The Benefit of Brothers

As we continue tackle the second half of this deployment, knowing that the end is in sight, there has been one thing in particular that I have been grateful for lately: 

that the boys have each other. 

It might be because school has started and C and B miss each other during the day, or that Bennett has assumed more of a 'big brother' role with C gone all day, or now that Wells is walking he is more into playing with his brothers, but it just makes my heart so happy that they have so much fun in each other's company while they are missing their Daddy's. 

Not only did they sneak into my bed before I came up, but then I found them sleeping in the exact same position. So sweet (and back to their own beds they were carried).

Wells learned to tackled- Welcome to the family Buddy. 

Excited for another flip of the calendar and one month closer to Kev rejoining this chaos. 

The (Other) Wedding Post

Just a week after my brother's amazing wedding, my dancing shoes were back on this weekend to celebrate our dear friends Alysa and Anthony. This wedding was such a special one because not only are they some of my best friends, but because they first starting dating our freshman year of high school. Alysa with the first person I ever knew to fall in love, and being there this weekend to watch them say 'I Do' was indeed a cherished moment.

The other great thing about it was that I was kid-free for two nights (thanks Nana and Pop!!!) and it was a big high school reunion for all of us.

 My date Laura and I obnoxiously  obviously decided we should wear matching dresses (from Rent the Runway).

Could Lys look any prettier?

 After a beautiful Mass and ceremony, we were off to the picture perfect reception.

And from that point on, there was a lot of drinking, eating and dancing, while catching up and reconnecting with old friends, and having a blast with the friends who have been an essential part of my life for the last 15 years. 

Michelle came all the way home from Africa for this event! So good to see you Meesh!

 Dancing the night away with some of my absolute favorite people in the world.

Unlike Joey and Caitlin's wedding, I did not accidently send my phone home early with the babysitter... so I was actually able to get so many fun dance floor pics.

I missed Kev like crazy, but was so appreciative of everyone who said they were thinking about and praying for him. By the time our next wedding rolls around, he will be back. What a great feeling!

 Love this pic I snapped of the Alysa's and Ant's Moms- everyone was having so much fun!

Lys and Ant, we are so happy for you.

 Thank you for being such wonderful friends to Kev and me, and role models of true love for our boys. 

Enjoy every second of your well deserved honeymoon!

Yatchzee!

Things I Never Expect to Say/Hear- Part 10

As we dive into another edition of the crazy talk that is worth noting around here, I also must point out how the boys have matured (poop jokes withstanding) since the first time I shared these.
Pretty soon, they are going to out smart me, I can feel it.

******
Cullen's Corner

Me: Boys. I need you not to need me for five minutes okay?
Cullen: Okay....hey Mommy? Can you get me some juice and then throw the football?
Me: Cullen. What did I just say?
Cullen: Well, I don't need you to do those things, I just really want you to... right now. 

If they days are shorter now, do we need to buy a new clock with less hours on it?

So do the sun and the clouds have skin in them and give you new skin when your dry skin falls off?

Did Marme borned you, but grandma borned her, and you borned me, and Bubs and Wellsie? Because I was thinking that is a lot of things that happened to get us.


{In a letter to dictated to Kev}
Tell Daddy that we told Wells to draw a picture, but he only knows how to eat crayons, not draw with them. We checked first, don't worry.


Do you think animals go to heaven? I know Frankie will, but what about snakes and bugs and other animals that don't have a family who love them?

If we don't take a bath tonight, will we die from sweaty? 

Me: You have to get buckled properly.
Bennett: Whhhhhhyyyyyyyy?
Me: Because I could get arrested for not taking care of you and making sure you were in your seat right and then who would take care of you when I'm in jail?
Cullen: Eh, Marme and Papa got it.

******

Bennett Babble:

I'm going to sleep like a parrott tonight. I hope I don't fly away in my sleeping.


I the weather man at school and today I said it was snowy and my teacher says I should look again, so I went to the window and said it was 'pretend snowy.'

{After showing them a pic of my friend in her wedding dress} Why she have a sheet on hers head?


 Can I take my pants off and go nakie-pee-pee to the PX?
{No}

Can you finish my legos? 

 I can stay up and have a drink and a snack with Mommy and hang out...or you gave give me back my Na {paci} and I'll go straight to sleep. Those are your choices. Whadda want?

No Na (or snacks or hanging out). Sorry Bubs.

B: I smell somethin'.
Me: I bought a new candle that smells like Fall today.
B: No, I think it's just Wellsie poops.

******

Never a dull moment around here friends. 

The Wedding Post

Last Friday, my older brother and his finance Caitlin (also know around here as Fifi) tied the knot. The wedding was so much fun that I am finally recovered enough to blog about it...so we will call that a success.

My parents put on an awesome rehearsal dinner/pre-party on Thursday night at the Fish Market in Old Town. It was the perfect combination of classy and casual and everyone had a great time, especially when they surprised FiFi with a beautiful ring, symbolic of the birth of she and Joey's new family. 

