graduate

I had to include this one. This is Banks' best friend Allen. Banks told me he likes Allen because "he looks like a ninja." haha I'm sure Allen's parents would be thrilled to know that.





Banks graduated from Pre-school last Saturday. The ceremony was short and sweet and I always love a chance to see one of my kids sort of in their own element, playing and interacting with peers. Strangely, the parent in front of us cried pretty much the whole time. Maybe she knows her son is going to be a kindergarten drop-out and she was cherishing his only graduation.

Banks didn't really give two hoots about graduating. But he's excited to have the summer off and then ride the bus with Benson to elementary school!

motherhood on a friday night

"Cradling a swaddled infant in their arms, mothers would distractedly touch their lips to their babies' foreheads. Passing their toddlers in a hall, mothers would tousle their hair or even sweep them up in their arms and kiss them hard along their chins and necks until

the 
    children
          squealed
                with
                     glee.

Where else in life could a woman love so openly and with such abandon?"
-The Snow Child

well, it's true

We were sitting at the kitchen table the other day, just shooting the breeze, and Ben said to Benson, "I bet you are the smartest kid in your class." (Insert Mom assuring him it's not smartness that counts, but good old fashioned hard work, ahem) To which Benson replied,

"No dad. I'm not. But I AM the best looking."

Bahahahahaha!

We sort of tried not to chuckle and said a few, "Well yes you are. We think you are sooo very handsome," and such and he simply said,

"Well it's true. I'm the only kid who ever has their hair done."

Oh the complicated world of a 1st grader.

Isn't it nuts

 

that no matter how crazy the day has been,

I find my thoughts and heart wandering

toward my sleeping babies  

and I am nearly overcome with intense love for them?

I think that is one of my favorite things about living.

I want to bottle those moments and drink them up whenever I'm feeling down.

Mmmmmm, so delicious.

happy birday romykins

Two.

Too

Old.

Where did the time go?

Goodness sakes I love this little boy.

 I'm pretty sure no one checks this blog any more. I'm pretty fine with that. But, if you happen to be here, welcome! I don't mind a bit if everyone on the planet comes to see my little corner of the internet, but just so I don't have to think about it, I'm turning off the comments. If you really have something to say, feel free to send me an email! I'd love to hear from you if you feel so inclined.

 Anyway.

 Ben and I have lived far away from family for most of our marriage. This, as some of you may know, does not make for a lot of parental away-time. Or any, for that matter. Luckily Ben's mom is living in Albuquerque temporarily so we have been sort of taking advantage of that (sorry! but thank you so much!) and had one night away last year. It was bliss. And so blissful in fact, that we decided to go crazy this year.

 7 days.

 Sun, turquoise water, white sand, way too much food, and no kids.

 Needless to say it was amazing.

Each night as we sailed away from the day's island, we would hold hands in the warm breeze and watch the beautiful sunset over the caribbean ocean. What an incredible gift to be able to get away from dishes, and cleaning, and laundry, and waking up too early to crying people, and just stress in general. And for two days we didn't even mention the children (having the time of their lives at home with Grammy and Uncle Steve). But then little by little we would see things they would like, or other little tots cute and smiling, and by the end of the trip we are holding strangers' too-tired toddlers and finding shells for them to make them happy, and begging to hold every baby we passed. On the plane ride home we watched videos of them, laughing at every little thing like weirdos.

 Time away is good for everyone and I feel so lucky to have had the luxury of being away from my babies long enough to miss them desperately. And to know that when the kids are all grown and gone away, Ben and I will still really really like each other, even with no kid buffer. Yeeeeeesssssssss. B.F.F!

enchanting

In an attempt to find out just exactly what makes New Mexico the "land of enchantment," we headed down yonder south after Thanksgiving to see if we could find anything more enchanting than Albuquerque.

 

Hello, they have a giant pistachio! I made a goal to see it after I read about a bunch of giantized sculptures around Australia. Awesome and enchanting.

 Then onto the best sledding of our lives... in sand. I may never sled in snow again. It was so fast and we didn't start to freeze after ten minutes! Good thing because there was a little bit of this:

 

Roman dramatically plopped down and then raised his head to say, "cheeeeeeeese." hahaha

 It was such a fun trip. Sometimes just getting out of town and staying at a hotel over night is just what is needed to cheer everyone up after all our family leaves after Thanksgiving. And I daresay it was a bit enchanting down there in Alamagordo.