From the Mouths of Babes in July

Eileen:  I love that movie.  I watched it all the time in college.

Linus:  Hey Eileen, do you want to go downstairs with me?  It's cool down there.
Eileen: No.
Linus:  Oh, so you don't want to be cool?

Out in public Eileen kicks off her shoes and keeps lifting up her shirt over her face.
Me: Eileen, no shoes, no shirt, no service.
Eileen:  I want service! I want service!

Linus:  Now will you put gel in my hair?
Me:  Just wait a moment.  We aren't leaving for a half hour.
Linus:  I'm just getting prepared.  It's like the last meal before the execution.

Eileen:  I not Wummer Woman.  (Translation:  I not Wonder Woman.)

Snuggle buddies

10 Years

On Friday Dave and I celebrated 10 YEARS of marriage.  I can't believe it.  Not because I didn't think we would make it or it's been incredibly difficult, but because it means I've been married for practically 1/3 of my life.  I guess that is what happens when you get married young (I was 23 and Dave was 21, not quite 22).  It made sense at the time and I can't imagine not marrying him when I did, but the idea of getting married so young seems insane!  When Dave mentioned to a co-worker that it was his 10th wedding anniversary, they responded with "Wow, you're old."  And then of course, Dave got to point out that the co-worker was actually older than him :)

Two young folks gettin' hitched.  July 26, 2003

I love my husband.  I've gushed before about what an amazing father he is, but he is pretty darn good husband too.  He puts up with my occasional neurotic tendencies, my need for order and cleanliness,  and my picky eating.  He is my technology guru and doesn't complain when I give him a honey-do list.  He indulges my pregnant lady whims.  Dave loves me despite my many imperfections.  I'm very lucky.

To celebrate, we spent the weekend sans children at the Camano Island Inn.  It was wonderful to be "off duty" for a couple of days.  The absolute luxury of laying in bed uninterrupted in the morning cannot be emphasized enough.  There is not a lot to do on Camano.  Being very pregnant, hiking was not a viable option for us.  We explored the island and Cama Beach State Park.  There was a lot of napping.  We also succeeded in choosing a name for the baby (sorry it's under wraps).  On our way back we even took in a little shopping at the outlet mall in Tulalip.

Before we left for our trip Linus helped me plan the meals and activities.  Eileen helped me make some mini apple pies. 

My parents were saints and watched the kids while we were gone.  Eileen got sick while we were gone, complete with puking all over herself in the middle of the night.  My parents really earned their stripes this weekend.  Hopefully, they aren't too scared to do it all over again when the baby comes.  The kids were glad to see us return, especially Eileen.  She has repeatedly stated (almost in tears), "You go without me."  Needless to say, there has been a lot of snuggling since our return home.  I missed my babies terribly and am happy to hold them.

10 years, 3 babies, a minivan, and a mortgage. Life is good.

He Who Shall Not Be Named

I've taken to calling the baby "He Who Shall Not Be Named."  Despite what you may believe, naming a child is not easy.  Names that you have loved since you were seven have suddenly become immensely popular.  You have a partner who you have to reach some sort of agreement with or risk alienation.  Naming suddenly becomes serious business once you actually get to/have to do it.  Really, you are helping decide that child's future and such decisions can not be made lightly.

We named Linus the day we found out we were having a boy.  We went out to dinner at a Greek restaurant on Phinney Ridge and had made the decision by dessert.  His middle name took a little longer.  Eileen was named probably within two weeks of the gender reveal. Her middle name changed as we walked into labor and delivery.  I will be 30 weeks on Tuesday and don't feel like we are even close to having a name.

Linus has named the baby Search Helicopter.  Eileen thinks Strawberry Shortcake would be a better choice but is willing to defer to Linus. When it comes to names I prefer more classical ones, but that are also less common (no top ten names for me).  The name needs to have character, personality.  Ideally, I would like it to be a saint's name.  If the first name isn't a saint name, then I'll try to make sure the middle name is.  Believe it or not, there is a Saint Linus.  He was the second pope.  I give bonus points for names that have songs attached. 

I feel like we did such a good job naming the first two that we have increased the pressure on ourselves to come up with another perfect name.  If we name him Jacob (a top ten name on the social security website and not under consideration), I may as well start apologizing to our third now.  Sorry kid, we just got tired and lost creativity, ie sending the implicit message from the start that he doesn't matter as much.

