Mother's Day

Mother's Day is one of my favorite days of the year. The vast majority of my being is focused on raising happy, kind, balanced children that will succeed in this crazy world. I enjoy it immensely but it is so very difficult. I struggle to find my identity outside motherhood sometimes. So, this day is a day to be honored for all I do and it really makes me feel all warm and cozy inside.
Trinity made me a craft at school that she was so excited to give me. It just melted my heart!
The plan was to walk a 5K with the Breast Cancer Network of Strength with my mom and aunt in honor of my grandma. Sick children, chilly temps and the need to sleep-in put a damper on that plan. So, Eddie got up, got me my favorite coffee, I ran 3 miles and settled in for Eddie's homemade crepes. It was a nice relaxing morning which is just what I needed. It was perfect!
Later we went to Eddie's parents house for brunch. The spread was comparable to any high-end restaurant in town. I was very impressed! It was so nice to enjoy a meal and have the kids play and visit instead of chasing them around a restaurant. Eddie's grandmother and uncle were in town from Venezuela (more posts on that to come) which made it even that more special.

I snuck out to visit with my mom. I raced back to Eddie's parents with medicine for Everett to sooth his 103 degree fever. He fell asleep on Eddie's lap for 2 hours which never has happened. Poor guy!

Happy Mother's Day to all the special moms in my life!!

Big Run Wolf Ranch

What do get when you have wolves in your backyard, a 500 lb. black bear, a cougar and a hundred kids? Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen or a federal crime in the least. However, it is a wolf ranch 5 minutes from my house. You drive into the back of a subdivision and await one of the coolest and strangest places I have ever seen. Here is a wolf on a leash two feet from us showing us his giant teeth. The owner was quick to point out that if he bites you, his teeth are hooked so the more you pull away, the deeper the teeth sink into your skin. thanks!The kids got their faces painted by a "talented" volunteer. They are supposed to be a wolf (Everett) and a bear. hmm!I think Everett's highlight was taking the school bus from the local shopping center to the ranch. He really wants to be a big kid riding to school on the bus. Here is my little wolf...I am holding a baby wolf cub. Pretty cool, huh?

I wish I got more pictures of the other animals but it was wicked cold and I was worried about those wolves on the leashes eating my kids.

The ranch has an open house about once a month during the summer months. That is the only time it is open to the public. It is an experience. You should check it out.

Bear Wilderness

Part of the induction to suburban life is a membership to Brookfield Zoo. Part of the perks is a preview of the new Bear Wilderness habitat before it opens to the public (it opened May 8th). I saddled up the kids, fed them lunch in the car and took off running to see the new home for the bears and bison. It really is awesome. Go before the summer crowds hit. Now that I am a member, I got lots of guest passes so if you need company and a free entrance, let me know.

We were almost through the trail when we saw the last polar bear, Hudson. The trainers were just about to start a training session. I usually don't stick around for this type of deal but Trinity wanted to see what it was all about. Her and Everett snuck up to the glass (2 feet from the bear) while I stayed back a bit with Reeve and the stroller so the swarm of kids could get a good spot. They opened the large-safe-metal-so-I-can't-eat-your-children door that leads into his home. Panic struck me as the only thing separating the bear from my children was a metal gate too small and flimsy for my liking. They gave Hudson a treat and led him to the glass right in front of my kids and had him jump up onto it to touch the green circle. It was truly amazing and a cool thing for the kids to witness from 2 feet away.

Here is Mr. Brown Bear's new home. You can see him above the kid's heads sleeping on the rock.This was inside the Living Coast exhibit where the penguins and the fishes live. The kids sat here for a good 20 minutes watching the fish. It was Everett's favorite part of the day. Either that or he was coming off his adrenalin rush from thinking he was going to drown in the ocean just several minutes before. If you have been through here you may remember the rushing water that assimilates the waves of the ocean. There is this glass "ceiling" you stand under and water rushes on top of it and onto rocks. It is sort of like you are all of the sudden under a waterfall but you don't get wet. If you are a 2 year old, you may get freaked out. (I still laugh when I think about my girlfriend's son Jack jumping ten feet in the air when the water came rushes over his head.) Everett jumped out of his skin. Several weeks later, he still says "I don't like water scared!"

