I can't believe it - our girl is 2. And though she often acts way older than 2, it's crazy to think we're out of the 1's. Before we know it we'll be out of diapers and cribs and then we'll have a full on little girl on our hands. Today started like most, we did a morning walk around the neighborhood. Isla rode her bike and Margot rode her scooter. She's really good on it, and at one point had me thinking that perhaps she needed a helmet because she got some speed going down a hill and was not putting the breaks on. None of our kids were really moving enough to need anything till they were 3 but we may have to make an exception. Riding her scooter and taking walks around the block is Margot's favorite thing to do these days. It's not unusual for her to do 5 laps or more in a day. It was good we got out when we did because it's been raining on and off for most of the day.
Luckily we made the most of the beautiful day we had yesterday - went to the zoo, planted vegetables and flowers, and hit up the pool for our first summer swim. Though, I can't say yesterday went all that well. I may or may not be on some random youtube video floating around showing a crying kid and her frustrated mom at the zoo. While the first 2 1/2 hours were great - the kids, and especially Margot, loved the lions, gorillas, and the dolphin show, I'm afraid the last 15-30 minutes were just torture. Sawyer started having a fit because we said it was time to go, and she wasn't going to see the penguins, which dovetailed into her freaking out about something else. She could not be calmed down, and lucky us we were probably 1/2 mile from the car. So it took us about 30 minutes to get there, all while she's being carried, dragged, or running after us screaming/crying at the top of her lungs - no joke we probably passed hundreds of people who just stared and Mark and I were furious by the time we got to the car, insisting on silence if any of them wanted to see an electronic device ever again in their lives...at which point all three fell asleep. Clearly we overstayed our trip a bit so not good on the parenting front, but I didn't expect the meltdown from our oldest...And now I record it for posterity so Sawyer knows what a pain in the ass she can be. Thankfully things got better...
I tell you - our lives are a roller coaster with these kids. So let's return to some of the highs - especially Margot's birthday. After a monster nap today, in which she woke up looking at me like she'd never seen me in her life, we came down and had some muffins and water while listening to Isla sing happy birthday to us.
Once she settled in, she realized that her presents from Grandma and Grandpa Harris were sitting out for her by the fireplace, and she wanted to open them. Here she is starting to slowly get into it.
Our smart little girl had barely started opening this present when she declared that she got a soccer ball. Such a smarty knew what is was from just a glimpse.
In all honesty, I must confess to Margot we did not get her any birthday presents this year. I know, terrible parents. I gave all my ideas to the grandparents and didn't have anything else really high on the list. I'll probably get her a new outfit or something next time I see something cute, but didn't rush out to get it for her to unwrap. Margot is so thankful anytime we give her anything - she will say "you got me a present mom?", and "thank you", and "i love you so much", and quite frankly doesn't ask for much so didn't notice we hadn't gotten her anything.
Instead, Margot and I hung out just the two of us at the pool yesterday, where she got a special M&M snack (and her sisters didn't) and we just hung out and talked. We hung out more today, making ourselves some eggies and sausage for breakfast...because Margie and I pretty much share every meal. And while she napped, I spent a bunch of time cooking up some treats for her with her sisters. We made some banana bread muffins, which are one of her faves...and which she dug into as soon as she woke up. We also made her birthday cake. Mark got in a long run while we were baking, and I sort of feel like we both were running a marathon as it were. I mean, I was embarking on a six layer rainbow cake with a 6 and 4 year old. Luckily, it went pretty well - I had to keep the tasks pretty evenly divided up and keep them pretty busy which seemed to work well. That, and they were both so excited for Margie to see their end product.
Before we get to the cake though - here's our little Blackhawk practicing some hockey moves. She's not quite ready for the ice but we're hoping she'll enjoy playing hockey and soccer with her new nets.
And finally, the most popular gift (and probably the cutest) was the bowling set. All three girls got into it, and it's going to work so well inside or out. They don't make it too challenging though standing only a few feet away.
And finally, one where they are all smiling and getting along. Following all of this, they had a little dance party - listening to all of Margot's favorite tunes - Uptown Funk being at the top of that list.
And now, without further ado, here is our cake for our girl! It is totally homemade so don't judge.
Haha - this thing was way taller than I expected it would be, but she seemed to like it.
And she dug in the minute I placed it in front of her. She took a swipe before I had put the candles in, again before they were lit, blew one candle out as we were singing, and grabbed all the candles to lick the frosting off as soon as we were done.
And the best view is the inside - here's our six layers. Sawyer and Isla worked really hard. They broke the eggs, poured the liquid in, used the mixer, and did all the food coloring in each of the different bowls. It was an exhausting labor of love, but one of our more positive cooking experiences as of late.
Which brings me to what else is going on these days. Well, school is starting to wind down. Isla has just two more days left, with a picnic later this week where we expect to be serenaded with some songs. She has come home singing a few of them, and Margot has already picked them up. Sawyer has two weeks left. She's been busy with her softball games, and even scored the game ball last week. To say she was excited is an understatement - girl was quietly watching as other girls got them, knew she came close in one game, and then finally was sooo proud of herself when she got it - mainly because she had some really good fielding and a couple of hits. Both girls have also had some playdates recently. And play dates are a god-send. Isla had one at her friend Jane's and came home so happy. She had spent a ton of time running around and she was so tired by the end of the day. Thankfully, so many of these friends will be at the pool this summer too so I expect our girls are going to have a great time!
As for me, I've been a bit out of commission. Had some gum surgery earlier in the week, and due to some bruising and swelling pretty much made sure I avoided the camera. Pain meds are a godsend, and Mark is always so good about picking up the slack with the girls. Each day gets a bit better and I'm hoping to be mostly good to go by mid-week because we have plans to go out for dinner for our anniversary!! This is just the mini-event, with some kid-free time scheduled in September, but we'll take what we can get and celebrate 10 years. And now...back to the Mad Men marathon we are having tonight...
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