Easter

BOO!! I totally thought I would be better about posting this year - so far I am underwhelming myself.  Here is Easter none-the-less and with any luck will have a birthday post for the boys before the summer is over.

Here is what I remember about dying Easter eggs as a kid:

1.) it is an impossible amount of time from when you drop the tablet in the water or vinegar until the little pellet melts.
2.) The pictures on the outside of the dye kits, are in no way a representation of the colors that the eggs actually turn out to be.
3.) The monocle-looking, copper, "gently-lowers-the-egg-into-the-water" tool - is not built to sustain the weight of a hard boiled egg.  Invariably caves under the egg's weight and the egg promptly sinks in the water, spilling dye on the table (which oddly colors the table a lot more quickly and vibrantly then the egg) and then when you make egg salad 3 days later, it is purple tinted because your egg was cracked.

Now-a-days:
See above. That's right almost nothing has changed - except in the spirit of modern-day mediocrity, there are stickers and embellishments that don't stick to the eggs and wax crayons that have almost no ability to color on an eggshell. But nevertheless, my boys love it!

Egg dying is serious work!

Egg colors from left to right: Electric Blue, Vibrant Green & Fuschia - give me a break!

Two-timing!

I love these chubby arms!!

But the real meat and potatoes of the holiday is finding plastic Easter eggs, hidden in obvious places all over the ranch yard, filled with pennies and the occasional jelly bean.  It sounds so innocuous - but the excitement was contagious. Sure I was snapping pics, but I felt five year old me yelling GO GET SOME JELLY-BEANS! Here are a few pics but the still shots didn't do the elation justice.

Yep, they make sports eggs - Yay Capitalism!

Every boy in this photo has jelly beans in their mouths!

A Mother of Boys

So this post will be a bit cliche, but it will hit home with my friends who are mothers of boys.  And surely there are exceptions - there will be those that can't identify with what I am saying - but based on the casual conversations that I have had with both beloved friends and family and passer-bys, the general consensus is something as follows.

The older I get and the more experience I gain at being a mother of boys (or a MOB if you are trendy) the more I realize that there is a role for me to play.  It is a role that fits comfortably on me. I never shirk my duties in this role, I welcome them and in fact seek out opportunities to excel at them.  I am really good at the things that comprise this role, so good, in fact, that I would be hard pressed to write a resume detailing these strengths, as I could go on and on about them.  I can calm a sad boy down, clean up a scraped knee with the bo-bo baseball, I can cuddle and rub backs and read stories and do flash cards, I can be a referee, explain the rules, quiet the shouting, wipe the noses, change the diapers, make the beds, check the closets, turn on the night lights, throw the pitches, wipe the tears, comb the hair, say the prayers, sing the lullabies, scare off the thunder, rush to the nightmares and gather boys up in my arms to adore.

Here's what I stink at.

I don't like dirt. I don't like danger. I don't like wrestling and rough play. I don't like bodily noises. I don't like bugs. I don't like daredevil stunts. I don't like chaos or destruction or weapons. Daddy loves these things and the boys do too.  You can't make the argument that the affinity for these things are learned as many of them have shown up with no introduction.  We did not teach the boys that rubbing dirt in your hair is interesting and fun or that building a tower to "blow it up" is a neat game.  Luke has trouble running by his brother without doing what we call a "drive by" where he discretely taps the middle of Andrew's back or pushes him slightly - just to push buttons.  They look forward to playing rough and wrestling with Daddy with Christmas-like anticipation.  We do different things with the boys and their dynamic is different around me than it is around Daddy. And, well, that delights me.

People who say that boys and girls aren't wired differently are insane. And I challenge you to observe 3 year old boys and girls in a setting together and tell me there is no difference.  The girls are wrapping up their baby dolls and pretending to make supper at the play oven and the boys are destroying things and making weapons out of pipe cleaners and puzzle pieces.  Yes, there are fundamental similarities, and yes, there are exceptions to this - but I feel confident in saying that little boys are wild. I get such a kick out of sharing stories with other MOBs as we nod our heads knowingly in agreement about how crazy our little boys are, and then we laugh to ourselves about you mothers of girls and how life is quiet now ... but oh, those teen years, they are a-coming.

