her kindergarten debut.

yesterday, my very own ada started kindergarten.  and after a rocky few days in our house, she ROCKED it!  on the way home she proclaimed to me "mama, kindergarten in NOT good.  it is GREAT!"  she offered to befriend every child seeking companionship, and came out with three new friends after a total of four hours!  that's my girl!  and i must mention, she picked out her entire outfit, head to toe, as well as her hairstyle (of which she wanted something a little different that involved a plethora of bobby pins, but i told her we were NOT going to a wedding!)

as for me.  i thought i would be stronger.  luckily i had hanna and elias with me to keep me grounded.  when someone is screaming "MAMA WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?", you decide to put on a smile.  

yes, that is my front door.  with a plastic lawn mower on one side and a little girl's bikini hanging from a watering can on the other.  awesome.

that is her school with the big blue roof!

before walking in.

i love you ada.  i am so proud of you!

momentous achievements.

this kid deserves his own little post. 

 talk about a summer of milestones, my man-child has grown up so much this summer.  

potty training- a breeze.

he rocked it.

i couldn't be luckier.

doesn't even tell me when he has to potty, just finds the bathroom

and does his business.

moving out of his crib to a big boy bed- smooth sailing.

who knew that if we just told him that baby cribs weren't "cool"?

he, my friends, is awesome. 

 nothing less.

he is so tough, with super-hero strengths, so opinionated, and does everything on his own schedule.

don't hinder him, just let him happen.

i've learned.

pure awesomeness will prevail.

and have i mentioned he has a heart of gold.

seriously.

he is perfection with an extra dose of testosterone

i couldn't love him more.

the last weeks of summer vacation.

our last week of summer vacation is this week.  you heard me right, my ada will start kindergarten this friday.  how did time pass so quickly?  she is ready and excited, i am the anxious one!   i am so scared for her.  she is going to grown up so fast.  until now, i have sheltered her from so much.  she is wonderfully sweet and kind (and a bit naive).   i won't be able to protect her from what she hears, from the wrong kind of kids, she will have so many questions...

i can only hope that she remembers all i have taught her.

we have been enjoying all of our last moments of the summer.  lots of activities and friends.  

 these two are quickly becoming best friends.  he tortures her and she laughs.  and have i mentioned she is about two shakes away from crawling!

we met my dear friend joanna, and her own little mala at the children's museum in greensboro.  so much fun!

elias flew the airplane with hanna as his passenger!

we catch rainbows as a hobby!

there is nothing like some chaos!  i have very few pictures of my priceless visit with anna, lakshmi (and clara and lea!)  this is as good as it gets!

thanks to ada, we actually got a picture all together!

exhausted.

a trip to brent and frances' lake house.

this kid spends his life dreaming of driving boats, cars, trucks and planes.  unfortunately a few minutes after this picture the poor boy got sunscreen in his eyes and couldn't function the rest of the day (NOT to worry, he is better today!)

the girls.

this boy couldn't stop giving me this look!  how cute is he!

one of my husband's many talents.

my ever-so-athletic brother in law!

auntie shannon and ada.  what i don't have pictures of is my dear sister doing her wake surfing ditty.  i did not know my sister was so talented!  i promise next time i will take pictures...  you will not be let down!

off i go to enjoy the last few days with my three kiddos.  ada meets one teacher tonight, another on tuesday, has a doctor appointment thursday (for her TERRIBLE allergies) and goes to her first day of kindergarten on friday.  wish us luck!

my crew.

 

                                   i am a lucky girl.

as seen from my phone. with captions.

my week as a single mom-of-three will come to an end in a few hours (do you hear the choirs singing?)  a seriously good week though, lots of visits with very special people in my life.  there will be more on that later, but for now, enjoy what i saw this week-- from my phone.

 pre-dinner baths are working out excellently in our family!  last night we all showered together at the pool!  bedtimes battles have been lessened, and my children often (but not always!) have clothes on at dinner time- pj's!  goochie may have been eating some chocolate popsicle as well.  shhhh, don't tell.

 hanna chillin' at the pool.

 my ada, the perfect helper.  what will i do when she starts kindergarten? less than two weeks!

 some alone time with my man child.  all he wanted to do was swing.

