Dunder storm

Last night when Max got out of the tub he was super excited about putting on a "Dunder Storm" with Ellie. Despite trying to teach him how to say Thunder his enthusiasm was overflowing. I wasn't sure about it all but decided to agree to a five minute thunderstorm show after Ellie completed her shower. 

So we all truck down the stairs where Max has closed every curtain and turned off nearly every light. I observe as he is covering his drum set with a blanket and discussing how they will get inside the covered area under a blanket to play the drums. 

I was a little worried for Clair so we stayed in the one room which was allowed lights. As the show started I hear drums, my rain stick, and start to see flashes of light coming through on the wall (thanks to a flashlight they nabbed).

This went on for about a minute or teep. Clair held on to me tigy and was a little worried. I tried to downplay it for her. But I was also mildly impressed with all the various props and sounds put into the show. 

We had been forwarned it would end with a request to play and dance to Let It Go. And so it did. 

I tried to encourage Clair to play along as she loves dancing with the big kids at night and to this song. She did well until the noises and flashing lights started again. She wasn't quite sure. 

I sit there laughing to myself watching my kids enjoy expressing themselves. Ellie was focused on making it as real as possible, Max enjoyed some crazy expressive dancing, and Clair tried to get into the spirit too dancing a bit wild with her siblings. They are funny and cute and full or energy and ideas. I hope they stay this way forever. 

Rest in peace Charlie Kitty

Today we had to bury Charlie. David and I got him over ten years ago when we settled into maryland together. Within a week of having the house we filled it with our cat family. They have always been the odd couple - Lady Grey and Charlie Bucket as I often called him. 

After a few years of being inside and fighting to get out, and fighting with Lady Grey, we finally let Charlie fulfill his destiny to be an outside cat. It changed him and he was happy. Don't get me wrong, Charlie would've preferred to have been both inside and outside cat. But we limited his inside time to the winter nights. 

Charlie is such a lover for kitty cat. He loved getting attention from people. He love to be pet, loved to be rubbed, he loved to rub up against people. 

Charlie was really smart. He understood us in ways not typical of cats. David had convinced us that he was the cat in the master and the margarita, or something like that.

Today Charlie met his match. I always thought that would be a fighting beast or possibly a car on the road. But he had lived safely in this neighborhood for seven years. Today, the garage door crushed him. It is so very sad. When David told us both Ellie and I broke out into tears. We've been in between sobs most of the night.

The best part of the night was looking at the pictures I've taken of him over the years, and sharing the memories that they brought back.

Answering the kids questions wasn't easy. I know this kind of thing is a hard experience to go through at any point in life, but especially as a child.

My mom was here visiting and we found out. I'm grateful for the way that she helped take care of the kids and the situation.

Today I watched my husband dig your grave for the pet we've shared since we started our life together. But this pet was special because he was davit buddy. Today I watched my seven-year-old lady flowers on top of our  pets grave. We said a prayer for Charlie before covering him in his grave. Clair throw him a kiss. It definitely wasn't an easy day. I do know these ups and downs are part of family life. And even after a day like today I can say that I am grateful and eternally thankful for family life.

A nice long family weekend

We are wrapping up the July 4th weekend with a movie interspersed with laundry, bills and house prep for the week to start. It's another day in paradise. 

Seriously, I enjoy the lazy weekends without reasons to rush out in the morning. Each of the last three days started with the children hanging out in bed with us, after the young miss had her bottle of milk and a fresh diaper of course. We read books, jokes around, tried to wake daddy, snuggled, and was told by Max that we could sleep all day long. 

We had slow breakfasts. We hung out and played.

Friday we played a little softball and swam at the corrigans in the morning. The big kids played a game with us whe Clair slept. Friday night David and I had a date night. We visited Big Cork vineyards and saw Vince. It was a nice evening. 

Saturday we visited with Great Grandpa and he looked quite well after all he's been though. Clair was like a cages animal in his little room, but we made it in and out without a scene. It was good to see him. We had a restful nap period; everyone napped in preparation for the Fourth of July party on top the parking deck downtown. It was another great party. All the siblings and cousins came as well as some friends and mom. This was the best one yet. It was so nice being local. I love watching the cousins all play together. They are all growing so fast. Clair does her best to hang with them and does a pretty solid job. Colby is more interested in Max then her. Max enjoys Colby and Tyler's boy company. The girls all run around a bit crazy. Fireworks were lovely and everyone behaved well coming home. Clair was scared of the fireworks at first, but after snuggling Mommy and Daddy, Gramma was able to convince her that it was okay with a nice long snuggle. Clair came into the house at 1030 pm and told me she was ready to build towers. Lol. That girl is something else. 

Sunday was also a relaxingn start but we had errands to so today. We had lawn chores, house cleaning, groceries to buy, etc. And deposited the chores each kid had some fun with friends. Max enjoyed hosting a neighbor, Cody. Ellie enjoyed Ashley's 7th birthday party. Clair and Max and I enjoyed an evening Bike ride and play at the park. David and Ellie got some time to build a rollercoaster and enjoyed some one on one time. 