Billy and I always say that we meet different needs for our boys and I like that.  I like that I know what I love to do as a MOB and I like that Daddy is responsible for the things I can't handle.  All of the books I read on bringing up boys talk about the need for energy exertion and bouts of aggression.  Boys love danger. There is no getting around it.  We laugh at the ad on TV right now the "don't tell Mom" ad because in our house there are things we don't talk about - and that is expected.  I don't want to hear about how "daddy let me get up on the roof" or "we built a fire and daddy and grandpa jim let me get really close until my pants were hot" - because the bottom line is I trust Billy and I know that he is making good decisions about their safety and there are things that will be sacred between those three and I will sleep better not knowing.

So I'm smiling to myself tonight as I am sorting laundry and it reeks of smoke and filth that I am a mother of a boy, confident in my role, and hopelessly devoted to all of my boys.

This is how we spend time with Mommy ... helping make Daddy some strawberry cupcakes for Valentine's Day (aren't they charming and clean?)!

And this is how we spend time with daddy ... scaling a house-sized, dirt hill in 50 degree weather with short sleeves!

Cocoa Beach 2012

What Happens in Florida stays in Florida

Cocoa Beach is a sleepy little town outside of Orlando on the Atlantic coast of Florida.  We have been going to Cocoa Beach for as long as I can remember.  My grandparents got a condo down there in the early eighties, and as much as they loved each of the families coming and visiting them in the months that they were down there, they decided they needed one more! The downstairs condo was added to the mix.  There are so many things that are delightful about this place.  It is not overly commercialized (although it gets more and more so every year).  The routine of getting there is easy and familiar, like a holiday tradition (fly, ride the tram, get the bags, drive to the coast, open the shutters, race to the sliding doors to see if the view from the porch is still glorious. It never disappoints, every time it's perfect.

And although, somethings that we love about this place are long gone, there are new things, now that we are bringing our own family here that we are growing to love.  Maybe I won't eat chips and cheese on the porch and play 20 questions any more, but my boys will and that delights me. 

Just as there is the ritual of getting to Cocoa Beach there are certain things that we do there every year.  We always go to Ron Jon's Surf Shop, a completed overpriced gimicky store with Tshirts and beach gear that have become iconic in the area and even around the world.  The building isn't what it used to be - but the tropical stucco and gaudy posters everywhere grow on you. We also used to go to a place called Lobster Shanty. 

Lobster Shanty used to be called Pelican Point, and every year we would get dressed up (well, beach-dressed up, i.e. no flip flops) and go to this restaurant.  There is a koi pond, hush puppies and an amazing salad bar.  After dinner we would head out to the dock to feed the catfish and the birds and look for porpoises.  Over the years the food has become increasingly mediocre, but there were still things we loved about this joint.  There was the metallic octagon plates that were chilled to perfection at the salad bar and that alone kept me coming back.  Well, this year, Jack Baker decided he didn't need the salad bar or the fantastic chilly plates.  So, next year - we begin our search for our new ritual dinner spot. In the mean time a few pictures to commemorate our last outing to, what will always be, Pelican Point. 

Koi Pond

Feeding the fish

Thomas family - Sayonara Pelican Point

More fish feeding

Another activity that is a ritual in Cocoa Beach is a trip to the Manatees stadium. Its minor league baseball at its best! Outdoor Space Coast Stadium doesn't disappoint and they even have fireworks if you are lucky enough to be there around the 4th.  This year, was even more special because our Luke loves loves loves baseball.  He was delighted to be there and was excited and attentive for most of the game.  This year the manatees played the Palm Beach Cardinals.  I don't remember who won but the game was sure fun to watch.

Andrew and cousin Jake

View from our seats

Uncle Bob and Cousin Jake

Grandma and Grandpa even come to the ballpark!

He loved.

So much fun!