 pool time.

 enjoying park time too!

 me and my wee one.

 miss clara.  i love that kid.  she is a pile of sass, just like my ada used to be.

and, if you turn your back, this may happen. while changing sheets on the guest bed i turned around to see my goochie-girl standing up.  seven months have passed already.  whew time flies!

until later, give me strength to survive the next two hours!
xx

the tease.

my better half left me today for san francisco.
technically, he should have left yesterday since he was operating until midnight.
six nights. just me.
days i can handle.  it's my job (and my life!)
but nighttime, oh nighttime, how i loathe thee.

two in ada's bed keeping each other company as i sit in hanna's room (please forgive me, she sleeps in my closet.  it is not a "real" room, but we had poor planning with this little girl) nursing her to sleep.  it isn't working.  i lay her in her bed with a kiss and a blankie.  fingers crossed.

i read several books to my ada and elias.  lots of kisses and whispers.  i wrap elias in his blankie, myno,  and put him down in his crib.  yes, he still sleeps in a crib.  we have tried to change this, but frankly, we ALL prefer it that way.  "BUT" he yells, and can't think of anything else to say.  finally he says "I NEED TO GO PEE PEE!" .  we trot to the bathroom and back to bed.  "BUT" he yells, but still can't think of another reason to stay awake.  "good night, sweet dreams, i'll see you in the morning" i say quickly and run from his room.  bounce, bounce, bounce.  now he is jumping in his bed.

i walk to ada's room.  she is all snuggled up.  i send her to the bathroom one last time.  we tell each other secrets (i always tell her she is my favorite.  they all are, aren't they?)   i thank her for picking up the toys downstairs and teaching elias how to do a puzzle this evening, even though he proceeded to throw the puzzle pieces all over the downstairs after she had cleaned.  i tuck her in.  "sleep tight, sweet dreams, i'll see you in the morning"  i whisper and she whispers back.

i tip toe downstairs.
silence.
i may or may not steal two sugar cookies and a nut brown ale (from reza's beer of the month club--thanks mom!)
i sit down on the couch.
sigh.
the day is done.
success.

tip toes, coming down the stairs.
ada.
back to bed.
i pass elias' room.  jumping hard.  crib is shaking.
i tuck ada in.
elias is calling for me.
i rub his back.
and run down to the couch to drink my beer before it is warm (the cookies were shoveled into my mouth when i heard ada!)
i sit down.
sigh.

tip toes.
again.
really?
and again.

now, the beer is warm.  hanna will be awake in two more hours if i am lucky, and hopefully no one will wet the bed.

sleep is so over rated.

1,000 miles later.

we made it! chapel hill, nc to wheeling, wv to bay beach, ontario to charlottesville, va and then back home. have i mentioned that i don't like to ride in the car? all things considered, we had a wonderful time, and now we are pooped. thank you to everyone who helped us, boarded us, and put up with our whirlwind of mess we made along the way.

seriously, we (especially the kiddos) had an amazing time. they saw more cousins than they were even aware they had, hung out with all of their grandparents, swam everyday, played on the sand, in boats, on playgrounds, in lakes, YOU NAME IT. they had fun. ada purchased a toy beauty shop set early in the trip and was a beauty shop girl every day. elias was just, well, himself. a naked superhero speedy racecar. yes, naked. yes, 90% of everyday. don't ask, and please don't give me suggestions. just thinking about him makes me tired lately. hanna was her smiley, mommy-loving self. such a trooper, and boy did she love the water!

and now we are home. weeds are everywhere. the toys are strewn throughout the house. the laundry is flowing over (although REZA folded about 5 loads today. first. time. ever!) and after loads of late nights and super early mornings, our kids are suffering from lack of sleep. there is so much to do. it makes me tired just thinking about it. can't we just stay on vacation forever?

AT GRANDMA & BABA JON'S

milkshakes.

cousins.

AT HONEY'S IN CANADA
elias could drive the boat all day, every day.

ada tubing.

more ice cream.

but only sand for the gooch. yum.

beauty shop.
exhausted.

crawfish.

on our way to a picnic where reza and i were married.

beauty shop with a new friend.

a shower in the rain.

AT UNCLE KAREEMI'S
in charlottesville.