This isn't a spectacular set of events to write about, but it is a representation of things I enjoy about my life, being their mom! It is still my best and hardest job. I hope I do alright by them. 

Max is Five!

Five feels like a big milestone. Honestly each age comes with my children and I celebrate with them. I make a big deal. I plan a big day. We buy presents. We celebrate them. I pray to God and thank him for their special talents! And I secretly morn the passing of time and childhood. I love the kids so much. I love the innocence of childhood. I even love looking back and how easily they are up and down with emotions. To be young again. To be able to feel better with a kiss. To be able to pretend and make all the bad go away. To be able to make friends by just giggling and making goofy sounds. To be young. To be a kid. It is wonderful. 

Today I took a well needed and earned vacation day. I didn't turn on my phone or computer. I spent the day with my kids, mostly with Max. He and I went to a fancy swim park pool and enjoyed a couple hours of alone time. At lunch at panera he told me we were on a date and should sit side by side instead of across from each other. I love the little romantic in him. I hope he never loses it. 

At the swim park he played with some of the baby slides and he and I swam together. He even convinced me to go down one of the kid slides with him as a race. I felt silly but I said yes. And you know what, I had fun. We did it about four or five times together. Thank you Max for sharing your spirit with me. I had a blast with you today. 

We were going to go to a movie at a theater but he decided we should watch one at home instead because we have better movies according to Max! How can I argue with that. So we bought a cookie cake and headed home to hang out on the couch and watch The Gruffalo. 

We ordered in pizza, opened presents and spent the evening on the tennis courts riding bikes and playing around. It was a great relaxing day. Max is five! He starts kindergarden in a couple months. He's sweet and innocent. He's interested in so much. He likes learning. He loves his sisters. He appreciates animals especially out car lady grey. He loves to snuggle and cuddle. He is a fun little boy to hang out with! 

Love you buddy! Stay yourself always!

Mommy vs employee

I've been working way too many house over the past few weeks and it's showing in the childrens behavior. 

Max is desperate for time, attention, and cuddles. He asks me to do one thing after another when I'm working. 

Clair has literally tried to pull me away from the computer. Last night she told me that I had 1 minute - with her cute rolled up lips - to finish my work and come back to put her to sleep. A mommy fail, I didn't make it back for half an hour and she was asleep. I still feel guilty for letting her down. 

This morning as I went to leave for work she started crying. She never does this. She was holding me and didn't want to let go. I had to bribe her with paint. I feel bad about this, really bad

This morning I told my boss that my two year old tried to come to work with me to tell him I had to stop working during her hours. He didn't seem pleased. I struggle on how to succeed here. I have to keep working and I want to be the best mom I can be and that my kids deserve!

Being a mom

Tomorrow I turn 39. I haven't written a blog in quite a while. I've been feeling very overwhelmed as a person these days. Being a mom is the thing I want to excel at, but I feel like it takes a back seat to work. I'm pretty good at what I do, but that is no help at all when Max tells me at the end of the day, "mommy I haven't gotten enough time with you."  That, breaks my heart and spirit. 

Ellie is my oldest. She is smart, very smart, an avid reader, lover of arts, and pretty darn good at anything she takes on. She's usually quite good to her sister and most of the time her and Max are also friends. 

Max is my middle child in every way. He's kind, gentle, loving, sweet, easy to play with and spend time together, he just loves to have my attention, he's chatty and happy - unless he's not- when he's not he let's you know it. Hes in love with Clair and also really loves spending time with Ellie. But most of all he idolizes his dad. He looks up to him and wants to be just like him. Today he sat and watched David power wash for a good half hour or more. He was in admiration. He wants all the same tools that daddy has and he pays attention to how to use them. He's really clever. 

Clair is my busy bee. She is just two, but she doesn't miss a beat. She knows what's happening at all times and usually knows what's supposed to be happening. She is ready to help and to set things straight at any moment. This morning she noticed David didn't have a shirt on when he got up, and she screamed short and then sat out around the room rummaging in draws to find him one. She brought him two and wondered why he didn't put one on instantly. She likes to be in charge. She has a good hold on me. She summons me into her bed at night quite often. She knows the position I need for the long haul and watches me until I fall asleep. She's adorable and has me wrapped. 

I love my famil and am very thankful. Even though I haven't written for a while life marches on, kids drive me crazy and make me laugh and make me smile and prove to me every day that they love me and I'm not the worst mom in the world; though I have heard that once or twice from Ellie already, unfortunately. 

First Game

Last night Max had his first Tball game at the local Libertytown Park. I was probably more excited then he was. He hung in there but was probably done before it started. 

He enjoys hitting and running the bases. He tolerates standing in the field and trying to throw the ball. But my boy is not at all interested in trying to catch the ball!

I was team mom on the bench organIzing them for hitting. 

Of the below photos perhaps one he will not be fond of me taking years later, but he surely didn't care that I took I yesterday. So cute my little Cummings in his uniform. We made many trips to the restroom. It may be one of the more fun times playing a game for him.