Spring Time Fun

I was sitting in the doctors office on a Wednesday afternoon. Evie and I both had our masks on and we were staring around the room as we waited for the doctor. We silently read the various posters around the room. 

 There was a poster on the wall about postpartum depression. Curious, Evelyn asked me about it. 

 I explained to her that sometimes after having a baby, mamas can become really sad and anxious.

 She paused for a moment as she thought about this. "Why do they get sad and anxious and depressed Mom???.... Is it because they are scared that it will happen again and they will have another baby?!" 

I couldn't help but laugh a bit as I looked at her innocent, concerned eyes. 

"Usually it's because you are alone, really alone during those first months. And worried about all the changes."

I looked at her a moment, this nine year old daughter of mine, sitting next to me and I had a flashback of so many times sitting in the same office with her as a baby or a toddler. Oh how those years of postpartum seemed like another life. 

Lately, she seems to be growing up so fast into young lady. She has become more and more of a little companion to me as she recently started sitting in the front seat beside me. 

However, she is a carefree girl and the reason we were in the doctor's office that day was because she injured her wrist doing cartwheels. 

She's been doing a lot of cartwheels lately, and she has gotten quite good. 

Between her running track and doing her gymnastic moves, this girl has gotten quite athletic. 

She's had several track meets this month and before each one she expresses how nervous she is. Track has been such a growing experience for her in so many ways, but dealing with the pre-race nerves has been something she has really had to work through. 

She has been excelling at the 100 and 200 races, and she even tries her skills in field events. 

The boys are absolutely fixated on the gun that goes off at the start of the race. Levi can hardly wait to be a 3rd grader so that he can participate. 

However, baseball is taking up a lot of hours this spring. John is helping coach the boys this year, which has been such a treat. 

Levi has been pitching a lot during the games. He is throwing some heat, and his strikes are getting more frequent.

James has been playing third base. John noticed that he can throw a mean pitch as well; he just needed the confidence to do it in a game. 

Finally he went out there, and that left handed pitcher threw a great game! 

 Caleb is Caleb, and he is just as hard of a worker as ever. He runs those bases and proudly tells me that he's going to "win the game for you, Mom." 

 I think there is nothing cuter than the three boys all dressed up in their baseball uniforms. 

But, wow, it sure takes a long time to suit up.

 And they have to wear  sport cups this year, which they are constantly adjusting on the field. After the game, they like to "uncup" and place them in my hand before they run off with their friends. 😝😬

Anyways, those three are truly best buddies. I mentioned that for their birthdays this year we got them each their own loft bed. However, they all insist on sleeping together in one twin loft bed every night. They won't have it any other way. I wonder how long this sleeping arrangement will last...and why we hurried to set up their three beds so fast! 

Sometimes they throw their mattresses on the floor so Lucy can sleep with them. 

May is busy for many reasons, mainly because Mother's day and my birthday fall within the same week. 

When Evelyn woke up on Mothers day, she was mad at me because "I was up too early." She stomped around, crabby until John had to pull her aside and explain to her that "all mom really wants for Mother's day is a happy child." 

The boys, on the other hand,  greeted me with hugs and kisses and then went off to play LEGOS. 

Evelyn apparently had this vision in mind of what she wanted the day to be and it wasn't working out; so, I told her I'd go back upstairs to my room until she was ready.

 I really had no problem going back to bed. ;) 

When things were set, I was called down to a smiling girl who proudly handed me a latte and presented me with a beautiful breakfast. I do appreciate her heart.

James wanted to go mini golfing. 

Weeks ago I promised the boys I would take them mini golfing when the weather got nice. So, what better day to take them than on a gorgeous Mother's day. 

They were thrilled. 

They played 36 holes and their enthusiasm and compeititon didn't wane one bit.

We ended our outing with Icees, and as we all sat around, I got a surge of profound gratefulness. 

As I tucked the boys into bed that night, they all proclaimed that they were sad Mother's day was ending and that they wish everyday could be Mother's day. 😘

Following Mother's day was my birthday a week later. Usually my birthday is stretched out for a few days prior and then after with celebrations with various girlfriend/family groups. On the actual day, I reserved the night for a family dinner to the one and only place to celebrate a birthday: Red Robin. The kids were thrilled. John was even more excited to see the staff gather around me and sing the birthday song. And, the kids were excited to eat my entire birthday sundae. Overall, it was just the way I wanted to spend celebrating my 39th year. This is my beautiful life. 

The following night, John took me to a new Mexican restaurant downtown in the Pearl district called Republica. It was a lovely night, and we sat outside. The menu was all pre fixe, so each course came out beautifully plated. The best part about the food, in my opinion, was the homemade corn tortillas. 

Our weekends in May have been filled with baseball games, track meets and flag football. It's been great. It's such a contrast to our May last year, and the kids are having a great time. Lucy has truly become my buddy lately too. I take her to all the baseball games, and she spends the day smiling at me and following me around the house.  Sometimes I get annoyed because she invades my space. 

The boys like when I bring her to the games. They run over for a quick pet and cuddle during breaks. 

When she's not barking at the ball on the field or digging holes, she sits happily under chairs.

The "world of dog" has been quite interesting to suddenly be thrust into. Everyone with a dog seems genuinely interested in your dog and then you have to talk about their dog and let the dogs meet and then talk about how much they like each other. 

John and I take Lucy for a walk almost everyday together. Sometimes we even walk the mile to Starbucks. Starbucks even gives dogs a free "puppicino" which is whip cream in a cup! I mean, Lucy isn't going to complain. John claims we have to start brushing her teeth. I didn't even know that was a thing, but apparently they sell puppy tooth brushes and tooth paste on Amazon.

 Dogs in the United States really do have it better than most kids in the world.