To Mom mom's house we go

Steve is back! All is right with the world again! At least at home. We had a small playground snafu with some older kids the other day (nothing serious) and it made my mama heart hurt at the thought of sending my sweet, sensitive Sammy to a New York City public school. (Molly called them all blockheads (we love some Charlie Brown over here) so I tend to worry less about her.) I tried typing my thoughts out, but since it is 2016, a time defined by epic butthurt, I couldn't come up with a way to write it without imagining myself being chewed out by a homeschool mom or a public school mom. So I just trashed it altogether and vented to some (unfortunate) friends. (Thanks and sorry, Kelly and Casey!)

Steve's work trip took him to Ft Bragg for the week, but he was able to fly into Philly and hang out for the weekend before riding back up to NY with us. The kids were SO excited to go see their grandparents. They have the best time there. I'm sure it has nothing to do with toys and tv and pure sugar and everyone telling them yes all the time.

A little person playing with Little People

"I know we just pulled out 6 million toys, but now we need you to read us 9,000 books."

Sneaky Sam found some chocolate pretzels and he knows that no one will tell him no.

Sam rigged up this "wench" so Molly could pull her giraffe in a shopping cart. I'm dying at the fact that he even knows what a wench is.

I love watching these kids have fun outside. I love it when they can be barefoot and safe and make up games and go to a clean potty a few feet away and everything else that is instantly missing when you live in a second floor apartment with no yard. A time and a season for everything, I know. It makes me appreciate it that much more we when are visiting family, but I sure do wish that I could take my half naked babies out back and drink some coffee/wine while they play.

Parade, party of one.

We pink puffy heart the shade.

Literally their happy place

Let's not forget that Steve's mom also throws endless pitches to Sam, draws multiple hop scotch boxes for Molly, AND takes them to the zoo. (I escaped to Costco, Chick-fil-A, AND Ikea all by myself!! Well, with Will, but he doesn't talk so it's almost like I'm alone!! HEAVEN!)

Steve arrived Friday evening and we were so glad to see him! The next day we had to move a final few things out of our old house (it sold!) and clean up. The new owners had a painter come in to paint the place. I was horrified to see that they slopped BEIGE over my beautiful light gray walls! I am personally offended but Steve is more like, eh whatever, it's their house, they can paint it however they want.

To me, it completely clashes with the kitchen colors but WHATEVER, it's not my problem that they have bad taste. Heh.

To be five again! I think his biggest problem that day was that he launched one of those little rockets onto the roof by accident.

Will got ahold of his first hoagie (bun) at dinner and it was hilarious to watch him go to town on it! Takes after his mama with the love of carbs.

You think he'd sleep a happy sleep after tasting his first bread product, but he slept HORRIBLY the entire time we were there. One night found Steve and I on the floor with no pillows while Will slept fitfully in the bed (located 2 feet away from the empty pack and play), surrounded by a pillow fortress. I feel like my body is so used to not sleeping at this point that it doesn't even matter, but I do still count that as alone time and I cherish it. So it ticks me off when he refuses to sleep for solid 4 hour chunks. Like dammit, I really need that. Just let me have the hours of 8pm-3am to myself. NOT ASKING FOR MUCH HERE.

We got up bright and early Sunday morning and headed back to NY. First order of business upon our return was to make popsicles of course. Sam was really looking forward to any extras I might have (milkshake lol).

Will slept wonderfully in his own bed that night and while we had a great time in PA, it was good to be home.

Monday was our 7th wedding anniversary and since we can't go out at this point in our lives, Steve picked up lobsters on his way home from work and we had quite an eventful dinner. The kids (all three of them!) actually ended up being in bed by 645, so we had dinner alone! And it was the best dinner we've had in a really long time. We never get the chance to get an entire sentence out without being interrupted by someone or something, and here we had this entire dinner to talk and laugh and tell stories and make jokes and it was incredible! And we didn't even have to go out! It was a really fun anniversary.

Obviously we are a "pants are optional" family come suppertime.

Seven years! I am still in shock at how much has happened since that day. It has been a very full seven years (mostly full of moving and being pregnant and moving and having babies and moving). I've never had a chance to grow bored, that's for sure. Steve has kept me on my toes since Day 1, and I look forward to the adventures that lay ahead!

The next day I was hungover. Because wine. Apparently I need to stick with a two glass max because I really was feeling crippled the next morning. Tons of water later and I was fine. We ran some errands and got stuff done around the house. Yesterday we hit up Target and the grocery store (an all-morning event with this group), came home for lunch, I did at least 6 loads of laundry, cleaned the floors, scrubbed the entire kitchen (ok, it's tiny, but still) Cinderella-style, and then decided that staying home for the last hour before dinner was a suicide mission, so we loaded up and went to the kids' cafe.

Will loves this place! Makes me long for Korea even more than usual.

She looks much too teenager-y here for my liking.

And my burger baby, moments before bed. I love this happy baby, even if he isn't so keen on sleeping!

The farewell committee- they tend to show up in various stages of undress each morning and let the neighbors know that Steve is headed into work.

Sam tried giving a flower to our friend this morning at the park (holy humidity) but she had already started driving off. He settled by giving it to me.

And now I am being summoned to the crib by the littlest (and only) napper. Big kids have suddenly taken a huge interest in The Magic School Bus so I am riding that happy naptime train as far as it will take me. Almost Friday! Happy day!