He's 3!

Yeah, so apparently the Hiltpold family blog has turned into the twice a year birthday blog.  Whatev - lets just go with it.

So as you may have guessed - we have a birthday in the house...holla!  My baby is 3!  THREE I SAID!   Three means no more baby.  Three means a big boy bed.  Three means mommy is pondering where all the time went...

So, a few weeks ago, I went against my better judgement and personal preferences and enrolled you and your brother in a two day a week mother's day out "school" program.  Well, kind of.  Cade gets to go two days a week, but you only go one.  Kind of a calculated move on my part.  I didn't really want you in school at all, but I was pretty sure if Cade was going, you would be SURE you needed to go too.  But the truth is, being the second born, you have NEVER spent any time alone with me.  You two have always done EVERYTHING together.  Kinda cool, but everyone deserves some special Mommy time.  So Tuesday's are our days.  And I love Tuesdays.  But baby...YOU love Tuesdays more.  You start asking the night before...making sure you aren't going to school.  Making sure you are "staying home with Mommy".  And in the morning as we are getting ready, you will periodically make sure nothing has changed...that we are just taking Cade to school and then we will spend the day just you and me.  And we do.  And it's awesome.  We get errands done.  We have special treats (eh hem...starbucks pumpkin loaf).  We ride the carousel at the mall.  We live it up.  And you are so sweet and mostly agreeable and I just want to take in every minute with you.

One of the things I've grown to notice about you lately is your determination.  You started not wanting to go to school a few weeks ago.  Easy enough for me...I never really wanted you to go in the first place. ;).    Crap...wrong Mommy response.  I think I'm suppose to make you go or something.  OK, take 2.  So while it's OK to not go to school, I do actually believe that has to be a decision made by your Dad and me...not you.  Sorry dude.  So I explain and you cry and I eventually get you there and you muster up this brave determination that you're going to do what you have to do.  You head into the room - stone faced.  Turn back to me and run all out, tears in eyes, quivering chin...hug me around the neck and say "I love you Mommy", turn and run back into the room....NO TEARS.  Shoot - now I'm the one crying.  It's like you just decided and it was done.  Not easy.  Not what you would choose.  Just done.

And Friday night, you got your big boy bed.  After our experience with your brother, we knew it could be a hard transition from the crib to the bed, so we left it in your room so you could choose where you slept until your were comfortable.  Just as a reference point, it took Cade two weeks and much coaxing to transition to his bed.  But you - you determined little thing.  "Mommy, can I sleep in my big boy bed?"  You must have asked 5 times.  I of course said yes every time, knowing that you would, in the end, choose the crib.  Crap, I hate it when I'm wrong.  at bedtime you climbed right in.  didn't move a muscle all night.  I know.  I watched on the monitor until you fell asleep and then periodically throughout the night.  I could see in your eyes the slight feeling of "I'm not sure about this", but you made up your mind.  Done.  And the next night ...done.  You, my friend are determined.  Stubborn maybe - I guess my perspective depends on if you are being obedient or not.  But I love it.  And I love you.

Oh - and have I mentioned that you're hair is getting CURLIER?!??!?!  Oh my, I'm so in love with it.  You are cute as a bug with your chipped/crooked/adorable teeth, curly hair and killer smile.  I'm still just as smitten with you as ever.  And even though this is your last birthday blog as the baby of this family...remember - You will ALWAYS be my baby!!!

Happy birthday Colie - Pie!

Here we go again

So it's happened again.  Another year has passed and I find myself sitting at my computer thinking of you.  Your birth.  Your life.  All the things about you that are so amazing.  And maybe a couple that drive me crazy.  But mostly the amazing ones.

Cade-y Pie...as the clock strikes midnight tonight, your birthday officially begins.  Not that it really matters because we've been celebrating for two days straight...but in about 30 minutes I can no longer say I have a three year old son.  Nope...I have a 4 year old.  Wow.  Kind of blows me away.  4.  It's so...not a baby anymore.  Not even a toddler really.  4.  Really.  4.

