The state of our nest.

Ready for a whirlwind account of our recent day-to-day goings on?

Alex and I made a quick getaway {thank you Nana!} for an extra-long work conference that also included some golfing for Alex, who was in golf heaven and spa time for me.

It was a funny, yet wonderful vacation.  We actually spent very little time together.  Alex’s mornings were full of meetings and afternoons with golf.  {Though he can now check play Pebble Beach off of his bucket list.}  My days were my own.  It was strange. I soaked up every solo moment, yet still missed my babies.

I went on the best walks.

Almost as soon as we left we were back and going full steam ahead.

We have been spending as much time as possible outside knowing that the weather is going to turn soon and we will be housebound for months.  Stroller walks in the morning and wagon rides in the afternoon.  These wagon walks save me from plenty ‘o meltdowns in the evening.  That time when dinner isn’t quite ready {probably because I’m giving wagon rides}, dad isn’t home yet and the little ones are starting to get sleepy…so I pull Charlie and William around the neighborhood, up and down the streets – carefully switching my “pulling arm” every block or so – I don’t need my already long monkey arms stretching out more, or worse becoming uneven.  Yes, I think of things like that.

The boys happily babble away as we wave to our neighbors, bark at the dogs, point out a tree, all while I think deep thoughts like Wow!  Our driveway is literally covered in brightly colored plastic toys, bikes, wagons, trikes, tractors, golf clubs, baseballs, footballs, chalk, you name it.  Remember how we were never going to have any plastic toys for our kids?  Ha!

I could take about a million photos of William right now.  That is if I’m not covering him in kisses.  He is currently in the cutest baby stage ever, which is a good thing because personality wise he is back to his newborn antics, vacillating between happiest baby on the planet to tortured child.  Out of desperation this week I took him to the pediatrician certain he must have a double ear infection.  Nothing.  Good thing he’s cute.

And he’s opinionated about everything, even the taste of chalk; green is OK, red not so much.

We head back to the driveway and make good use of all of those brightly colored plastic toys that cover our driveway.  This is one of my favorite things to do with my boys.  Playing outside, lounging on the grass waving at neighbors coming home from work, chatting with them about the weekend, drawing with chalk, pretending to mow the lawn.  I love it.  This moment of calm before the chaotic storm that is dinner.

Which might have been the final nudge for me to finally get a crockpot.  Not sure if I was the last person on earth to discover this gem, but I bit the bullet and sprung for the big one at Costco.  So the story goes that this thing is going to change the way that I make dinner.  In fact I will no longer be making dinner, this magic machine is going to do it for me.  Which leaves me to wonder what my kitchen helper and I are going to with all of our free time?

Anyhow, I called Andrea in a panic worried that I had managed to mess up this supposedly fail-proof way of cooking.  Afterall, I had literally hovered over the crockpot for four plus hours and it hadn’t done one darn thing.  Sure the lid was a bit steamy, but I was unsure.  Had I opened up the lid? she asked.  Um no, for some reason I thought that was a crockpot no-no.  Guess what?  My pork was beautiful!  It was cooked!  Low and behold we would have dinner.

I’ve been pouring through books lately, it is so nice to break the magazine cycle and dive into something with some depth.   Though I should point out that not one of them has been life-changing or for that matter memorable – I can’t even think of one title off the top of my head.  Occasionally I’m asked to read and review books.  Most of the time I’m wary to commit, but a publisher sent me a book that stood out from the crowd – one of the main characters had Down syndrome.  What can I say, I was curious.  The book, Angel Song is best described as a heartwarming story of a woman who has reached a crossroads in her life.  Add a God who is trying to get her attention, a romantic interest, a loving yet nosey neighbor, a pre-teen boy with Down syndrome and some angels for good measure.  While it wasn’t an earth shattering story, I found comfort in its simplicity.  A love interest bloomed without any racy sex scenes.  A boy with Down syndrome was an integral part of the story.  And my theory is that exposure to Down syndrome in any mainstream venue can only be positive, though it did push the cheesy Down syndrome/angel connection.  Ask any parent who has a child with Down syndrome, the whole “angel” is a bit over used and cliché.  Yet, the characters loved each other honestly – without all of the gossipy, backstabbing that seems to dominate the best-seller list.  I dare say I found it refreshing.

Next up on my reading list?  Radical. I’m going to read it with a couple of girlfriends.  I’m a bit nervous to read it – I’ve heard it’s life changing – as in turn your life up-side down sort of way and I’m a gal who likes to stay in her comfort zone.  Sounds like it will be good for me to read.  Though what I’m reading it on remains to be determined.  I’m teetering on the edge and ready to make a kindle purchase.  I hate, hate to give up reading an actual book {for more reasons than I need to disclose here} but it just seems to make so much sense.  Any opinions?

It’s about time for a wagon ride and dinner isn’t going to make itself so I better wrap this up.

Charlie and his best-buddy Jack.  Good catch Andrea.

Have a wonderful weekend.