Right now Dave has a list of names, none of which I like although some are mildly tolerable.  And none of them feel like the baby's name.  I say this as the person who feels the baby all day and all night long.  I have a list of names, with a top 3.  None of which I am married to but strongly prefer to any on Dave's list.  Unfortunately, I think Dave is just as strongly opposed to my names as I am to his.

Yes, yes, I know.  The baby will be born, we will look at him, and then know his name.  I am skeptical of this since we are so far apart on names.  Additionally, I am a planner.  It will bring me so much peace to know his name.  If we come up with a name, he's born, and I say, "No way, he can't possibly be a McGillicuddy," then that's one thing.  I can deal with that.  Having him born and saying, "Sorry kid, I got bupkiss" seems so wrong. 

Dave and I are going away next weekend and having a little babymoon.  I am hoping that during this time of uninterrupted bliss (we get to sleep in past 5:30 am!!) we will come up with a name.  But for now the baby is "He Who Shall Not Be Named."

Family Camp 2013

Another year, another weekend spent at sunny Camp Don Bosco family camp.  I'm still amazed at myself every year that we go because as a young counselor I could not fathom going.  Ah how being a parent changes perspective.

So enjoy our "slideshow."

Eileen all ready for campfire the first night.  Can you see the enthusiasm bursting out of her?  She ran all the way to the campfire circle.

Not a lot of sleep was had by anyone during the weekend.  After falling out of bed, Eileen and I slept next to each other on the floor.  I quickly learned that sleeping on the floor on a thin mattress in a sleeping bag next to a toddler with an ear infection is the quickest way for a pregnant woman to get no sleep.  Luckily, I am married to a wonderful man who made a run each morning into town to bring me back Starbucks.

Linus' favorite part of camp this year was the craft shop.  He was prolific with his creations.

Tie dye!  Their shirts turned out pretty well and the kids looked like quintessential campers in their freshly minted tie dye (forgot to snag a pic).

So proud of his necklace and walking stick.

Lounging outside the craft shop.

A quick little hike to the Trestle.

baby butt looking down at Griffin Creek

The highlight of the trip for Eileen was horses.

 After getting thoroughly covered in dirt at the corral, Dave attempted to coax the kids into the pool.  Linus wised up very quickly to just how cold the pool was.  Eileen gave it a chance before crying to be let out.  I wisely just put my feet in and that was enough to let me know I had made the right choice. Brrr.  Dave was bummed.  He would have happily stayed in the pool for a while.

 The Slip N Slide went over much better.

Still trying to warm up from her dip in the pool.  Can you see the exhaustion from so much fun and no nap?  She passed out asleep shortly after this pic was taken.

Enjoying the makeshift swing.

One of the best parts of camp is the ability for the kids to safely roam and just play.  The kids quickly made friends.   Linus maybe got a little too comfortable and became increasingly difficult to keep an eye on,  there was just too much to explore.  Luckily, kids move in packs.  Bug hunting was a big activity.

Some bigger girls helped Eileen make a necklace and bracelet.  Eileen felt so special and talked about the experience nonstop afterwards.

 The kids had a good time.  Eileen cried when we left. Cried when we got home.  Cried when she woke up the next morning.  If she had her way, we would be at Camp Don Bosco right now.   

My experience was hard.  I didn't realize how trying it would be on my body to be 7.5 months pregnant at camp.  The inability to really get a chance to rest, the heat, the constant walking over uneven ground, the heart burn inducing food with no milk to be found, it was all too much.  By the time we left I just wanted to cry and felt like my body was going to give out underneath me at any moment.  Lesson learned. Very pregnant and camp are a poor combination.

Linus in his homemade space shuttle.  We needed lots of rest after such a full weekend.

I'm not sure if we'll go back next year.  A big surprise this year was discovering upon arrival that we would be sharing cabins with two other families.  We were lucky and actually knew the two other families we shared with and liked them.  It's one thing to share a cabin as a single adult with several other single adults.  It's another to go as a family and share with two other families.  Everyone really tried to be good sports and make it work.   Going away for the weekend with small children can be stressful, having to negotiate the needs of two other families in one room and not being able to have the cabin as a respite is a bit much.  So we'll see.