No sleep and too much play makes Cole a something, something...

The Saturday photo shoot was an idea of mine and something that I was looking forward to greatly. I had made all of the arrangements to have Kelly there. She had actually changed her plans and delayed a beach trip so that she could do it. The plan was for us all to meet down at the park at 11 and then after the pictures go to Sticky Fingers for a BBQ dinner. There would be a total of 17 of us including Kelly's family.

Cole's travels had caught up to him and he was in a terrible mood. He was being impossible to deal with and wouldn't hold still for pictures, let alone pose. We managed to get a few shots of him but between screaming for me to hold him, crying, and falling down...the picture perfect picture day that I had imagined deteriorated into one of the worst behavior days in Cole's young life.

It was so bad that Chris stayed in the car with him so he could have his tantrum and ultimately fall asleep while we had lunch without them both. I was really disappointed. I will be mindful of his attitude and need for nap throughout the remainder of this trip.

The vacation Photo Shoot

On the 20th of May, Chris and I started our trip to SC. We stayed overnight in a hotel and finished the trip on Thursday, the 21st. We made it to my Mom's house just after lunch. We let the boys play around and on Friday, my sister, Becky and her husband and daughter joined us. Chris and I left the boys in the more-than-capable hands of grandma while we went for Sushi and Gelato downtown in Greenville with my best friend, Kelly and her husband. Saturday, we headed down to Falls Park in Greenville to have family photos taken. My older sister, Mandy and her husband and children joined us while Kelly took loads of shots of us all. Here is a sampling...

Big boy with a haircut

I feel like I have been such a slacker lately with the blog but I have been working a lot and it seems like Rhys only allows me just so much time in front of the computer and most of that is dedicated to work. I could blog at night but I am usually beat by then and would rather spend the time with Chris.

I took the boys to the gym twice last week. Monday was okay. Both boys weren't thrilled at the idea of being left but they calmed down and did fine. I was frustrated because someone took my keys by accident and it took the team of trainers an hour to find out who did it. Tuesday was worse on the boys. I had to go in and change Rhys' diaper after 15 minutes and when I left him after that, he never got happy about it and they came to get me after he cried for 15 minutes. I started getting a head cold on Wednesday and have been sick ever since. Hopefully we will be back at the gym tomorrow...hopefully.

The strawberries are getting ripe in the garden - just in time for us to go out of town! I am going to ask the neighbor if they want to pick and eat what they pick since they will just go to waste if they don't. We are heading to SC on Wednesday evening and planning a stop over to rest and take on the second leg on Thursday morning. Hopefully, we will get some rest and feel rejuvenated on Thursday. You know, the best laid plans...

Rhys had his first haircut today and I managed to FINALLY get his 1 year pictures taken.

He is SO CUTE...if I do say so myself :)

Silly Cole Comments:

While looking out the window he says, "It is raining puhsghetti!" (meanwhile, the sun is shining as bright as it can)

Cole: "Mommy, you are bad news"

Me: "I am bad news?!"

Cole: "I am just joking about you. Ha Ha Ha"

Catching up

I have been super busy lately. My job is actually becoming something that I can call a job. I am averaging about 15 hours of work each week and that is significant when you consider that Chris is gone for 12 hours every day and I sleep for 9 (usually). Fortunately, Rhys sleeps for about 4 hours every day and Cole sleeps for 2. I am managing to get work time in and *usually* can get laundry done and a meal cooked for dinner every day. I had a hard deadline last week so I have been working more hours lately but don't expect it to be so much on a regular basis. This week shouldn't be quite as taxing and I plan to get some big projects tackled around the house.

The garden is thriving and I am thrilled. I need to rake up old grass and weeds and line the garden and lawn with mulch. I also want to get some touch-up painting done around the house and do a thorough cleaning. We are hosting the Brits on Saturday and that is a really great excuse to get through some of these projects.