So here we go...my annual list of the things I like MOST about you {currently} ;)

First I want you to know that your kind heart - and what appears to already be a heart for God is such a blessing to me.  When I explain to you hard to understand, biblically based concepts about why we should have a generous and compassionate heart, you seem to (mostly) get it and adjust your actions accordingly.  Of course we aren't 100% there, but it's amazing, really.  You seem to grasp things beyond your years and honestly, that's super helpful to me.  I'm not great at lowering expectations...I kind expect you to get it all right away and that's my fault.  But you really do get a lot.  and I love that.  And the fact that you told me you were willing to "stay 3" because I wanted you to stay my baby forever melts my heart.  You told me that you really wanted to turn 4, but you agreed to stay 3 for me.  If only I could make that reality...but then I would miss out on watching you turn into the man God has called you to be.  And I wouldn't dare miss that.

 I also super, super love that you are willing to try things...over and over...even though we already know you don't like them.  I call it the "pickles and tomato" theory.  Your brother (ie: your best friend) LOVES pickles and tomatoes.  Loves them.  You...not so much.  And I can totally deal with that as I have an aversion to tomatoes myself.  There's a great story to accompany that.  Ask YaYa.  I digress.  SO, the rule I've always had for you is that we have to try things...and if it goes in our mouth it doesn't come back out. You don't have to eat it again if you really don't like it, but we will try.  And we did.  Tomatoes.  Pickles. Negative on both.  I could easily recognize the strained look on your face as it went down.  I totally get it. But your try to put on a smile and say "mmm, good".  To which I reply "do you want more"?  But your response it a sweet "um...no thanks".  This is all very normal...cute, but expected.  What I didn't expect was all the subsequent times we would re-live this same encounter.  Because Cole likes them.  And for whatever reason, you feel like you should too.  So you try.  Again and again.  And every time, your eyes squint and the corners of your mouth turn down...and then your try to put on that smile.  Like you keep thinking 'maybe this time it will be better'.  Do you have any idea how awesome that is?  You didn't get that from me.  I'm a one and done kind girl.  If I don't like it the first time, I'm out.  But your way is so much better.  You just want to give it a fair shot...to make sure your not missing out on anything worthwhile.  It will server you well in life.  Pickles and tomatoes baby.

 I love that you are determined and capable.  When we talked about you going to school, I gave you a long list of things you needed to accomplish before you would be allowed to go.  I figured we had plenty of time, so I'd shoot for the stars.  Make your own bed (everyday), clean your room, feed the dog, and wipe your own bottom.  Yes, I actually wrote that.  So I showed you how to make your bed...the way mama like it.  And Mama likes neat ;).  It took a couple weeks, but man are you great at it.  And not only do you make your bed...you make it about 3 times a day.  When you wake up in the morning, before nap, and after nap.  Yes.  Before nap.  Because you totally buy into my thinking that a nicely made bed is more comfortable.  It is.  Don't let anyone tell your differently.  But the kicker is that I look at the monitor in the morning and you've already been up..clearly...because your bed is nicely made and you've slipped back in...neatly under the covers (as not to mess it up), where you wait quietly for me to come get you.  You make me laugh.  And you are totally MY kid.  You also made quick work of the other items on my "go to school" list.  Thanks for the bottom wiping too...way to help a mama out...but I'm pretty sure it's because you are a mini me.  You like order.  You like things clearly laid out.  I gave you set parameters and something to work towards.  When someone asks you to do something you get it done.  You got that from me too...just like your {dis}taste for tomatoes.

Cade, you are an amazing, energetic, enthusiastic, smart, talented, sweet, handsome boy.  My heart overflows with love for you.  Watching you (and your brother) grow is the biggest joy in my life.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE you so much...and more than that!
Mommy

Whoo-Hoo He's 2!

