This Is More Like I Imagined...and also, Updates

This morning, Joan and Kate had Tot Lot, a local summer program. I picked up their friend JJ and dropped off all three kids. Then Marin and I met a friend and her 2 year old and baby for coffee. Marin slept in her car seat and then ate some pineapple. While having coffee, I ran into my favorite babysitter-now-college student and arranged for her to come over this afternoon so I could get groceries sans chillies. Then I ran to Walmart to pick up a few things that they don't have at the (better) grocery store in town. Then I picked up all three kids, took JJ back to his daycare, came home & made lunch, let Babysitter in, and went grocery shopping.

The whole time I was thinking, "Look at me. I'm so good at this. I'm a competent, functioning ACTUAL mom." That may sound weird, but for the first couple of years of motherhood, I was frustrated because I wasn't needing to do all of the "mom" things I'd always imagined myself doing: carpooling, meeting for coffee, running errands while the Big Kids were at school, hiring a babysitter. Instead, I found myself sitting in my living room reading the same books over and over and actually finding enjoyment in Baby Einstein. And basically eating my own brain with a soy sauce and a fork. It just wasn't at all what I'd imagined. But now it is, and it's extremely satisfying. Did anyone else find that it took awhile, um, like, years to feel like a mom? Just wondering.

Anyway, here are some updates:

David's hearing has improved greatly. He can talk on the phone again, and converse normally. He has a little trouble in large noisy rooms, or in big groups of people. Also, he's still missing quite a bit of the upper ranges... but being able to communicate is the most important thing. We are very happy and relieved. And my personality disorder is in remission, at least for now.

Kate saw a doctor here and got an actual cast, placed right over her splint. It's BRIGHT PINK. She does not complain about it, or about her arm hurting, or anything. Ever. Except for the blinding florescent glow, you'd never know she broke her arm. Oh! Except for that the doctor said Absolutely No Swimming. But David has been using his Madd MacGyver Skillz to fashion a plastic wrap/ace bandage thingie, and she's been swimming, like, 52 times.


Since this post, Marin has cut two teeth, started pulling up on furniture, and started crawling. She's sleeping better, I'm sleeping better, and although I don't love waking at 5 am, it's much more do-able now that she usually sleeps all night. Except for when she doesn't. Anyway, now that she's mastered crawling, I no longer receive nightly internal injuries from her violent half-slumbering/half-awake frustrated little body.


Also, we did find a bike helmet for her. She hates it. She does like family bike rides though, so she's usually a team player. Check out her "Ok, FINE, I'll half smile for you, but I hate this effing helmet" look:


Camping with 7 kids and 8 adults was fun. I swear! We came home dirty and tired, but also richer, for spending so much quality time with such wonderful people. I should have mentioned David's, I mean MacGyver's Hand-washing Station: Camping Version in this post, but instead I'll include a picture (usually there's a hand towel tucked into the rope):


Finally, we have a new pool in town. Here's the Green children, before the baby got blisters on her toes:


P.S. What is up with the spacing on Blogger whenever I add photos to my post? I have all how I want it, hit "publish" and Blogger adds spaces willy nilly all over the place. Anyone else have this problem or know any trick to fix it?