The fastest winter of my life

My God, where does the time go?  What is today, the 23rd of March?  The boys will be 10 months on Sunday.  Lillian will be 2 years 9 months on Saturday.  And I will be 84.  No really, I just feel like I'm 84.  84 going on 83 maybe.  Things are getting a little easier.

When they hear the bath water, they come pounding down the hall.

I don't know if its just that we had a mild winter and I never hit that "Oh my God will February ever be over?" stage or that the last 10 months of my life are a complete and total blur.  I feel like an amnesiac.  I can't remember what we ate for dinner yesterday.  And I likely cooked it and went to bed with some of it on the seat of my pj pants.  That's what sucks about our situation.  Babies are awesome.  Babies are cute and snugly and I want to eat mine up every day.  But babies are a lot of work, we all know this.  And to have two at the same time and a toddler, well, I might as well drink away my memory.  Wait a minute...

Exploring the deck.

The weather has gone from a mild winter chill to completely ideal.  But it's way too early, don't you think?  75 degrees in March?  The grass is completely green and already needs mowing.  Which sucks because this means I will be without two hours of my husband's help every weekend for the next 6 months.  We've been able to get outside on a regular basis for a couple of weeks.  It's a total pain in the ass.  But, of course, it's worth the 2+ trips up and down the lower level stairs to the garage (basement level) to put each kid in the stroller or car and get out to the park or the neighbors' backyard.

My little Will through the hand of his brother.

As much as I love these kiddos right now, I am looking forward to the boys' walking.  We can take these little balls of toddle to the pool for their first swims.  We can take them outside (and they can get there on their own hopefully) and watch them explore the yard without trying to put everything in their mouths.  They will move to bigger car seats and actually be able to walk to the car themselves, instead of me making two trips, up and down those stairs (which are probably keeping me healthy so I shouldn't complain).  I love this age, I really do, and I am trying to savor it, but at the same time, I am tired.  I am ready for something easier.

Aren't I beautiful Mama? Yes Samuel, you are.

I am ready for them to start picking up their own food.  One of them is doing quite well.  William ate his own pancake tonight (breakfast for dinner on Fridays is the BEST!).  He eats cheese and black beans and green beans and rice and oranges and banana and avocado and cheerios.  Sam eats cheerios.  He will eat the other things as well, but I have to pick them up, put it on a spoon and stick it in his mouth.  If I try to put anything in his mouth directly from my fingers, he spits it back out.  And whatever I put on his tray, other than a Cheerio, he throws to the floor.  He's either not quite ready or incredibly lazy, but he knows exactly what he's doing.

Will so far is the only one pulling up.  Sam is close.  He gets one leg up and then just gives up.  Again, not sure if he's not ready or maybe a little lazy.  But he is so darn cute, and the most photogenic kid.  I have three very cute kids, but this kid LOVES the camera, and I mean literally loves the camera.  Not only does he look good in every picture I take, but he cannot leave the thing alone.  I can't get a picture of anyone else without a part of Sam's anatomy also in the picture.

New trick means no nap!!

Sam is still the better sleeper.  Will's new found skill in pulling up lead him to an afternoon nap today of one hour and 15 minutes crying while standing in the crib.  This is after an unheard of hour and a half nap almost every afternoon for the past week (I KNEW he could do it!  AND I knew he needed it!).  I don't get it.  Two steps forward, one step back, I guess.  We had a little chat, and tomorrow is a new day.

Sweetest, smartest girl ever.

Enough about the boys.  It's Lillian's time.  Poor thing.  Not only do I not write as often as I want to, but it's always about 'the brothers.'  She is at the age now where things don't change as quickly, so each new thing is not so recognizable.  She is so smart though.  And such a kind little soul.  Yesterday, she snuck up behind me and said, "Look Mommy, my family."  She'd drawn a picture, all on her own, with 5 "people", one large, one medium, and three smaller, but two of these three very close in proximity.  And she also put an L on the page.  Even though it is backwards, (she does this a lot when we try to spell her name) she tried to put her name on the page.  I don't know what is normal for a not quite 3 year old, but this was pretty special to me.  What is even more remarkable is I asked her who was who on the page and she pointed out each figure - the biggest is Daddy, the next biggest is Lilli, the two right next to each other are Sam and Will.  And the last very small figure?  Well, that is Mommy.  I am the biggest presence in her life right now, but I am the smallest in significance, at least on this page.  I'm not taking it personal, I'm taking it as a sign.  My hardest years with her are yet too come.  But I love her so, and I will always think this little girl is something very, very incredible.  And because of that kind little soul she has, I have no doubt that she will come to appreciate me.  Probably in my days when I am much more grey and much less tired.  And I look forward to it.