OK, chalk this one up to "bad Mommy".  I'll take it.  I have to own this one.  It's not that I didn't think of writing your birthday blog on your actual birthday.  Not that I didn't care.  Of course I did.  I just got sidetracked with all the ridiculous fun going on for 4 FULL DAYS in celebration of you.  And the 4 days after that....yeah, I got nothin'.  Just bad Mommy.

 

The two years of you have been delightful.  You were an exceptionally good one year old, so I'm expecting big things for age two!  You clearly have no idea that you are, in fact, two and not three like your brother.  You two are inseparable.  Whatever he does you MUST try and usually accomplish.  You're doing gymnastics together.  You play together.  You potty trained yourself a few months ago simply to not miss out on something big brother was doing.  You are unquestionably ecstatic about being Cade's {not so little} brother. 

 

 You are also quite possibly the best lover baby ever.  You give (and give and give and give) the best sweet kisses.  I also must confess that I may have never met anyone ever who gives better squeeze hugs.  You have this amazing way of snuggling right in so your body fits just perfectly against me.  I love those hugs.  Love.

 You have the sweetest heart.  Of course you have your moments...and they are some doozies...but you are quick to apologize.  You always share.  Maybe not the INSTANT you are asked, but always within a few seconds, you will happily give whatever toy you are playing with to Cade if he asks.  Almost to a fault.  I love that you love him.  I love that you share.  I love that you do it with a giving heart and a smile.  I just want you to know that you don't always HAVE to do whatever Cade asks...but you'll figure that out soon enough.  I mean - come on kid...you don't always need to give away your last cracker just because someone ate theirs first.  But it's sweet and it melts my heart.

 

 You were much slower to talk than your chatterbox brother, but you have the cutest sayings and inflections in your voice.  In the last 2-3 weeks you have started talking almost non-stop though.  One of your favorite topics is of course horses.  Specifically riding.  And it goes something like this..."Mommy.  Me.  Ride.  Mia.  Fun."  Except imagine it on repeat...again and again and again.  It's darling.  Exhausting.  But darling.

 And of course there is the spike.  Now that you finally have hair our general hairstyle of choice is the "spike".  It's been your nickname for a while.  It's fitting for your personality and we all enjoy it.  For a couple of days now you've been saying "mommy.  no spike"  which kind of breaks my heart.  I've grown exceptionally fond of the spike.  But that's OK.  You have curls now too and they are just as cute.  For now, we spike when you feel like it and we don't when you don't.  We'll see where it takes us.

 My sweet baby.  I love you to the moon and back.  You make my heart sing.  I so enjoy watching you make your way through life...following your brother, yet making your own path.  Part of my "pair" and still uniquely your own, perfect person.  You make me laugh out loud and smile on the inside.  You are all a momma could want and I wish you an amazing year of being TWO!

3???

How can it be?  I mean, really?  How is it possible that you, my sweet, perfect, first born son are 3?  I'm baffled.  The past 3 years have been filled with so much love, fun, adventure, laughter and chaos that I must have missed that fact that time was flying by so quickly.  

Sadly (this will totally annoy you one day), I'm one of those moms who likes to "relive" your birth every year...you know..the "I remember...blah, blah, blah...water breaking...blah, blah, blah...excruciating pain...blah, blah, blah...epidural...blah, blah, blah...talking on the phone while pushing...blah, blah, blah...perfect baby...you get the idea. 

Some day soon you'll roll your eyes at me for this, but give me this one will ya?  I loved that day.  LOVED.  You forever changed me for the better and watching you grow up is the most spectacular, bitter-sweet thing in the world.

