noodle...

our natey, natedog, noodle turned 7...we headed up to akron to celebrate...memories flooded back of this full of energy, speedy little boy who loved his mamma...he is still full of energy and speedy, just playing soccer and flag football...he still loves his mamma...he is just bigger and better...his sister mpm worked her way into help with presents, just like she did when he was one and he was three...his weekend included friday evening with a movie and a sleepover with his best friend...saturday he scored 7 goals at his soccer game...went fishing with his dad, uncle and grandpa and finally caught a big bass with the last worm...came home to his twin cousins who adore him and everything else he loves...his mother and father made the exact dinner he requested...opened up more legos (plus a giftcard) with the world's best aunt heather watching...made a wish with the cake his mom made topped with the legos he built...sunday was filled with more legos and chocolate chips...AND he scored a touchdown in his flag football game...i can not believe he is 7...i only hope the boyz will be this great of a kid and satisfied with this kind of wonderful birthday!

order...

"chaos was the law of nature; order was the dream of man"

-henry brooks adams

order is returning to our house after some sick little ewie days...fortunately andrew unselfishly took the brunt of it, since it was the most planned weekend i have had in 3 years...fortunately ewie has not been sick since may...and fortunately grammy had the week off and came into town for reinforcement when the 'roids were peaking...the guilt i felt was overwhelming...not being there for ewie...andrew doing it all...and cam-a-lam, just hanging out watching tv all day with a paci...being a mother has made me realize how much i need order in my life...but life, as a mother, has taught me there is no order...

a moment of order...

gone when i took ewie to wash his hands...

what did i sign up for??????

backpacking...log cabin...waterfalls & more...

not sure how to describe this trip besides saying...an unplanned visit with aunt elsie at a gas station (who andrew recognized & i told him no way because it was maryland license plates!)...and the boyz, unscripted holding hands!!  lots of work but good times!! thanks aunt jeanne for the backpacks! they LOVE it!

with arms full of love...

this is the first time after their birth, i held them both by myself...i was so fearful and so scared...but i had never felt so overwhelmed with love...not since before my mother died...i look back and think how much easier it was with the boyz...they slept a lot...we head out tomorrow to oakland, maryland...the county where my mother was born and grew up and is buried...also where my baby sister was born, lorri and i went to school and we had a great little life, family and community...this community discovered something was wrong with me, prayed for a cure and took care of my sisters while i was with my mother in pittsburgh...childhood, even after we moved to ohio, brought us back to garrett county for the summers...i spent my 20's plus, skiing there every martin luther king weekend with great friends...i took an impromptu trip with my baby sister, kids and my niece and stayed at big bear lake...it was not my same memories as a child, just different and less idealistic...i have nothing but good memories here...i can not wait to make some with my children...most of all, i can not wait to visit my mother's grave...i miss her every minute of every day...fearful and scared, i know this will not bring her back...but it always makes me feel closer...to her arms full of love...

the challenges...

so these days challenges are much more, than less...constantly having to change our game plan can be exhausting some days...i can not imagine being a mother of triplets or coach tressel...this really seems like more pressure to me...in general, when one loses it, the other keeps his game face (i can not imagine a third one on our team)...i hope coach tressel has this same luck...andrew and i are buckeye fans...the boyz have no real choice...we have already been to the oval twice this year and will be visiting a lot more with cooler weather and cousin caitlin on campus...these are the boyz buckeye pics over the football season's of their life : )  

jumping...

it does not stop...especially with ewie...they jump on caitlin...they throw the cushions off the couch and make their own trampoline...so today when i walked outside and saw ewie and cam jumping into the pool, upside down with no water...there was little surprise...