35!

Today is my birthday!  Today I am 35!  It does not seem possible that anything in my life would have been that long ago, but as it turns out, 35 years ago I surprised a random police officer by being born in his patrol car.  I often wonder if he is over that yet?   How long would it actually take to recover from an unexpected birth in the backseat of your car?  Three and a half decades, perhaps?

Those surrounding me seem to think the 35th is monumental, and I am sure I would make a big deal about another's milestone birthday.  It was, afterall, Todd's 35th that was grounds for a wonderful wine tasting.   But, I have no particular feelings about turning 35.  It just seems like another day.  Aging is a slow and gradual process mixed in to the rapid passing of time leaving me, well, confused.  I don't fully understand how the 21 year old, eyes wide opened, dreamin' big dreams, me got here, to this point, in this reality with just a few blinks.  Many days I feel like that same young kid, albeit with a husband, three sons, and ten pounds, none of which I could have ever imagined in my early twenties.

At some point in my younger years thirty five seemed old.  When I was 7 my mom was 35.  She must have seemed old, since my 13 year old brother seemed old to me then.  I remember my mom, then, in the house I grew up in, dressed in jeans with one foot atop the stone wall we had at the fireplace.  She stood there with her thumb hooked on her belt loop and she looked "cool" as my first grade mind defined it.  I was embarrassed that my mom may have been cool but not nearly as embarrassed as I would have been if she weren't cool.  I wondered if I would be cool when I was 35.  Or just old.

And here I am.  Cool?  Old?  Not sure.  Tired!  Achy! Definitely.  I feel like I am supposed to be more mature, more responsible.  As if I should retire my jeans and sneakers, for slacks and blouses?  Or, I should change my DVR recordings to Dancing with the Stars instead of Gossip Girl?  But, as it turns out, 35 is just one day past being 34, and at 34 I felt like this.

But, for the sake of record keeping, so that when I am 70 I can remember the 35 year old me (just in case I no longer feel like I am 21) I will make some notes of myself.

I am a jeans and t-shirt girl, who prefers sneakers or flip flops.  Most days.  I will alter that uniform gladly, when necessary!  I love a Saturday night out with my husband and our friends enjoying dinner and drinks and the occasional movie.  I love food- eating it, cooking it, trying new foods.  Ethnic foods are preferred, sushi being my favorite.  I love wine, preferrably red.  And, I love food with wine.  Oh yeah, and chocolate too.  With food, with wine, by itself!  I love my friends and consider them, all of them, a big part of my life.  The older I get, the more evident it is that girlfriends are an absolute must in a womans's life.  I like sports, particularly the Phillies, and am thrilled my boys are beginning to play.  I love silly television shows that are mindless and dramatic.  I like to play games; scrabble, cranium, and beer pong to name a few.  I love the beach, especially in the off-season.  And, although I rarely take one, I thoroughly enjoy a good bike ride.  And, I love books, but I rarely read them these days.  I am laid back, and humorous, and can get a bit flighty.  I like details, and love events, especially planning them.  I love to accomplish things but tend to procrastinate, so accomplishment often takes time.  Time I am often short on.  I can fall asleep at a blink of an eye, sometimes with a cup of coffee in hand.  I still like to dream, and wonder what can be when I grow up or win the lottery, whichever comes first.  But, most of my dreams have been realized in the love of my husband and the joy of my three boys.  Although I sometimes do, I don't think you should sweat the small stuff, and I've learned enough in my days to know that someone always has it better and someone always has it worse than you do, so just count your blessings.  Always!!

Today is a beautiful day.  Todd took off from work, greeted me flowers and truffles, and he and I and Turner walked around Lahaska.  Once we picked up Chase and Ryder we all went to the playground before heading to Mt. Fuji for family dinner, where my mother joined us.  A new tradition we have started since, for reasons I can't be sure of, the boys eat well and behave well when we do the "dinner show," as they call it.  Far cry from our first hibachi experience.  And, just to make us proud, they even use chopsticks.  After dinner it was back home for cake!

the best attempt at a shot with all three boys!

What a great day!!!!

Bruiser!

Turner is a tough little dude, thankfully, since he tends to take a beating. He has fallen, been bopped by his brothers, tumbled, and stumbled. This picture here is moments after he fell off the couch, where he was chasing his brothers, and banged his eye on the corner of the coffee table. Twice. He cried for about 2 minutes, then shrieked for another minute or so while I tried to ice it, then went back to laughing and giggling and chasing his brothers. It took me most of the weekend to recover. His eye never got as swollen nor as black and blue as I had expected and he really is totally fine, but it still breaks my heart to see his little shiner.

5 days before 35!

34 years and 360 days!

