7 years ago I was....

7 years ago, I was zonked out in an ICU bed with my brand new twins in the newborn nursery/NICU.  Bill and my parents were trading out taking care of the other 3 kids while they all waited to see what was going to happen next.

Fast forward 7 years and while I most definitely am NOT zonked out in an ICU bed, we are all still waiting to see what is going to happen next.  I've finally figured out parenting is all about what is going to happen next, anticipating it, worrying about it, living it and praying that we'll be able to handle what's going to come next.  Last night as I lay in my own bed, I felt this overwhelming sense of sadness as I thought back to 7 years ago.  How many times have I been told and then given the same advice of 'enjoy it now, time flies'?  I desperately want to go back to 7 years ago.  Life was simpler, sweeter, and sometimes it even seemed happier.  5 children ages 6 and under is enough to send most people running the other direction......not me.  Nope, not me.  If I could I would run as fast as I could right back to it.  We were different parents, more patient parents.  Parents that loved the moments of looking at our sweet babies in awesome wonder.  I suppose it might be the same for so many parents these days, those parenting children that have grown beyond the days of cherub cheeks and first words.  But we have to keep moving forward, looking on to what might come next.  It's that darn concept known as time.

Luke and Laurel woke up today to find Laurel's room covered in balloons!  Our birthday tradition of decorating while the kids sleep was made one step easier this year....Luke wanted to sleep in Laurel's room.  No arguments from us!  Gregory and Jacob helped us fill all the balloons up.....they had plenty of hot air to spare!

  Bill had to be to work at the crack of dawn, but we knew the kids would want to open up something in the morning.......so they had their gifts strung out from morning til' night.  Even the dogs willingly let the kids decorate them for the birthday boy and girl-

 I love how these two can throw their arms around each other and have some pretty darn sweet moments together.  Of course those moments are usually followed by totally opposite moments where they push each others buttons and yell at each other til' the neighbors hear them......

Several days ago, the kids and I made cake pops....a first time experiment that went off fairly well I suppose.  As I have admitted in the past, I am NOT a good mom who willingly shares my kitchen space.  It is always a huge lesson in patience for me to have the kids help, and helping with cake pops was no exception!  We did it, and I took the cake pops in to their classroom for their birthday treats. 

As I walked in to the classroom I found out that the well pump at the school had stopped working so school was dismissed at noon....a birthday treat for sure!  We brought a friend home with us for an impromptu play date.  Moon sand everywhere, dress up clothes put on and taken off, dogs played with and a birthday movie, Marmaduke, watched. 

It's too bad all other activities can't be cancelled for birthdays.  I let Eric stay home from soccer practice so we could at least try and eat a family dinner together....french toast, strawberries, bananas and whip cream.....

and let L and L open their other gifts before Bill and the older boys had to leave for an early boy scout meeting.  The nerve, right?!!   My parents went in on an American Girl doll with us and Laurel was SO happy when she opened up the package-

 She has never been a big baby doll kind of girl, but I am happy that she likes to play with the American Girl dolls.  Actually, I think it's the clothes she gets to make for the dolls with my mom that has suddenly led her to play with them more!  And I am just happy this one actually looks a little bit more like her than her 'look like me' doll.  Don't believe the catalog when it says 'medium colored skin'.  Her look like me doll is about 4 shades darker than she is!!  Oh well!

Luke is into playing outside and playing with Lego's......those darn sets that get put together and then immediately taken apart and 10 *important* pieces are then missing.  Yeah, we got him some for his birthday!

 Rather than make a cake for them this year, we opted to get them a cookie bouquet.  I wasn't sure how L and L would receive their birthday dessert...no candles to blow out.....but they were super excited, especially since the mom who made them totally personalized each bouquet to their favorite things....they got 4 thumbs up!

 And now the newly turned 7 year olds are in bed, fast asleep.  Time keeps ticking and I guess now we'll have to wait and see what comes next for them.  And us.

I think I need to go gnaw on one of those cookies......and drown my sappy sorrows in a glass of milk!