Countdown to Lameville

This was a great Labor Day weekend for the Davis family.

1. We got out with the boys every day of the weekend! This is a first for our family!

Saturday, we got up and went to breakfast at a little diner not too far from our house. The boys were really good, and only made minimal messes under their highchairs, and didn't cry, scream or throw utensils. After the diner, we stopped at a playground in our neighborhood and let the boys swing for a few minutes. Lester took Dean down a big-boy slide, and Cary watched a group of men play a pick-up basketball game. Then it was time for nap, and both boys went without fuss, and slept for two to two-and-a-half hours. (Bet you can guess who was up first.)

After their nap, I took the boys to a cookout my brother's girlfriend threw in honor of his being alive (Yay!) and getting better every day. The boys were fine on the way down, but I overstayed my welcome at the cookout and paid for it, both toward the latter part of the cookout, and then on the way home. And since we live an hour and some change away from my family, I paid for a looooong time.

Sunday, we decided to go looking at minivans, because Honda was having a great Labor Day weekend offer on interest rates. This adventure did not turn out as well as our earlier trek out to the diner/playground. The boys had a short first nap for some reason, and had not had a second nap, so they were irritable and unpleasant. We went to one dealership and left after only looking at one car. Lesson learned about bringing twin toddlers to a car dealership and expecting to get anything accomplished.

Monday we took the babies to buy new shoes. I thought their shoes we bought a few months back still fit just fine, but my Mom reminded me at the cookout that babies outgrow their shoes rather quickly. Wouldn't you know Mom was right? The boys' shoes were both size 4, but their feet now measure at 5 (Dean) and 5 and a half (Cary). We went to Stride Rite because Kristie the physical therapist suggested a certain kind of shoe to help Dean's little foot, but let me tell you: That is the LAST time we are going to Stride Rite. The service was wonderful and I'm sure the shoes are the best. But we paid $150 for 4 pairs of BABY shoes, and this was during the store's buy-one-get-one-half-off sale! $150!!!
Never again. Seriously folks. That is insane!

After buying shoes, we ate at Nordstrom Cafe (delicious) and then drove home in the driving rain to greet my parents, who came out for a visit. I was so glad they came because they almost always see the babies (Dean, especially) out of their element, and so don't really know how adorable and pleasant my boys can be when they're comfortable, not sleepy or hungry, and on familiar territory. And just as I predicted, both boys were ADORABLE while Mom and Dad were here. So I was really glad of that. I hate that people think my babies are crankypots all the time. They can be crankypots, true. But 75-percent of the time, they are quite lovely. Darnit.

2. We bought a minivan. Yes, we are officially lame.

While Mom and Dad were here hanging out with us, Lester went to a dealer selling a used Honda Odyssey with pretty low miles and just about all the features we wanted (back-up camera, DVD for the boys, lots o' storage space, etc.) for a reasonable price. He worked his magic, got them to meet most of our terms and, a few hours later came home with the car. It was kinda sad, as I didn't even get to say good-bye to my little CR-V, which I liked a lot. And I still am not used to the idea of being a minivan owner. Where has all my swag gone??

Swag or no swag, we really needed a bigger car with the new addition coming. And truth be told, we needed the bigger car even before. Lester's knees were almost touching the dashboard when he drove, because of the boys' car seats forcing him to pull his seat up so far. And there really was not enough room for all the crap you have to schlep when you have more than one kid. But I did like that little car. Waaaaaaah.

3. We ordered new convertible car seats for the boys.

This is a big deal, as I had done a ton of research and queried a bunch of people (in person and on Facebook) and I still was unsure what to get. So I was pretty sure I'd just put off the decision until it was absolutely necessary. But somehow I made a gametime decision and ordered the Britax Roundabout 55, which got good reviews both from parents and from Consumer Reports.
So the boys will now move from those infant carrier seats (which weighed a TON) to bigger-boy seats, which I hope will make them happier in the car, since they'll be able to see out of the window a little better. We'll still keep them rear-facing for a little while longer, but front-facing is on its way. My boys are growing older. Waaaaaaaah, some more.

In fact, this post isn't really about being lame. I guess if I think about it, it's really about growth.

My boys are growing (even their feet grew). Our family is growing. Even my little vegetables in a pot on my front porch are growing (thanks to all this crazy rain we've been having lately!) And I always thought I was too "cool" to ever drive a minivan, but clearly I have grown up considerably since the days of thinking about what is cool and what is not. (Who even cares anyway?)

All this growth is a wonderful, beautiful thing. So why do I feel just the tiniest bit sad?