Back to work...

Yesterday was my first day back at work after 13 weeks off with my babies. I always have a pit in my stomach the morning of the first day back. It's just so hard to walk out the door and leave the sweet faces you have spent every hour of the day with for weeks on end. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the occasional break from the chaos, just like every other mom in the world, but the initial heartache kind of stinks. It will get easier though...I can say that with confidence...been there, done that. I'm only working 24 hours a week now, so I really don't have it too bad (and I love my co-workers)!! I'm just very relieved that Andy took his bottle (and didn't starve!), Nattie took her nap, and Ben got to and from pre-K without a hitch! I came home to three happy kids and lots of hugs. :)

I am so deeply grateful to the great-grandmas (Granny and Mamaw) who, for five and half years now, have driven down to my house (40 minute drive!), sometimes in treacherous conditions, to love on my babies, so I could go to work. I also really appreciate Papa, who watches my kids every Friday. There are not a lot of grandpas who are willing to manage three little kids at once...and we aren't just talking play time here. He has mastered the art of changing diapers, cleaning up blowouts (you know what I'm talking about!), feeding little ones, and the list goes on! These grandparents are such a blessing to me and my family and make it much easier for me to go to work. The biggest blessing in my whole childcare situation is the fact that my kids are truly LOVED by the people who are caring for them each week...that makes me feel so good.

This weekend we made one of our first attempts at going out to dinner with all three kids in tow. We've taken one or two at a time over the last several weeks, but never all three. It actually went pretty well. Mike and I didn't really talk because he was busy playing tic-tac-toe with Ben and I was trying to keep Nattie from dumping her water all over the table and herself. Luckily, Andy slept the whole time!

I tried to get Ben to take a nap one day this last week and he just wasn't in the mood. I heard some thumping going on up in his room, so I went up to investigate. Upon entering, I was told that I was not allowed to come inside the "secret clubhouse fort" he'd built on the floor next to his bed (he's really into secret clubs lately??). Buzz, Woody, his puppy, a monster truck, and his Pillow Pet were all club members, but apparently Mom wasn't cool enough. :)

Nattie's hair has really been growing lately (finally!) and it's really cute and curly when she's just out of the tub. However, when she wakes up from her nap each day it has transformed into a rat's nest and requires a little fixing. I usually just splash some water in it and she's good to go. The other day I gave her a mini-mohawk and she thought she was so cool. :) She is Ms. Independent these days...doesn't want our help with anything. I really wish it would rub off on her much older brother! Oh and as we were walking through the mall on Saturday evening, she kept randomly shouting from the stroller "awesome" and "cool!" I love my funny, little munchkin.

Here's Andy sporting Ben's old winter coat and hat. It's a little big on him, but will work for this winter. He is getting some cute chipmunk cheeks.

I love the moments when these two are being nice to each other (kind of rare these days). :) Here they are watching some cartoon together. Last night I was reading both of them books in Nattie's bed and Ben asked if he could sleep with her. I asked her if she wanted Benny to sleep in her bed with her and she said "uh huh" and nodded her head (she never says "yes"..it's always "uh huh"). So, I decided I would let them try and see how it went (fully expecting them to bug each other and/or talk and not fall asleep). I was wrong. I went to check on them about 20 minutes after I had turned out the lights and Nattie was sound asleep hugging her blankie and doll and Ben was humming some song that was, apparently, stuck in his head. :) I took him to his bed, so he wouldn't wake her, but I was impressed that Nattie fell asleep so quickly!

Here's Nattie's latest antic. I think she's a budding artist...don't you? :) Anyone know how to get crayon off a painted wall without actually repainting?

Finally, if you're my friend on Facebook, you've likely already heard this story, but I have to share it here for my family. As I was grabbing my pizza from the pizza man at our front door the other night, he said "good luck" with a strange look on his face. Maybe it was the fact that Nattie was completely naked and yelling "peetsee, peetsee" (that's pizza in Nattie speak), Andy was screaming bloody murder because I had to take him out of the tub to answer the door, and Ben was doing wind sprints around the kitchen table?? Life is never dull around here. :)