This picture says it all... Daddy and Jonathan having a blast. William is bored :( money well spent 🙈

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Boys night! We took Jonathan (9) and Will (4) to their first Monster Jam Truck show. (It's Mom and Dads first time too). So excited!

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Jonathan's best buddies. #friendsforlife

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Letting go... and letting the dirt in

I had to let go today... let go of all my squeamishness about the kids getting muddy...
It was an unusually warm day today...but very muddy since the 8+ inches of snow we had last week melted rapidly leaving us a yard filled with muddy holes and dog poo (thanks, Bailey :)).
But I gritted my teeth and just let them be kids.
That's what baths and washing machines are for, right?

A rare moment of sibling love...

"Are those your school shoes?" Yes... just grin and bear it, Mommy

"Look how big I am!" He couldn't begin to reach the handles last year!

The Princess and the dragon...

I dare not tell you how much Disney charges for facepainting... but the results were priceless. They looked so darn cute!

A little rain won't hurt anything when you're this determined!

We couldn't keep them out of the pool--even though it was pouring down rain and cold! Delaney is getting so brave in the water and little Jonathan just has NO FEAR, which is scary for Mommy!
Today is only 50 degrees and windy so we are hanging out relaxing--but no pool!

Swimming Madman!

Our little fish!

Gobbles? Check!

Our little guy was so excited to get to the pool...even though it was only 60 degrees out and pouring down rain. Thank goodness the pool was heated! Sending our love from Disney!

Happy Halloween!

We didn't take a picture "pre-loot eating" so he's a sucker monkey now!

I think the kids were done with smiling at this point, especially Delaney. No more Trick or Treating for her!

How can you get upset that he got chocolate all over his belly? He's just too cute!

Our beautiful Lady Bug! She was the one Daddy needed to carry home on his shoulders after too much Trick-or-Treating, not Jonathan.

Blankie!

It had to be done...

Please don't judge me... you would have done the same.

It's been dragged through the sandbox, off the stroller, into the bathroom. It had seen much cleaner days...

Yes, I'm talking about "Blankie"... Jonathan's Blankie. He adores that thing!

I made one fatal mistake today though...I put Blankie in the washing machine (long overdue) and left the laundry room door open. He saw... he saw his blankie in the midst of the other dirty clothes just out of his reach. I was reminded of a sad scene in the movies when the object of their desire is so close, but just out of reach and the pain on the actor's face as he touches the glass that separates them.

"Blankie, Blankie, Blankie....."

I had to drag him out of the room and close the door, explaining that blankie was only taking a bath and would be clean soon.

To make matters worse, blankie was not done being washed before Naptime came to call. I guess he'll be talking about that with his therapist one day.

But for now, I am grateful that my little buddy has something in his life, besides his family, that brings him such comfort and joy and sorrow when it's missing.