This is me, in a picture I took of myself, on the night my favorite girls and I went out for an early celebration of my 35th birthday!  Not one who prefers being the guest of honor, in fact that is often something I cower at, I was so excited to have a girls night, with MY girls  As a woman surrounded by boys, whom I love more than anything, my girls become even more important!!
We went Tavolo, which was delicious, and we laughed, we drank, we enjoyed, I sent my dessert cup across the room.....35 does not change much!  Thank you to my friends, my sister, my cousins....I love you all and I had a great time!

Karate Masters in Training!!

Walk This Way!

Turner is a walker now!! A full on walker. He looks a bit drunk, and may seem unstable, but he is neither of these things as he takes wobbly, determined step after wobbly, determined step! He falls occasionally, but gets right back up and starts truckin' again. Look out world, here comes my Toddler!

Say Cheese!

They were sitting on a bench looking ever so cute in their jeans and baseball hats. I had no choice, I had to take a picture. But, as usual, the most adorable moment passed the second I said "say cheese!" These are my boys, never looking at the camera yet still cute as can be.

First Day of Spring with my Superheroes!

When There is Smoke.....

 I am not a smoker.  I never was a smoker, though when I was a kid I wanted to grow up to be a smoker, which is another whole issue in itself.  Never being a smoker I can't be sure what it feels like to need to have one.  NOW!  And, I am in no position, nor do I intend to, judge smokers.  I have nothing against smokers, though I do not prefer the smoke near me. But it is no secret that smoking is not the best thing for you, nor for those around you.  Some places you expect smoke, like at a fire for one, or at the home of a smoker, and perhaps some other public and outdoor places.  But, smoking at a playground?  Really?  REALLY?  Flocks of children running around, happy, pure, naive, doesn't that seem like the perfect place to light up?  Come on, lady!  I do not know you but  you are a mom, I would expect more from you!!

**For protection of this mother's sons' I have cut her face from the photo!!

A Letter to my Son on his 15th Month Birthday!

 15 months

Dear Turner,
15 months. I am in a bit of denial that my baby boy is crossing into the threshold of toddlerhood. I can deny it all I want but it does not change the truth. You are on your way to being a big boy. You think you are a big boy, in fact and everything your brothers do and have is exactly what you must do and have. Sitting at the table on a big boy chair, drinking from cups or juice boxes - whatever they have, riding bikes, playing ball. You want to do it all!
You are not a full on walker, but you do walk often. Across a room, from here to there, with absolute determination despite the wobbly steps. Once you fall to your knees you will walk on your knees. This mode of transportation is not one I have ever seen before but you have totally mastered it and can get from point A to point B quickly and steadily. But, everyday you walk more and more and despite my denial I figured it was time for new shoes!  So, now you have shoes.  I am going to put off the haircut as long as possible. You can't go crossing that big boy line all at once, now!
At your 15 month well check-up we learned that you weigh 23 pounds 12 oz. (an almost 2 pound game from your one year appt) and are 31 3/4 inches long, which means you did not grow one inch, one millimeter even, since your one year.  This was quite surprising to all of us, the doctors, the nurses, and our only guess is that you were mis-measured at a year.  Then, you were in the 95th percentile for height which, given the gene pool you come from, seemed odd. Now, at this same length, you are in the 50-75th percentile, which seems much more likely.  Although there is no exact science to measuring a squirmy baby, I am pretty certain some of your pants are now too short so I am going to stick with the theory of mis-measurement.
You are a happy boy. For a while we were wondering if, perhaps, the happy baby you were was not the toddler you were as you had been a lot more mellow and a lot less smiley. As it turned out,you had a rough Winter, battling a three-peat of double ear infections and a bout with strep throat.  Now, finally healthy, you are the happy, smiley boy you always were.
You love to click your tongue.  You do it all of the time and it makes me laugh.   You and I will click back and forth as if it were some foreign language then we both start cracking up.  There are few better moments than hysterics with my son(s)!  I am not sure if daddy has heard you click yet.  But that's ok, it would possibly drive him nuts.  Sounds like that are not his favorite!
You blow kisses much more often, particularly at night when saying good night to your brothers.  Although you are still a fantastic sleeper you hate going to bed before your brothers.  Usually, it is just a few minutes before, but you scream and point and beg to go back into their room.  You want to play memory with them, which means scattering the cards about. The globe in their room is one of your favorite things to play with and though you can't say "globe" (or much of anything else) you seem to ask for it with a consistent use of "ggg" sounds.
You absolutely love the trampoline. The big outdoor trampoline!  You can't jump and you can barely stand on it, but you sit there getting bounced around like a Mexican jumping bean and you laugh.  Belly laugh.  The higher and harder the better, it seems, and when I cringe that your rag doll body is going to break in half that is when you seem to laugh the hardest.

on the trampoline

For a reason I am not sure about you not only know about Daddy's drum set in the basement but you insist on playing them, often.  You love it. It's rather adorable seeing a diaper clad drummer.  Who knew your birthday invitation would bare such relevance.  Sometimes Daddy and i joke that perhaps, just maybe, we have a Jonas Brothers situation on our hands.  Then we joke again, that we'd prefer the Black Crowes, The Allmans, even Oasis.

