First Day of Summer!

Summer is here! Having just spent Sunday at the beach in Westbrook and celebrating Robby's pre-school graduation last Friday, I was really getting into the spirit of "summer vacation." With the boys being in day care full-time, they never get to enjoy the fun of summer vacation. With Robby starting kindergarten in September, this seems even more important this year.

So I've come up with a plan. We're establishing "Robby & Joey's Whole Lot of Stuff to Do Before School Starts This Fall List." Taking a cue from our friends Phinneas and Ferb, "we're gonna do it all" this summer. I've made a list -- so far I have 74 items on it -- of things we can do every day to make summer a little more fun. They range from things we can do on a weekday after school to ideas for weekend plans, from the silly to the ordinary, from things we're bound to do several times during summer to random things the boys ask to do.

I can't wait to get started on our own version of summer vacation!

10 Things Right Now about Us

1. We're 10 days away from leaving for Disney! We're all getting very excited and I love that Robby has started to understand the countdown chart I made -- he looks forward to moving "Mickey Robby" and "Mickey Joey" every day now.
2. Robby is wanting to know how to spell everything lately. I've had to spell words like: in, out, wizard, Professor McGonagall, yes -- your typical starter words and totally random Robby words. He's trying to read things now too. He can spell: no, stop, out, Robby, Joey, Mommy, Daddy, Nana, big.
3. Joey is doing great with his vocabulary, pronunciation and expanding sentences and putting sentences together. He gets most talkative at night when he's tired. It's like he winds down by talking up a storm. Very funny.
4. We had a broken valve on our furnace last night and had to get a plumber over here at 9:30 p.m. Fortunately it was a relatively minor expense ($190) -- we had feared some really big expense that would be hitting right before Disney.
5. Joey likes to request "For Boston" as a lullabye lately. He'll even sing it himself. It goes something like this: Hmm. For Boston. Hmm. For Boston. Hmmmm. Sing. Hmm. For Boston College. Robby on the other hand actually knows the whole song, which is more than I can say for myself, though some of his words are a little mispronounced. But that just makes it cuter.
6. I still can't get them (or more specifically Robby) to narrow down a Halloween costume decision.
7. I'm already starting to feel the holidays/end-of-year panic and stress. With this Disney trip in the middle of October, we'll be returning and getting ready for Halloween, and before you know it, it'll be Thanksgiving and Christmas. Aside from the baking, shopping and cleaning, there's all the projects to wrap up for the end of the year at work. Every year I promise myself I'll be organized and prepared but every year I'm running into the last minute on everything. Maybe this year will be different - haha.
8. We had a wonderful time at Devon and Derek's graduation party on Sunday, even if Bob was slightly hung over the wedding the night before. The DeMios are a very friendly bunch. It's still amazing to see Bob around people who really look like him. In a glance, I often mistake him for Doug or Richard. Doug and Bob agreed that the boys would call Doug "Grandpa Doug." Finally a big question answered and it takes some awkwardness away. It's fairly simple on the surface, but I think it represents a more clear definition of the whole relationship. It's clear Doug wants us to be part of his family and that Bob is comfortable with it. At the party, he was pointing out the boys to his friends/family as "my grandkids" and introduced Bob as his oldest. No more uncertainly about is he okay with us being part of his life now or is this was just a little get to know you, send a card at Christmas thing. I can't stop marveling at this whole story. I feel we are so very fortunate to have been readily accepted and welcomed. Fortunate that there is another group of people out there to love Bob and the boys. I have trouble even putting together the words to explain this. I can not look at this whole experience without seeing the hand of God in it someplace. We are truly blessed. The best way I can describe it is in the saying that when God closes a door, He always opens a window. I am very thankful for this window.
   
9. Planes, and specifically Doug's plane, are a big topic of conversation around here lately now that they boys had their first plane ride with Doug the other weekend. Joey says things like: Me pilot. Me ride plane. Me drive plane. Robby wants to know if he can ride in the front seat next time, if he can drive the plane (because he's "really good at driving") and is also interested in Doug's motor home.
10. Hmm... #10.... Did I mention Disney? It probably deserves 2 items -- there's the whole excitement and anticipation aspect and then the packing, lists and shopping that has to get done. We're driving (yes, I've been on Doug's plane too and the boys think they're mini-pilots, but I'm still not flying to FL yet), so I have to clean out the car, figure out how to fit everything, pack assorted entertainment for the boys and refreshments for all of us. Still, I think the excitement side wins. :)
    

Lunches Packed with Love

Three nights a week I have to pack lunches for the boys. I order them hot lunches Monday and Tuesday, but send them our own food for the remainder of the week. It's not one of my favorite tasks. I don't have a particularly inspired list of lunch options for them, despite the fact that I always read the "think outside the sandwich in the lunchbox" articles that appear in magazines and on the web, especially during back to school season. But many of those would be better suited to older children who could assemble foods on their own. Things like fruit kebobs and whatnot.

