Tuesday, August 16, 2011

....whirly.....

.....this was the girls favorite ride at Dutch Wonderland.....





.....it was one of those rides that whipped them around the curve of the oval track really fast and just when they caught their breath on the straight away, the other curve approached and whipped them around again.....we called this the whirly ride and we rode it more than a few times......

.....and honestly, I feel like my life is whirly right now......some days I feel like I walk in a continuous circle and get nothing done.....other days, things on the straight away are smooth and all of a sudden, I am thrown for a the loop......and just like our favorite ride at Dutch Wonderland, I am laughing my way through it all- most of the time- but I am dizzy.....overwhelmed and oh, so dizzy.....

.....take this morning, for instance.....this summer, I host a group of Mommas at my house from church and we start at 9:45am......I usually wake up in enough time to shower, put on a little bronzer, blush and mascara, feed the kids breakfast, load up the stroller, take Elsie to camp and come home with enough time to set out some coffee and fruit and stash any clutter so my friends don't think we're slobs.....this morning when the first Momma arrived, I had Brody's explosive diaper all over my top.....I hadn't as much rubbed in my face bronzer, which seems to be the only make up I wear these days, I hadn't brushed my teeth, his poop was still all over the carpet, Elsie and her friend had boycotted going to camp; causing a slight delay in the events of the morning......Callie wouldn't get dressed, Brody nursed for much longer than I anticipated and the remnants of the pancakes I made Callie for breakfast were all over my kitchen.....batter drips everywhere......and although I know these women well enough that it didn't bother me, I had to laugh at the fact this morning was a total doozy.....

....but I am learning to be more flexible.....I'm learning to shrug off the fact that my carpets are always looking like they need a good vacuum, I'm learning to appreciate what I look like bare faced.....learning to appreciate a to do list that seems to grow, rather than shrink and I am constantly being reminded that my kids don't care about any of this.....they simply want me present.....and I am happy to set it all aside for them, especially when I can soak up smiles and expressions like this...... 



.....it's important that we find a balance......some of us like somewhere between whirly and wild.....some prefer a calmer contrast between wake-less and whirly......regardless, there has to be a happy medium and finding that balance is the ebb and flow of our lives.....and that balance takes work to achieve.....but the moments when you find it; it's harmonious.....


.....we found our new favorite beach this past weekend up in Greenwich, CT.....a beach filled with lagoons, children, soft rocks for skipping across the water and a village of victorian, ranch and colonial style homes surrounding the sound....it's picturesque of how I have imagined northeastern beaches......


.....and my children love the beach, which makes me so very happy.....






.....and although Brody was recovering from a few days with a tiny cold, plus the Hep B shot mid-week, our man was still pretty happy.....although he had a few endearing moments where it was all just too much for him to take.....


....and when it's harmonious, I breathe it all in and exhale slowly......because there are moments of their childhood I don't want to ever forget.....

.....this beach retreat was the first one where Stefan and I sat in our chairs and watched the girls play.....they frolicked and hopped and practiced their reach and pulls in the shallow lagoon water.....Stefan even said the word relax in the midst of hanging out at the beach with three kids under the age of four......Brody nursed close to me, nestled so comfortably and we enjoyed everything the salty scene offered.....and as we watched them play, we laughed as Elsa sauntered up to a Daddy catching crabs with his three children....we observed some banter exchange and before we knew it, she had asked for a turn and pulled this Daddy from his tribe.....


.....so Stefan intervened and he didn't come back for a while....everyone became fast friends......



.....good people in Connecticut.....

.....and in good old whirly fashion, here is a glimpse of the weekend at Dutch Wonderland.....I had meant to blog about this fantastic time with our new friends so many times this last week, but.....as I said, Momma has been dizzy......


.....it was exhilarating to watch how much the girls loved the fast rides....there are many Space Mountain and Six Flags adventures in our future.....however, two full days at an amusement park and three late nights with good adult conversation and good wine after the children hit the sheets and I needed a few days to lean toward the wake-less side of the pendulum......



......so we had some slow days.....


....and we all needed them.....

                                                                                   Brody's new favorite place to be in the thick of  family fun.....


....and I like the hunker down and hang out at the house because we have had too much going on times too.....perfect for new firsts for our little man......

                                         yum.....rice cereal......maybe it will help all of us to sleep in longer stretches.....Buddy Buddy liked it.....8.12.11


.....and because I don't handle the whirly times as well when I am utterly exhausted, I am signing off to check on my babies before sliding in the sheets....

                                                                      iphone photos: August 2011
......have a whirly Wednesday......