Ice Cream Date

 Last year for Mother's Day, I got coupon books from Hubby AND each of my big kids.  Included in the my coupon book from Caroline was a coupon for an "Ice Cream Date" just the two of us.

Well, last Mother's Day was the pandemic, so we didn't rush right out for that ice cream date.  Also, Hunter was still nursing so I wasn't going many places without him.  I kept the coupon and I told her we'd make sure to do that when we could.

So... yesterday we did.  LOL.

Honestly, I am not good at doing things with just ONE child at a time.  I know that the others will enjoy it too... I want them to do things as brothers and sisters and when I do something special with the kids, I want to take ALL the kids.  Hubby is much better at doing special things with children one at a time.

But yesterday, I spent all day doing laundry, and continuing to clean and organize the upstairs post-construction (construction is still going strong in the basement, but the upstairs has been completed for about a week, so I felt comfortable in some final stages of cleaning and organizing upstairs)... so by about 4:00, I told Caroline I was ready for our ice cream date!

We went to Baskin Robbins and ate ice cream in the back of our rental mini-van like a tail-gate party (our suburban hit a deer a few weeks ago so its being repaired).

It was short, sweet, and very special to have that time with just her.

She did say several times that we should get pedicures while we were out getting ice cream, which was really funny.  I responded by saying that the coupon was for an ICE CREAM date, not a pedicure date.  She told me that this next Mother's Day she's going to give me a coupon for an ice cream AND pedicure date.

When I asked her if she was going to pay for our pedicures since she was giving me a coupon, she said No, I was going to pay for them.

I love motherhood.

LOL.

A Load Off

I finally took a load off yesterday afternoon for the first time since Thanksgiving break.  I was still working on my computer, but I actually put my feet up, and turned on White Christmas and enjoyed an hour in the middle of the day off my feet.

Well, within minutes of Lee Lee and Caroline awakening, I was able to snap the following pictures.  I found it hilarious how quickly I lost my seat, and my relaxing position to my girls, who are always watching me... and always emulating me.  :-D

My Girls

This picture encapsulates so much personality of my girls.

Caroline found her fitting in our family when Addallee was born.  Caroline has loved babies since she held her first baby doll and loves being a big sister to Lee Lee.  I know they will fight in days to come... but more often than not, Caroline is inserting herself to help take care of Addallee.

Lee Lee loves her role as the youngest of our crazy, loving crew.  Her favorite place to be is anywhere getting attention from one of her big siblings.  She usually has the biggest smile on her face any time a sibling is playing with her... which is often.  If not a smile, it is this wide-eyed gaze that you see here as though she is desperately trying to catch up with her siblings and be a part of the fun as best she can.

And then there is my oldest, Tracey Ann.  We listen to a lot of music in our home... and with that comes a lot of awesome dance parties.  When this picture was taken, Tracey has asked to put on her dance costume and was dancing all around the basement.  I think this picture caught her mid-jump and twirl.  When I told her that her dancing looked great, she informed me that this was, "Tracey Style!"  I don't think truer words have ever been spoken.

... And Howard.  Where was Howard when I took this picture?  

If I had a nickle for every time I wondered where Howard was.

 

Sweet Sisters

I hope this is just the beginning of pictures like this:

 

Full Arms... Full Heart

While we were expecting the twins, I kept reminding myself that I would have to repeat this phrase to myself many times int he coming years:

If you think my arms are full... you should see my heart.

I think I will probably post pictures from time to time showing me with full arms... and reminding myself (and you) that really, I have a very full heart.

Here is the first:

If you think my arms are full...

You should see my heart. 

(In case you don't know what you're looking at... I'm nursing Caroline, Tracey Ann is cuddling at my feet, and Lexie has decided she wants to be loved on too.

1000 Words

1000 Words...

And Happy Birthday yesterday to our sweet Lexie Girl.

Girls Weekend

Hubby has been doing graduate school most of the weekend, and so Tracey Ann and I have had a girls weekend.

She and I have been on our own before, but this weekend felt different.  It felt like a fun girls weekend instead of my being a solo-parent with the baby.

We read a lot of books, we followed Lexie around (even under a few beds), we threw the ball for Lloyd and rubbed his belly, we had our first pillow fight, we met PEO sisters for coffee, we giggled and shrieked and napped. Tracey Ann helped me vacuum, do the dishes and the laundry, and we spent a lot of time turning our family room into a jungle gym.
 

I had a headache on Friday, so we took it easy that day -- we watched some tv.  I was pretty strict about Tracey Ann's television exposure during her first year of life... and I still am very careful to limit her screen time... but I have relaxed a little now that she is one.  We took it easy and watched some cartoons while I was fighting my headache.

Our baby girl is SO much fun.  She is really turning into Mama's Little Helper... well, she's trying to be Mama's Little Helper.  These days, I do appreciate it when she sleeps, but I get so excited for when she wakes up.

She lets out a few shrieks to let me know she's awake, I open the door to her nursery... and there is my big, beautiful girl, standing up in her crib, with a HUGE smile on her face, and as soon as she seems me, she starts bouncing up and down because she is so excited to see me.  A moment later, she reaches her arms up to say "Up, please," and gives me the sign for "Milk," and I say, "You're hungry?" and she nods her head enthusiastically.

Our little princess grows more every day, and every day I love the stage she's in... and then she does something new, and I love that new stage she's in.  Every day I don't think I can love this baby more... and every day, I love her more.

I feel like the luckiest mother, the luckiest woman, the luckiest person in the world that I get to love and care for this perfect, happy, loving, beautiful baby girl.

 I really need to get some more pictures of Tracey Ann and me together... its just hard enough to get pictures of Tracey Ann by herself these days... that selfies of the two of us are nearly impossible.  But I need to try.  These days are flying by, and she's doing more and more every day and I want pictures of the two of us together.