To grandmother's house we go

It is 10:45 at night and it has hit me that I only have one more week left of summer before I return to work.  Even though I actually had 5 months off because of the whole maternity leave thing, it still feels like summer went by much too fast.  I always have a difficult time leaving my kids when it is time to return to work and it is made especially difficult when one of them is just a poor, defenseless baby.  This will be the first time, though, that I will not be putting the kids in daycare.  A really great lady from church will be watching Sam and Jack, and she will take Jack to preschool 3 days a week.  I feel much better leaving Sam with her than dropping him off with all the other babies in the daycare room at Montessori.

Um, I actually meant to write this post about going to my parents' house last week (hence the title).  I have baby brain these days. Anyway, Brooks (the shoe company) invited Tom up to Seattle for several days as part of some coaching awards thing, so I took the kids and escaped to my parents' house.  Whilst there, I introduced Sam to his first taste of rice cereal and also took him swimming for the first time (not counting all those times I dipped his feet in Rosie's pool).

Why, yes, the pool is green

Sam loved the food and the water.  My sister and her kids joined us for the latter half of our visit and we were able to celebrate my dad's 64th birthday.  Good times.

Happy birthday, old man

Dear Sam at 4 months

Dear Sam,

Once again I am late with your letter.  You are still keeping me busy, but not as much as last month.  You like to play on the floor and will roll over from your front to back. Of course, you aren't too thrilled when you do it.

You love to be talked to and will respond with the most adorable cooing noises. You are also great at complaining loudly.  It sounds like you are chewing us out for our failure to meet your every need. My favorite milestone this month is your laughter.  Your adorable little chuckle is impossible to resist.

We just started putting you in your crib at night and you have been doing great!  You will only wake once during the night to nurse and occasionally another time for a pacifier insert.  I can't wait until you learn how to do that yourself. 

You still aren't very interested in toys, but are getting better at batting at them with your clumsy hands.  You also like to play in your exersaucer for short period of times.  Basically, you like everything for short periods so our day is spent moving you from one location to another.  You favorite location, of course, is my lap.

You are bigger than ever and everyone who sees you comments on your size.  You are now in 9-12 month clothing.  I am excited to take you in for your 4 month appointment in a few days to get your official weight.  Today I let you try rice cereal for the first time and you loved it! 

Sam, I am returning to work in a couple of weeks and just thinking about it makes me sad.  You are growing and changing every day and I don't want to miss a single moment, especially since you are my last baby.  I am so thankful we have been able to have these past 4 months together.  I love you, my little Sambo.

Love,
Mama

The Greatest Show on Earth

Ellie and her cousin before all the bloodshed

A couple years ago, I wrote the following:

The circus gets less and less impressive every year. Part of the problem is they use fewer animals. They still had the tigers, but I am pretty sure those tigers were high on tranquilizers...they were so sluggish. Part of me was hoping one would just wake up and launch himself at the trainer. Not to hurt him, but at least to add a little excitement. And then there were the flying trapeze artists. No lie, they missed about 50% of their swings or throws or flying...whatever it is called. And the twisted part of me (the same part hoping for the tiger attack) was thrilled to see them fall to the net below.

Now I feel really guilty for writing it because both things happened! It's like I willed it into fruition! First, a tiger swiped at the trainer and his claw got stuck in the trainer's hand. Like in his skin. The trainer continued the show with blood pouring down his hand and dripping onto the floor. It was very distracting. Then, two of the trapeze artists collided heads midair resulting in one of them having blood all over his face. You don't usually expect blood and gore at the circus, but blood and gore is what we got this year at opening night. Were my children traumatized, you ask? I don't think they even noticed. Or maybe they are just too desensitized from all that TV watching.

Sting Rays and Ferris Wheels

We were invited to a birthday party at the Downtown Aquarium.   We love the Aquarium so I was pretty excited about the birthday invite. I wonder when my kids will no longer be satisfied with our little backyard birthday parties?

Houston, we have a problem

Most days are pretty uneventful around here. We like to pack a lunch and meet up with the cousins at my brother's pool. Or we invite cousins over and I eat lunch and gossip with my sister and sister in law. Basically, our summer is all about cousins and food. But we do occasionally try to shake things up a bit. For example, a few weeks ago Tom suggested we take the kids to NASA. In theory, this was a great idea, but let me just give you the highlights:

• A 90 minute tram ride tour in the hot Texas heat. 
• Ellie and Jack loudly arguing over who gets to sit on edge next to me. Results in Ellie crying for rest of tour.
• Carrying Sam up 87 stairs to listen to a spiel about the empty mission control room only to miss the entire thing because he was crying and had to be taken out.
• Trying to breastfeed Sam in a crowded cafeteria while he screams on top of his lungs.
• Trying to find a changing station because Sam had a massive blowout all over the both of us.

So, yeah, don't let the picture below fool ya...it was an epic fail.  Although Jack is now telling everyone when he grows up he is going to take a rocket to the moon.  So, maybe he did get something out of it.