Enjoying the Quiet Moments

I've been enjoying some good bonding time lately with new friends. This past weekend I joined four women for dinner and conversation at Dos Rios. It was very lovely to actually sit on the patio after the heat wave we had the past few weeks, so we spent three hours out there! My jalepeno margarita never tasted so good :) Two of the women are pregnant, Emily with her fifth child and Susan with her fourth. Hmm, almost makes me feel lazy on the procreative side.... almost. I enjoyed gelato after dinner with the preggos, but am still wondering how it is that I ate more gelato than they did?!

Last night Mike and I hosted a potluck for the families of the Willowsong midwifery and gynecological clinic. I have enjoyed the women's circles I attend there for many years now, and have made some good friends. Many of us have been yearning for more family events so husbands and kids can get to know one another, too. We had about 40 people last night and it was very casual, and very lovely. There wasn't one person that I met last night that I wouldn't like to spend more time with. What a great community. I feel thankful every day for having found my way to this great group of people. Hoping the family potluck becomes a monthly routine.

My most enjoyable moments lately have been the quietest ones, spent at home, when we aren't rushing to or from an event, but are taking the time to just be home.

Gavin with his morning cup of chai, and Benj with his morning coffee with cream. No joke.

I'm too much of an animal lover to really love fishing. I always hope we won't catch anything :) This morning a couple mom friends came over and one of the kids caught a fish. I hate having to take the bloody hook out of their little mouths. We tried throwing this one back and it laid there for awhile on it's side. We were pretty sure it was a goner, and both the other mom and I were pretty sad. Finally it did get going, and I was relieved. Seriously, who fishes that responds like this?! I'm much more into throwing kernels of corn into the pond and watching the little fish fight over them :) Gavin likes this, too. We discovered today that the geese will actually come over to eat the corn, too. Ha, I'm sure our geese-hating neighbors love that we are feeding them now :)

The other morning I got up and looked out our kitchen window and saw this at 7am!

A little green heron perched on our railing. He was so fun to watch.

We have watched a falcon fish in our pond the last two mornings, which is so cool. It was a little nerve wracking, though, when it circled over our yard and got kind of close to Lucy a few times. I made her go in to save her from being falcon breakfast.

On his way to school....and big kidhood

Jack has now had a 2nd visit from the tooth fairy.

And he is very excited for the start of kindergarten. This chain was made when Kindergarten was only 25 days away. Now we are at 22 days away. Holy cow!

A couple weeks ago he completed the City's "Safety Town", a summer camp for incoming kindergarteners only. I think he had a pretty good time.

He continues to be an excellent big brother.

It's hard to believe his 6th birthday is only 18 days away. It's even harder to remember that it was only 6 short years ago when I defined myself in ways beyond my role as a mother. Life can certainly change in a millisecond. I am so proud of this little guy and all we've experienced together. It will be amazing to see the next 6 years and how he changes. Wow, if the next 6 years go as fast as the last have, I need to slow down and try to savor the moments a little longer.

2nd Annual Finger Painting in the Backyard

Gavin even wore the same p.j.s, two finger painting years in a row. It's fun to see them grow but still enjoy these messy mornings in the backyard.

Catching up with good friends

Yesterday we had a fun day, with two visits from good friends. The Davis family came during the afternoon so we could meet their fourth child and hear about the new home they just built. Amanda was my roommate in college. Her husband, Aaron, has an industrial tech degree and is a high school teacher and coach. He built their new home by himself, with just a little help from a few subcontractors here and there. We got to see photos and it is amazing! Can't wait to make a visit when they are fully settled this fall and see it in person. They put up red siding because, ahem, all the cool people live in red houses. :)

The kiddos hit it off right away. My older two boys were pretty taken with Carter (age 8), so if he sat on the floor, they did, too. Gavin and Lilly seemed to figure out right away that they are the same age and bonded immediately. Little Sophie napped the entire time in her pack'n'play in Gavin's room, so we only got to know her a little. But the older kids had a lot of fun together.

After the Davis family left, we had a visit from the Cathcart family who, bless their hearts, brought us dinner to help during my recovery period. It was so nice having a chance to hang out since we don't get to do that nearly as much as we used to when we lived in the same neighborhood. The kids had fun and the adults got to talk. Always a nice way to spend a Friday evening! Thanks, Cathcarts, for the great dinner and conversation. And we need that brownie recipe!!

Recovering on the 4th of July

Happy Independence Day! It's going to be a hot one! The kiddos are at swim lessons with Mike and my parents, so I have a moment to post a little hello and some photos from this past weekend.

I had knee surgery yesterday to fix a torn meniscus that I've been putting off for far too long. So far the recovery has not been too bad. I haven't needed crutches too much and I haven't needed to fill the script for the pain meds. The biggest issue is mobility, which is a pretty necessary thing when running around after 3 boys :) Still, for now I'm doing pretty well.

This is what the rooms in our house look like when I'm unable to follow behind the kiddos and pick up after them. (I know, I shouldn't do that, either, but the OCD in me doesn't like a lot of chaos to pile up).

When left to their own devices (AKA, allowing them to be "bored" and use their imaginations to initiate play), this is often what happens:

I'm trying to be live a little with the chaos since I notice that when the toys are all neatly put away, they aren't using them. And they are just fighting. So if I let the toys lay around, chances are eventually they'll pick them up and start playing. I guess that's the silver lining to living in a mess?

So that's the new scoop from our place. Last weekend I had a really fabulous time with some very dear old girlfriends. Bridget and Keith came to town and my boys got to meet Baby Willa.

Then all the boys left and the ladies had a quiet house to hold Shelly's Blessingway, in honor of her first birth. Just 17 days away from her due date, it was a really special time to celebrate the miraculous transition and life event she is preparing for. It was a really beautiful ceremony with friendships we have had in our lives for two decades.

It was such a lovely day. Followed by lovely conversation and a feast of yummy foods. I wish every weekend could be that good. Miss you girls already!!