Home, Sweet Home

We're back. You may not have known we were gone, but we're back. The kids and I were in Seattle visiting my family for a couple of weeks. Blake was able to join us for the last part, and we had such a great time visiting friends and hanging out with my family. I won't even try to summarize the whole trip, or catch you up on what else is going on in life; it's too much! Here are some pictures, which will probably be pretty uninteresting unless you're a family member or really like to look at pictures of babies!

Heading off to her first big girl birthday party!

Bash got dressed up for my birthday

So did Rory

Kale'a and her parents came to play!

Ha!

Dressed for the Washington weather

Grass is so startling!

Double grandmas, double diaper changes...good deal!

Engrossed in the pizza-making process

Bash in his cousin's pink bouncy thing...this boy loves to wiggle!

Overtired goofs in Evie's crib

Rory loves to play with her baby brother

Sweet Sebastian

Story time with Gramma- Rory wanted her to read her daily planner: "Wednesday, February 22nd,..."

Oh, that face!

He's still a teensy bit small, but was undaunted

My sister and niecey!!

Jammy time is tickle time!

Hamming it up at the tea party with Grandma Ducky

Horrid picture of me, but I just love Bash's face!

Evie's first big girl bath! She and Rory had a grand time.

Cutie cousins- every time Rory hears a baby, she yells, "Evie's here!"

Tired. And ridiculous.

Aurora and Miss Evelyn, so tired after playing hard

Blake and Matt are terrific friends. In fact, some people assumed that they were brothers and that Lindsay and I had married into the family.

My handsomes!

A typical scene: Rory and Evie associating, and the men talking.

Nudie legs!

Well, what else would you do with a coffee table?

What sweet lashes

He's become quite pleasant!

Seattle does green and gray very well.

Excited fingers!!!

Being silly with Gramma

We got to go back to OUR bench, on Alki in West Seattle, where we spent some quality time on our first date (it overlooks Elliott Bay). We had our two children with us. Maybe if we had noticed the plaque on the ground in front of it that magical evening our we wouldn't have two kiddos to bring!

Trying to get a family picture on OUR bench. Failing.

More successful (a corner of Bash's hat is visible)

Plan B

I woke up today filled with resolve; after a week of flu/birthday chaos, my house needed serious attention, and my kids needed to home day to detox from the weekend. Plus, the gorgeous weather begged to be enjoyed! I was feeling miraculously energized and anticipated a day of great accomplishment, to be followed by an evening of lazying about with my handsome and hardworking hubbycakes. That was how my day was supposed to go.
Unfortunately, those plans were made before I discovered the green goop flowing freely from my daughter's cute little nose. "Mama," she croaked when I went in to get her up, "down?" A pudgy hand swiped at her face, coating her cheeks with slime. My spirit sank to the floor; instead of gleefully crossing off items on the to-do list, I'd be adding more: cuddling a sick child, extra story time, trying to keep Rory from contaminating her baby brother, not confusing boogey cloths and burp cloths...

Time to tuck away the super-mom cape I put on this morning and pull out the survival-mom one instead. I wish I looked better in boogey green...