Good, Wholesome Fun

We had a change of pace this weekend and kept Dylan home with us until this morning. It was a change that made us all happy. Dylan got to see Gavin in action at soccer for the first time on Friday morning, and we'll just say that the improvement I was hoping for didn't happen. At one point Gavin sat in the middle of the field with his water while the other kids ran races around him. He has two practices left to get his act together, and then I can rave about how much he's come around to liking soccer. But I won't get my hopes up. I just really hope he doesn't refuse to play when he's a little older because I think Saturday morning soccer sounds so fun. (He's out of luck for achieving MVP status given his non-athletic genetics, however.) When we ask what he did at the park with Catherine Grace, he says "play on the jungle gym," as if soccer never even happened. Stinker.

It's warming up again around here, but we clocked a few hours on the patio this weekend. We even squeezed in a very warm walk. Somewhere in there, we also fit in a trip to the neighborhood park and dinner at Lamp Pizzeria. I went to the gym on Saturday morning, and then the boys met me there for a carnival, where Gavin had his first taste of cotton candy. At night, we went to the Scottsdale Quarter concert again, and it was a hit, just like last time. Gavin is so easy to be around when we go to these concerts. We know it has something to do with the music, all the people and the action, and being outside. Probably equal parts of all three. He's just happy, he likes to dance, and he only sneaks off from time to time. We met up with some friends there and then hit In 'N Out before bringing our deliriously tired toddler home. All in all, a pretty great couple of days.

Gavin found a new best friend in his monkey that we named Lamar.

Playing the bean bag toss with his buddy, Luke.

I think we will not do smoothies for the ride home anymore.

Using his new skateboard attachment, and he loved it.

A big fan of the Tesla, jus like his dad.

We sent Dylan off after breakfast today for just a few days. It's always a little harder on a day like Sunday when there's not much running around to do to keep us occupied. That's okay though, I'm sure we'll find an adventure to go on, and things will pick up tomorrow.

In other news, we have just about 10 weeks left until we meet the newest family member. And while I will look forward to being the sole occupant of this body and moving around with more grace than a hippo, I could use a little more time than that. After three Craigslist deals and an open-box discount from BuyBuy Baby, I think we are finally set with our car seat and double stroller set-up, with several options for each rider. The boys' room is coming together okay, and even though nobody will use it for a few months, I want it to be finished before the baby comes. The baby's clothes are clean and folded, and I don't really need a whole lot, unless I'm just totally forgetting everything. I'd like to get a swing because I hear they work wonders on quieting a fussy baby, and I should probably get a rock 'n play, or something like it, that will keep the baby all snuggly to help him sleep better. I'll do anything to help the baby cry less and sleep more. But mostly, I just need to feel like I am done with all the prep work so I can chill. Because I'm tired. And I need to prepare emotionally and mentally before I dive into the abyss of being a mom to a toddler and a newborn. I've come to realize that I am good at a lot of things in this world, but not losing my mind when parenting a baby, especially on those long days when I'm going it alone, is just not one of them. I am excited to meet the new baby, and he will be loved to no end. He already is. Feeling him move in my belly is magical and awesome. But...I am understandably overwhelmed. And we will leave it at that!