Water fun

My favorite part of summer and nice weather is letting the kids play in water. The Lil 'Uns just love it and it keeps them cool and happy. What's not to like about that right?

Today was a warm sunny humid day, perfect for some water play. They had a great time. Kit did that completely "manic happy" laugh that she does. She splashed and got soaking wet and just had a fabulous time. Ben had fun too but he's not quite as water-crazy as Kit tends to be. He likes to play and get wet... he just prefers that OTHER people get splashed... not so much him getting splashed.

So just an excuse really to share a great pic I got of the children today. After water playtime was over and it was time to go in for lunch Gregory found a great way to get rid of the water left over in the tubby.... they kids were all laughing and having a great time... Patch wasn't all that sure about water on his face but he did okay. Gregory is just way to skinny huh? Yeah I think so too... still he's so handsome :) Yeah I know I'm biased... so what?

baby love... oh baby love... & the baba club

The inspiration for this post is a crappy picture I took with Ed's phone camera. It was one of those moments I wished I had my real camera on me but no such luck. Here's the photo I refer too...
It was taken this past week. Ben had yet another specialist appointment to go to, fortunately this one was what we consider "local" and only 30 minutes away. This meant that Kit got a very short nap and Ben no nap at all. Ben does okay without nap to be honest, he can power through the rest of the day but it inevitably does mean an early bedtime. We saw the specialist and the children were little monkeys getting into things faster than we could stop them. All in all though it was a good appointment with mostly good news (to read more about that go HERE). The children got pops from Mami (thank heavens I keep some in the diaper bags at all times) and off we were.

The drive home was nice... warm and sunny day the sun shining through the new leaves on the trees. Ed and I talked about the appointment and just life in general when I looked back and saw... well... what's in that picture. Ben nodding off to sleep and hand in hand with Kit. We hadn't told them to hold hands... they just did. I cursed the fact that I didn't have my camera and Ed handed me his phone and told me to use that... so I did. Crap picture but it does capture the moment.

It just struck a deep chord in me. They love each other. They really do. They may fight over toys and occasionally knock each other over... but they ADORE each other. Deeply. It's at the point now where Ben and Kit are really at the same level more or less. Ben with his delays and Kit with her precociousness -- they're neck and neck these days. They are, as we so often refer to them lately, Frick & Frack.... as thick as thieves. It's such an intense bond they share, it moves me.

As for "The Baba Club" that's another facet to this relationship they. They are our two "baba" (pacifier) babies. They love and adore their baba's and they both find great comfort in them when they are sad or hurt. They treasure their baba's and cling mightily to them. One will steal a baba from the others mouth and pop it in their own if they are feeling the urge. However one thing that surprises me is the "brotherhood" (for lack of a more gender neutral term) of the Baba club. If Kit sees Ben hurt and crying she will go over to him and take the baba out of her own mouth and give it to Ben to comfort him. He does the same for her. If there is none around to be had they will scream for a baba for the other so that they can give it to them. It's this bond and this shared understanding of the comfort and peace of the baba. It makes me laugh while at the same time amazing me. They WANT to give each other comfort. It's just so sweet.

I love the relationship between my two babies. Sometimes I worry how that relationship will change as Kit passes Ben up developmentally... but mostly I just have this inner sense that they will always be okay those two. They will always carry some of this bond and closeness with them for the rest of their lives. Thank you God for that. Thank you.

More stuff on Patch

This week we went in for a special P/T conference with Patch's teacher. We like her a lot and we know that she really likes Patch, he's had a really good first grade year and he's happy. In the past we have discussed Patch's issues with concentration and organization and it was something we were all aware of. So we went in and we talked some more, and Patch's issues with focus are only getting worse and not better . The entire conversation was like a weird deja-vu of when Gregory was in the 2nd grade and we heard all the same things from his teacher.... extremely intelligent, very good child, never a disruption or problem in class... and a complete inability to stay on task, focus on his work and a serious penchant toward daydreaming. We'd heard it all before and we know what it means. Still it kind of left me with a slightly heavier heart. It wasn't like I was surprised... just a little bit sad I guess.

So today we went and saw the pediatrician and filled out their questionnaire and talked about Patch's issues and decided to at least try him on medication... much like we did with Gregory was he was only slightly older. So here we start on this journey of ADD and medication with Patch. Like I said, not surprising... just very slightly disheartening.

On the upside we continue to hear what a wonderful and happy child is... how Patch has many close friends and is very popular and plays with a whole crew of kids out on the playground, very much UNlike Gregory at the same age. So it's not all bad.

So here we go!!! I'm ready for it because the fact is that Patch is a really great kid and I know we'll find our way. Just like we did with Gregory.

Patch-man

Patch lost another tooth!! YAY!! He's been complaining about it for 4 or 5 days, that it was so loose it was hard for him to eat and it was bothering him... you know the routine. So for days now we've been trying to pull it out for him and finally today I was able to pull it. He gave a little squeal when it came out but it was done and over. I think he's kind of proud to be honest. He ran to look in the mirror and see how he looks now.

I have to say he looks SO different now. Well, just lately he's looking different and now with the missing tooth only more so. He shot up several inches over the last few months and now his tooth is gone and his big teeth are coming in on the bottom. He's not my little fella anymore... he's definitely into big boy territory now. Still loves his jim-jams and his Spider-man... but he's not Mami's baby anymore.

Kitten

Oh our little baby is growing up so fast, it all seems to be happening in the blink of an eye. When did our tiny little Kit-Kat become this high energy, on the go, whirling dervish of physical prowess that she is today? When did she start talking so well and expressing herself to us so well? When did she stop being a baby and become a full blown toddler?

Today, dressed in a cute smocked short sleeve shirt and jeans, she looked like such a big girl. Maybe it was the jeans. Maybe it was those sweet little arms in that cute shirt. Maybe it's just that she's not a baby anymore and sometimes it hits you in the face like a brick. She's a walking talking little person with her own unique personality and likes and dislikes and definite opinions... and she wants to make sure YOU know what they are.

I am madly in love with that baby of mine... and lets be frank... she's ALWAYS going to be my baby. I admit there are times I feel torn and I find myself wishing for the easier days that her getting older will afford me. A little downtime. A little quiet time. The ability to shower EVERY day if I want to (oh and I will want to!). More freedom to spend time alone with Ed. So I look forward to it. I think of a time that our car will have no car seats or boosters and I think what an amazing time of life that will be for me.

Then other times, as she sleeps between me and Ed at night in our bed, I just stare at her little peaceful face and I stroke her soft cheek and I think that I want THIS to last forever. I want her to call me Mama and want to be close to me and have that cute baby giggle and those sweet little baby clothes and that round little face with those huge grey eyes FOREVER. I want to stay with her just the way she is right now always. I love scooping her up and holding her close and that she loves it too. I love that she believes that if I kiss the boo-boo it stops hurting immediately. I love that just being close to me is enough to calm her and quiet her.... even if her sleep. I love that when she has fever and feels icky ONLY Mami will do. I love her babyness and I'm never going to do this again so I want to enjoy each and every precious moment of it.

Kit is perfect... horns and all... I love every little bit of her with every little bit of me.