Those Matching Monkeys

Well over two years ago I pleased myself with a Janie and Jack purchase of coordinating outfits for Michael and Sophie thinking they would wear them the following spring.  My peanuts didn't grow as fast as I thought they would, but we finally got a little use out of the outfits this year. I had to get a few pictures before the kids grew right out of them and/or the weather changed.




Recognize the bench, bridge and gazebo?  That little village has become one of our favorites for family photo shoots.  It's right by the park with the paci tree, so we bring along play clothes to change into, and we can bribe the kids with, "You can play at the park after you sit right next to each other for a few more pictures."

The summer when they were three

As all seems to be progressing well in our purchase of a new house, this is probably the last summer we will spend in this one.  The season somewhat unofficially ended on Friday.  I went into work to get my classroom organized, and the kids went to their child care center and started in the preschool classroom.  They're in the same building with the same kids, some they've known since they were four months old.  But they're in a new room with new teachers and no diapers.  Big kids.

I'm going to miss this summer, the PB&J roll-ups at the picnic table after gymnastics and the remarkable disappearing act that a pint of blueberries can perform in one sitting.  I'm going to miss tricycles in driveway circles and serving up lattes (water) and bagels (pretend) from the deck stairs.  I'll miss the jump-hugs Michael has perfected that nearly knock me over and Sophie's daily need like mine for socks before getting snuggly-wuggly with stories before nap.  I'm going to miss the library mid-morning and driving to have lunch with Grammie while listening to Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.  Silly old bear.

I'm going to miss the summer when Michael and Sophie were three, just like I mourned the ones that came before. I know this ache well now, and I know it tends to soften as summer gives way to fall, and we fill our time together with a new season's worth of memories.

Go Tigers!

Earlier in the week it seemed Michael, Sophie, and I would be spending Thursday, our last full day of summer vacation together, going to the dentist and doing laundry.  The dentist part held true (and went great), but in the afternoon the kids and I joined Mike at the Tigers game.  Laundry can wait.

It happened to be a Kids Day at Comerica Park, so my lucky ducks got to run the bases after the game.

I could just eat that proud little face!

Michael and Sophie also rode the carousel at the stadium for the first time.  It was too cold the one and only other time they've been to the park.  It took actually seeing the carousel for them to believe me that the whole thing was tigers, no horses or anything else.  At one point they thought that meant only one kid could ride at a time. "We have to take turns on the tiger, right Mama?"

Up at 636

With some extended family in town, we journeyed to my uncle's house for an afternoon barbecue.  The house he lives in was my grandparents' home for over fifty years, where my mom and her four siblings grew up, and where my bother, cousins, and I played as a kids.  It was pretty special to see Michael and Sophie enjoying that yard as we did.

Watching the bees with Uncle Joe

Hide and Seek

Peek-a-boo!

Get ready...

...get set...

...fly!!!

Something's happening here.

While I would love to go nuts with some new house details, I'm going to wait until all is official.  For now I'll say the ball is rolling and all signs point to us moving into a bigger house...just as school starts back up again.  If you don't see a post between this one and Michael and Sophie trick-or-treating in the new neighborhood, you'll know why.  Most likely, though, I'll need this outlet in the coming weeks!

While I'm certainly thrilled that this change we've been preparing for over the last few years is on its way, that nagging voice that always accompanies major decisions after the fact is hard at work in my brain.  "Wait, why are you doing this?  You're taking another financial risk on real estate?  Didn't you learn anything?  Give me one good reason why you need a bigger house."

Michael and Sophie have been kind enough to provide a response:

Big kid beds are overdue, and that change would shrink this house considerably.  

Michael requested to sleep on the floor one night.  He did so without any waking during the night and woke in the morning as happy and well-rested as ever, so we've continued to let him camp out.  Sophie is into it now as well, just a little goofier at the start of bed and nap times.  She's learning to handle the freedom, though.  

Mike and I are hopeful that this is the start of a smooth transition, so we have supported the change (and their little backs) by moving the mattresses to the floor.

It appears that the cribs are on their way out, which is certainly a sentimental milestone.  Bye-bye, babies.

And, yes, I know what you're wondering.  The new house has four bedrooms, so we have options. However, we're only taking on one major life decision at a time!

House Inspectors

Stay tuned!!!