Busy Fun

I cooked and prepped all day yesterday for today's student luncheon. As predicted, Timmy was less than helpful. He did eagerly agree to help me clean the cookie dough off the mixer paddle, but that was probably the only contribution he made to the effort. He spent the majority of his day testing my ability to multi-task.  Sigh. I really miss having a little kitchen helper.

After today's student luncheon, I'm taking the boys and heading up to my Mom's. (Scott is going to stay home and will hopefully use his kid free time productively by working his way through our to-do list.) Saturday morning Robby and I are waking up early to embark on an awesome adventure.

This weekend Robby and I are going to the World War II weekend in Reading, PA. He could not be more excited for the event. My little history buff has been reading and planning for this trip since the plans were announced last summer. The dates have been circled on our calendar for months, and we have been in countdown mode for the past few weeks. Needless to say, he is a tinge excited. 

While I have to admit that I'm not terribly interested in the theme, I'm looking forward to spending the dedicated time with Robby. It has been a long time since the two of us have done something alone, and I think that this trip is long overdue.  I have missed our little adventures, which used to be fairly frequent before Timmy was born.

We are planning to be stay Saturday night in a hotel so that we don't miss a moment of the event. On Sunday we'll return to my Mom's, where Robby will have an opportunity to play with his cousins. I'm looking busy to the busy, but extremely happy, few days ahead of us.

Cooking Day

Currently I am sipping my coffee, watching Timmy run around the house while listening to the birds chirp outside. Everything is calm and quiet (calm by toddler standards of course) but that will soon change. Today is perhaps my busiest cooking day of the year as I prepare luncheon food for 35 ravenous teenagers.

Tomorrow is Scott's traditional graduation luncheon, an event which is highly anticipated by his students. Due to socioeconomic and/or family issues, our luncheon is the only celebration many of his students will receive to mark the graduation milestone. I try to keep this in mind when I become frazzled cooking and baking. His students have worked hard and deserve to be honored in a special way, so a messy kitchen and a tired leg will have to be casualties in my quest to get everything done.

When Robby was Timmy's age, he was a versed helper in the kitchen. He was cracking eggs at two, and stirring like a seasoned pro. It is amazing how two brothers can be completely different.  If I were to entrust Timmy with an egg he would likely throw it against the wall to watch it splat. We would then embark on a race to see who could get to the splattered egg goo first. In all likelihood he would win, and would take the opportunity to smear it as far as he could before getting caught.

Timmy cannot yet be trusted in the kitchen, so I will be preparing the luncheon food solo this year.  Perhaps next year he'll be a helper. In the meantime, I'll be splitting my attention between cooking and keeping him out of trouble. Wish me luck!

Leg Hunt Part 2

Yesterday I scoured the house, to no avail, trying to find my swim leg. He was eager to follow me around and excited to help me look, but Timmy was no help in my quest. He did have a great time throwing himself into our search by tossing all of the pillows off the couch and emptying his toy baskets on the living room floor. We succeeded in creating a mess, but failed in our goal.

Asking Timmy to find Momom's leg, I realized that this was another one of those situations unique to our family. No other toddler in his little play groups will ever have to scour the house to locate a missing appendage, but it is Timmy's norm. This will certainly not be the first time he will be asked to help locate or to retrieve my leg, so he might as well get used it to early. 

My missing swim leg, coupled with the realization that Robby has yet to be cleared from swimming after his ear surgery, forced me to abandon our afternoon pool plans. Instead I filled up our powered water guns and let the boys blast each other. (Timmy opted to splash on his water table, content to watch his brother play.) I sat on the swing, soaking up the sun when I had a revelation. 

My swim leg was in the corner of the laundry room! I stashed it there when I caught Robby and Jack using it as a sword during one of our snow storms. It was nagging at me so much when I couldn't find it that I almost jumped up and down from excitement when it was recovered. 

Today we are going to the ear doctor, and Robby will hopefully receive clearance to swim. It is supposed to be hot again, and now that I have my water leg there is nothing holding us back. After a long winter, I will finally be poolside. Of course, at some point I really need to clean up the mess created during our great leg hunt. 

Leg Hunt

The temperatures have risen, the sun is shining brightly and the pool is open.  Happy unofficial start to summer! With only 14 more school days left, it is impossible not to feel excited about summer vacation.

Robby was busy playing with his friends all weekend so we didn't have a chance to go to the pool during opening weekend. I love that he is having so much fun with Jack, but part of me worries because I know he is going to be devastated when he moves to Florida. I wish I could form a bubble around my little guy and protect him from the impending heartache, but I also know that this is part of growing up.  Since shielding him is impossible, I am doubling down on my resolve to expand his friendship net over the summer. Hopefully having a larger community of friends will help to lessen the loss when Jack moves.

I think I am going to take Robby and Timmy to the pool this afternoon for an inaugural swim. Robby will be able to play with some other kids, and Timmy can expend some of his afternoon energy playing in the water. Of course, he hasn't been in a pool since last summer so it will be interesting to see his reaction. Considering that he now hates the bathtub, I'm not convinced that he is going to immediately start splishing and splashing.

Timmy isn't the only one who hasn't been in a pool since August. I am not sure where I put my swim leg at the end of the season last year, but I'm sure that it is some place "safe." I guess today I'll be going on a leg hunt.

Happy Birthday Koopa!

Dear Robby,

Well, I am officially the mother of a tween.  When did that happen?  It feels like just yesterday I was nervously walking into the hospital, excited and terrified by the knowledge that I was going to leave with a baby.

From the first moment I held you against my chest, I was head over heels in love. You were my greatest accomplishment, and I was instantly wrapped around your tiny little finger.  I remember whispering into your ear, telling you that I was your Mommy and that I would always love and take care of you.

Although we tried, you quickly ditched Mommy for a more personal Momom. You always put a personalized twist on everything you do. I love being your Momom because it is unique, just like you!

Robby, you are a powerful combination of confident, empathetic, intelligent and compassionate. Today you are turning 10, and I could not be prouder of the individual that is emerging. Don't forget, I will always support and love you.  You'll never be too big to curl up on my lap!

Happy Birthday Koopa!

Love,
Momom