Playgrounds, Pools, and Popsicles!

We had a FANTASTIC weekend. Started out pretty crummy for me, but it quickly picked up and we thoroughly enjoyed the rest.

Friday at lunch Eddie called and asked if I minded if he just ate at work. Yes, he comes home to eat with us every day. Yes, he's done this since I quit my job but before my children were born. He used to eat out every day and we quickly learned that it 1) added up financially and 2) added up pounds-wise. :) He dropped a few pounds VERY quickly just by coming home. Since the kiddos have been born it's been a nice break for me. There are some days that I get NO adult interaction so I love it. Anyway, he didn't come home Friday. Typically when this happens things are going smoothly until I hang the phone up with him. And then, the you-know-what hits the fan. 

That was the case on Friday. I hung up the phone and Will started screaming and would. not. stop. Remember that sweet, relaxed baby we had a few weeks ago? He's long gone. I think we now have a teething monster-baby in our house. He's still VERY sweet, but he's obviously in a little bit of pain, too. He wants to nurse every fifteen minutes and have me hold him the rest of the time. I bargained with him and told him that if he let me eat my lunch, I would hold him and rock him and snuggle him in just 10 minutes. That's all I needed. James heard me telling Will that and he got up and stood in front of his swing and sang to him. Melt me. :)

Later in the afternoon I texted Lauren to see if she and her family might want to go dinner with us. They have a little girl, Anne Margaret, who is a year younger than James. Both kiddos are always asking to play together and then when we get them together they sort of play near one another. One day, though. Dinner was fun! We were still chatting when the children were ready to be done so we relocated to a playground at a local church. It was a GREAT playground. I think everyone (dads, especially!) had a good time!

Saturday morning we all SLEPT UNTIL 9 AM! Glory and hallelujah! James never sleeps late. That said, he was sleeping in my bed, but I'll take what I can get. There was sleep, people!

After we got up I decided we'd try rice cereal with Will. We got the go-ahead over a week ago but I wanted to do it with Eddie home (trying to include him in all of our "firsts" means they take a little longer sometimes) and I wanted to do it in the morning so that if we had an allergic reaction to deal with later, it wouldn't be in the middle of the night. We run weird scenarios through our heads here. :) We always try to plan allergic reactions according to the time of day and location in which we happen to be. Ha! (I'm not completely kidding...just sort of.)

He wasn't sure what he thought of it:

Eddie spent the day outside working and the boys and I spent a glorious afternoon inside. James was in and out with Eddie to begin with but after lunch he took the longest. nap. ever. I was THRILLED. I spent the time cleaning my very neglected bedroom and bathroom.

After naps, we waited for Eddie to finish mowing the backyard and then the boys and I joined him outside. We got James' water table down, but he quickly remembered how much fun Scout's pool is and climbed right in. Eddie had (thankfully) rinsed it out and filled it with new water. Hopefully he won't get any weird flesh eating bacteria or anything from playing in it. I had the bright idea to pull his slide over and put it into the pool with him and he thought that was the BEST. He had tons of fun. Unfortunately, all the fun is captured in my head and not on a camera. I was concerned about being hosed down.

We ordered pizza for dinner and settled down for what James calls "Alligators and Pizza." He's recently discovered the fun of "picnicking" on the den floor on a beach towel. Pizza is absolutely meant to be eaten that way. :) I have a very distinct memory of doing the same thing at Dad and Laura's when I was little. Except we were watching "The Gnome Mobile." Please tell me we aren't the only family to have watched that. I own it on DVD. Ha!

Yesterday morning we all got up and went to church and Sunday School. This was my view when I woke up:

He makes it in our bed sometime during the night every. single. night. The problem is that we both almost always sleep through it. Or if we don't he wants Eddie to lay down in his bed with him and then a few hours later he's back in our bed. I'm not sure he's slept through the night more than 10 times in his life. What do I do???

After church we tried to get a grumpy boy (think he's grumpy because he DOESN'T sleep???) to take a nap. I laid down with him and fell asleep, too. The little boys and I all took naps in various places. James wound up in our bed (see?) with Eddie. I think his whole nap was about 3 hours. He's exhausted during the afternoons lately. 

After a grocery store run (the WHOLE family...two carts!) last night we had a snack supper and went to bed. And these two little stinkers were up and down all. night. long. Will wouldn't go to sleep. James was up at 10:30. Will was up at 12:45. James was up at 2. And on and on and on. I am shocked we slept at all. I don't know what to do with these boys about the sleeping issues that we have. Anyone have advice?

This week is (hopefully) our last full week of swimming lessons. July is BUSY for us as we'll be in and out of town so it's a bit more hit or miss. And hopefully James will get to do a few of the fun things he's been looking forward like MMO daycamp and VBS. Yea for being able to do other things! James found Dora popsicles at Publix last night and is looking forward to enjoying one after a cry-free lesson today. I might have bribed him. I am not above it. Y'all have a fun week!