Mother's Day Weekend, 2013

Wednesday, May 8th:
Daddy's turn to read a bedtime story. We usually read six books and trade back and forth. He left on a five-day trip the next day.


Thursday, May 9th:
While I was finishing getting ready, Aiden told me he needed to wear two of my necklaces that day. He agreed that they would probably end up getting broken while playing at Jocie's house and decided to leave them at home.


Friday, May 10th:
After five weeks with snow and a week with rain, Friday felt like a true spring day. Grandma took care of the boys that day, because Jocie needed to take the day off. They had a great time with her, including bike-riding and making play-doh. (The next five are from her camera.)











That evening, we went back outside to play after supper:

Waving goodbye to Grandma:

Aiden had to watch her car drive away as close as possible:

Turning back to me in great delight after Grandma honked the horn:

Off they go on their new birthday Strider bikes. Right now they don't really sit down on the seats, but just walk their bikes wherever they are going:





I thought they were going to ride around the cul-de-sac, but they had another idea. They wanted to run along  the rain gutter, which I didn't realize had been dammed up with mud and sticks. The boys had very soggy shoes and socks by the time I discovered what they were up to.











My new Facebook cover pic:





I figured there was no sense stopping the fun at that point, so I just moved my lawn chair over to the trail and continued to work on my knitting. Someday this will be a scarf/shawl. Hopefully before next winter.

Selfie.

Grandma walked by as she enjoyed a nice evening walk:

"Bye, Gwanma!!!"

The drowned rats:








Saturday, May 11th:
The boys "rode" their bikes over to the park.














































Reid told me Daddy wears his hat like this and wanted to make sure I took some pictures we could send to him:





Another lovely evening, which included hauling rocks:










Sunday, May 12th:
Mother's Day and one year without my dad. :(
Snuggling with my guys in the morning:


Decorating Grandma's Mother's Day card:

Meanwhile, Eric went from New York to Miami and back again:

The boys and I picked up Grandma and headed for a Sunday morning drive in the mountains. We went up to Conifer and Evergreen, which if you look them up on a map are part of my huge school district:

A stop at a park in Evergreen:





Me and my Ma. :)

This evening we were able to FaceTime with David, Kelsey, and Eva:




We tried to get a picture of the boys with Grandma outside this evening, but they ran away to hide behind the trees. As Grandma was getting ready to leave, she suggested they sit up on the half wall, which was the most exciting idea ever! The boys both chose to wear their Rockies shirts today. That would have put a big smile on Papa's face. I can't decide which one I like the best:









Bath night. After baths, I sing "Rock-a-bye, Baby" to each of them. Tonight they were adamant that I needed two babies to rock at the same time. Good thing the three of us are good about sharing tight quarters.









Pouting about something. I think I made them stay upstairs while I retrieved their water:

Back to smiles during book time. Aiden was sitting on the edge of the bed rail behind me while Reid was on my lap. They take turns sitting on my lap through the six books:








Before I forget a couple of little stories, I was tucking the boys into bed last week and was telling them that I loved them "Lots and lots!" Aiden: "I wuv you wots and wots!" Reid: "I like baseball!"

Reid has also changed the lyrics of some of our lullabies. The Math song which, as you all know because of your keen familiarity with the Quadratic Formula, ends with "all over 2a" is now "all over two footballs." "Skinamarinky Dinky Dink"- instead of "I love you!", Reid sings "I love football and baseball!" He's a sly one.

From my mom's camera:
Saturday evening:

 Sunday morning:

Still really want to catch up with the last half of March, April (the boys turned 3!), and the first third of May. *Sigh.* Figured I would try to sneak in pics from this weekend before I return to grading tonight. I'm so desperate to be caught up with school work and get a little bit of a breather, but that's just not meant to happen this school year. I hit the wall quite a while ago, but the fact that I slept through (or turned off?) my alarm Friday morning is a sure sign that summer break would help me tremendously. I woke up to the sound of my mom unlocking the front door at 6:30, which is usually when I need to be out the door. Yikes! Good thing I wasn't taking them to daycare that day, because I probably would have received a call from Jocie or the secretary at school wondering where I was.

Missing my dad so much today, as he passed away one year ago today. I feel like I've been sprinting a marathon the past three years, so I'm struggling to get through May as is. I could go on and on, but I think I'll leave it with a little sign I bought last fall:
"Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in Heaven* where the love of our lost ones shines down to let us know they are with us."  (*Or as the boys say, "Papa's in Heben.")

More than anything else I wish my dad was still here, but I'm very thankful he is no longer suffering.

Love you, Dad!

Sniff, sniff.