Pirate camp vs a day with Mommy

Mac went to pirate camp last week at EDS.  He was super excited, and it turned out to be all I hoped for an more.  Mac met several new friends who will be in kindergarten with him next year and got to spend the whole week with his very best friend Jack P.  The hard part was the length of the day.  Camp was from 8:30-4 every day.  The first three days were great, but by the morning of day 4 he was EXHAUSTED and really wanted a day at home with mommy.   

Katie and I decided that picking him up at lunchtime so he could take a nap at was a necessity, and he did not protest.  After a good nap that afternoon he was ready for the last day where he got to dress up like a pirate.  Yaya had bought him a pirate costume which we tried on the night before.  I was awoken at 6:05 the next morning to a loud ARGH and this in my face… We took a few more pictures before heading to the last day of camp.  It is going to be hard to top pirate camp week, but we plan to have fun the rest of the summer trying!

Not only was Mac exhausted by the end of day 3, but when I picked him up that afternoon he figured out I had spent the day with Copeland and he was not very happy.  Yaya had gone out of town and Miss Katie had company in town, so I took the day off and stayed home with Copeland.  Exhaustion + Jealousy = A bit of a tantrum and a lot of whining, but it was all forgotten after the nap the following day {yes this means he gave me a guilt trip for a full 24 hours!}

Despite Mac’s slight displeasure in the situation, Copeland and I had a great day.  I vowed to take more random days off to hang out with boys while they still fight for my time and attention.  I know these days won’t last forever so I’m taking full advantage of the time I have!

Coe and I went to the grocery store, played at Imagination Station at the Wahoos Stadium, went out to lunch at Al Fresco and were home in time for an afternoon nap.  I got a few hours of work in while Coe slept and before I knew it we were leaving to go pick up Mac.  We made a quick {much longer than planned} stop at the fish market where the boys saw lobsters {b/c Mac begged and pleaded to go back in and see them after we forgot to look at them on our first walk through} and got free vanilla ice cream along with some not so free shrimp to cook for dinner.  It was a good great awesome day away from the office.

         

I got this

Every night after we read stories together we ask the boys who they want to tuck them in.  I’m really not sure why we do this because in the end Copeland demands me 99% of the time.  Mac goes back and forth, but by default he ends up with Albi because I have Coe.  When Coe doesn’t really want to go to bed yet, he will ask for Albi or anyone else who is at the house because he has caught on that they will go through the full bedtime routine with him and then he can cry and cry for mommy and start the routine over. 

I know we sound like morons for falling for Copeland’s manipulation, but we keep thinking maybe just maybe he will get past his night time obsession attachment (secretly I don’t mind if he keeps the attachment a little longer)! 

Last weekend before naptime and then again before bed, Copeland chose a new person to put him to bed – Mac!  The first time Mac looked at me and said “don’t worry mom.  I got this!”  The second time he actually asked Coe if he could rock him and put him to bed.   Mac sang the songs I always sing to Coe, patted his back and made sure Copey’s head was on his shoulder.  It was really the cutest moment ever!  And Copey allowed me to pick him up out of Mac’s lap and put him in his bed without having to start the whole bedtime routine over – something that generally doesn’t happen.  I guess we know that Mac is a good substitute if I’m not available!

 

The downside upside to Mac rocking and signing to his little brother is that he now requests I come in his room and do the same with him after I get Coe in bed. Its funny holding my 5yr old in my lap and rocking him in bed, but I secretly love every minute of it.  He wasn’t much on snuggling as a toddler so I will take my cuddles whenever I can get them. 

Swim lessons

Mrs. Robin is the best swim instructor ever!  This is our 4th year of doing lessons with her, and she is amazing.  Coe terrifies everyone in the pool (except Robin) because he looks like he is drowning at all times as he bobs up and down in a vertical position with his eyes and mouth wide open.  Robin assures me he will get the hang of it and as long as he isn’t bothered by the experience (he isn’t), then we have nothing to worry about.  I will say by the last day of lessons he was staying horizontal a little better.  I have also since taking him to swim at PCC, and although he still can’t swim, he can jump in and generally make it to the side (sometimes he needs a little push), hoist himself up and start the process over. 

Mac is learning all four of the swim strokes.  His favorites are free style and butterfly.  He is also learning to dive.  You can tell from the pics he needs a little more practice on that one!  Looking forward to lots of time in the pool this summer with my two favorite boys.  

Happy Birthday (again) and Happy Father’s Day

June 12 was Albi’s real 40th birthday, so the boys and I left the house early and surprised him at work with “Over the Hill” balloons, a large cane and cupcakes for his office.  We were there for a total of about 7 min and the first 5 min were fine.  Then I saw the boys jumping on the PT equipment like it was a playground, and I watched an exercise ball fly across the room.  That is when I decided we needed to leave!  Copeland completely disagreed.  He threw a full 2yr old tantrum and screamed at the top of his lungs. “I not want to leave.  I stay with Daddy and play.  NO! NO! NO!” 

Our children apparently think Andrews Institute is a playground.  Mac even asked if he could have his 6yr old birthday party there!

       

Sunday we celebrated Father’s Day with daddy.  Aunt For and Uncle Ed were out of town so we postponed Father’s day with Papou until they were back.  We mailed a present to Deeda and we celebrated with Coste earlier in the week.   It was nice to enjoy a day just the four of us!  The boys golfed with daddy in the morning and watched the US Open in the afternoon.  Then we all went to the Wahoos game.  We went to the game late thinking the boys wouldn’t last more than a few innings.  Boy was I wrong.  They LOVED the game and all the other activities offered at the stadium – bounce house, baseball Wii, junk food, meeting Kazoo (the mascot), etc.  Coe cried when we left (I’m noticing a pattern here) and kept saying “I wanna watch more baseball.  Baseball not over yet.  My turn to throw the ball.  NO! NO! NO!”  The ice cream cart closed before we got any ice cream so we promised to go to the frozen yogurt place under the stadium in order to calm Coe down and get him to leave willingly.  It worked – food. makes. him. happy.  Happy Father’s Day Daddy!  

  

Bricks 4 Kids

Mac’s 5th birthday party was at a lego place – Bricks 4 Kids.  I now understand what one parent meant when she told me, its miserable for the parents, but the kids love it.  The party planners at Bricks for Kids need some a lot of training on prepping in advance for a party.  Do you know what happens when you make 15 kids wait 15 minutes for you to just set up a game?  CHAOS, and trust me it wasn’t organized.  Mac had a great time though and that is all that really matters!  This year he wanted to invite his entire class and almost all of them came.  They haven’t all been together since the last day of school and it was really cute to hear them all “catching up” on their summer so far!

Thankfully we got a few pictures before we all started sweating (another note to Bricks 4 Kids – along with prepping for the party prior to the kids arriving, turn on the AC before the party starts!) and before Coe got filthy.  Pig Pen rolled around on the floor and was literally gritty by the time we left.  Didn’t seem to phase him in the least!