A day without Daddy

So, it always seems that an incredibly difficult day follows those easy, relaxed, fun days.  Just a friendly reminder that no, I do not have it all together, and no, I cannot do it all.

Yesterday was a joy.  We laughed.  We danced.  We played peek-a-boo and giggled, running between the columns.  Warren did so much better listening and following simple commands.  One of those days where, even though Andrew didn't get home until nearly 6, I wasn't watching the clock waiting for my helper.

Then, there was today.  Temper tantrums, biting, screaming.  We screamed because the Lego bag was closed, screamed because we threw the Lego over the railing, became hysterical when Mom went downstairs (to retrieve said Lego).  We threw temper tantrums because we wanted more food, because we didn't want THAT food, because we wanted more to drink.  But not out of that cup.  And by the end of the night, Warren and Dean were both standing in kitchen screaming loud enough I'm sure the neighbors thought I was beating them, each holding on to one side of a plastic spoon and pulling with all their might.  Sigh.  Daddy is away for the night and it's like they knew, long before Andrew should have been home.

There was a single moment when they were playing quietly.  I took advantage of that 2 minute interval to address some cards so we could drop them at the post office.  During this time (literally 2 minutes), these boys managed to pull all the toilet paper off the roll, put as much of it in the toilet as physically possible, and "stir" it all together with the TV remote.  Yeah.  I dug a nice remote out of the toilet.  And then pulled out tons of toilet paper.  Sigh again.

I am now wearing an assortment of things no woman should have to wear...various portions of each meal, ear wax, boogers, juice, milk, and spit up.  Ugh.  What a gross day.   But then, in a moment of peace and serenity, right before bed, Warren sighed and laid his head on my shoulder.  Dean gave me a kiss.  Totally worth every second of our difficult day for those last moments before bedtime.  Never mind that Warren wouldn't drink a single drop, that he threw his milk at me.  Never mind that Dean lost it time and time again when he didn't get his way.  I wouldn't change a single thing if it all led up to those quiet moments right before bed.  Love these boys.

Birthday Weekend Celebration

We have really enjoyed a wonderful weekend away with the boys, celebrating Reagan's short life and the joy she has brought us.  The weather didn't cooperate quite like we were expecting but the snow did hold off until late on Friday.  We enjoyed a beautiful drive through the mountains with every color imaginable on the mountainside - gorgeous fall leaves of red, orange, and gold.  It was breathtaking.  I would never have known a) that it was so cold outside and b) that we were hours away from snowfall.

We started our time in Blowing Rock with a balloon release, picnic lunch, and temper tantrums.

Once the bellies were full, we headed into town for the traditional trip to Kilwins.  I purchased a chunk of the best fudge ever.  Andrew bought ice cream (yes, it was in the 40s outside, and yes, he ate it all).  This allowed the boys to have their very first EVER taste of ice cream.  Nothing but the best for my babies!  And they LOVED it, signing "more" after each bite.  And then there were the temper tantrums once Mommy said all done.  Poor little guys, couldn't understand why they couldn't have more of such a good thing.  Tough life lessons learned at a young age.

Early Saturday morning, we woke to beautiful, freshly-fallen snow.  We briefly let the boys play outside and captured a glimpse of the pure joy on Warren's face.  Such a blessing to raise these boys!

And then we thought, we're so close, why not head to Sky Top for some apple cider donuts??  No line today!  And, to continue the weekend of spoiling our boys all-natural, sugar-free diet, we thought we'd give them a taste.  Yummy!

Ok, so Warren definitely shows off when a camera is around.  Most of the time.  And we get those adorable, dimpled grins.  Dean, well, he's less photogenic (though equally as cute in person) and with Dean, what you see is what you get.  So, that's him enjoying his mouthful of donut in a less-cute though more realistic fashion.  Just so you don't think Warren is always making that angelic face, in the spirit of fairness...