I joined a gym on Friday (Big Vanilla http://www.bigvanilla.com/pasadena/) and am really excited about going regularly. It will get Cole accustomed to being left and picked up - to prepare him for preschool. It will also give Rhys an opportunity to learn this valuable lesson before he gets the same abandonment complex that haunts poor Cole. I have been reminding Cole all weekend that he will be playing in the Kid's Club on Monday without me. He DOES NOT like the idea and tells me that he doesn't want to. I have explained that it isn't his choice but it is time for him to play with new people and new toys without mommy. Kid's Club...not Mom's Club. The gym is beautiful and peaceful. The kid's club is spacious and fun. There is even a pool (a baby pool, lazy pool, and lap pool) - covered in winter, uncovered in summer with a play ground just next to it. I can let Rhys have time in Kid's Club while I help Cole learn how to swim in the big pool.

I am really looking forward to having this as a place for us all to go and enjoy time apart and together.

This has been a lovely Mother's Day. I had breakfast in bed and my lovely boys gave me some Bert's Bees bath goodies and an iPod Nano for my gym-going entertainment. I was so surprised! I never even though about getting one and am excited to have it. After Rhys had his morning nap, we took the boys to the National Zoo in DC. We picked up some fried chicken on the way and had a picnic and pushed and pulled the boys all over. We only saw the highlights - Pandas, Gorillas, lions, tigers, bears...we all were tired and ready to go at the same time. We were home by 3. I filled up the paddling pool in the back and let the boys play for a while. They had baths, dinner and played before bed. Cole is to head that way soon and I am going to get showered and changed. The week will be full and busy - productive and new. I am excited about the gym, garden, and house improvements that we will see come next week.

Rethinking the Evergreen post

Back in Autumn, I posted an entry in this blog about not being an evergreen. It was this whole metaphor about how I can change my habits like the trees change their leaves in the Fall. The one thing I didn't consider when I came up with this analogy was that the trees get their leaves again in the spring and repeat the same pattern every year. Does that mean that they really change? Is that some evolution that coincides with the Earth's revolution? Can we ever really change?

I believe that God made us into images of himself and we are all images of God the way we are. If we try to be something that we believe is better in another person's opinion, we are departing from the perfect image that God already created. At the same time, we should be honing our best selves so that we can live our lives in the image that God intended. These are my beliefs and they are shared by many Christians as well as other religious followers. Whatever God is followed, this theme is a common one.

Having said that, I wonder what my authentic self is. I wonder if my authentic self is the person I am most comfortable being or if it is the person I always strive to be. My best self is the person I am most proud of. She is calm and collected, confident and passionate. She is generous, selfless, and modest. She is healthy and her spirit is infectious. Unfortunately, my ego gets in the way when I feel this way and I start to believe that I am better than anyone else...this feeling of pride is my downfall. Ultimately, I have to learn how I can be my authentic self for myself and not feed my ego by being altruistic, fun, entertaining, and confident in the eyes of others.

I need to forgive myself for misrepresenting my authentic self when it happens, I need to nourish my body and soul with healthier food, thoughts, and experiences. I will breathe, meditate, and pray. I will cleanse my spirit and body of toxins and seek balance and health. I will be positive and I will pray. I will not change, I will just evolve into a better me.

Day out with Thomas

We had a great time today at the B&O Railroad Museum. Cole saw Thomas and we got to ride on a trian. He played with toy trains and we walked around the museum. Finally, Cole took a ride on a small model train too.

cookbooktionary

Cole has some of the most wonderful terms for things. One of the ones that stands out for me is cookbooktionary. He calls all cookbooks this. I find it so cute, I can't bring myself to correct him. For the last couple of weeks, I have been taking the boys for Friday night ice cream between dinner and baths. Tonight we got Wendy's frostys. He and Rhys enjoyed eating them on the curb by the car. On the way home, Cole was doing his most convincing imitations of his Daddy. He said, "Daddy says," in the most grumbly voice he could muster, "'GET BACK INTO BED!'" I thought it was so funny, he had me in belly laughs before long. He also said that mommy says, "shh, stay in the bed!". Mommy's voice wasn't nearly as grumbly...thankfully.

His favorite joke to tell:

Knock, knock
Who's There
Ach
Ach who?
Did you sneeze? Do you need a tissue?