We heart playdates

Our daycare provider (aka Grandma) had surgery on her feet last Wednesday so I was home with the kids for a week and my mom watched them for a day.  It was SO wonderful.  I think I'll need to take a week staycation a few times a year because it's just good for my soul.  We had a busy week!  We were going to focus on potty training but that lasted all of 8 hours before I decided Claire wasn't fully ready.  I am a firm believer in not pushing it and waiting until the child is ready on all fronts.  Claire is ready in many ways but I guess it's just not her time yet and I'm okay with that!

Last Wednesday we had a playdate with Melissa and Carson and Dagney and Logan in the morning (I didn't bring my camera sadly).  That afternoon both kids got cute haircuts.  Nana watched the kids on Thursday while I worked.

Friday was the day of potty training and I was thankful Josh was home too!  

Saturday was a super fun and much needed girls' day for me.  Pam, Sarah, Amy and I got pedicures, lunch (with wine for me and Sarah! :)), went shopping, got an appetizer and margarita at Rojo, and then dinner at Crave.  We always do a girls weekend up north but this year we could only find time for a girls day.  Hopefully we'll return to a girls WEEKEND next year!

On Sunday we were heading down to Webster Harvest Days and Omi's house when we got a call from a friend that they were in labor.  They wanted us to watch their daughter because they were worried their sister wouldn't get there in time.  Luckily we were only 10 minutes away so we turned right around and headed home.  They dropped their daughter off at about 1:30 and their son was born at 2:18, just 18 minutes after they were admitted!  Praise God for a safe (and not-in-the-car) delivery!  

On Monday morning, Ami and Everleigh came over for a playdate. 

That's a tomato.  Not an apple. But she eats them like apples. 

Claire and Everleigh are finally at the age where they enjoy playing together.  

On Monday afternoon, my mom and I took the kids to the splash park.  It was Max's first time visiting since he started crawling and he had a total blast crawling and splashing in the water.  What a fun summer day!

On Tuesday morning, my dear high school friend who lives in Ohio came by for a visit because she was in town for a couple days.  Claire enjoyed looking at pictures on her phone, but had a tough time remembering that she had to press the button instead of finger swiping the phone like she does with my, Josh, and Nana's phones.  She is obsessed with looking at pictures on phones!

On Tuesday afternoon we went to my friend Sara's house to play with her kids Lauren and Jake.  They have the BEST house for playdates!  They have an amazing swingset and a real bouncy 'house' in the backyard.  But it was raining, so we got to play in their equally amazing basement. Just look- I told Sara that they could charge admission!

They have a rollercoaster.

And a functioning swing and slide in the house. 

And a ball pit. 

And some zebra ride. And I didn't get pictures of the other fun toys they have down there. 

 This is Jake. He's 10 weeks older than Claire. Can you tell he has a big sister (4 1/2 years) who likes to play dress up?  I told Max that this is a glimpse into his future.

Surprisingly, Claire wanted to play dress up too!  She did NOT want to go home at 5PM when we headed out.  All I heard about on the way home was the different fun things they did (which also included a cookie and juice- a rare treat!)

Tuesday night I worked in my garden after dinner and Claire hung outside with me, munching on a number of tomatoes.  

This morning I made monkey bread for our sixth and final playdate.  Claire loves to help in the kitchen.

We had Cindy and Jessica Marty, and Jessica's kids Rose and James, over.  It was SO wonderful to see them.  Claire warmed up to James and Rose immediately.

Claire and James drawing on the easel (best $15 I ever spent).

"Rose! Look!  Daddy's golfing!" Claire didn't understand why Rose wasn't as enamored with my pictures as she was. 

It's been a fun, fun week. Josh and I agree that the evenings are far less stressful when I'm home during the day.  It gave me a glimpse of what life as a stay-at-home-mom would be like. I think it's safe to say, at least for me, that it's far more physically demanding to be at home and more mentally demanding to be at work.  I enjoyed being able to do laundry, and make pea puree for Max, and sort clothes, and clean the house throughout the days, and not rush to do it in the evenings or on the weekends.

Nom nom nom.

The best part about my week at home, though, was the quality time with my children.  When I was changing Max's diaper in the porch one morning and Claire was eating breakfast in the kitchen, she yelled, "Mommy! Mommy, I love you!  I love you SOOOO much!" Melt my heart.  I am going to miss them terribly when I return to work tomorrow.  But as my favorite poem by E.E. Cummings goes, "I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart)".