business, remind us all what a #martyr they are for having multiple children, etc. I need to get off of facebook. Because it won't be long before I comment on one of these pearl-clutching posts about how they need 1. a sense of humor and 2. to ignore comments from people that don't even know them. I like hearing what these older women have to say. Nine times out of ten they compliment my children on their behavior (if only they heard the threat I just hissed under my breath) and one woman even said, "I bet they keep you going nonstop- no wonder you're so slim!" Grab your Ensure, Barbara, because I'm taking you home with me! I can use this sort of positive reinforcement about my children and my appearance on a regular basis.

• Molly breastfeeding her baby while eating her lunch. And talking, of course. She never stops talking.

• Her baby then required a nap. When I went in to put Will down for his nap, I found her like this. SUCH a little mama!

• Will is now 7 months old. I find this completely shocking, despite never being more than 5 feet away from this child for the past 7 months. He is just so SWEET and happy and I can't get enough of him. I really thought I'd be crawling the walls trying to escape for a date night or something by now, but whatever happy hormones breastfeeding produces seems to be doing the trick. I'm hesitant to type anywhere that he is sleeping through the night because he still isn't doing it consistently. But since the introduction of Oragel two nights ago, he has slept from about 7p-430a and this morning slept until 5a. I'm not banking on this being his new "thing" because that usually just ends in disappointment. But it sure is nice for now. He still hasn't cracked 20lbs yet. Hovering at 19 and 1/4. He is right on track for height and weight and head circumference. Wears mostly 12mo clothes. Chews on everything. Thinks Sam and Molly are HILARIOUS. Happily accompanies us on any adventure, no matter how much sweat we end up sharing in the Ergo. I'm happy-sad about him growing; so happy that he's healthy and growing and hitting every milestone like he's supposed to; sad that it's all going by so fast. And it just really shines a light on how fast Sam and Molly have grown. Their babyhoods were such a blur to me and it's really making me pause and notice every little thing with Will. I'm trying to savor him like he's my last. Who knows if he is or not (that typically depends on sleep and wine consumption and God) but either way, I still want to savor him.

• Casey invited us to her aunt's pool the other day and boy oh BOY did we have fun.

photo credit: Casey

• Took some convincing to get Molly in the water. She would rather hang out with the puppy or have snacks.

photo credit: Casey

• Clinging to me like their lives depend on it.

photo credit: Casey

• Sam realized he could float with this puddle jumper on and once he realized that, he took off on his own.

photo credit: Casey

Here, try mine- just a hint of chlorine

• Will and "Wowee" (as Molly calls Riley) got to hang out. Riley cooed and Will stared at her and smiled. I love watching them together.

• It is my hope and dream that one day they will marry each other and then Casey and I will be related and have every excuse to get together all the time, no matter what.

• Finally Molly got on board with the swimming idea and once she got comfortable, there was no stopping her. She has the strongest legs!! Without even using her arms, she was kicking and pulling Sam around the pool.

• We really want to live here.

• Poor Casey got suckered into pulling these two around while Riley napped and Will ate.

• Super happy to be in the shade and close to the water.

• After spending the day with Casey, the kids had really high (unrealistically high) expectations for the following day. Sadly, all I had planned was laundry and a trip to Target where I did pop for some Goldfish crackers, so overall, I feel like it was a success, but I was told in no uncertain terms that Goldfish do not compare to swimming. We'll try again another day.

Just gonna work this post backwards and see if I can't remember things a bit easier that way.

• We went to a hipster donut shop early Saturday morning (Doughnut Plant) after a friend recommended it. Passed this gem on the way there.

I'll be baaaaaaack!!!!

Getting a closer look at the selection

A donut cheers that Molly wanted no part of.

The Brooklyn Blackout. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

• We figured we'd hit up a playground at a nearby park but since it was so early, we thought, what the hell, let's take our chances in Manhattan.

The ever-popular windshield photo while driving over a bridge.

• We ended up finding street parking RIGHT NEXT to Rockefeller Center. It was a divine miracle for sure. Steve got out to go pay the meter. I gave him a quarter and said we could knock this out in 15 minutes if we hustle. We won't need more than a quarter! Well uh, turns out, there is a $4 minimum for that sort of prime parking in the city so we got that squared away and off we went! Half a block of walking and we were at Van Gogh's Ear!

An accidental walking pic that I really like. Makes it look like we move faster than we really do.

• And a lovely family photo of everyone in front of Rockefeller Center

• And seven years prior... 

So young, thin, and well-rested.

• Sam and Molly had a check-up with their new pediatrician this past Thursday and, as most visits with three children go, it was incredibly painful. Forget the tv in the lobby, which is also stocked full of books and toys and puzzles. How about a screen in the tiny waiting room where there is one wooden chair and a scale that has "Do not TOUCH" scribbled across it in sharpie? Because that is where my children truly act like feral monkeys. I had the presence of mind to bring the Ergo in with me so I could wear Will. He dozed on and off and really was only in the way when I was squatted down on the floor trying to get a urine sample from Molly while also trying to watch Sam so he didn't knock his sample off the sink. Finger pricks, lots of blood, screaming, tears, two shots for Molly, and a caution from the doctor that she needs to start drinking milk, despite not having a calcium deficiency and also ingesting plenty of other forms of dairy. But WHATEVER, let me put these popsicle molds to use. At least the ones we can still find. Apparently they were confiscated and used as toys at some point.

• A little milk blended with a little banana and a little Greek yogurt and of course, a little bit of sprinkles and voila- you've got a very desirable looking serving of milk.
• Hot mornings and no pool (my kids are not sprinkler people) call for the kids cafe.

