Notes from the Nut House

Where do I begin?...

Today, while on a walk, I said to Conor "Since you have golf camp from 9-12 tomorrow, I'll bring your swimsuit with me when I pick you up and we'll go straight to the pool. Do you think you'll be too tired for that?" To which he replied, "Nope, I'm cool with that." Who is he? Ashton Kutcher (and is Ashton Kutcher even cool anymore, I have no idea!?!).

Then yesterday, it was quiet - too quiet. The big kids were downstairs in the playroom, and Quinn had been watching the Wiggles in the family room with me. I looked over, he was gone. I yelled "Quinn" and heard a very quick slamming door coming from upstairs. I found him in the bathroom, coated and glistening with shampoo - his hands, face, head and hair. Lovely.

Finally, my Riley. Our pool had a 4th of July party this weekend. While we were there, a woman walked up to Josh, who was talking to Riley at the time, and said "Is this the infamous Riley?"... apparently her two 5-year old twin daughters, who Riley plays/swims with occasionally at the pool, idolize her and play make believe, where they take turns (sometimes not so nicely) being her. Who knew - she's like Hannah Montana for kindergarteners.

And please expect more stories shortly, because today I went to Walmart and came home with a new potty, a huge pack of matchbox cars, and skittles. That's serious code for potty training time in the Bowen house. And I have one very willful 2 year old to contend with. Lord help me.

Peachtree Road Race

This morning I spent 1 hour and 2 minutes running 6.2 miles with 54,999 of my closest friends here at The Peachtree Road Race. That might not sound fun to many of you - the crowd, the Atlanta heat and humidity... but it was seriously a blast! There were people lining the streets of Atlanta, cheering, holding up signs, giving out water, yelling out inspirational things to the runners - there were dj's from all the local radio stations broadcasting and blaring their music, band after band playing. Besides the actual running, it was really like a big party/celebration. Then, as I was nearing the finish line, I heard "Go Megan!"... it was Josh, who had dropped me off at the start, went to his beloved Starbucks for a latte, and found a great spot near the finish line to watch for me. All in all, a great start to the 4th of July! We followed it up with our neighborhood pool party. I'll be lucky to make it through the fireworks tonight. I'm one tired mama!

Home sweet home

Reason 751 why I love my husband: after a 9-hour drive with my mom and three kids back home yesterday, I arrived to find that Josh had gone to the grocery store to stock up on staples so I wouldn't have to run out and get anything last night, mowed the lawn and watered all the flowers, had candles lit so the house smelled yummy, and had made tequila lime chicken fajitas, spanish rice, and homemade guacamole and queso for us to snack on.

sidenote: Even though this was all very lovely, I have a sneaky suspicion he wants new golf clubs or something - ha ha!

Road trip

Well, we made it. Thursday afternoon we left Atlanta, drove to Knoxville, stopped for dinner and to stay in a hotel, went swimming, and got up the next morning to make our way up to Columbus. The weekend was kind of a blur - lots of family, lots of friends. Saturday morning, just to make it interesting, Quinn fell off the kitchen chair and hurt his leg - not just a little, enough to warrant an urgent care visit and then a subsequent trip to the pediatric hospital for x-rays of his ankle, leg, and foot. Nice. He hasn't taken more than a couple steps since then, which is insane for a normally active 2-year old boy. The x-rays were inconclusive, no obvious signs of a broken bone, but apparently a hairline fracture won't show up this early. So we're in waiting mode.

Our wonderful friends from Cleveland drove down to spend some time with us also. We had nine kids between three couples to keep entertained - but it was great... they had ALMOST as much fun as the adults. :)

And Friday we do it all again. Josh flew to NYC yesterday, so my mom is driving back down to Atlanta with the kids and I (sucker!). Thank God for Gigi's!

The lazy days of summer

I tried my best. The goal was not to over-schedule us this summer. I couldn't wait for long, quiet, lazy days... wishful thinking. Don't get me wrong, it's been a wonderful summer - fun, HOT, but lazy - not so much. In the few weeks since we've been out of school, we've already been on one vacation - Hilton Head - and we leave in two days for trip 2 - to Ohio. Trip 3 is the last weekend in July - Austin, TX, where Conor and Riley are both in Aunt Christy's wedding. And in between, well - fun, but definitely not lazy. Here is a sample. I get up at 5:30 and run. Somewhere after that begins everyone waking up, wanting breakfast, needing reminders to brush teeth, etc. Today we had swim lessons from 8:30-9am, went straight to Target afterwards, then home to pack the cooler, met the Hasslers at the pool at 11am for swimming, lunch, general summer fun. Home at 1:30. Phone rings - playdate for Conor. Quickly change children out of swimsuits and into dry clothes. Drive Conor to his playdate - Riley is now crying, also wants a playdate. Try three friends - no one is home. In moment of desperation, promise to let her do easy bake oven while Quinn naps (desperation!). Put Quinn down from nap, try to unload car filled with wet swimming towels, etc. while Riley is following me around asking "when can we do easy bake oven?", or something along those lines, every few seconds in my ear. We bake sugar cookies. They are terrible but I still have to eat one and tell her they are delicious. Try to work and get things a few things done. Crap, it's 4pm, time to pick up Conor. Must wake Quinn up from nap - he's not happy. Load Quinn and Riley into car, grab Conor, come home. Josh calls - will be late. Of course, simultaneously, a chorus of "I'm hungry" begins in the background. Chips and salsa for everyone. Josh suggests we meet for dinner at 6:30 - well that's one plus, now I don't have to cook. But I have dirty, chlorine-filled children who I now must bathe. Everyone is clean, everyone is downstairs playing. And here I am, 5:44pm, hungry, tired, thinking maybe tomorrow will be somehow lazier... yea right.

Wouldn't you know it!!?!

I was so ready for a night out. Josh took the kids to dinner and Kung Fu Panda and I was heading out for Mexican and margaritas with my friend Kellie. About halfway through dinner and my strawberry margarita, I got that hot/cold sweat, clammy, stomach churning, not-so-great feeling... ugh. At first I thought it was just too much sun. We were sitting out on the patio, and we did spend some time at the pool that day. So I decided to go into the restroom and splash some cold water on my face and came back out to sit. No dice. As the minutes went by, I began to feel worse and worse. Wouldn't you know it - I caught the same darn bug that Josh had a few days ago. Fever, achiness, stomach woes, the works. So I had to cut my dinner short and head home. So disappointed!

Then today Josh, of course, has a 7:30 meeting in Buckhead, which in Atlanta-speak, means that he has to leave no later than 6:15am to make it there in time. At about 6:30, I hear Conor get up, open my door, see me laying there (knowing that I am sick from the night before), call for Nesta, take him downstairs and feed him, and then sit and watch cartoons until I come downstairs. Even better, he got Quinn dressed for me after he woke up and played music in his room where they had a little "dance party". So thoughtful! Then Riley made me this get-well card:

"I hope you feel better card" (doesn't every card need a title?)
To mom from Riley.

You love me, I love you a lot.
I love you mom I hope you feel better this week I love you, Riley

I feel better already.

Summer!

It's our second week of summer break. We spent the first in Hilton Head - enjoying the beach! The kids loved it, and it was the perfect relaxing get-away. We're already talking about going back next year! Now we're home and back into the swing of things - swim lessons, lots of pool-time, and gearing up for our next trip next Friday to Ohio.