Happy 6 year anniversary Gregor!

Gregor and I are celebrating our 6 year anniversary today!!
I can't believe it's been 6 years!! That just seems like such a long time! Not much has changed though, I'm still 5 months pregnant and totally, madly in love with my husband. Who wouldn't love a guy that makes me smile and laugh on a daily basis, is a wonderful father, a caring, thoughtful husband, and let's just say it... he's HOT! I feel so lucky to have found someone that truly knows me for me, and loves me anyways :)

He writes me songs and poems (okay, that was in year one, but still... I have the proof), he rubs my feet (when I remind him), and always has a compliment for me (at least when his critical side isn't taking over)...kidding... Seriously, we really make a good team. Gregor, you are truly my best friend. Thank you for being who you are. I wouldn't change one thing about you and our years together.

xoxo

This picture is from our wedding... I don't think I'm succeeding in hiding that belly!

Who wouldn't fall in love with this guy (taken in 2002)??

Larkin Playing Soccer

These pictures just make me laugh!

This is Larkin's version of Soccer

(naked, high-heeled soccer anyway!)

Hudson and Larkin: first day videos

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A Whole New World!

This is the week we've been thinking about all summer long... THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL!

Here is the recap:

Larkin

Larkin started at Frost Montessori school last friday. They have this phase in period where she went for 45 minutes last friday, 1.5 hrs this week, and will start the full 3.5 hours next week. I was really worried about her transitioning to this new school given the huge anxiety case she was last year when she started her old preschool. But, alas, all my worries were pointless. She LOVES her teacher (we love you Miss Heather!) and is making new friends (again, she says her favorite friend is Miss Heather). Here is her take on Montessori in her own words:

"Mom, I can't play with the things on the shelf until I've had a LESSON! What's up with that?" (I wish you could hear the tone of voice and the hand gestures that when with that... totally had me laughing)

"Mom, miss heather can't hear you unless you have your hand on her shoulder or her apron."

(I might start using this at home... what a great idea... although I don't know if I want all the kids touching me on the shoulder all the time!)

"Mom, why do they only have one tire swing for all those kids??" (Good point!)

"My favorite things is SCRUBBING!" (I don't know what this is, but she is very enthusiastic about it)

Hudson

My little precious baby boy got on the the huge yellow school but this morning with so much excitement I could help but be so proud of him. I didn't even cry... (I was as proud of myself as I was him truth be told!). He had on his big backpack, held on to his lunch box and marched on that bus like a pro. He is growing up so fast! He worried that he's going to have homework and that he's expected to read his first day... I don't know where he got that from, but hopefully, he's realized today that no one in his class is reading yet! That's what you learn in kindergarten isn't it! I go and meet the bus in 45 minutes and I'm so excited and anxious to see how his first day went!! My little boy....

ps...

In one of the pictures, Hudson and Larkin are wearing their special BACK TO SCHOOL CROWNS that they made themselves... they are so proud. (No I didn't really let them wear the crowns to school... but they wore them all during breakfast and the day before).

pps...

I am officially a soccer mom now. I signed Hudson up for his first team sport... fall soccer!! Oh yeah, I'm going to be out there with all the other moms cheering on my boy... I promise not to get a soccer ball sticker for the car!!

Now Larkin is begging me to sign her up for ballet (although I'm thinking maybe gymnastics) and I might even sign Brooke up for a Little Gym class... what am I getting myself into??!!??

Sock Wars

Yesterday afternoon was almost the end of my sanity. It was rainy outside... all the kids were being clingy, emotional, and literally bouncing off the walls. I was at my wits end... our playdough was dried up, we couldn't agree on a puzzle or game, so I settled with folding laundry on my bed while the kids bounced away. Three kids bouncing on and off a bed is just asking for trouble especially when one of them thinks he's a Jedi at war with his sith sisters (Star Wars reference for those of you not familiar). So before I knew it, Larkin and Brooke were crying as hudson was entering his bounce/roll around the room crazy man mood. I was on the verge of tears... it was just too much yesterday. So, to release my frustrations and not let the kids see me cry, I started pelting Hudson with balled up socks from the laundry. The kids thought this was hilarious, and even I started to laugh as it turned into an all out sock war. The kids and I had dozens of socks out and were chasing each other around the house throwing socks at each other. Do I get the bad mommy award when I admit that whacking hud with socks made me feel a little better inside?? It was all in fun, and everyone had a blast... That is until Hudson stole Larkin's socks and it ended in tears. But, that got us to dinner time and the rest of the night went a little bit better. It just goes to show that some of the best times are unplanned and happen unexpectedly. The kids are still talking about our sock war today.

My humps... my humps...

Here you go... my lovely lady baby bumps (photo courtesy of Larkin). Yep, that's 17.5 weeks of pure baby (and a few too many bagels and burritos). There's no mistaking it now! The super outie belly button is the dead giveaway in my opinion (that or the much much larger boobs! G informed me this past weekend that my college boobs have returned... woohoo... the moments is fleeting though... I'm sure I'll have nothing left at the end of it all).

I have to say, I'd rather someone say to me, "Wow, I can really tell you're pregnant!" than..."Wow, you can't tell you're pregnant at all!... You're really not showing much!" Seriously people, did you just think I put on these 10 pounds for fun... do I look this pot-bellied on such a normal basis that no one suspected it could be a baby! I have had people start asking me when I'm due though, which is a good milestone to pass... beyond bloated and into cute belly. I'm also feeling good because I finally got my maternity jeans... they are cute and long enough and will be my best friends for the next 6-9 months (yes, I'm already planning on wearing them for a few months after birth... and maybe forever... I'm not sure how the body will bounce back after number 4). I still haven't felt the baby move very much, but my focus has been on the three I have running around and not so much the one just chilling' in my belly... that's what I'm telling myself so I don't freak myself out everyday that the baby isn't moving. I remember with Hudson in the womb I would sit there with my at home Doppler monitor counting his heartbeats before I went to bed...playing classical music into my belly.... yeah, that just doesn't happen the fourth time around. This one's just lucky to make it into the doctor every month for my prenatal appointments!