I must admit that I have been doing a miserable job of keeping up this blog for you lately.  I'd love to say it's because we have so much going on, but lets be real.  Life is a lot.  All the time.  That's just how it is.  That's not an excuse to stop documenting it for you.  I want you (and your brother) to have a record of what was.  How it was.  How I felt about things...and you.  I was doing really well with the picture thing for a while, but that too has all but stopped.  I promise to get better.  I have to.  Because this birthday of yours has kinda thrown me for a loop.  This time last year we were getting on a plane and moving to London.  A YEAR!  How can that be?

So Cade...on this...your third birthday - here are just a few of the things I love about you:

You start every morning with a smile and sheer excitement.

You have a truly sweet spirit.

You are quick to say I'm sorry.

You adore your brother.

Your hair.

You have no volume control (ok, this one is a love/hate for me but it's really cute).

You still snuggle me.

You are mine.

And really, that's the most amazing part to me.  That God gave YOU to ME.  To love and teach and nurture.  It's the best job I've ever had.  The pay is lousy.  But the payback is immeasurable.  I love you.  I adore you.  I cherish you.  I just wanted you to know...

Happy birthday sweet boy.

Rant

I admit it.  It's true.  I rant a lot.  Usually about nothing - or everything.  Guess it depends on your viewpoint.  But today I have a good one.  Actually it totally sucks.

  What is this you ask?  Did I spill something?  Maybe the kids did it.  Oh no.  That would have been heaven compared to this...The abridged version of this story goes like this:  I started noticing that my once beautiful hardwood floors didn't seem quite right and so I did some research (via Google) on the only chemical cleaner I had ever used on them - Orange Glo.  What I found amazed and horrified me.  Seems that this ever popular floor "cleaner" has wreaked widespread havoc on hardwood floors for countless users.  Seems that it leaves some sort of wax build up that makes your floors look worse and worse over time and can only be removed by a  combination of water, ammonia and scrubbing on your hands and knees.  And I don't mean light scrubbing.  I mean grunting, sweating, blistered fingers scrubbing.  So far I've spend approximately 8 hours on the floor practicing my Cinderella act and I've cleaned  about 30 square feet.  That's somewhere in the vicinity of 3% of what I need to do.  Awesome.

 

In other less frustrating news - my boys are all fabulous and wonderful and perfect.  Ok, maybe not perfect, but pretty good.  We went to the stock show last month and had a great time seeing the animals and paying...I mean playing at the midway.

 

And just a few because I think they are darling and I hadn't pulled my camera out in a while.

Smarty Pants

I know they all do this...but I'm just so proud.

Cade - I'm in awe of you.  All moms feel this way about their kiddos I'm sure, but you amaze me with how smart you are.  How happy you are.  How perceptive.   How charming.  How stinkin' cute.  You melt my heart and I thank God EVERY DAY that I am lucky enough to be your mama.  Keep being you.  Don't ever let anyone or anything steal your joy.  It's who you are and it's what I love most about you.

A Very Merry

Christmas seemed crazier this year.  Not bad crazy.  Good crazy.  I think.  Give me some time to meditate on it...maybe over a massage.  I'll get back to you.

Regardless of the crazy level, It's definitely more fun with all the mini people in the family.  There are too many photo ops to catch them all, but I'm trying.  Christmas Eve, the E clan came over for the traditional Christmas Eve dinner of pizza followed by a smashing rendition of "The Night Before Christmas" by the head Papa himself.  Christmas morning was (of course) bacon sandwiches, presents and a little whining.  After naps we made our way over the the E house for lunch, flag football and more presents.  What a perfect day.  

Jingle in the Trunk

So we don't get to have too many "adult" parties these days.  Last night we celebrated YaYa and PaPa's birthdays at their house.  In an effort to entertain the troops, ZuZu and I raided the "minute to win it"  archive of games and came up with a winner.  Welcome to "Jingle in the Trunk".  If you haven't seen this one on TV,  it's a tissue box filled with 12 jingle bells, tied around your waist.  You have up to 1 minute to jump and shake those bells out.  I'm not sure who had more fun - us or the kids.  You don't quite get the full effect with still shots, but it was hilarious.  We also decorated gingerbread men and enjoyed homemade hot chocolate and homemade marshmallows.  If you've never had homemade marshmallows, your missing out.  They are totally worth it - nothing like the store bought ones. 