Then there are the rules and the fact that the teachers see the lunches, which makes me feel like they probably judge. You can't send peanut butter (this is annoying since I could probably send Robby a PB sandwich every day without fuss). You can't send cookies; I'm not entirely sure what the teachers define as "healthy" -- fruit juices are not allowed, but those fruit chewy snacks are. Cookies aren't allowed, but I've sent chocolate chip mini muffins with no problems. Since I'm too unsure and don't want anyone thinking I don't send a good "square" meal, I stick to fruits, cheese and crackers, and pretzels or goldfish.

Usual lunch options:

• turkey sandwich
• leftovers (usually a rice or pasta with veggies and chicken)
• chicken nuggets
• leftover pizza slices (this is a recent addition that Robby has especially liked)
• mac and cheese (cold)
• sometimes a cream cheese and strawberry slices sandwich or a regular cheese sandwich

accompanied by any of the following alone or in combination, depending what's on hand:

• strawberries
• grapes
• blueberries
• sliced apples
• bananas
• pre-packed pineapple bits
• pretzels
• goldfish
• mini muffins
• yogurt drinks
• cheese and crackers
• cheez it crackers
• watermelon
• corn
• broccoli
• zucchini

As much as I usually dread making lunch -- especially if I already had to make dinner -- when I do it, I usually experience a small sense of satisfaction, like I really have packed a little bit of love for them. I carefully wash all the fruit, then slice it. Grapes are a choking hazard so I slice them in half for Robby and in quarters for Joey. I cut off the tops and core strawberries, then slice into thin slices or quarters. Sometimes I do a little trick so the thin slices look like hearts. I have been known to cut slices of cheese with tiny cookie cutters into animal or alphabet shapes and sandwiches into a star shape. Occasionally I draw hearts or write Robby's name on the napkins or send a leftover party theme napkin in their box. Then everything goes into the fridge organized so Bob can tell who gets what.

When I make this kind of lunch, which surprisingly is the norm, I do feel like I did it right. Like I would actually deserve a few "good-Mom points." And I look forward to them eating what I have prepared for them with love.

Someday I'll figure out how to start incorporating all those great magazine lunch ideas with soups and breadsticks or smiley face sandwiches the kids make or salads they shake in a tube, but for now, I think I have something that works.

Birthday Moments

Favorite moment during Joey's birthday celebrations: at the family party Saturday night when we started to sing Happy Birthday to him. Beth sat Robby down in the chair with Joey, and Joey looked back, saw it was Robby, and smiled a huge smile and even leaned in to Robby a little. Then went back to his serious face looking at the cake. But there was this great flash of smile at his big brother where it was so obvious that he liked having Robby there with him. Love when they are showing their brotherly love.


The minute we finished singing and clapping, Joey would yell, "Cut it Mommy!" pointing at the cake. Waste no time getting to the cake that one. (We did this at school on Aug. 14, at home on Aug. 14, then twice the next day at the parties.)

This is the face of someone who is loving his birthday cake:
Afterall, when we'd ask him what kind of party did he want, he'd say, "Cake!" There you are little man, 4 cake/singing sessions in all -- 24 store-bought cupcakes, a small ice cream cake, 48 home-baked cupcakes, a large ice cream cake printed with Brown Bear, and 1 home-baked bear cake.

Today I...

1. Am marveling at the fact that Joey will turn 2 on Friday. Looking at a pic from his party last year, I can't believe how quickly a year has passed and how much Joey has grown up.
2. Had a "dude" that needed a "wife" (Joey-speak for "food" that needed a "knife").
3. Enjoyed a lunch break at work with my friend Danielle (as we usually do).
4. Finally launched a project at work that I have procrastinating on because it's not one of my favorites. (A bi-weekly publication for posting in the restrooms -- yeah, not exactly what I thought I'd be writing when I dreamed of being a writer some day, and not exactly something I \ see myself bringing in my portfolio for a job interview either.)
5. Watched the boys play in the tent together, then move on to the play food and then end with the Lego pirates. I spent a lot of time gathering tiny Lego pieces off the floor and trying to put pieces back in place.
6. Went grocery shopping, mostly for lunch stuff and some things to get us through till the party on Saturday. I bought sandwich bread and then forgot the deli turkey, which was my main item in my plan for the kids' lunches. Isn't that usually the way?
7. Still have to do the shopping for the party food and the favors.
8. Watched Robby enjoy the movie Peter Pan. At the end, he was acting out the sword fight between Peter and Captain Hook with his sword and enthusiastically striking his sword against our bedroom wall in his imaginary battle. He usually pretends to be Captain Hook. Can't wait to see Robby at Disney with Peter and Hook!

Overall, just an ordinary day, but nonetheless special.

Things I Am Grateful for

Just a random list, in no particular order, of the things I am thankful for right now (Bob and the boys are a given).

The beautiful summer weather -- 80s, no humidity and cool evenings -- you couldn't ask for better.
A boss who is flexible about letting me work from home.
An appointment for a much-needed haircut tomorrow.
An extended family that is very fun and close, and especially my Mom, Dad and brother.
Good health for myself and my loved ones.
Digital cameras so I can take limitless photos.
Books -- they can be an adventure, an escape, a stress-reducer -- all this and more.
The way Robby and Joey generally get along so well together, playing together, looking out for eac other and sharing.
Starbucks and caffeine in general.

Hmm, not particularly deep or inspiring, but of the moment.