Friday morning, the men were off to golf and the ladies got together at the hotel for hair and make up. A huge thanks to my in-laws and my Uncle Paul and Aunt Stephanie for handling the little humans at home so I could be there to spend time with Caitlin and the other bridesmaids before the ceremony! 

Fifi's photographer wasn't there yet, so I was snapping away on my camera to make sure she was able to remember these moments too. She was definitely the calmest bride ever, and we spent the next few hours getting fancy, drinking champagne and learning the ins and out of Tinder (not from the bride, obviously).

 After The Bride left with her mom, sisters and niece to finish getting ready at the house, the rest of us met up on the bus with the groomsmen to head to the ceremony... all iphone pics from here!

My 3 brothers and me, plus Joey's friend Luke creeping to the left. 

The Bridesmaids (minus Caitlin's two sisters). 

Our dresses were from BHLDN- very flattering and comfortable.

At ceremony time, Bennett opted out of walking down the aisle, but Cullen and Sam rocked it. I don't have any other ceremony pics right now, but I promise that it was really was beautiful, and neat to see my brother all giddy and excited throughout the whole thing. 

 Afterwards, we were off to Army-Navy Country Club for the gorgeous reception. Everything was planned perfectly and we had a blast.

My grandma with my mom, aunts and uncles

Our honorary groomsman Kev was even able to dial in on facetime as we were introduced into the reception. He hated so much not being here, but was glad to have a little part.

My awesome babysitter picked up Wells at 7:30 to bring him home and put him to bed, then my in laws took one for the team and brought my big boys home around 9:45 so I could let loose for the rest of the reception.

Look how good Joan and Friz look!

We danced and sang the night away and then went out in Old town afterwards for a bit too. 

 Over all, it was a wonderful celebration of love and I can't wait to see the professional pics.

Although this one is pretty epic until then..

 We are so happy for you JoJo and Fifi! 

Photo courtesy of  Deb Lindsay Photography

The Good, The Bad, The Haircut

Oh friends, it has been a week around here... 

And you will have to read all the way to the bottom to get the full story on the haircut situation.

so here we go:

The Good: my boys love playing together. 

The Bad: While I was mowing the lawn, they were teaching Wells how to go down a slide, head first naturally.

The Good: Look at that teamwork!

 The Good: I went to C's back to school night Tuesday thanks to my amazing babysitter who my boys (even people-hating Bennett) adore. We love you Ang!

The Bad: I get a little flustered dressing for real parent events and changed several times, but below is what I wore.

  (Side Note: Cullen's Kindergarten teacher clearly doesn't care about my outfit)
This was definitely another night when I wished so much that Kev was here. He is so much better at walking into a room full of people we don't know and making friends. I, on the other hand, sit in the back and twirl my necklace without making eye contact. 

The Good: After so much deliberation about where to send C to school, I know we picked the right one when I told him that he was going to skip school on Friday for my brother's wedding... he cried (Cried!) because he doesn't want to miss a day. 

(We compromised that he could go for a half day.)

Dress: Gap Outlet, earrings: francesa's, shoes: tjmaxx

 The Good: My friend Emily who works at STX sent the boys an amazing package this week. 

The Bad:  Saturday night, Wells had been up at 1 and again from 3-430am and I got so desperate for sleep, I decided to cave and make him a bottle. But then I realized I had no formula or regular milk, so I found some vanilla flavored protein shake mix and gave him 3 (very diluted)oz  in a bottle... And then lay awake at 4:46am, wondering if protein shakes can hurt toddlers. (For the record, they don't. But said toddler will still wake up at 6:07 ready to party for the day.)

So excited about their custom-made Team USA sticks

The Good: the first thing C does when he gets in the car at the end of the day is hug Wells, and then ask B how his day was. He has also told me that during prayer circle he prays that Bennett and Wells have a good day while he is at school. My heart is happy about that.

The Bad: I locked my (one set) of keys in the car on Sunday afternoon while trying to clean out all the goldfish on the floor. FYI for USAA members- they will send someone to unlock your car, in your driveway, for free...hopefully you will never need to know that.

brotherly hugs after school

 The Good: My boys love each other.

The Bad: they also often fight, argue, stress each other (and me) out

The Good: My boys love each other and I love them very much too.

And now, The Haircut.

I generally shower at night after I get all the kids to bed, but this past weekend, I decided to wait until Saturday morning to shower, as we were preparing to leave to spend the day with my sister in law and her family. I put Wells down for a quick nap, and then halfway through my 6 minute shower, Cullen opened the curtain to inform me that he "cut just one little piece of Bub's hair". I quickly chastised him for not using proper scissor safely, got dressed, loaded the car... and then realized that 'one strand' was actually 'a whole lot'.

After a very serious discussion about good decision making (and forthelove letting Mommy take a shower without worrying that someone will become bald), we took B to the barber for a hair fix.

 While we were there, it seemed right to get Wells his first cut too, and then he aged by several years. Why do haircuts do that?

The Good: My big brother and Fifi are getting married Friday!

The Bad: I'll be off the blog for the rest of the week.

The Good: I'll be instagramming (@Katedaffodils), and there will be boys in suspenders and bowties and no one wants to miss out on that. 

Have a great rest of the week!