Simple Today (with a somewhat sad ending)

I feel like I write a similar statement in nearly every one of my weekday posts, but I just absolutely love my mornings with Tavin and Penn.  Today was no exception.  We don't do anything grand or over-planned, we quite usually just stay around the house or neighborhood and it's great spending time with my younger two getting to know them better and focus on them a little more.  Anyways, today we had the pleasant surprise of Doug being able to do the morning drive-in to Kindergarten for us, so Penn and Tavin and I didn't have to rush out of the house.  Penn had a great wake-time and then took a correspondingly fantastic morning nap.  During his nap Tavin and I enjoyed playing "airplane ride" (we almost always visit Aunt Abbie (Tav says it takes 2 airplanes to get there)), Tavin also had 2nd breakfast (this is a common occurrence that he needs another breakfast around 9am!) and he also helped me clip some coupons - evidence below...

At some point this morning some more workers arrived about the tree business.  They brought a jackhammer and a dump truck and picked away at the sidewalk.  I believe they were creating a space for the new tree that will be planted to replace the diseased one.  I originally thought they were removing the stump, but that was not the case.  Here's the inquisitive Tavin enjoying the show again.

The rest of the morning was pretty normal.  I fed Penn, then Tavin and I gave him a bath (that has got to be one of the most delightful things between the fun Tav has with "helping" and the pure joy that Penn exhibits during the ritual and afterwards when all warm and cozy in the towel).  Since it was my pickup day at Kindergarten, I decided to run some errands before the pickup, but also pack lunches for Koen and Tavin so that we could go to a playground for about 30 minutes before getting back home for Penn's 1pm feeding.  (This is a follow-up of my post about Koen a few days ago where I need to find more places to get him outdoors and active on weekdays).  The plan worked very well and we also got to enjoy the playground with our carpool buddy, Mary Boyd as her mom met us there with MB's siblings.  Tavin loved getting outdoors and mostly enjoyed driving others around in the "Jeep".

Here he is driving the carpool buddies.  Are they not adorable?

Penn did great with our odd morning out.  I thought for sure he would cry the whole time we were at the playground, but he sat happily in the carseat enjoying the change in scenery I guess for most of the 25 minutes we were there.  (And of course, as always, he looked so cute I had to take a picture despite the spit-up gunk on his carseat straps).

So, we left a few minutes before 1pm and arrived home a few minutes after 1pm and Penn was patient and then very happy to eat.  The boys actually played pretty well together before naptime.  Tavin went down right on time and then Penn a little earlier than normal since he was quite wakeful during our errands and playground stop.  You'll be happy to know (well, I'm happy to report) that I'm following through on my plan and for the 2nd day in a row, Koen has come back downstairs with me after I lay down the little guys and while I clean up from the AM and prep for the PM he colors or plays quietly in the living room.  Today he was downstairs with me until 2:40pm.  Then we went upstairs and I read him a chapter of the "Trumpet of the Swans" that we are working on together and then he requested an actual nap due to his late night last night and I agreed.  He ended up sleeping great and so did the little guys.  At 4pm I woke up Koen and then Penn for a feeding.  Then at 5pm we got Tavin.  Tav seemed a little lethargic and kind of sad, but I figured it was due to the long nap.  Well, as the night wore on it seemed something was bothering him.  He and Koen actually played awesome together in the evening which is often a rough time.  With a rainy evening I had a brainstorm to get out a play tent and they had a blast "packing their spaceship" for a long journey (basically the whole 3rd floor is shoved into a 3'x3' tent).  It was so great to see and hear them enjoying each other and working together.  I love it when that happens!  They took a quick pit-stop for dinner and that's where I again noticed Tavin behaving oddly when he said he was all done and I tried for one more bite and he started to cry.  Hmmm...  Then a little while later after bathtime he just started crying and clinging to my leg while I dried off big brother.  Clearly, he wasn't quite himself.  I asked him if he wasn't feeling well and he totally broke down (and my heart broke!).  I got him calmed down and into PJ's and then he didn't want to read books, but wanted to go straight to bed.  He fell asleep quickly and hopefully he'll have a good night's rest.  I'm guessing he's contracted whatever it was that Koen got and then got an ear infection from (by the way, Doug has been affected by it too and is very under the weather as well).  We're praying for quick recovery for Doug and Tav if that's what's going on with him and then for protection for myself and little Penn.  And I'm also thanking the Lord for another great day with my boys.