Boys' first day of school (sorta); a wedding, a hangover and other tidbits

Today the boys had their orientation /first day at their new school!

We met their new teacher, toured their beautiful classrooms, watched as they selected cubbies, played with toys, did some spin art, and met new friends. They also saw their friend Marcus, and fell right in together, like old times.

This is the multi-purpose room. We were waiting to go up and tour their classrooms.

Their new teacher, Mr. Valle.

The Three Amigos. That's Marcus - in the stylin' hat.

Making spin art.

Their masterpieces! (And my toes.)

Guys - it is such a nice building, with all the things you think of when you imagine what a pre-school should look like. I got all teary thinking about how blessed we are to be able to provide this kind of place for our kids - and about how this is the kind of school ALL kids deserve. I don't know how the years will go -- or even this year -- but I can tell you that I really felt good when I left there today.


This week is another crazy week, with weird schedules and introducing the new aftercare sitter to the routine, so I'm not completely out of the "I need a Xanax" woods just yet. But I'm getting there.

Speaking of the new aftercare person, Friday was officially Michelle's last day with us, after four years of being a total member of our family. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! :-(
 

We'll miss you, Mi-Mi!

I am so sad about it. She was a Godsend, truly. I don't know what we're going to do without her. We made a special dinner for her, and gave her flowers and a balloon, and we had chocolate cake to celebrate our time with her. We were all really sad (but cake helps!) and we're determined that Michelle will not be gone for long. We'll still have her come hang out with the kids for some date nights, etc. And she wants us to Skype with her from time to time, too. I love it that she loves my kids so much, especially because they ADORE her. So, for us, it's just see you later, Michelle, and not good-bye. You can't get rid of us that fast!

This weekend, as a matter of fact, we would have used her to go to my friend Andrea's wedding, but we decided to let them stay with my parents overnight so that we could enjoy the wedding and not have to get up at the crack of dawn the next day.

Andrea's wedding was fabulous! She looked beautiful, but she's asked us not to share photos of her, so I won't. Just trust me when I say her dress was gorgeous! And it was great to get together with her and so many friends and drink and eat and cut-up and dance the night away. We had so much fun!!

"Ussie" with my girls Kelly and Shreya

Me and my sweetpea. Check him out in his new tux -- and 35 lbs. lighter! I hate him.

Why am I so short? I blame my parents.

The fellas, stylin'!

By the end of the night, women were bringing out bottles upon bottles of spirits, with fireworks coming out the top. Yes, it was that kind of night.

I might have done a little too much cutting up (ahem) because the next morning, Lester and I both needed this -- in copious amounts.

But it was great to get to go out to brunch with my sweetie and ease into the day. Many thanks to my Mom and Dad for watching the Davis crazies for us! We love you!

Jam-packed weekend (and a resolution)

Lester's boss sponsors a baseball tournament every year between the city's public and private high schools. It's a lot of work for Lester and he has been gone a lot on the last few weekends because of it.

This weekend, the weather was really nice, so I decided not to let the chore of carting three kids around by myself cause us to stay stuck in the house.

So off we went on a series of adventures!

First, Cary and Dean and I went to the Spring park clean-up at Herring Run Park, which is near our house and one of the reasons I bought a home where I did.

Look how pretty the stream is. Actually, Herring Run Park is pretty fantastic.

At first, the boys were pretty excited about helping to keep our park clean, so that everyone can enjoy it.

But then, they discovered the joys of rocks.

Climbing rocks.

And throwing rocks into the stream.

And so Mommy ended up doing all the cleaning. Oh well.

The most exciting part of the day for them was when they got to actually walk into a Dumpster to put our bags of trash in it.  They were giddy about this.

"Mommy, we're IN the Dumpster!! The trash man is going to take us away!"

After that, we came home, had lunch, got Clair ready and headed out to cheer on Daddy at the baseball game. (Not that he was playing, but he was working really hard getting yelled at by coaches.)

The boys were enthralled by "real baseball players!!"

And excited to see Lester, who came over from working the event to sit with us for just a little while.

