My Special Day(s)

I had a terrific Mother’s Day Weekend. Yesterday, (Saturday), Joe got up with Ryan and Cole, and made waffles with them.  I got to sleep in for about an extra half hour.

After the boys woke up from their afternoon nap, we headed down to my dad’s house, for Ryan’s big sleep over.  We nearly avoided ANOTHER car accident- one block away from our house, a teen-aged boy dashed out in front of the car on his bike, obviously trying to ‘beat’ the car across in the middle of the street.  Joe hit the breaks, and started again, when another kid, out of no where started to do the same thing.  Joe instantly slammed the breaks on, and the kid on the bike did the same thing, stopping about 1 foot from the car. 

Joe and I were both so mad, we just glared at the kid.  He said, “sorry” and then muttered something like he was going to stop.  I wanted to ask, “when, when you crashed into the hood of the car?”  He was doing something so stupid, and was lucky he didn’t get hit.  The sudden, hard, breaking scared Ryan and he started crying, and screaming.  We had to calm him down, and after a few minutes we were on our way again.

We made it to my dad’s with no more excitement (thank goodness).  We got the boys settled with some dinner, and then Joe and I were off to dinner.  Cole started to cry, and I felt bad leaving him, but we figured he would start to eat his dinner, and stop crying after a few minutes.

We ate at a grill in a neighborhood, about 10 minutes away from my dad’s house.  It was a really nice atmosphere- not too loud, or too quiet.  I ordered blackened flank steak salad, with blue cheese crumbles and blue cheese dressing, and a fuzzy navel.  Joe ordered mushroom beef stroganoff, and a beer. 

We had a great time, just enjoying each other’s company and some uninterrupted conversation.   We ordered a slice of fudge chocolate cake to go for dessert.  We ended up staying about an hour and a half, and figured we had better get back; we both had a feeling that Cole would be crying.

We arrived back at my dad’s to find Ryan eating a s’more that they made in the back yard fireplace, and as expected, Cole crying.  Dad said he pretty much cried the entire time.  Cole saw me, sniffled, I nursed him, and after about 5 minutes, he popped off, smiling, and ready to play- the little munchkin.

My dad’s wife had pretty much been entertaining Ryan, since Dad had been trying to calm Cole, and Ryan was playing Thomas trains, and watching a Thomas video.  Dad blew up an air mattress for Ryan to sleep on, and then he and Cole jumped on it for about 20 minutes, until it was time for us to go.

Ryan barely kissed me goodbye- he was so anxious for us to leave.  He told me if I missed my big boy, (refering to himself) then I could hug Coley. 

Cole fell asleep five minutes into the ride home, and about half way home, I got this very strong urge to hug Ryan.  I realized this was the farthest he had ever been away from me, and I him, and I had to fight back tears.  I knew he was safe, but it still hurt knowing I couldn’t be near him.

When we got home, I changed a very tired and half-asleep Cole into his pj’s, and he nursed for a few minutes, and then went right back to sleep in his crib.  I guess all that crying, wore him out.

Then Joe and I watched TV, while he gave me a foot and calf massage (ahh…)

This morning, Joe and Cole got up around 8, when Cole woke up, and Joe left me to sleep in again.  When they came back and woke me up, it was 9, and Cole wanted to nurse.  The next time I woke up, it was 10, and then I dozed off again, until 10:30!  I have not slept in that late since before Ryan was born.  I guess after 3 1/2 years, a girl is entitled to sleep that late.  🙂

I laid a sleeping Cole down next to a sleeping Joe, and got up, made some coffee and called my Dad.  He said Ryan did fine- they all went to bed about 10:30, and they all woke up at 8, and Ryan had slept like a rock.  I talked to Ryan for a few minutes on the phone, and he told me Grandpa had made him waffles this morning.  Ryan sounded so different and grown-up on the phone.  It made me realize he really is a little boy now, getting bigger every day.  My dad said he’d bring Ryan home after lunch.

A few minutes later, Joe and Cole came down stairs, and we ate a light breakfast.  Cole played and hung out with Dad, and he seemed like a different baby.  He was so content, and wasn’t crying for me every few minutes, like he normally does.  I am not sure why- maybe he liked the one-on-one attention he was getting from us, or maybe he could actually focus on something longer than a few seconds, before Ryan usually comes over to him, to see what he is doing. It made us wonder if maybe Cole isn’t getting enough attention from us, so I am going to try to start devoting 10 or 15 minutes in the morning to some exclusive time with him.

Joe hung up my information board, and I got our schedules written down for the week.  After I got Cole down for his nap, I got the rest of the flowers planted for our front yard, and then my darling boy was home.

He came and hugged me for a minute, and then wanted to go ride his scooter.  He told me again, Grandpa made him waffles in the toaster.  After Grandpa left, Dad and Ryan cleaned out the garage, and did some yard work, and I got to dink around on the computer, and organize some of my pictures.

When Cole woke up, we went and got some dinner at a noodle place.  We took a little drive to the country, and then came home, gave the boys a bath, and put them to bed.  As I was nursing Cole to sleep, Ryan came in and hugged me, and whispered, “Happy Mother’s Day, Mama.”  It was so sweet, and I felt very appreciated and loved by my family. 

I can’t believe that four Mother’s Day’s have passed already.  Here are a few pictures from my first three:

            My very first Mother’s Day- 2004 (Ryan was 4 months)

             Mother’s Day-2005 (Ryan was 16 months)

               Mother’s Day-2006 (Ryan was 28 months, and I was 8 1/2 months pregnant with Cole)

I hope all the mother’s out there had a wonderful day.  We work so hard all year, it is nice to have our special day.  🙂