The picture taking ended abruptly when I dropped my camera and broke my only lens.  Not to worry - my favorite husband gave me the best early Christmas present when we got home...a new 50mm lens.  I'm totally in love with it and Christmas morning will now be saved!

Only one more week until Santa comes and there are some very excited boys in our house.  I sure hope it lives up to their expectations.  I have loved all of the fun things we've been doing this year leading up to the celebration of our Savior's birth.  Thanks Jesus for being born and giving us the best excuse to rock it out and celebrate! And Happy Birthday to my awesome P's.  We love you so much!

Playtime

So if you haven't noticed - I'm on a slide show kick.  It's actually kind of convenient because I can stream them, music and all, to play on my TV.  It also allows me to post all the pics instead of choosing which ones to email.  Whatever - I don't know why I'm justifying myself to you people ;)  You don't have to enjoy them, but we do so here's another one.  

We took the beautiful Miss Em with us to Jump Zone this morning because baby Z had tubes put in his ears.  We had a  great time - despite the unbelievably rude kids (and moms)...who raises these hooligans?  I can't tell you how fun it is to see them coming down the slides over and over with those huge smiles on their faces.  Never gets old.  C2 loved it too, although he's thoroughly annoyed that he can't get right up there with the big 'uns.  Big thanks to KK who helped me wrangle all three so I could get so many pictures.  A - Next time you're coming too ;)

Pancakes with Santa

So this past weekend we got to combine 4 of Cade's absolute favorite things...The Fire station, Helicopters, Santa and PANCAKES!!! OK, so he's not actually that hot on Santa, but He's growing on him.

The Grapevine Fire Department hosts an annual pancake breakfast with Santa wherein the Big Guy arrives by helicopter along with the Mrs, his top reindeer and his good friend Frosty. After breakfast, you can wait in line to meet them...Rudolph is first, then Mrs. Claus, Frosty, then Santa. We only made it to Rudolph...
Regardless, we had a great time and can't wait until next year.

On the Move

So, after months of casts, reverse last shoes, and 3-ish months where he wasn't even allowed to play on the floor (thank you London), C2 if officially a walker now. I was happy to keep him among the land of the crawlers - but nooooo. For some reason, both my boys feel the need to go and grow up on me. Way to go baby boy. Oh - and please pay no attention to the annoying girl in the pink sweater. We just cant seem to get her to shut up!

And I finally put together some pics from thanksgiving. Thanks C & T for hosting. It was a great time!

Birthday Baby

Oh Coco-nut. I can't believe you're 1!!! My sweet, quite, not quite brooding - but always analyzing, serious, snuggley, kissy-face boy.

From the moment you entered the world you were very different from your brother. Your birth was an experience - face first and sunny side up. We had a room full of medical onlookers amazed at the position you had gotten yourself into and curious to see how you were going to make your way out. You were tough from the start. Battered and bruised in heartbreaking fashion. But still perfect. You were a tough nut to crack for me. It took me a while to figure you out, but once we hit our stride, we never looked back.
You are adored by your big brother. Cherished by your Mommy. Treasured by you Daddy. You have a HUGE fan in miss E and a built in bestie in baby Z. You, my sweet, are LOVED.
This year has been a whirlwind - with highlights including tiny baby casts and a summer living abroad. None of it phased you. Not in the slightest. As long as you had Cade - and the occasional nap - you were good.

There are no words to express how much love my heart holds for you. Snuggling with you is one of my all time favorite past times. You are maybe the single most kissing baby I've ever encountered and I love every single one. You are a treasure. You are a pleasure.
Happy birthday baby boy. I can't believe you're one already. I may have already said that, but it's true. This year I'm wishing on your candle and I'm wishing for time to slow down! I just can't seem to hold on to these baby years tight enough. Remember - Mommy love you most...and more than that.

