daddy

"Daddy, please, please come play with me in the big pool again!" Mollen was dripping wet & Neil was all dry & comfy in the shade.
"Ok, but i'm done chucking you guys in the air, ok? My arms are tired - let's just play, alright?"
"Sure daddy!!"
i strolled over with the 2 little boys about 4 minutes later to see Mollen launching through the air.
'Softy', i thought to myself.
& then i saw the line-up behind Mollen.
There were probably 7 or 8 little boys varying in age, size, shape & colour - all lined up... "Me next? Please, would you throw me next?"
i watched for the next several minutes as my husband threw kids in the air - the circle widened & with each throw, the tiny troops of onlookers hooted & cheered.
It seems to me that there is never a shortage of little ones wanting a daddy - anyone's daddy - to have the time to play.
There's something exciting to little ones about the way a daddy plays... his size, his strength, the danger.
& i gotta say, it's equally intoxicating to the mama watching...

it seems...

That each day is a little sweeter than the one before...
We swim, we eat, we play, we laugh, we love...
& then we get up & do it again.
Today we went shopping - a silly little thing like browsing stores, getting out of the scorching heat for a few hours, spending our birthday money...
Sloanie bought a dress that makes her look all grown up...
Peyton bought the wildest shoes that suit her so perfectly for $7.
Cai had her eye on a couple tank tops & the "perfect" skirt.
Neil got flip flops & mama got a shirt at "forever 21" - who knew they let 34 year olds shop there?
Charter got a hat, Mollen leggings - even Ephraim & Gagey got a little umbrella stroller that they'll share on our meanderings when mama gets tired of slingin' it.
Afterwards we took everyone out for supper. The littles were so good. Ephraim gave big open mouthed grins to the little old lady sitting behind us. & a man had to call me over to his table when we were about to leave to tell me how he had never seen such a sweet group of children.
& at that moment... i had to agree.
Home to swim & then ice cream from Trader Joe's in bed.
Tomorrow, whassit gonna be?

goodbye Canada

Hello Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Nevada & finally...
California.
Something amazing is happening....
Little ones - will you remember this epic journey? Our first "family holiday" that wasn't to visit family?
Will you remember our marathon 25 hours of driving - spread out over 2 days - singing in the van, watching movies, comforting babies, trying to sleep...
Remember how after 3 hours on the road we hit the US border? The border guard came back & greeted you each by name, whistling under his breath, "seven kids? to California?" - & we all knew that most people thought we were crazy, but we too giddy with excitement to care. As we drove our first 30 seconds into Montana, daddy teased you all, remarking how different the scenery was from "way back in Canada..." but it wasn't long till the scenery did change & he found himself muttering, "Just another flavour of breathtaking, isn't it?" & i smiled 'cause i love that i'm married to a man who appreciates beauty.
Will you remember the laughing fits that precipitated the bathroom breaks? Will you remember the grungy Super 8 that greeted us at 1AM in Idaho & the way the lady at the continental breakfast called everyone "sweetheart"? Remember when you all tried to put in your orders when daddy stopped at Starbucks in Salt Lake City? Nice try, guys :) Remember the oppressive wave of heat that greeted us when we opened the van door in Las Vegas? The breathtaking sight of those red hills in Arizona? Remember how proud we were of Gagey for being dry the whole way here? & how hard Ephraim laughed at Charter for no reason - well, i think he had his reasons, but we sure couldn't figure them out...
Remember how i sang, "route 66" when we passed Barstow - & how daddy chased you all in San Bernardino around the palm trees through the green grass when everyone was "done" & needed to go to the bathroom on the last tiny leg of our journey...
Will you remember how we all crowed & laughed when we finally pulled into our destination & couldn't believe that *this* was where we were staying for a week. & how dad just kept ordering, "fancy ladies, guys, fancy ladies!! - pulleeeze just remember to act like fancy ladies..?" & Charter was so incensed 'cause there was no possible way he could act like a fancy lady... Daddy told us to wait in the van while he got us registered... didn't happen - but he forgave us.
Will you remember that first day at the pool? Calamari & nachos. Dad's specialty...
oh, i'm thinkin' i'm too busy to blog this week...
but it would be a tragedy if i didn't steal a few moments here & there to help us remember the time we packed up the silver fox & did something crazy.

Getting & Giving

Ephraim gave me something the other day.
After a series of non significant events made my heart beat faster & i found myself over thinking the trivial things that didn't go my way... i felt overwhelmed & under strong & i'll admit it - insecure.
i walked into the room & there he was.
In all his baby splendour.
His eyes met mine & danced - daring me to pick him up... so i did.
i held him to me & he let his body lay on mine like a damp beach towel after a long day on the
water.
& i just took.
i wrapped my arms a little tighter & breathed in that sweet, sticky smell in the folds of his chubby neck. i fingered his delicate ears & crowed, "thank you's" while he pushed his chubby feet into my stomach & grabbed heaping handfuls of my hair.
i felt so greedy in that moment - taking all this loveliness from my little one - but it was just too good to pass up....
That little boy left me filled, topped up, ready.
& imagine that magic that when i set him down - his loveliness wasn't depleted at all...

Seven kids?

"Seven kids?" he said in a surprised tone, "man, you guys don't mess around..."
"Actually - we do. That's how we ended up with 7 kids." i smile benignly & Neil rolls his eyes at me.