first harvest

Prayer time

A quick bit I don't ever want to forget is the prayers they say every day.  There are the standard God is great... and please protect everyone but satin and the bad guys (henry's favorite) and please keep the bears away ( Bobby's favorite) but the funniest one is little T he has to get his turn at prayer and no one is allowed to pray with him or he starts all over but in all seriousness with closed eyes and folded hands he says abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv now i said my abc next time DON'T you sing with me and God loves me! amen.
For a long time they were all praying for a baby sister and a baby brother but it has slowly gone out of the rotation.  But how sweet they are when I say who gets to pray first and all hands go up ( until the fighting starts over who said "me first")

day 1 of our summer garden

(notice the white fence, no its not to keep the rabbits out its to keep the boys out!)

 left to right 

snap peas, green beans, radishes, garlic, onions, lettuce, broccoli
more posts to follow as everything is growing!

just getting started

hydrangea just getting started It is amazing how quickly the garden can change from sticks and twigs to fireworks of color. or a blank computer screen into a stage for sharing how we are creating a beautiful life. (and daydreams to)

the changing table in the restroom of bloomingdales

i love the simplicity and elegance of a task that is so not simple or elegant! so much about motherhood can be summed up the same.

the price I pay

So after a wonderful evening with my boys i thought we are going to sleep great tonight and have a great day tomorrow!  but of course that is not how the night went.  When mom leave's town there is a price to pay when you get back.  I never know what that price is going to be but I'm sure to pay it.  Last night it was a visit from Bobby at 330 am B:mamma can I sleep with you?  M: no Bobby you have to go back to bed.  Do you want to go alone or should I walk you back?  B: nooooooo I want you to hold me pleeeese? M: I love you bobby but no you have to sleep in your bed. Ill walk you there. B: the blankets are wet mom.
M: no they are not now get in bed and Ill cover you up.  I love you. CRAP they are wet everywhere! Seriously it has been a good year since he has wet the bed and he picks tonight to do it! And to top it off he had changed into different pj's before he came to my room and was wide awake which meant several more visits through the night and I didn't get to sleep again till 6am.  So by by rested, relaxed mamma hello tired frustrated mamma! My prayer tonight is to sleep uninterrupted? Pleeeeeese!
PS this morning henry ran to the car and back in and said mom see I didn't forget your red flower I just left it in the car do you like it?  Oh Henry you are so sweet!  (a wilted red tulip)  It is in a vase on the island.
Good night

the boys are back in town!

What a great week we have all had!  The boys got to go and stay with Aunt Sara, Uncle Bradly and Samuel for 7 days and with Nanny n Papa for 1 day which according to Henry means they have been away from me for 7 days!  All week I have been wondering do they even miss me, have they even noticed I'm not there with them, from all the updates i've been getting its nothing but fun times in Dodge City!  But thats exactly it I've only had updates no little voices on the other end of the phone no video chats nothing!  I know I know we were all afraid if they heard my voice they would get homesick but uggggg I missed them. Don't get me wrong, 8 days 4 at home 4 in a fantastic suite in Chicago being much fancier than my real life ever is was wonderful, indulgent, relaxing and most of all recharging, but man did I miss my guys! Henry came running up the stairs first M O M and jumped into my arms and let me hug and kiss on him a bunch but as quickly as he came in he was off and running to the bathroom I gotta go mom really bad! Then in came Bobby he tried to be a bit more coy about his excitement of coming home but quickly changed his tune and was wanting snuggles and  kisses and had plenty to give me to!  Thomas came charging in on Bobby's snuggles but would have nothing to do with kisses and hugs (I think he might be mad at me) he would only give a kiss on the cheek and no way was I getting anywhere near kissing him! They all warmed up after baths which was the first thing we did (they smelled like grandma) I can't have my boys smelling like grandma no no no its off to bath we go. Then present time I said what did you get me? Henry: I forgot mom I was going to get you red flowers because you like them but I forgot to get them for you.  I'll remember next time mama.  He wanted to know where I went and when I told him Chicago he said I should have stayed with you, I wanted to go to Chicago!  He was thrilled to get his new book, Good Night Chicago, we read it a couple times before it was time for bed but they wanted to know what the other present was so they got a sneek peek at the paper airplane book but only a quick look till tomorrow after school when we will make a bunch of cool airplanes.
Off to bed everyone went, Thomas still had no kisses for mama but I did get several I sluv u mama's so were good now.  Henry and Bobby on the other hand had a million snuggles for me and man was it hard to pull myself out of that bed.  Henry said I am going to hold you all night mama and you can't get up at all were going to hold you and hold you.  So we said our prayers and I sang our songs (jesus loves you, twinkle twinkle little star, and amazing grace) and they were both out like the lights.
I can't wait to see them tomorrow I still miss them and they are only a room away. Night night boys I love you!