Gotta Love GK

I just saw this on my dear friend Maria's blog and thought it was worth sharing for those friends of mine who don't usually get over to her blog (not for my lack of encouragement!).
It's from G.K. Chesterton...

How can it be a large career to tell other people’s children about the Rule of Three, and a small career to tell one’s own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone, and narrow to be everything to someone? No; a woman’s function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute. I will pity Mrs. Jones for the hugeness of her task; I will never pity her for its smallness.

I've been thinking, well not really thinking so much as feeling, a lot about this lately. We share a pool with a daycare group and seeing all of those little kiddos without their mommys everyday...well, it just breaks my heart to think that there are moms out there who choose to live their lives apart from their little darlings. Who let other people be the ones to kiss the boo boos and watch them blow bubbles in the water and discipline them when they push another kid...someone has to do these things "full-time". I want to be the backdrop to my child's life. In some sense I want to be taken for granted - I don't want my presence to be "special". I don't want my child to be excited that I'm actually with them during the day in the middle of the week. I want that to be the given. So, thank God that I'm blessed to be in a community where making a home and tending to my children is respected and even admired (thanks GK).

Bedtimes Woes

It has come to a head tonight. David is out at a ball game and I am here with the babies. I have decided to let Lily CIO (cry it out) tonight. I almost did it last night but needed to pump myself up for the trauma that it causes to a mommy's heart - ok, her emotions anyway. So I watched an episode of Supernanny where they let a kid CIO with great success and geared up for the Big Event. I thought it was better to do it without David being here because then I would be making the decision completely on my own and wouldn't feel pressured one way or another.
So we did it. She cried for 25 minutes. I didn't cry at all - tonight. I did cry last night thinking about it. First they cut the umbilical cord and now she puts herself to sleep...what's next - graduation?!
Also in the Bedtime Woe category - the BBCB experiment went awry tonight. He walked out of his room, right up to me and said: "Mommy, I a tinky one" (I'm a stinky one). So I took him back and changed his diaper. Up until this evening Moses has not ventured very far from his bed but tonight he embraced life without bars and as of right now the count is -
Moses Escapes: 8
Bottles of Water: 5
Soaking Wet Diapers: 5
Pairs of PJs: 3 (collateral damage of the Soaking Wet Diapers)
Hours Since Initial Bed Time: 2.5
Toys Accumulated in Bed: 3

Who's the new lady?

Notice that there are now TWO youngish women in our family picture. I am very happy to announce that my brother Nick will be marrying Katie DeBrosse! The engagement took place on Sunday - to no one's surprise except Katie. It was very sweet - involving a picnic, a scrapbook, a limo, a party, an episode of The Office and two very happy, very glowing people. I'm so excited about Katie being a part of our family!!! Yea Nick! Good choice.

The Awkward Song

Well Steubie grads - this is your life! We've finally hit the big-time.

Catch up? Not tonight...

Oh man. It's been a long, long 4 weeks. We have fit in a ridiculous amount of activities and visiting (blogging excepted)...I don't think I'm going to recover for at least as long as we've been "on the go". It's been great though. We are blessed with so many good friends and family (and we most likely saw you these last 4 weeks!). I'll do vacation posts later on.
Tonight I thought that I would share that Moses is now in a Big Boy Car Bed. We had our first sleep in the BBCB at nap-time yesterday. All seems calm and quiet right now but for two nights in a row he has called us in and because he was "scary". First he was scary of seals and then he was scary of monkeys (we made a trip to the zoo Saturday). He seems pretty easily comforted and, thanks be to God, he hasn't actually gotten out of his bed on his own yet. He just calls us into him, like he did in the crib. At first he didn't seem to want to switch (he really loved his crib) but as soon as the new Thomas the Tank Engine sheets made an appearance he was so excited that he helped dismantle the crib. So, my many, many concerns about the BBCB transfer are allayed, for now.