A Perfect Day

Hi all-

Have you ever had one of those days that you are sort of dreading but it actually turns out BETTER than you thought it would? We have been busy with moving, people in town, babysitter drama, Peter working non-stop, and just our everyday insanity and I was just plain worn out. So we get to this weekend and the flurry of busy-ness, reached its crescendo. We met up with one set of people here, another there, housekeepers in the house so baby gets no nap, have to get ready for wedding events and meet the new babysitter who I have to give a diaper changing lesson to (not instilling a ton of confidence)… you know how it goes. Well, we get to Sunday and I will admit I was a little stressed out about the day (and maybe a tad big hung over too, or maybe just tired). I foresaw lots of run here, run there, missed naps, cranky kids. It started when we were up and going at 5:45 with our darling baby boy. He is not one to go back to sleep once he’s up so we were up and at ‘em early. Then Peter was off to work and the boys and I met GigiMar for brunch up the street and Kate/Jason/Matt joined us too which was an unexpected bonus. Rin got to eat unlimited amounts of maple syrup from his grandma and Bek lots to meet some of their LBurg friends. Then we ran back to the house with the stroller in hyperdash mode for a diaper change and to grab some things and headed out to a birthday party across town for one of Rin’s friends from school. I was a little unsure of how my sweet eldest would be due to the amounts of sugar coursing through his system but he was fairly well behaved. It was tons of fun. And it’s amazing how different Bek is turning out to be. He seems to be feeling more safe and although he is still way more clingy than Rin ever was, he finally ventures off on his own at the playground amidst all of the kids. It’s taken a while to get to this point.
But the best part of the party was post cake (which Rin didn’t even eat because he was sugar-ed out). My friend, Sohaer, and I were talking while our boys (BFFs at school) played in the field. Next thing I know, I see them systematically running back and forth and back and forth and back and forth across the field. I look closer and see that they are running through a puddle. A really big puddle. Oh well, their shoes can get wet, no biggie. So we keep talking and I see them out of the corner of my eye and overhear that they are pretending to be dinosaurs hiding behind a tree at the edge of the field. They disappear from view for a few minutes so we sort of walk around the corner to see THIS

 


HOLY SMOKES

All I can do is laugh. I mean, they are too far gone to even attempt to keep them clean and dry. So we go with it. They look up at us, we look at each other, shrug our shoulders, and say ‘Go ahead and play”. And they took us at our word. They knew that this was no ordinary playdate. This playdate was special. And they made the most of it. These two beautiful boys played their hardest and made the most of the hour that they spent wallowing in the mud like pigs. They jumped, they rolled, they gave each other ‘mud hugs’ and splashed to their hearts content. They were in heaven. And when the time came that every single person had left to go home and little Aibek started to show the signs of missed nap #2, we had them strip down to their underwear, washed them off at the water fountain, wrapped them in a blanket, and strapped them into the car with huge smiles on their little angelic faces.

Then, because our landlord was showing our house, off we went out to new house 30m minutes away to meet up with Peter who was done with work. But it really didn’t matter how far it was because the kids were asleep in the backseat in 2. As a matter of fact, they were so out that when we got there, I quietly scooped Bek up and into a pack&play for nap in his new room. And I had to literally shake Rinat awake. Then he spent a good 30 minutes lying on the floor in the living room trying to wake up. It’s amazing how completely a puddle bath will wear you out. When he was somewhat coherent, we let Rin christen our new fancy bathtub. He love love loved the jets and didn’t want to get out. The water, after we drained it, left a ring of dirt. Not surprising.

After naptime when we were still hanging out at the house it started pouring rain and Rin said “Oh my gosh, there’s a waterfall in the backyard! Can Arman and I go play in it?” Um no. But maybe another time. I'm glad that we have a sometimes creek back there.  I'm hoping for tadpoles next spring. 

We ordered pizza which we ate out of the box on the kitchen floor and I got really excited to move. It’s peaceful out there. The kids can run around.  I don't have to worry about them being run over by a bus or screamed at by the neighborhood homeless person.  I think it'll be a good place for us.  And most importantly for the kids. 

Then the day and the kids slowly wound down and we headed back into DC. On the way home, there was the kind of rainbow that only comes along every few years.  It stretched from one side of the highway all the way across to the other the entire ride home. I told Rin about the leprechaun at the end with the pot of gold which he, of course, took as truth but he’s no dummy. He was a little suspicious. But he also loves to pretend so he let it roll and just asked a million questions about it. He is question crazy these days. And I wouldnt’ have it any other way. To me, questions mean curiosity and curiosity leads to a love to learning about the world. It’s the greatest gift that I could have passed along to him. All in all, it was a good day. Just one perfect day in our almost perfect life.

And other than that, the last weeks at our old house were spent playing, laughing, and packing packing packing. Oh and there were a few Spring puddles to jump in along the way.

Go jump in a puddle.

Love to all, -m

BTW- that second photo is a of Bek taking a snooze with his little bum stuck straight up in the air.  I have been told that I did the same when I was a baby.  Guess it runs in the family ;)