Happier Birthday!

Happy Birthday to me!

This year, instead of being frustrated by the number, I'm going to celebrate new beginnings. It sounds cliche, but the fact that I am getting older is inevitable. I'm tired of feeling sad about being middle age. Unlike other birthdays, this year I feel excited about the future. I believe that 43 is going to be my best year ever!

A few weeks ago I quit my job and accepted a new position. I had been building up to making the change for nearly a year, and the stars finally aligned for me to resign. Starting a new job is exciting, but it is also overwhelming. The past few weeks have been spent transitioning, and I now feel like I have my footing.

I am less stressed and considerably happier since resigning my previous job. The change has afforded me more time to devote to taking care of Timmy and projects related to Amp'd. My changing my job has been the best thing that I could have done for myself and for my family. I haven't felt this free in years.

I really believe that 43 is going to be the year I make my mark. I'm excited about so many things on the horizon, and I now have the time and energy to see them to fruition. Timmy and Robby are both doing well, and I love watching them both grow and learn daily. Right now, I'm in a pretty good place in my life, so I'm not going to ruin it by focusing on a number.  Happy 43rd Birthday to me- bring on the cupcakes!

Outrunning the Cops

The sudden heatwave was wreaking havoc on my limb yesterday, but it certainly did not seem to impact the boys. Despite my suggestions that it would be more comfortable to play inside, Robby pleaded to go to the park after school. Last week he bumped into a group of boys and had a great time playing. When we left, they invited him to return on Wednesday to play again. It turns out that he has been looking forward to reuniting with his new friends all week and was going to be devastated if I had refused.

So, despite the heat and my swollen leg, I drove to the park so Robby could meet up with his friends. Although I knew he was going to be disappointed, part of me was hoping that the heat was enough to keep his new playmates away. As soon as I drove up to the playground I saw the mini van, and I knew that I was destined for an afternoon of hot and sticky fun.

Robby jumped out of the car, grabbed his military hat and took off running. Timmy and I spent the next two hours playing at the park. Despite my efforts to convince him to play in the shade, he was set on climbing the structures and digging in the mulch. At one point the police drove past the playground on a routine patrol. The officer waved and I saw some other kiddos wave back. In response, he turned on his lights and sirens, a gesture that sent the kids into an excited frenzy.  All of the kids except for Timmy.

For some inexplicable reason, Timmy became panicked when he saw the lights and heard the siren. He looked at me, dropped his truck and exclaimed "Ut oh. Run!" He then took off at a full sprint in the opposite direction.  I have no idea why his instinct was to run away from a police siren, but his reaction was succinct and strong! After sprinting across two soccer fields I finally managed to convince Timmy that the police weren't chasing him and he agreed to return to the playground.

It turns out that Robby's new friends are part of a local homeschool group.  The boys (all age 10-12) meet every Wednesday for "unguided play." Robby was delighted to be invited into their circle. So, it looks like Wednesday afternoons at the park will be put onto our regular schedule.  Even though it was hot and uncomfortable, it was really nice to see Robby so happy. Now if I could just figure out why Timmy tried to outrun the fuzz...

Farm Fun

Yesterday was another gorgeous day. With the forecast calling for hot temperatures for the rest of the week, I wanted to make the most of the ideal weather. After dropping off Robby at school, Timmy and I headed to the farm for the afternoon.

Timmy began to squeal with joy as soon as we turned onto the little dirt road leading to "our farm." His excitement was contagious and brought smiles to everybody as we checked in to receive our wristbands. As soon as we were granted entrance, he took off running to the moon bounce. I followed behind, schlepping the bag filled with water, diapers and assorted cheese flavored snacks.

I have become a bit of a connoisseur of outdoor adventure areas for kids. The farm ranks towards the top for both kid friendly activities and accessibility. I love that I'm able to participate with the climbing, jumping, sliding and swinging. I especially appreciate that the steps leading to the hill slides are well defined, evenly spaced and tout handrails on both sides. Over the weekend we went to our local animal park, which also has hill slides. Unlike the farm, the slides can only be reached by walking up to the top of a steep hill. It definitely makes it easier to keep up with my three year old when I can follow behind on stairs rather than trying to traverse up a steep hill.

Timmy and I spent the afternoon playing, exploring and picking (more) strawberries. He had a great time, and I was able to keep up with him. All in all, I think we both had a great day. 

Unfortunately my leg is feeling ouchy today, and I noticed this morning that I have developed a small sore. I'm frustrated, but today we are going to try to take it easy. I know all too well how quickly a small sore can turn into a big problem.  I hate that my activities have to be curtailed because of my limb issues, but I'm trying to remain positive.  At least I was able to keep up with him at the farm!

Perfect Day

Yesterday we had perfect weather. It was in the mid 70's, and white puffy clouds were dancing against the bright blue sky. It was one of those days where I just felt energized and happy being outside.  I finished my work early and decided that what wasn't complete could wait until night time. I wanted to take full advantage of the happy day weather. 

Thankfully my little sidekick was more than willing to spend the day outside playing with me. He smiled and giggled all day, soaking up both the sun and my undivided attention. After a few hours of kicking the ball, pushing him up and down the road in his Cozy Coupe and exploring through the woods, I tired and ready for a break.  Timmy had other ideas and convinced me to keep playing outside with him.

All told, we spent almost seven hours playing in our yard. He must have been running on pure adrenaline because he showed no signs of slowing down, and I was dragging.  I finally managed to convince him to come inside when Scott came home from work. I'm pretty sure he would have protested in any other situation, but the lure of hanging out with his Daddy was simply too great for him to resist.

About an hour after we came inside, the fresh air and exercise caught up with Timmy. He was content to spend the rest of the evening snuggling Scott on the couch and watching Team Umizoomi. I was grateful for the quiet, not because he had been bad but because I was exhausted. It's been a long time since I've played that hard, and that long, outside. This Momom needs to whip into shape if I'm going to keep up with him this summer.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy (belated) Mother's Day!

Saturday the weather was miserable. With cold temperatures and constant rain, we were housebound for the day. Robby seemed content to spend the day playing a variety of computer games whereas Timmy was a tad higher maintenance. He is a little boy who thrives off physical activity. Being stuck inside leads to destruction, and Saturday was no exception. I spent the majority of the day either desperately trying to entertain him or cleaning up after him. Even though we didn't go anywhere, I was exhausted by the time he went to bed.

Sunday was Mother's Day, which meant that Scott had to get up with Timmy so that I could sleep. Of course the little cherub must have known it was his Daddy's turn to wake up with him because he slept until 7. How does that happen?  Every other day he is up at 5. The one day his Daddy gets up with him he miraculously sleeps in until a reasonable time.  I am beginning to think that his sleep patterns are deliberate!

When I finally meandered out to the living room Robby proudly presented me with a freshly brewed cup of coffee and a little planted marigold. He spent the day offering me hugs and spontaneous kisses. Timmy seemed unphased by Mother's Day, although he did try to wiggle into my hugs with Robby whenever possible.

The weather yesterday was gorgeous, so we packed up and headed to the Animal Park for the day. Both boys had a blast visiting their animal friends and playing on the slides and structures. Timmy is my little daredevil, showing no fear as he attempted to keep up with his brother. (Thankfully Robby is not terribly brave when it comes to physical feats, so Timmy was able to tag along without getting hurt or scared.) For a few hours yesterday afternoon, both boys played together without fighting or bickering. Talk about a Mother's Day miracle! 

I hope that everybody had a fantastic Mother's Day, filled with love and happiness.