friendship | A Dash of the Unexpected

Bear with me, folks: it’s one more summer catch-up post.

You may remember that over spring break earlier this year, the kids and I made the trip to Florida to visit my dear friend Lila and her family, only to arrive just as The Plague (i.e. a nasty bout of the flu) descended on the household. This summer, Lila stopped by for several days with her kiddos for a visit that, in an obvious win, entailed no vomit. The expected chaos of five children ensued to great delight, and we finished as we do every time, wishing we lived closer to each other. I always think during these visits about what it will be like when we are old ladies, reminiscing about those crazy years when our children were young. I am lucky to have friends in my life who are part of the way-back stories and are still here to help write new ones. Thanks for the newest memories, Lila. Let’s keep them coming.

The best we could do at a group shot of kids who really wanted to be sliding down the hill

Ready, set, slide!

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And now for a post that’s truly overdue…

At the end of January, I took a trip with the kids to Florida to see a very dear friend and her family. We discovered that two adults to five children is not really any easier than one adult to two or three, but we tackled outings with gusto and balanced it out with some quiet time at home. I was a tad apprehensive about flying alone with two kids for the first time, but thankfully, both my kids travel well. We did not make enemies of our fellow passengers. The kids and I got sick half-way through our visit, which added an extra level of challenge. Baby Girl did not appreciate being in an unfamiliar environment while feeling markedly subpar. I know this, because she would not let me set her down for a moment without subjecting the neighborhood to ear-splitting wails. Thus, my pictures of the trip are a little sparse. (If you’ve ever tried shooting photos while holding an unhappy baby, you know what I mean.)

Whatever the challenges, it is always worth it to reconnect with friends. Our kids are growing up fast, and Corin and Eleanor – just a few weeks apart in age – played together beautifully. Corin happily would have stayed behind at Aunt Lila’s house. These times make me wish I could collect in one place all my friends and family spread out across the globe, so we could be a part of each other’s lives in ways so hard to accomplish long-distance. Here’s to loved ones in far-away places; we miss you all.

Why, yes, that is a backyard zip line. Thanks to Frank and Susan for an awesome afternoon!

A lollipop, a tire horse swing, some sidewalk chalk on the pant legs: more elements of a very good day.

“I’m King Herod’s solider!” (That Christmas story really stuck this year.)

I call this series, “A Study in Contrasts: Happy Baby, Sad Baby.”

Lina was sleeping. Also, I am clearly not a professional photographer. Getting four kids to all look at the camera and smile at the same time is an accomplishment well beyond my skills. Actually, it’s just my kid who won’t look at the camera and smile.