May 24 Cottage Adventures

Last weekend we went up to the cottage for May 24 and let me tell you, the little man had a ball!  This summer will be so much different than last summer.  It will be more difficult in that Parker is very mobile and so will need constant supervision.  But it will also be so much fun, because Parker just loves it outside!  

Elf on a shelf?

Maybe he's musically inclined like his uncle

 Every May 24 there is an annual canoe trip down the river.  Parker is way too young to go, but we decided that he could canoe across the lake and I would pick him up at the bridge.  Just a short 10 minute canoe ride!  I wasn't really prepared for it, so I didn't bring his blue lifejacket.  He wasn't impressed with the pink one.

 But once he was in the canoe he was very content!

 It was definitely a smaller crew this year than usual, a lot of people had other plans, but I think they all had a good time anyways!

 The whole family isn't up every weekend, just long weekends, but I loved having the other kids there to play with Parker!  Parker thought that he was one of the big kids and he didn't even notice that they gave him a smaller noodle for the noodle fight!  He had a great time running around the lawn playing with the kids.

We are so lucky to have a close family and I feel even luckier that the other kids love Parker.  They don't see him as the annoying little cousin, they really love to take care of him and play with him.  I even had my 7 year old cousin make him breakfast one morning!  Bonus!

 It was a great weekend and I'm looking really forward to the rest of the summer!  

Parker's Dedication

Last Sunday we finally got around to getting Parker dedicated at our church.  Our church is really big, so they do child dedications after the service so it was in a smaller room with just the families of the other children being dedicated.

We invited immediate family and my grandparents.  I think Parker really enjoyed his day and he always knows when it's all about him. (Oh wait a second, it's always all about him.)

The dedication was nice and Parker only got a little bit squirmy.  He wasn't a fan of when the minister put his hand on his back to pray, he was like what is this guy doing!

Then for the rest of the service we distracted him with Veggie Sticks, which kept him pretty quiet except when he started growling at Auntie Tal....

Mother's Day

Mother's Day isn't so much about appreciation at this point.  I mean I know that Parker appreciates me in the only way that he knows how.  He probably shows more appreciation right now than he will in 5 years.  These days I'm getting lots of hugs and kisses and it's great!

But I found this Mother's Day to be more about reflecting on motherhood.  Motherhood has changed me in ways that I never could have expected.  I knew I would love my kids, but until you have them you don't know how overwhelming and all consuming that love is.  

There are moments where Parker drives me absolutely bonkers.  (Like right now as he's getting into everything he shouldn't.)  But I love the kid to death.  I never get tired of his kisses.  And when he's in trouble it takes everything in me to not just snuggle him.  

I also appreciate my own mother so much more than I ever did before because I understand her now.  As a kid you have these expectations of what a mom should do.  And to a point those expectations are accurate, because now I know I would do anything for Parker.  But that doesn't mean it's easy.  It's hard work being a parent.  Kids are needy and want attention constantly.  They get into trouble and refuse to eat their dinner.  They wake up at 2am because they are teething and although you want to sleep sometimes you have to get up to comfort them.  They poop, a lot, and it's disgusting.  

But they are also energetic and filled with joy and giggles.  And they love you so unconditionally.  And so I do everything I can for that little tiny boy because he needs me and I need him.  

Happy Mother's Day baby boy, thanks for making me a mommy.

And a picture of Parker being silly, just because