Tuesday snowday

Life has sort of gotten back to normal, even though I'm on maternity leave and that is totally not normal, the rest of it is starting to actually feel like my life again.  For a while after having a baby that just isn't the case, but slowly the new baby becomes an integrated part of your family, a part of your routine, and I'm almost getting to that point where my memories of everyday life without Louie feel like a prior life.

I really like this little crew of boys that I get to spend my days with.  We've fallen into a bit of a rhythm, and Gus has definitely warmed up to his little brother.  When I go up to get him out of bed every morning he excitedly talks about going downstairs to see Louie.  This morning we came down and climbed into our bed and all three of us snugged under the covers, Gus with his cup of milk, clutching my ponytail, and Louie nursing and taking breaks to smile and coo at us.  The only thing that would have made it better would have been if someone had provided me with my own morning beverage, preferably caffeinated.

Yeah, this is life lately.  Our mornings are slow and indulgent, and usually by 10:00 AM we're off on some sort of adventure.

Monday night it FINALLY SNOWED!  Yes, it has been such a strange winter, unusually warm and hardly any of the fluffy white stuff.

Well, I texted Grandma yesterday morning and asked if we could come over so the kids could make a snowman with Gus.  He's a lucky kid to have such young and enthusiastic aunts and uncles, and it makes my life much easier, that's for sure.  I don't think I would have attempted to take him outside at home, a 7 week old baby just makes that sort of thing so much more complicated, and this way I could relax and catch up with my mother-in-law while children with energy enough for playing outside in the snow entertained my two year old.  Win-win!

But this is the thing about kids going outside in the snow.  It takes SO MUCH effort to get them all bundled up, the long underwear, the snow pants, the big clunky boots, and then convincing them to let you put on giant mittens that pretty much render their hands useless.

Ugggghhh.

Yesterday I was literally sweating and panting like a fool after this whole process.  I actually let him go outside without mittens for a few minutes because he was fighting the whole process and wanted to play with his shovel, and I knew that it wouldn't be long before he'd be cold enough to allow me to put them on him.

I was right, I know my kid.  So I ran outside about five minutes later and wrestled those things on his little hands, tucking them into his coat so they didn't fall off.  And then finally they were all outside, fully mitten-ed, and there was a collective "phew".  I collapsed on the couch.

Yeah, you know where this is going.  I swear it was at most three minutes after I had wrestled the mittens on him and he was back inside, whining for the snacks I had tried to convince him to eat before getting all bundled up.  I really didn't want to have to take his mittens off, because those things are definitely the worst part of this whole rigmarole, so for a few minutes I crouched down and fed him pretzels.  That got annoying and tedious real fast, so I took off the mittens, but there was no way I was taking anything else off. 

It wasn't long before he was back outside.  Ridiculous.     

And cute.  Ridiculous, but definitely cute.

Do not mind the copious amount of dried boogers caked on his face.

These two were specifically told NOT to play in the window well, but they decided to slide down it anyway, and at one point when I stuck my head out there to check on Gus, I found all three of them down there.  They yelled for my help, and said Gus's boots had fallen off and they couldn't get them back on him and he was stuck down there because it was hard to climb out and they tried to help him but he kept falling and his BOOTS WERE FALLING OFF!

So hilarious.  So dramatic!

I climbed down there precariously, almost falling myself, and somehow heaved my thirty pound child out of the window well and inside to warm up.  He lost a boot again on the way out, so I had to have Julia throw it up to me.  

I'm pretty sure he had a blast, despite the boot drama.

My mother-in-law took this picture of me and Louie, and despite the frizziness going on from sleeping on wet hair the night before, I LOVE IT.  I mean look at that little guy's perfect little mouth and cheeks.  I love him, and I love this picture because this is what I have spent the last 7 weeks doing, holding this little guy, helping him grow.  I am so lucky. 

It was a really good Tuesday.  On days like these I can't help but think about what I would be doing if I wasn't on maternity leave, and was at the office.  Hmm, not quite as ridiculous but also not quite as fun.  I have to admit that while caring for young children can sometimes feel tedious and isolating, it is also quite a bit more rewarding than going to meetings and updating spreadsheets all day.  Come April, I'm so very lucky to get to do both, Friday through Monday at home, Tuesday through Thursday at the office, because I definitely find myself needing a break from both.