Back

So we ARE back...back to Texas. Back to our "real" life. Back to blogging. I'll admit I had to take a break for a while. It was hard work blogging every week. The stress of trying to be funny and witty and make sure I take enough pictures...whew - I'm tired just thinking about it. But seriously - we've just been enjoying ourselves so much we haven't had time for much else.

Since we've been home, we've been on the move. It's a big ego boost to come home after 3 months. We've felt very popular. Had lots of invites and and play dates and lunches with friends. We've had lots of visitors and visited lots of people. It's been a blast. If I didn't know better I'd say we were missed and it's been nice.

KK spent a week with us after we got home to help us adjust, but surprisingly, we needed no adjustment period. No one had jet lag and the boys settled right back in to life in the suburbs. Our first week back we battled the heat with a swim day which was lots of fun. Cade isn't really sure of the water, but Cole loved it. I have to admit though - my favorite part of it all was what the humidity did to Cade's hair...HOLY COW...I love those curls!

We've also started a gymnastics class with our cousin Emmy. They seem to really like it, but truth be told I think I like it more. I love watching him run and jump. He's quickly becoming much more coordinated and capable and I sit there beaming with pride and amazement at how he's growing. Emmy wasn't quite as sure as he was at first, but he was glad to take her had and lead (or drag) her in.

Of course the most exciting thing that's happened recently is that the final member of our foursome made his way home. We talked about it for 2 weeks straight. We made a sign and got Whataburger on the way since we knew he had been missing it desperately. KK came back and brought the great grandparents with her. It was a real celebration.

Unfortunately, Steve left his cell phone on the plane, but fortuitously, we had a new phone waiting for him at home that had been purchased for his birthday which was the next day. Cade was more than willing to help him open it.

Saturday we had a PARTAY! Lots to celebrate including Steve's birthday as well as KKs. Our fort was overtaken with crazy kiddos. You couldn't help but smile.

When we were in London we did A LOT if outings to parks, zoos and museums. I promised to try to keep it up when we got home and have done an okay job. We have already made one trip to the children's museum in Ft. Worth and today we went to the Ft. Worth Zoo. It's so nice to have our "runnin' buddies" back. Cade and Em are adorable together. They have their own special relationship and it's fun to watch it develop. We have a pattern every time we get together now. Em rides in Cade's stroller and Cade in hers. That's the way they want it, so that's what we do. The little munchkins (Cole and Zack) are still good as gold and are truly roll with the punches kind of guys. They just go and do whatever. Thank God for that.

Week 13!!!

I can't even believe it. Here I am - sitting on my couch in TEXAS writing the final London Blog - week 13!! Looking back I can't even believe that we are here - home. I am in awe of the adventure that just 13 weeks ago we walked blindly into. Not having any idea of what would be waiting for us on the other side. I can believe how much we did. How much our lives changed. How much we missed home. And now how much we will miss London.

Our final week was a fun, busy ans wet one. YaYa was with us all week and we tried to squeeze in as much as we could. Monday morning we headed down to Buckingham palace. 2 Months a year, when the Queen visits Scotland, the palace is open to visitors and lucky us...it just happened to be that time of year. We raced through and finished the 2 1/2 hour tour in 20 minutes then made the long walk out and around the palace to catch the changing of the guard one more time. Cade even got to trade in his play police helmet for for the real deal thanks to a friendly officer.

Tuesday was a super fun day, but sadly there aren't many pictures. I finally got to go horseback riding in Hyde Park. I've never ridden "English" before and man is it different. It's really humbling to take something that you can do in your sleep and turn it all around into something that feels completely foreign. It was quite the challenge, but something I will never forget. I'm so thankful that I was able to do it.

