Weekend Ups & Downs

Well, this weekend has been overall, a good one, but it has come with its setbacks.  Friday afternoon we had a super fun surprise of a spontaneous dinner with some of our best friends, Hilary, Alex, Delia and Huck.  It was busy with all the kids enjoying one another and the four adults trying to catch up on life, but I did catch a special picture as Penn took a liking to Alex and played happily with him for a bit in the living room (this is amazing because Penn usually just cries whenever he is left with an adult other than me or Doug).

It's a preaching weekend, so our family time was short on Saturday morning, but we enjoyed every minute of it.  Doug took Koen and Tavin on an early bike ride and when they got home they played in the backyard for a bit.  Doug headed out around 11am, but first he tested some tie options on the boys.  They loved it.

Soon after Doug left I woke Penn up and the boys and I headed to Osceola for a picnic and playtime.  It was a super nice visit there as the boys showed some real progress in their playground manners and played really well with a little boy they met.  Phew!  Koen also spent some sweet time with Penn blowing him bubbles to pop.  

In addition to bubble fun, Penn had a big event occur at the picnic as it was his first time not being nursed at lunch, so I offered him some milk for the first time (hoping we wouldn't have some crazy allergic reaction at the park!).  He was quite interested in it and had some good sips.  I was snapping away at this exploratory first.

And he's so cute, I even took a video...

After about an hour and a half at Osceola, we headed home for naptimes.  Koen and I continue to enjoy some special (and intentional) time while the little guys nap.  We've been particularly working on his reading skills.  The motivation I mentioned a few weeks ago is working!  With every book he reads, we make a link for his paper chain.  For every three links, he picks a prize.  He was super excited (and oh, so proud!) to get 6 links on Saturday and his second prize.  Here's my big reader!

So, those were the highlights from Friday and Saturday.  Now for the lowlights of Sunday.  I'm photoless for this day of the weekend, so I'll keep it brief.  But, spare me a pity party???  I could use one tonight.  So, with a preaching weekend it means that I'm carless.  I'm the momma-mobile, just me and my feet.  I love the challenge and the exercise, but some days it is just a lot of effort and very draining.  We got out of the house on time and had a nice (albeit sticky and hot) walk to church.  The big boys happily checked into their classrooms and Penn and I headed up to worship.  Penn usually goes down for a nap in his stroller in an office under the nursery workers' supervision, but I had the bright idea that he might like the crib better this week.  Not the case.  Thankfully, after one interruption from the service I was able to yank him out of the crib and settle him down into the stroller and he went right to nap.  Ugh, why didn't I just stick to the regular drill!  Anyways, after the service I changed the boys into their swim gear as I had planned to go to the nearby spray park at Mellon Park.  They were super excited.  It was fun, but also frustrating.  I was sad for Penn as he basically had spent much of his day in the stroller and then was eating lunch in it.  Not to mention, I have been constantly second-guessing myself about Penn getting enough to eat or not at lunch.  And it just takes forever to feed him.  Meanwhile, I'm noticing that Koen and Tavin are playing well together, but unfortunately they have become the bullies of the playground area.  Ugh!!!!  Cut me a break!  Tavin is pretty much getting beat up because he and his brother have turned all the little boys on the playground against them with their mean faces, "bad guy" declarations and blocking of chosen pathways.  It eventually hit my limit and we were out of there.  I think all the moms there must have thought I was the meanest mom on the block.  Tav came over crying his head off because a boy kicked him down the slide and I launch into a sermon on how that's what you get when you are mean to others.  Yep, we're done here folks.  Let's go home.  But yep, that means pushing kiddos and gear for 30 minutes uphill in the heat.  Upon arrival home, which is right at Tav's naptime, in my rush to get all the stuff inside and Penn (who is quite cranky) up the stairs and able to finally crawl around for a bit, I folded up the stroller and forgot to grab my phone out of the back of it.  You guessed it.  The phone fell on the sidewalk.  I didn't realize this though until 30 minutes later after I laid Tav down.  Of course it was no longer there.  Let the crying begin.  I feel stupid, but also oh, so annoyed!  Who would pick up a phone and not try to find the owner?  I, of course, called my husband (amidst his long day of preaching) to just absolutely lose it.  Not my best moment.  Thankfully after Doug got my phone locked and de-activated via phone I felt a lot more comfortable with the thought of some stranger with my personal device, I was able to come to grips with my day again.  I had a good chat with Koen about the whole situation and I have to say he was a total sweetheart about his mom flipping out for a bit.  Unfortunately the post-nap walk we took to Aldi (we HAD to make a grocery run), brought on more frustration as it ended in Koen and Tavin getting very disobedient and frustrating upon our arrival home.  I was sad, frustrated and totally defeated.  Then, my husband, who wasn't supposed to be home until late, walked in the door around 7pm when I was bathing the big boys (Penn just in bed).  He knew my heart was downtrodden, that I had had SUCH a rough day.  He cancelled his post-service plans and came home to be with me, the wreck.  Now, that's a great (and very brave) guy.  Thanks, babe.  I've come to terms with my day and know all this stuff is not that big of a deal, but I appreciate that you value me and what I go through trying to be the best I can be (even though I have moments like these when I feel like such a failure).  Love you.  Here's to tomorrow.  Oh, and readers...thanks for putting up with my pity party.  Very therapeutic on my end.  I hope you're not depressed.