The world according to Hudson.

Hud took nearly 80 pictures this afternoon... and I have to say... I think he's got a good eye!

mommy madness

This is Brooke in the car (taken with my phone... sorry for the poor quality) on the way home from Virginia Beach this past saturday. She would literally sit there and say, "mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy (x 500), I don't want daddy... or I want that." It was a LONG LONG trip home. We had a great time at the beach.. and all in all the day was a success, but the drive home made me rethink all future trips for awhile. Larkin and Hudson are fantastic and vegged out in front of their dvd players... but brooke is never happy unless I am turned around looking at her or wrenching my hand into the back seat to hold her hand :( Not so fun. Next trip I am calling the driver's seat. I think Gregor needs to be Brooke's entertainment in the car for the next trip!
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Hud's Angst

Hud came downstairs last night awhile after I put him to bed with the saddest look on his face. He said, "Mom, can I just sleep on the couch down here for awhile? I'm thinking about something I don't want to think about, and I can't make it go away."
I asked him what it was, and he whispered in my ear, "dying."
My poor little guy!! He didn't want to talk about it all. I couldn't even say the word to him. So he snuggled into my bed upstairs and fell asleep watching TV with me.
Hud is filled with such existential angst and really thinks about and is concerned about dying a lot!
What do you do with a kid like this??

a LONG long week!

It's been a long week of camps for the kids. I can honestly say that when I planned this week I imagined it being so relaxing for me. I would only have Brooke. I imagined all the errands I would do, all the stores I would check out (with only one kid!). I was going to check Brooke into the day care at the gym and sit by the rooftop pool reading my book. Yeah, I didn't do any of that. I was more of a taxi service this week than anything. Hudson went to this serious "outdoor adventure" camp this week where I had to drop him off at the bus stop at 8 in the morning and pick him up at 5 in the afternoon. I've never let unknown people watch him and be responsible for him for that long before!! It was really crazy! I missed my little guy. Aside from the bus bully the first day, Hud had a great time (although he said that the days were too long and the food wasn't very good). I don't know if we will be doing this camp again next year... it's a lot of driving to and from town. Hud did eat like a champ when he got home every night though. The first night he said to me, "Mom, I need a hot dog, or bacon... or something like that... some meat!" He's pretty much downed 2 hotdogs every night since.

Larkin went to camp at her new Montessori school this week and LOVED it! I'm so happy we made the decision to change her to this school. She loves the routine, loves her teacher, and mom loves the drive-thru drop off and pick up routine.... if only they would give me a fountain coke and a bagel too it would be perfect! It is weird not seeing Larkin's classroom or having any real idea of what she's doing all day, but she seems really happy and not anxious at all! Yay Frost Montessori! But, she had to be dropped off at 9 and picked up at 12 which really didn't give me much time at all to do anything. I made it to the gym a few times and got to target to get the school supplies squared away, but other than that, I didn't accomplish any of my other relaxing and fun plans.

School supplies, now that's another crazy thing I experienced today! Target has a huge area of the store set aside for the back to school basics. Hudson has a reasonable list for kindergarten... the basic glue sticks, markers, paper, tissues, sanitizer, and backpack. Larkin had pretty much the same. Some of the parents there though had lists that required 8 packs of pencils, 4 packs of markers... tons and tons of folders, paper, rulers, etc, etc, etc. The lists were CRAZY! I don't remember school supplies being so intense when I was little. I remember being excited about picking out a new backpack, getting a few pens, highlighters and paper maybe... but these days, the supply lists just seem extreme. It really scares me for when I'm shopping that aisle for 4 kids ages 5, 7, 9, and 11... on up for YEARS! That is going to cost a fortune! I can only hope they all thrive in public schools because after the supplies, I'm not going to be able to afford anything else!

Only 2 weeks left of summer!! Crazy!!

Snack Time

Brooke is one independent girl for not even being 19 months yet. She pulls this little "climb on the counter" trick when I'm not around (DANGEROUS!) to get her water bottles, pick out snacks, and really get anything that I try to put out of her reach. She definitely learned this so early from having older siblings! I'm trying to enforce a strict no climbing on the counter rule for everyone, but it just doesn't seem to be sinking in... ugghhh... what to do, what to do. It's only a matter of time before she falls off!

Nice to Meet You!

This past weekend, I finally got to meet Gregor's newly discovered 36 year old sister, Eve! Gregor was just told last year that he has a half sister (his dad's daughter) that grew up an hour away from him and is now a professional viola player in the Berlin orchestra. Gregor met Eve a little while ago for a quick lunch while she was visiting Washington DC, but this is the first time the kids and I have met her. It's so crazy to look at this girl that looks strikingly similar to Gregor and his dad and to really wrap my head around the fact that this is G's sister!! Even though Gregor and Eve haven't know each other all this time, they quickly fell into the ease of conversation that one does with their siblings. We are lucky to finally have Eve in our lives. She seems like a fantastic person. The kids adore her (although Larkin can't remember her name and always calls her "Gregor's sister"). Hopefully we will see more of her in the future, and maybe one day make it to Germany to visit her. This is the best picture I took of Eve with the kids... I should have taken more pictures.