The same day, Mom and I also got to go to Harrods for Tea and shopping, then on to see Wicked. I owe my mother in law a big apology for this because I know she desperately wanted to go to tea. Now, it wasn't as if KK and I didn't TRY to go, but we had at least 2 failed attempts due to restless little boys. It wasn't until Mom suggested that we get a SITTER to stay with them and go on our own that I realized that that was even an option. Sorry KK. Guess I should have though of that. I also, apparently should have though about going to a matinee...holy cow. I'm too old to be staying out that late. I was nearly asleep in the tube station before we made it home. Why, why, why did a matinee never cross my mind? Clearly I should think things through more.
Wednesday and Thursday were pretty normal days for us. We dodged the rain (mostly) and made it to the park for a few minutes. We also went to Gymboree, playgroup and the mall.

Friday we had big plans to go to the museum, but a flat tire on the stroller derailed us a little and we only made it as far as the park. It was fun though. We went to see the fountain, although seeing as though it was in the 60's, it was not a day to play in the water. We also did the Flower walk and took some super cute pics.

Friday was also a milestone for Cade as he finally mustered the courage to jump off the big block at Gymboree all by himself. It took a lot of coaxing, but after the first jump, I thought he would never stop. He was so proud of himself and I was so proud too!

Saturday we took our last big day trip and we did something we had never done before...we REPEATED a trip we had already done. We decided that we had to go back to Brighton one more time. Cade loved the pier so much we wanted to share it with Mom and let him ride his "fire truck" again. We of course took the train...

And this time, he climbed the big slide all by himself. We didn't even attempt it last time because we knew he wouldn't do it, but this time we thought - what the heck. We asked the attendant if we could get our money back if he wouldn't go up and he said yes so we really had nothing to lose. I never thought he'd get up, much less slide down, but again...I underestimated him. Way to go dude.

Then came the "incident". There was this other slide that said kids his size could ride with an adult. Steve was so excited, but slide rules said the child had to be in back...which I could have told you was a bad idea. Just before the end of the slide, he hit his face (going extremely fast) on the rubber edge. Steve was trying to slow it down, but wasn't able to help much. Poor baby...just can't catch a break.

Cole spilled his water all over him at lunch, so he made the train ride home in a jacket and diaper...oh - and Cade's shades. Cuteness.

The next morning was Sunday. We got up around 5 am to finish packing. Things went very smoothly and we were in the car and headed to the airport by 7:25. After about 4 security checks, them making me taste 5 of the 10 baby food pouches I brought and a quick (second) breakfast in the admiral's club, we made it onto the plane and headed home.

The boys did remarkably well. They each took about an hour and a half nap. Not nearly as much as I would have hoped for a 10 hour flight, but we survived. I think Cade ate an entire box of cheerios. Mom made me promise that I would let them eat as much as they wanted on the flight, but by the end she finally realized what I meant when I said my kids would eat themselves silly. They just have no off button. They ate nonstop the whole day.

We were greeted at the airport by Papa and KK. We then made the short drive to ZuZu's house to celebrate her birthday. Poor girl had to cook her own birthday dinner. She's a trooper though. We came, we ate, we left a huge mess...but we had the best time being home with family and friends.

I can't believe that we are here - at this point in time. 13 weeks ago I had a very grim outlook for the summer. We made the best of it though and have memories for a lifetime. I'm proud of my kids for being such troopers and taking whatever we threw at them. I'm proud of myself for stretching further than I ever thought I could and going against my grain to make lemonade. And I'm extremely proud of my husband for working harder than anyone should ever have to work. Ridiculous hours. Frustrating circumstances. No glory. No complaining. and to top it all off - he's still going at it. Alone now. And we miss him. He is a man to be proud of and I am so glad that he is the father of my babies.

So here we are with this story now...I mean - who do we think we are? We are definitely not cool enough to say that we lived in London...except we did.

Now just the countdown to Daddy coming home...22 days