Now that the weather has broken and we are spending more time outside and at the playground you've been enjoying the swings and the sliding board.  You can climb around the playset a bit,but it is still tough because you do not fully walk.  You always want a ball in your hand and if Chase and Ryder are on their bike, you want to be on their bike too!

You are not a quiet child, you babble, babble, babble all day.  Perhaps, in your own mind, you are saying something!  But, you still do not have a lot of words.  "UH-OH" has been added to the list and you definitely say "da-da" when daddy enters the room. "Nana" is still how you ask for food and "ball" you continue to say consistently.
Your favorite toys are the Elmo doctor set, the v-tech train set, and the little people barn.  You, in your way, point and grunt until you get them!!
We celebrated Passover this month and you loved the matzoh.  You LOVED it!!  Nannannaing for piece after piece after piece.  It was rather unbelievable.

 passover

For the first time yesterday you gave me kisses.  You put your face right up to mine and instantly melted my heart.  Now, of course, I will want them all of the time!!  I am not sure how it is April already.  Nor, how it is 15 months after your birth.  The weather is nice, the flowers are growing, and you are becoming a toddler.  You are funny and love to laugh out loud, you are active, you are strong and determined, and you are adorable. You are my littlest love and every day, in every way I am so very proud of you!

I love you so,
Mommy

Shoeless no More!

I had been putting off buying Turner his first pair of shoes.  Not because I did not want to spend the money and certainly not because I enjoyed watching the filth build up on his feet as he dusted the floors of every establishment on hands and knees.  I put it off, simply, because I am trying, was trying, to postpone the inevitable.  The crossing of the threshold into toddlerhood.  Yes, in my logical mind I am fully aware that Turner was not waiting for shoes for such advancements,  but in the mind of my emotions I remember the sneak attack of big kids that Chase and Ryder pulled on me when I saw them in their big boy kicks and I just wasn't ready to go there.
But, my little man is walking more and more, and we are outside more and more, and it just did not seem right for him to be taking his first steps on gravel.  So, I gave in.  And, off we went to get the boy shoes. 
Of course, Chase and Ryder (who were in need of shoes) had to get also, and ultimately had to go first.  Chase insisted on green, bright green, Converse because "green is my very favorite color!"  And Ryder had to get a second pair of  Benny shoes (black Converse) but this time with red laces.   Even though I know all too well how hard Converse high tops are to get on, particularly on baby feet, I still almost bought Turner the royal blue high tops just 'cause I thought it would be cute.  Luckily, they were way too big on his feet.  Instead, I got him a size 5 Robeez light blue and gray sneaker.  A perfect first sneaker detailed with a guitar much to Ryder's delight.  And, now, my baby boy is taking his first steps toward being a big boy....nope, I am not cutting off that baby hair yet!

 So proud in his new kicks!

 

the big brothers are proud of their little brother

Just for fun....

no joke, bright green!

Let's Go Flyers!!

It's no secret that I am a Phillies fan.  They've always been my number one. I was raised that way.  The Eagles, and all of their disappointments, were in second place.  But, growing up,  my cousins were raised in a home where the Flyers reigned supreme.  And so, occasionally, I watched hockey.   I couldn't follow the puck, and that annoyed me.  But, the Flyers were always fun to root for!
Then I met Todd.  Todd would trade in the Eagles so long as he could keep his Flyers.  They are the very close second to the Phillies, and were probably his number one all those years that the Phillies sucked.  Which, amidst this dynasty talk, we forget how they are, once were, the losingest team in baseball.   We watched nearly every Flyers game and went to a few throughout the season and I learned to like the Flyers a lot!  Especially going to the games, the sounds, the actions.  Hockey gets my vote for greatest live sport to watch.  And, now I have three sons. It is being made clear to me, despite the subtlety, that I may never see a live Flyers game again.  A live professional sporting event again.
This season I did not get to one game. Todd went to eight games.
He gets partial season tickets. Two seats.  i see how these numbers work.  Todd took both Chase and Ryder, separately, to their first game.  They loved the game, and they loved one on one time with daddy.
The games Todd had designated were both in March.  Two weeks apart.  The games were assigned by a simple "pick your ticket from a hat" approach which we thought would be fair.  To decide who actually picked first we did rock, paper, scissors, a game the boys have no idea how to actually play and usually just throw scissors. But, somehow, Ryder was designated the picker, which put Chase into absolute tantrum mode.   But, as it would be Ryder picked the tickets for the second game, so Chase went first.
In the end, the boys went, individually, with Daddy to see their first ever Flyers game.  They went two weeks apart.  They both had fun for one whole period, but loved drinking soda and eating ice cream.
Next year we will hope for two periods.