TJ's wedding Part I

Last weekend we traveled to Chapel Hill NC to celebrate my cousin TJ's wedding with the rest of the Lovejoy clan. I still can't believe we drove 22 hours in four days and dressed the kids up in the fanciest clothes they've ever worn and it all worked out so well. It was magical to be there and to have the kids be there to watch TJ and Georgia's beautiful wedding and see how much love they have for each other.

The rehearsal dinner Friday night was at a fancy restaurant with an unexpectedly long cocktail hour. We got there at 6 and realized that dinner wouldn't be served until closer to 7:30. The kids had been cooped up in the car all day and the day before and they were wriggling and bouncing off the walls. I was pretty sure Jeff would have to take them all back to the Airbnb because there was no way they could keep themselves together for a 3 hour formal dinner.

Then the most magical event of the weekend occurred (no offense to TJ and Georgia; it was more miraculous than their nuptials): I had taken the kids for a walk through a nearby mall to burn off some energy by running through the hallways. Beckett noticed a children's museum in one storefront, and commented that it would be fun to go there. Of course there was a closed sign hanging from the door. I noticed on one of the signs near the entrance that they occasionally host parents' nights out. As the boys ran screaming through the mall, chasing each other and falling over, a thought briefly danced through my head: "Man, wouldn't it be amazing if TONIGHT was one of those nights?" Just then, a man came through the door from the museum wearing a name tag. I asked him if the museum was closed, and he said, cheerfully, "Yes, unfortunately it is. We're hosting a parent's night out tonight and I'm just running to get pizza for the kids." Awestruck, I asked if there was still room for more kids. "Yes, definitely!" was the reply. "I can get you guys signed up right now!" I called Jeff to hurry with the credit card, we walked inside, and magic and wonderment ensued. Theo ended up choosing not to go, which was the right choice for him because he had a great night with Grandpa Stu and enjoyed all the food, and quietly listened to the conversation and speeches. Beckett and Reed walked into the museum, kicked off their shoes, and never looked back. We came back at 9pm to tired, sweaty, pizza-stained kids. It was nothing short of a miracle.

Theo hanging with Grandpa Stu.

My mom, her sister Teddy, and their brother Crom.

 The Lovejoy sisters regaling the rehearsal dinner crowd with a family favorite.

April 2019

It's been a month of rain and cold weather, with breaks of sunshine and warmth. I've also been extraordinarily busy, often attending 2-3 community meetings each evening after a jam-packed day of trying to fit in my work hours at Vera House while also fitting in 6-8 hours of Council business every week because of a busy budget season.

April also brought our first concussion, the last day before spring break. Beckett ran into another child on the playground at school and was having a hard time seeing, speaking and walking when I arrived. He got checked out at our great Upstate Pediatric ER and we were discharged after just a few hours when he restored all previous functioning. Just today he was cleared by his own pediatrician to return to normal activities. The boys visited both sets of grandparents over spring break, where they tried to keep a high-energy 7-year-old boy on "cognitive rest"--no TV, screens, video games, reading, or vigorous physical activity.

Theo also had the great idea to add a shelf to his bed. It makes him very happy to have his special spot to put his treasures.

One of our cognitive rest strategies was long walks, including this one to the zoo. Beckett had a great time pushing Reed in the stroller for a lot of the trip. We had to take a ride on the tiger as always. I wonder when they'll stop finding it fun to clamber up on the pretend tiger. I hope not for a while!

Sanibel Part IV

We got in some good beach time, including some castle building, hole digging, and Theo's new favorite beach activity, which goes like this: he runs at a very high rate of speed through the sand, and then very quickly collapses on his back into the sand, as if disappearing into the sand.

Sanibel Part III

Lots of fun around the condo, including building with Lincoln logs, tossing the football, and lizard hunting.

Sanibel Part II

Except for rain on the drive from the airport to the condo, we had perfect weather for the TEN days we were in Sanibel this year. We had a couple great beach days and a lot lot LOT of pool time.

Sanibel 2019: the pool

2019 was the year that Reed learned to swim. We realized that it was a whole year earlier than Theo and Beckett did--they were 4 nearly 5, but Reed is only 3 nearly 4. Videos to come....

Reedism

Reed says all kind of off-beat, unexpected, sometimes wonderful, sometimes strange things. Recently, this was his nonsequitur:

(Background: about five months ago, our friend Nick came over to the house with his girlfriend Kristy for dinner and to show us photos of a trip they had recently taken to Iceland and Ireland. I worked with Nick at one of my prior law firms. Nick is 6ft, 8in tall. So, really tall. Tall enough that he has to duck going through some of our doorways, which we noted with the kids. This is the ONLY time the children have ever seen Nick. And it's not like we talk about him around the house much. No offense, Nick.)

So fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. The kids have finished dinner, and Jeff and I are still sitting at the table eating and talking. Reed is playing with a car on the table next to me.

Reed: I wish I had a dad
Jeff: you do! I’m your dad!
Reed: I wish I had a bigger dad. If you were taller. Taller like Nick. I wish you were taller, like Nick.