Watching the game (for 2 seconds at a time.)

Sidenote: I had to go move the car at one point and stumbled across a wedding on campus. It was pretty cool! This woman's dress was killer. The lace on the back? Wowza.

When it was time to go, I had to bribe C & D with ice cream, because they were having such a good time.

I took them to a place called Dominion Ice Cream, which was used in an episode of Veep (and apparently on the Food Network, too.) Their ice cream is really creamy and delicious. Can't you tell?

Ummm. I don't think there's anything left in those cups, you mannerless children who clearly have no parents to teach you how to act in public.

Later on that night, I went out to a work dinner with my friend and boss, Tom, and I almost couldn't pay attention to the events on stage because I kept staring at this woman's shoes. And her toned legs.

And I started thinking about how my 40th birthday is rolling up in like 2 seconds, and I have been eating like a weed-smoking teenager lately. Cookies, cake, brownies, pie, ice cream, chips ...This slap-yo-mama-good shrimp po' boy TWO NIGHTS IN A ROW!

Seriously, people, come to Baltimore. Go to Touloulou. Get a shrimp po' boy. Thank me later.

And so, I am going to do better. Starting right now.

(I know. I know. You've heard this before. So have I.)

Sunday, I spent the entire day swapping kids' clothes from fall/winter to spring/summer and packing their old things up to store away. It took so long, I was still putting winter coats (mine and Lester's included) into storage bags while watching the season premiere of Mad Men last night at 10 p.m.!

And now that I have done all that darn work, lugging bins up and down the basement stairs, folding and re-folding clothes (thanks, Clair) and trying to decide what can be worn again next year, what's going to my sister, what's going back to the store, what's going to friends and what's going to Goodwill, this weather better stay warm! Or Mother Nature and I are gonna fight.

Thanks to all those po' boys I have a few extra pounds on me. So I'm pretty sure I can take her.

The weekend in pictures...

This weekend, the whole family got dressed up to go to an 11 a.m. wedding.
(People with multiple children will know what kind of preparation that entails.)

But we did a terrible job taking into account the fact that Saturday was also the frikkin' Baltimore Marathon. So we were literally thwarted at every turn by roads closures and runners. Literally.

Thankfully, we were in two cars, so eventually, Lester just went on to the wedding himself and the rest of us turned around, went to the Red Canoe and had a muffin. All dressed up and slightly irritated, yes. But then... pumpkin muffins! Holla!

The boys looked sooo handsome in their button-up shirts and sweaters. Too bad they were covered in muffin 5 minutes later. Also, these heels were killing me! Ugh!

Lester said the wedding was really authentic and beautiful and it made him a little sentimental. This is the text message he sent from the reception:

Awwwww!

Later, Matty-Matt came to visit!

Of course, I had JUST put Clair and the boys down for a nap. So Clair missed her BFF. But at least that meant I got to have Matty all to myself!! He's AWESOME.

Matthew brought his Mom and Dad, too. And his big brother Russy, who absolutely loved, loved, loved Sara!

Russy and Sara ran and played non-stop. Do you hear me? Non-stop.

Russy played with the cat so much and so hard, as soon as he left, this happened:

Now I know what I have to do to get Sara to chill the eff out. Get a 5-year-old!

 A
nd still later, we all went to a playdate at Stacey's house. It was a ton of fun and noise and baked ziti and apple pie and ice cream. We loved every minute of it (except for the minutes when Cary was crying and Dean was screaming. But other than that...)

Kelly and Clair (who was starting to get sick, I think.) Also, Clair has no idea but she is sitting next to her future husband!

My friend Kelly came to the playdate with my sweetie-pie Naomi, and when it was time to leave, this happened. Unprompted. And repeatedly.

Check out Dean's form. Some things can't be taught, people.

We have always said that these two are betrothed. From the womb, we have said this. And Dean just keeps proving that we were right. Check out this photo from August, 2011. I think this might also have been unprompted. But even if it wasn't, you see who responded to a directive to "Give Naomi a kiss," and who just stared into space.