Good try with those shoes, Myer.

• Doctor day started out ambitious. Waffles for the kids, egg white omelette for mama.

selfies with Molly

Supergirl

• The end of the day was rough. It's hard when the big two don't nap and literally NEVER close their mouths. I really don't feel cut out to do this whole mothering gig round-the-clock (LITERALLY because THANKS WILL), I just need a BREAK every once in a while where I can finish a thought or pee by myself or walk into the kitchen to start laundry without being asked for another mother effin snack. I know come September I'll be weirded out by the silence, and miss these two and their constant chatter, but right now I'm just tired.
• On a lighter note, we stuck one of Will's hats that he wore home from the hospital on his head and it turned him into a hipster baby.

hashtag - lovethosethighrolls

• Last weekend my best friend from high school flew into town! She was headed to NJ for a work thing and rearranged her travel plans so she could come see us. We were so happy to have her with us for a few hours!!! We tried to cram in as much as we could.

Naturally my children sweet talked her into pushing them on the swings!

She could totally pass as their mom, right??

• Brittany had to leave around lunchtime to head to Ft Dix. Which coincided nicely with Will coughing his lungs right out of his chest. So we made an afternoon trip out to the doctor. It was confirmed that he now has bronchiolitis, which the doctor explained as basically, "the croup moving down into his chest." So that is fun. Thankfully he's over it now!

And thankfully he's rarely in a grumpy mood!

• Molly was feeling a bit crazy later and picked out her own clothes.....

• One day we had to run errands before a party and I bribed them with a happy meal if they were good. BEST BEHAVIOR. Although it was slightly annoying that Sam would check in with me every three seconds to see if I thought they were still being good. YES, YOU'RE GOOD, YOU'VE GOT THE HAPPY MEAL DEAL CLINCHED JUST STOP TALKING I CAN'T THINK.

• I really love comparison photos, so when this picture popped up on my facebook memories..

• ...and Steve slipped the same shirt on after work....

• ...I couldn't help but take his picture. According to my brain, he bought that shirt with the faded out "worn" look to it but apparently not. 
• I'm a HUGE fan of baby necks.

• Sam and Molly got to go to Vacation Bible School at a local Baptist church one week recently. They seemed to really enjoy it! Until Thursday and then they were instantly over it. Sam was a huge fan of the beaded necklaces they made.

• And I'm a huge fan of parking lots but those seem to be slightly lacking here.

It's really a testament to my self control that I don't take a picture of every instance where I parallel park my car. Because I really feel like I should be rewarded with applause or chocolate or a parade or something after pulling this off.

Sweet babes

About 4 minutes after this picture was taken, I found out that he was sitting on a turd the size of a baked potato, but you'd never know it by looking at his smiling face, would you??

• We've been to more taekwondo lessons.

• I don't know who gets a better workout at this point- the kids doing all the running, kicking, and jumping? Or me- doing all of the baby jiggling, constant sweating, shushing, and back and forth lunging. I am literally covered in sweat every time we leave that place. And since Sam and Molly are not in the same class, that means one child is always really REALLY BORED and incredibly interested in what time it is and how much longer we have to be here. (insert all my eye rolling here please)
• Will's chubby baby feet KILL ME.

• The sun actually does rise about 3 feet outside of our bedroom window. This explains why Sam is up every day at 515.

• Another day, another doctor visit...

• A visit to the doctor calls for a nice long bath when we get home. GERMS BE GONE!!

• I've officially lost track of what week I'm talking about now, but apparently it's still VBS week! The first day!

•  It was a 1950s theme and super cute. The music was fun and they seemed to enjoy the crafts and Bible stories.
• And taekwondo in the afternoon because I am glutton for punishment.

• Weekend edition of WMW (What Molly Wore)

A very bold, eclectic look, with the skirt tucked into her underwear for that "I just don't care (or know)" vibe.

Sam coloring (most likely a checkbook or something important)

Molly nursing her baby while I nurse mine.

Sunday Target trip... what a terrible idea

The view from the Target parking deck (see Citi Field?)

Dinner (chicken parm stuffed spaghetti squash) because those damn Tasty videos on FB convinced me it would be sooooOOOOOooooo easy! YEAH RIGHT.

As close as I'm getting to being in a picture these days.

• Saturday morning was met with resistance

They both started out with the same thing and each abandoned the opposite. INGRATES

Et tu, William????

• Did you know there is an active Army post in Brooklyn? Because there is. We went there for Steve's Reserve Unit's family day.

Don't leave me hangin, man!

We actually had to run to the PX and buy their last two youth sized jackets because it was so chilly. The temps were only in the 60s, but with the breeze coming off of the ocean and no sun coming through, it felt much colder. NEVER DID I EVER think I'd be purchasing jackets (for immediate use) in July.

The kids had so much fun running around, playing soccer, tug-of-war, climbing all over the playground, and being handed candy from relative strangers that they were genuinely sad to leave. Best mandatory fun we've had yet.

Will got a new outfit too and I managed to find an old hat at the bottom of my purse.

• Pretty sure we got a croup diagnosis on Molly on this day.

Photo credit goes to Molly- bringing you the hard hitting news. The people's news. Sam refuses to eat salad and baked chicken and NO CAMERAS PLEASE.

Get awayyyyyyyy, MolLEE

Eventually refocused her efforts on tending to the other brother.

• About how I feel at taekwondo...

• And omg I think that's it. For now. I have to try to keep up with this better. I can't remember any actual stories when I blog this way. Especially backwards. I won't be doing that again. If you're still with me, my word, soldier, you deserve a donut. Come visit me and we can take it from the top!