Date Nights

As the parents of 4 young boys, there are lots of things that come easily. Organizing a hockey game. Feeding them pizza. Dishing out hugs.

On the flip side, there are lots of things that don’t come quite so easily – most notably giving them the individual attention that they so love and deserve.

So we came up with a plan. Each boy gets one night per month of pure 1-on-1 time. They get to pick what we do and who goes with them, and for the past 2 months I’ve been the lucky recipient of Cole’s night out.

Up first was a trip to Chick-Fil-A and the park. Just committing to hanging with him at the park (when I would usually be “watching” from afar while I checked email from a bench) made him light up. We chased each other, played hide & seek, and he even got me to slide down the fireman’s pole. All together it was a great time and at the end he declared, “This has been the best night of my life.”

This past weekend we went to the Phillies game together. Despite the fact that we were in the second to last row (hey, at least it wasn’t the last row) and the Phils lost miserably, Cole was just happy to have me all to himself (and to eat the gigantic helmet of ice cream I bought him).

Speaking of which, we had this convo on the way home which I wanted to document for posterity:

Cole: Is white a color in the rainbow?
Me: No.
Cole: Then why were there white sprinkles mixed into the rainbow sprinkles?
Me: *palm slap to forehead*

Smiling with a mouth full of Cracker Jacks

My vision for the pic of Cole with the field in the background didn't work out as planned.  He kept saying, "Mommy it feels like my neck is getting all twisted up."  He's yet to learn we sometimes need to suffer for our art.

I’m hoping we keep up with this…more importantly I’m hoping Ry picks Dad for the roller skating adventure he’s been talking about…

The Hills Are Alive

There’s a right of passage every parent must go through…the glorious children's concerts. At our daycare, they like to fancy it up by calling it the Winter Gala – which I have to say I appreciate because it does make the whole thing feel pretty special.

First up was Dean. I have no pics or video because it was pretty chaotic, plus he kept trying to hit the other kids with his sparkly red top hat. I know this sounds pretty awesome but I felt too ashamed to record it.

So next up came Cha. I only included his grand entrance, which cracked me up because he just lit up when he saw me (it’s not often that I feel this appreciated).

Then the grand finale. Cole channeled his inner Von Trappe child and belted it out for his fans. I’ll spare you the whole song – it feels like it goes on longer than the actual Sound of Music movie - but here’s a little snippet to whet your whistle.

The good news – they all performed much better than years past when we were pretty much boo’d out of the room for our unruly children. And since I didn’t fess up to the crowd that Dean was mine, no one pointed a finger at the mom with the hat-hitting-kid.

Score one for motherhood.

Have Mercy

I was telling a story about Cole today and the people I was talking to were cracking up. It never really struck me as out of the ordinary that he likes to pretend he's a cat named Princess and play fetch with a Mickey Mouse PEZ dispenser, but I guess it is sort of odd.

This kids is a character, to say the least.

For the record, he had a "boo-boo" on his middle finger and was showing it to me all day on Sunday. This included the church service when he was in the front row with said boo-boo finger sticking straight up in the air. Lord, have mercy.

The Low Down

I was clearing out the pictures on my phone when I realized - there are a ton of pics I haven't posted for the 1 or 2 loyal people who read this blog. So here's a treat just for you!

We were in Target the other day and Cole got himself all jazzed up. I actually like most of the things he picked out...he's like my little accessories apprentice

Whenever I had an ultrasound of Dean he always had his hand over his face, exactly like this. So weird to see those ultrasound pics translated into real life

Bathtime mohawks

Whenever I see a face like this and a body moving at full speed, I know that either (a) Someone will soon be crying (b) Something spilled (c) Something broke, or (d) All of the above


Cole loves his swim lessons. Thumbs up for the pool at the Y...thumbs down for the haircut

Showing off his "beautiful hair" (clearly better than the pic above)

Snug as a bug in a rug

Dean had surgery a few weeks ago (he's doing really well - thanks for all your thoughts). I'm such a sucker for a baby in a hospital gown

Sammie has a new-found love for Ryan

Best part of the night...snuggle time with Grammy

Ry discovered the Star Wars section at the library (i.e. Heaven)

Do not be fooled by this angelic face. He is schooled in the art of deception

Ry had a dentist appointment the other day and came home BEGGING to floss his teeth. I figured I would document the moment so I could show it to him during his hygeine rebellion in the teenage years

So there you have it, a glimpse into the last few months as seen through the lens of my iPhone. I realize now that I've conditioned the kids to getting their picture taken - the other day I took out my phone to check an email and Charlie said, "CHEESE!"

Looking Forward To Four

Most people with children would probably agree that the term “terrible twos” was created by someone with no kids and a love for alliteration. Because although the twos stink, the threes suck.

Our own three year old Cole has been a pistol since birth. He crawled at 6 months, walked at 8 months, and has been on the run ever since. Add to that a case of middle child syndrome and a mother who has been either pregnant or post-partum for most of his life, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

So to say that ages two and three have been a challenge for our Cole is quite the understatement. But the beauty of it – as he approaches age four, a new kid is emerging. A kid that’s sweet, respectful, hilarious, and even listens. So finally, my point.

I picked him up from school and his teacher, Mr. Mike, asked to speak with me. He said, “I have to tell you that Cole was absolutely the BEST listener in class today. For some reason everyone else was in a nasty mood and had tantrums left and right, but Cole was FANTASTIC all day long. I’m so proud of him.”

My heart swelled with pride. Then I realized that we have two more kids to go through this phase. Only 3 more years to go!

Getting From Point A To Point B

Cole entertained himself at Ryan's soccer practice by running down a hill. This brought him such joy that he did it again...and again...and again.

Most people would start at the top and go straight to the bottom. He chose to run...roll...roll sideways...roll back up...run...

He may not take the conventional approach, but he does it all with gusto. May he never run right down the hill.