Doing Dorney!

Dorney Park and Wild Water Kingdom

Yesterday, we did Dorney!  4 40something's and 5 kids.  It's sounds like a bad plot line. This adventure was part of, what is turning out to be, the massive kick start to summer and, also, a cousin bonding time before we bid fond farewell to Delaney as she heads back to Camp Nock-a-Mixon for her 3rd summer. 

The meteorologists has been calling for rain all week.  "Friday thunderstorms" was heard repeatedly but it didn't scare us off. It did, however, scare off the rest of the population and we, seemingly, had the park to ourselves.  Just like the Griswold's in the movie Vacation, minus the toy guns.   And, the dead Aunt Edna. Oh, and it never rained.

Being at an amusement park without lines is truly an amazing experience.  In 3 hours we did every ride, multiple times.  Ryder and Delaney were the only kids tall enough to go on every coaster and since Delaney doesn't do the big rides that left Ryder as the sole contender.  But, Todd and I went with him on most of them and I didn't vomit so it was an all around successful day.

It's true, I almost vomited from the first ride of the day, but that was my own fault for allowing a ride that begins with an uphill corkscrew to be my first coaster in 15 years.  And, almost doesn't really count.  It is also true that after that ride, the Stinger, I took a dramamine pill.  And, maybe, there is something to be said that if you need such a pill to go on rides perhaps you shouldn't be riding.  But, either way, it worked and I can say I rode all the big rides at Dorney and didn't get sick.

After many hours in the park, and a drenching from the White Water Landing, we headed back to our cars for a lunch break intermission before heading to Wild Water Kingdom.

At Wild Water Kingdom we stood in the longest line of the day, the ladies room.  And, though the rides were fun and the water wasn't terribly cold, I could have used a warning that partaking in such a park required training, sort of like a couch to 5k runners program, in order to make it to the top of the steps without nearly dying.

Overall, it was a great day.  All of us had a blast and I am pretty sure we raised the bar on the summer just 7 days post-school.

Cousins (Minus 1) before we are Minus 1 for the summer

Looks who is driving!

Fast forward 7 years

Mother's Day!

A lot of family. A good amount of baseball. A whole lotta love!  A day spent with my all-star, my rockstar, my angel, and my superhero- the boys who made me mom!

A Letter to my Son on his 3 Month Birthday!

Dear Decker,

Happy 3 month birthday! It's been 3 months of joy, of smiles, of laughter.  Sure, minimum sleep and seemingly endless feedings have been thrown in there, but it's been mostly smiles and joy.  

You are an absolute delight.  A boy whose big blue eyes and adorable smile fill a room and cause anyone who sees you to open their eyes wider and grin a little bigger.

I stare at you in awe. I spent all those months wondering what you would look like, what color your hair and eyes would be, and here you are in front of me, more perfect than I could have imagined.

Your head is perfectly round.  Your nose is tiny. Your eyes are big and a beautiful blue.  Your lashes are long and light in color.  Your cheeks are rosy. Your ears are small and flat against your head.  Your hair is starting to come in and the remaining hair from birth, the few long strands, I refer to as your comb-over.  Your fingers and toes are long.  Your lips are full and pink. Your chin is defined, in spite of the growing double chin, which is only cute on a baby.  When I trace your face with my finger, which I do frequently, I trace a perfect heart, which I love, of course. Your dimples are still oddly fleeting and I can't decide if you have them or not.

You coo and you laugh and you seem like you want to talk, like you have so much to say.  You smile often, sometimes just a grin and other times a full smile with your toothless mouth wide open.  You are starting to laugh, though not a full belly laugh just yet. You are in perpetual motion when you are awake, with your legs and arms always movng. Constantly. They never stop.  You were the same way in utero.  Sometimes I think that if I threw you in a pool you would swim.  You are very strong, have great head control, and though you need to be held you can sit and stand-up with great strength.  And, recently, you started rolling over.

Although you've been sleeping through the night (until about 6am,) the last few days you've been waking up in the middle of the night again.   We make you 7 ounce bottles and, lately, you haven't been finishing them.  You've also have been funky with your napping these last few days.  Perhaps all of this is just a transition and you will be back on track with all of it in just a few days.

You have a laid back and calm demeanor and are passed around to many adoring people.  You love undivided attention and are a natural attention getter.  People will stop in their step to take a look at you and marvel at you momentarily, or longer.

People say you look a lot like Turner, maybe that is true. To me, you are just Decker, beautiful Decker.

Since I have gone back to work you are watched once a week by Mom-Mom Jill and once a week by Mom-Mom Joan.  Both enjoy their time with you very much. When you are with Mom-Mom Joan you spend a lot of time with Uncle Mat.  You seem to love this as indicated by the huge grin you show the minute he picks you up.  Uncle Mat gets silly with you and takes to school every week.  You're learning a lot of interesting things with him that ONLY Uncle Mat could teach.  Your bond with him will be very special.

You are very much loved by all of us. Your brothers adore you in every way and it is starting to become clear that you adore them right back.  Your grandparents, and aunts, and uncles, and cousins all delight in your presence and each of us is proud to have you as a part of our lives.

Our lives are chaotic and we are always on the go and you have hit the ground wonderfully and joined the chaos without any resistance.  For this, we all thank you.  But, you should know, that the quiet moments, as rare as they may seem, when I am holding you and staring at you, or smiling with you and laughing with you, they are the moments that I cherish, that I stamp into my memory.  They are the moments that get me through each day, knowing I had that with you, my beautiful boy.

happy 3 month birthday, Decker.  I love you so...

Turner at 3 months