Five minutes before THIS happened, a seagull pooped all over Reeve's head and my stroller. gross!

One other funny thing Everett picked up at the zoo was "He is going to bite you!" This was my response to Everett's "why?" when I kept telling him he couldn't climb into the lion's den and physically had to remove him from off of the fence. Now every time he sees an animal, bug, person, he says "he is going to bite you!" It cracks me up.

Dental Exam

Everett had his first trip to the dentist. Trinity went as well for a check-up. All was great with her as it has always been. They took X-rays and found that her two bottom teeth are going to become loose any day. She is very excited to lose her first teeth and keeps trying to wiggle them out.

I was a little anxious to see how Everett would react to a teeth-cleaning, especially having all 3 kids with me thus having minimal ability to calm several children at once. He did great though. He was frozen in fear and confusion I think. He did not put up a fight but was quick to say he was all done!

My pediatric dentist is in the city which makes for a drive to get the kids there but it is well worth it. They are amazing at what they do. That helps to calm their nerves and mine!

Trinityisms, Part II

I have not had a great memory since having kids. I am not sure it because I have suffered brain damage or because I have 10,000 on my mind at a time. Trinity is starting to take notice. I asked her what she wanted for lunch 3 times yesterday, each time forgetting her answer. As I was heading into the garage to put something in the freezer Trinity says to me, "Mama, you are losing your memories. Maybe they are in the garage!"

Meanwhile, Everett is just saying the darndest things as well. Besides saying "God Bless YOU!" and an unsolicited "I love You" (which is a song to a mama's ears) he does have some pretty funny stuff to say. Yesterday he said "I want to watch Fraggle Rock ALL DAY LONG." He hasn't watched that show in a month.
He also pretends he is an animal and says he is going to bite you (See Bear Wilderness post). Today he did bite Reeve's finger but only after Reeve put it in his mouth. He left bite marks. :(
When you are trying to get his attention and he wants to ignore you he says, "I can't hear you!"
He is really into motorcycles and construction vehicles. When he sees a motorcycle he gives a shout out and says "Did you see it, did you see it?!?!?" When he sees a construction truck he says, "Look, a loader a boom and a bucket!" He know all the parts!

Run It.

Children's Museum

We spent 4 hours at the kid's museum this week. The kids could not get enough. They are still talking about it and asking when we can go back. It was a hike for me but well worth it. Their personalities and curiosity exploded within the walls of the building!Face painting was a big hit.

11 Months

Reeve is almost 1 which blows my mind. He is a busy 11 months. He eats table food as if a famine is on the horizon. He has gained 3 pounds in 2 months which made him jump 10% in the percentile chart. He is now in the 60th percentile for weight. I cannot keep him pinned long enough to measure his length.

He has become a very easy child. I no longer have to coax him to bed. He easily sleeps 11 hours at night.

He takes 2 predictable naps.

He loves to play and explore. His new thing is rolling over things (i.e. a couch cushion) and sort of falling over. He cracks up until he pukes.

He loves to push Everett's dump truck and fire truck through the whole house.

He climbs stairs, quickly.

He cruises.

He is FINALLY rolling over from his back to front.

He now sleeps on his tummy.

He keeps his shoes on.

He loves being outside.

He opens cabinets, toilets and constantly knocks the garbage can over.

He is fascinated with the microwave.

He is super sweet!

Frolicking

Petland

I'm so far behind on blogging. I just found pictures on my camera from a birthday party Trinity had a month ago. It was at Petland and was super cute. She got to hold a lot of puppies, a bunny, a snake and anything else the birthday girl wanted to take out to play with. They also got a tour of their aquariums and held several crabs and got a cool fish lesson. I spent most of the time with her but snuck out to take a tour of Ikea. :)

Trinity and Emma

Here is a recap of their friendship from a previous post.

Here are some recent cute pictures.