A couple of favs from April/May...
Learning about plumbing and sprinklers from Daddy.
Mohawk Man.
My two favorite guys. In their tie-dyed matchy-ness.
I had my back turned for less than thirty seconds, I swear, and this is what I came back to. Our children have many nicknames.
And, generally, Bill is the one who creates them.
When Lexy arrived on the scene, he started calling her "My Only Daughter!" in a very exasperated voice with a hint of a Spanish accent. Really, it was a movie quote. Which, if you know Bill, should come as no surprise. (It's from "Fools Rush In")
Lexy was also dubbed "Lexy Lou" from early on.... And sometimes just "Lou".... and sometimes just 'L'. And sometimes L-Dawg.
You get the picture.
Tori was born and immediately became "My Second Daughter!" as Lexy morphed into "My First Daughter!" said with the same flare. And then came a flurry of other nicknames for Tori-- "T Bone", "Tori Toops", "Toops", "T" and "LB" (for Little Bill, or the abbreviation for pound, which she was a lot of :) ) just to name a few.
So, it did not surprise me in the least when I started hearing Bill call Liam "Button Up Buddy." I had no idea what the origin of that nickname was, but I went with it, never questioning its meaning. I thought perhaps it had something to do with his little sleepers that had to be buttoned up from his toes to his neck every time we changed his diapers (read: a lot).
I carried on calling him Button Up Buddy for probably a good month or two until one afternoon when Bill overheard me and began a little internet search. Next thing I knew, I had an iTouch in my hands that displayed the following:
Apparently, "Button Up Buddy" was really "Bud, not Buddy."
Who knew?
Bill had that title stored somewhere back in the deep dark corners of his brain from his time as a middle school teacher in south central Los Angeles.
I had been referring to Liam as "Buddy" quite a bit, so (naturally?) Bill had made the progression to "Bud, not Buddy".
I guess I should get my ears checked.
Since then, I have actually read the book--and it is really good!
(Turns out those Newbery Medal & Honors people know what they're doing.)
We now own a copy for our own little Bud, Not Buddy's personal library.
Today I am thankful for 5 1/2 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
May not seem like much, but it is the most I'd had in longer than I can remember.
Liam and Lexy both currently have double ear infections. This on the coattails of the single ear infections (and prescribed antibiotics) they had last week.
Needless to say, I've spent a lot of the nighttime hours awake, playing the role of comforter and nurse.
Last night, Bill took over with Liam and let me sleep.
It was glorious.
And I feel like a new woman.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
Today I am thankful for the tender moments of cuddling with my kids.
I remember when Lexy was born, a family friend told me about how years ago, she nursed her now college-aged son in the middle of the night WELL beyond the recommended age for nighttime feedings simply because it was the only time when she had him all to herself-- quiet, uninterrupted cuddle time. To this sleep-deprived first-time mom, those words didn't really make much sense. I couldn't wait for Lexy to sleep through the night so I could get back to my precious sleep. Funny how things change... Five years and 3 kids later, I completely understand what she meant.
If there is anything good about a sick kid, it's got to be the cuddling, right?
Liam has had a really hard time sleeping at night for about the past week-- due in large part to the ear infection we now know about, I'm sure-- so I have been up all hours of the night playing the role of comforter. I am so easily-inclined to complain about the loss of sleep (and I do! way. too. much.), but it hit me last night during one of the prolonged wake periods-- "I won't be able to cuddle with him like this forever. Cherish the moments."
And so today, despite the bags under my eyes and the cloudiness of my sleep-deprived brain, I am thankful for the precious moments of uninterrupted cuddle time I get with my sweet little guy, snotty nose and all. :)
Today, I am thankful for doctors and medicine.
We have had a rough couple of weeks health-wise.... Two cases of croup, 3-4 colds, and 2 ear infections. Last week, Lexy complained about her ear hurting, which is pretty much a guarantee that she has an ear infection. Thankfully, a miraculously QUICK trip to Urgent Care (only 10 minutes!!) took care of it. This morning, Liam was diagnosed with his first ear infection during his Well Baby check-up. (Oh, the irony.) :)
So, we are on the road to recovery. And I am thankful that I have access to trustworthy doctors and inexpensive medicine that restores health to my precious little ones.
Today, I am thankful for naps.
You'd think we wouldn't need a nap on Day Light Savings Day-- after that 'extra hour of sleep', wink, wink-- but everyone seemed exhausted this afternoon. Maybe it was the early morning wake-up for the race (which went well, by the way)... Maybe it is the gloomy, chilly weather that is making us all want to curl up in our warm beds... Maybe it's the toll of the busy week we just finished.... Or maybe All Of The Above. Not sure. But we can all say it was wonderful to rest.
Here are a few shots from this morning. Bill and I ran the 5K (not pictured) and Lexy ran the Kid K Fun Run.
***getting ready for the race***
***all business***
***pure joy!***
