It's been a dark week for America marked by a violent "alt-right" racist, anti-Semitic rally and a shameful president. In our little family, several of us have been down for the count with a flu. So to pick myself up from all of this and anyone else who needs a boost, here are some Giggles. They are good for the soul:
So many people we loved have visited our new home in the short month since we moved. We still have no furniture and a lot of unpacked boxes, which are starting to make me feel painfully unsettled. So, it's extra important to stop and realize how lucky we are. The boxes will get unpacked and the furniture will get here. These moments with the Gargiones and Lukas are the ones to grab onto.
Also, MoMo swooped in here and fully took care of the munchkins for an entire week while Gladys was closed. To say she saved the day is an understatement. We're so, so grateful.
Our little Roycie,
You are ON THE MOVE! You are army crawling with amazing speed and precision, and each day you prop yourself further up on those knees and are ready for full-crawl lift off. We can hardly keep up with the army crawl, so I can't imagine how fast you'll be when you are truly on all fours in a few days.
You love: your Harper, your Bruno, and all of your toys that crinkle. You love every food we put in front of you. And you love music! Your eyes light up when I sing to you and your head turns on a swivel when we play music in the house (it's moana all day these days.) You are generally an easy traveler, but on the off times when you're not, you stop crying when Harper belts out her special version of twinkle twinkle or ABCD in the car.
And you love to smile. You are simply the the smiliest and most easy going little guy there is. You giggle with your entire body and your head thrown back in delight. You patiently roll and crawl around the floor when Harper needs our full attention. And you cuddle. It's a new development, really. But in the past few months you have learned how to burrow in. Your post-nap warm cuddles are particularly delicious.
A few months ago, I was impatient for you to start smiling. Now that you are, I want time to stand still. These months are flying by and I am trying to savor each snuggle, with those big bright eyes of yours gazing up at me.
We love you so.
❤️❤️❤️
We are back from a sun soaked week in TIpark with Grambie and amazing friends. What a time. Morning coffee and playground hangs, all-day boating marathons, afternoon yard games and pool time. We arrived at a moment of real sorrow in our TIPark community after the sudden death of a dear friend. We were reminded of how lucky we are to have each other and are grateful for these munchkins each day.
There are far too many photos to post and I put a lot of them on Facebook, but here are some favorites.
Until next year, TIPark!
MoMo and Zio swooped in to help us parent, cook, organize, and furniture plan after I got back from Berlin. What a gift! We are so, so grateful. Tonight on the (lengthy) drive home from Gladys', when I told Harper we were going home to have dinner with Daddy, she said, "and MoMoZio?" 💕
The very best morning celebrating the very best friend.
Baby Roycee,
You turned 6 months old nearly two weeks ago, on the day we moved into our new house to be exact. And we've been in a whirlwind of unpacking, settling in, and figuring out our new routine ever since. And I also jetted off to Berlin for the long weekend for a friend's wedding and some quality time with your cousins. Needless to say, this is far overdue.
Your smile. It just makes the world spin. You grin ear to ear and with your eyes and all the time and it is heart-bursting and wonderful. And you now giggle too. With your whole body. And sometimes, merely in anticipation of what's to come.
Your crawl! It's astounding to see how quickly you've gone from debating the army crawl to seriously scooting yourself across a room. You do it with grit and determination and with zero fuss. Just getting the job done. Head down, one little elbow and knee at a time.
And your appetite. It's growing by the day as you experience the wonders of real food. And between last Thursday when I went away and today, you've decided you'd like to dive your head straight at the spoon in front of you and almost try to grab it yourself. You take great pride in your bites and your messy face.
Your love for your sister and your capacity to go with the flow as we drag you from house to house and place to place are absolutely boundless.
You make us so happy and are so very loved!
Started like this:
Included an emotional farewell at the dry cleaner...
Our last dinner al Fresca with the Gilmers'...
Royce's first solids (no time like the present!)...
And a joint tubby!
(Also some misty-eyed moments for mom, especially when I snuggled Harper in her room for the last time before bed.)
Harper has started saying this frequently..."so much things over there Mommy! So much people! So much cars!" Etc etc. It's so darn cute, I don't have the heart to correct her grammar. And it's really the only description for our current state, because there is SO much to catch up on here and I'll never be able to do it all justice. So in reverse chronological order...
WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!!!!!! With a magical yard and toddler space and room for these munchkins to run and run and run and bike and scoot and play.
And, its Father's Day! We love this guy so so much and are so happy he now has his dream yard. No one deserves it more.
And, speaking of dads, we've had a wonderful visit with Grampa and Nanna! Complete with lots of Royce Giggles, Harper reading snuggles, and hang time at the new place.
We also had a great time last week with Heidi during her visit, which included a reunion with my freshman year roommate, Annie. Zoo, sunshine, waterfront, birthday brunch festivities. DC put on a good show.
We've also been totally spoiled with an abundance of Sklaburton time, including slumber parties, zoo outings, and amazing delicious dinner that Maria and Jon brought over and cooked to celebrate our house closing. The Harper Leo bond is like nothing else. This is what true love looks like folks.
Oh! And Carrington had a birthday. And clearly we took full advantage of the pool festivities, since this was literally the only photo I took that day!
Our family. Our friends. Our new life in the suburbs (after we get through our move!).
I am absolutely brimming over with gratefulness.