Why does Naomi always have the same face when Dean rolls up for a smooch?

Saturday night, Clair got sick. She had already been a bit snotty -- as are all the rest of us -- but overnight, she got so bad she couldn't sleep, and we had to suction her out at 4 a.m. FUN!

All day Sunday, she was miserable and barely napped. I felt sure she'd sleep at night, because she was so tired at dinner, she fell asleep in her highchair! (This would never have happened with C&D. They never slept anywhere but their beds. Ever.)

But she was so phleghmy and snuffly and coughing and hacking all night, she couldn't sleep. Even when I brought her in our bed, she was slightly happier because she got to lie on me and be comforted, but she literally kept us up just about the whole night. MORE FUN!

Lester stayed home with her today because I am super-swamped at work. I felt so bad leaving my poor sick baby. This is pretty much what she looked like when I left.

Finally, finally getting a little bit of rest, poor thing.

But later this morning, Lester sent this picture of her all cleaned and dressed and I feel much better that she feels much better! (Hooray for smartphones!)

Such a happy baby girl -- even when sick!

Now, let's see how tonight goes.  (Anyone want to invent some Baby Sudafed+Ambien? I'll be your first investor.)

Music, church and wedding weekend!

We had a full (as usual) and good weekend!

We took the boys to a free music class in our area, run by the woman who sings and plays guitar at the sing-along they love so much but haven't been able to go to since I came off of maternity leave.

The boys were sorta lukewarm about the class at first, but warmed up toward the end. Cary even cried when it was over, and said, "I want to go to music class again!"

So we signed them up for a 9-week course. Every Sunday we'll go, and Clair can come too (for free!) if we feel up to bringing her. It starts this weekend and I'm excited. The boys love music so I hope they'll get a lot out of the class.

So cross that off of my list of things I want the boys to do before they turn 3!

Also, Lester and I finally, finally got our butts in gear and made it to visit a church we'd been wanting to check out. The boys were having none of sitting still, so I had to take them to the nursery, where they were having none of being left alone. That meant I heard none of the sermon!

Here they are in the nursery, playing with one of those old-school musical television sets. You know the one that plays "Row Row Row Your Boat" and "Hey Diddle Diddle?" This toy took me back!

But Lester stayed in the sanctuary with Clair and reported back to me. He liked the sermon and seemed to like the Pastor too. We'll go back again next week -- right after music class -- and this time I'll listen to the sermon and Lester will go to the nursery. This way, we'll both get to assess whether we like the church or not.

The civil rights historian Taylor Branch attends this church and he was there on Sunday. I've interviewed him before, but only by phone, so I wanted to go up and introduce myself, but it was too hectic.  Maybe next week.

Saturday night, Lester and I went to the wedding of my brothers' friend Jason. Jason grew up with my brothers since he was in the 2nd grade. I can't remember a weekend that he wasn't sleeping over at our house.  I love him just like he's my own brother and I'm so, so, so, so happy he's found an awesome woman to spend his life with. She is really good for him, and he seems so in love! It's really cute.

The (new) happy couple. The old happy couple. My parents (the even OLDER happy couple). And Lester, posing with the cigars the groom handed out to all the men at the reception. Ain't he suave, y'all? I married well! :-)

We had a GREAT time at the wedding and reception, which were both beautiful and elegant and a lot of fun. There was an open bar and we didn't get home until midnight, and now -- knowing those two things -- aren't you even more impressed that we got up, got ourselves and three kids ready, and went to church on Sunday?

God? See how we're trying? :-)

Lastly, I should mention that my meeting with Miss Toni went tolerably well. Not badly, but not swimmingly either. I think I am just going to resign myself to the fact that she is a really kind, warm and genuine person, who loves kids but is not ever going to be the organized, perky, informative pre-school teacher I'd envisioned in my head.  But as long as my boys seem happy (which is, finally seeming to be the case) it'll all be fine.

And next year, they'll have one of the 3s-class teachers, who are all the way I envisioned! I just have to be patient. Guess I'll work on that virtue in church!