Another thing about the condos in cocoa beach is that they are really not far from Disney.  People always say they want to wait and take their kids to Disney when they are older and can enjoy it - and I get that.  Disney is an enormous undertaking - flying there, driving there, staying there, eating there, etc.  That is whats great about our set up - it is a 45 minute drive.  So, even if the day is a total bust, no harm, no foul - pack up and drive 45 minutes home and try again next year.  Billy and I decided that this year was our year to try it with the boys.  And boy, are we glad we did.  I probably got choked up 10 times while we were there seeing the boys in complete utopia and I wanted to hug every employee I saw who made our entire experience perfection from beginning to end. 

We were already excited by the entrance

"Mickey's House"

Brave Andrew kissing Minnie - meeting Minnie & Mickey was easily the high-point!

Boys got some ears - of course! And they still wear them!!

And then there was the drive home.

We were still on Disney property at this point

There used to be the occasional shuttle launch or rocket launch from Cape Canaveral that you could watch from the beach or the balcony   Epic rumbling would rattle the sand and if it was nighttime, near blinding light - it was an awesome experience. Well, now that the space program is in a tailspin, the chances of us seeing a launch have dropped off to say the least.  So this year we had to settle for Air Force One roaring down the coastline.  It is an awesome sight.  My brother has pictures of AF1 in flight, I snapped this one of it parked on the tarmac at Patirck's Air Force Base.

This pic does not do the size justice!

This is a new tradition that Billy and I have started - every year we are going to snap a pic of our kiddos on the rock outside the pool.  It will be fun to see them change!!

2012

2012

These are last years'

2011

2011

And then of course there is just the fun of being here.  Going to the beach, Grandpa fishing, Grandma in the pool, our cousins being with us, "blast-offing" with daddy, good naps,  family time - the list goes on. 

Glorious, glorious Cocoa Beach - see you next year, and all the years after ...

Resolutions

"Sudden resolutions, like the sudden rise of mercury in a barometer, indicate little else than the variability of the weather." - David Hare

When I used to be disciplined enough to work out at the gym regularly, I used to hate turning into the parking lot a day or two after the first of the year and having to settle in to circle for a spot for a half an hour. I would go in and hand my card to the girl, and then judge all of the people in there who would be gone in 2 weeks. The people who spent a fortune enrolling and hiring trainers and adding on members, to make themselves feel better about what they were unlikely to do regardless of what month it happened to be. 

 And while I still get mildly irritated at the memory of this, I can identify with wanting to be a better person, I just think there is a more subtle, resolute way to go about it.

I am not going to draw up a laundry list of things I should have been doing all year long, but now plan to do with such diligence and stick-to-it-ness that it would put Prometheus to shame. Not this year. This year I am going to baby-step it. My resolutions this year will focus on a shift in behavior, not a pipe dream of an unrealistic outcome - because after all, who wants to be set up to fail?

I don't plan to lose weight this year, but I do resolve to be healthier.
I don't plan to stick to a budget and update it weekly, but I do plan to buy less things.
I don't plan to see my girlfriends regularly or set up play dates on a regimented schedule, but I do plan to be intentional about making time for those who mean the most.
I don't plan to be the best parent, but I do plan to have more patience and tell my boys I love them more. After all, they will go to school one day, and as we all learned this year, no one is safe, anywhere.

And along that same thread, when I was thinking about those poor parents in Connecticut, and what advice they would give me if they could - I can't begin to speculate. I have heard some amazing stories about random acts of kindness that people are doing in honor of the memory of those little ones, and it is truly touching. I decided I would think about 10 things I can do better as a mom, and when I do them I will think why I am doing it.

Allison and Emilie - Take more pictures
Benjamin and Avielle - Hug them every morning and every night
Jessica Rekos and Caroline Previdi - Not say no to go fish
Noah and Jack - Tell them 5 things good things they do every day (at bed time)
Grace and James - Keep my promises
Jesse and Chase - Remember to pray with them
Catherine and Madeline - Blog more often, so I can remember how wonderful this time is
Dylan and Ana - Slow down and cherish these years at home with them
Josephine and Olivia - Set aside time with each boy by himself
Daniel and Charlotte - Say yes to "one more story" at least once a week 

Love my two boys.

 As far as blogging more often, I did a terrible job blogging in 2012, so this year I plan to carve out more time, to log the memory of how happy I am with little boys underfoot. And in the spirit of all good New Year's Resolutions .... I plan to start tomorrow.