Sweet & Sour

In 20 years, when Robbie and Ellie open up the blog book I have this printed into and read about the weekend we just had, I hope that they go out and buy me a really nice present and then come home and mow the yard for their dad (and maybe trim the bushes too).

For every sour moment the weekend brought our way, there was a sweet one to match it, for which I am always thankful. The Lord knows just how much we can take as mothers!

On Friday, the Sweet & Sour list went something like this:

Sweet - spending the afternoon and evening with my mom here to help while Rob was out late for work

Sour - the kids waking up when the garage door opened at 11:30pm and not falling back asleep until 3:30am. That would be 4 hours of tears, screaming, back and forth trips into their room, singing, firm requests to go to sleep, and longing to just go to bed.

Sweet - finally falling back asleep with Robbie sandwiched between Rob and I so that Ellie would not disturb the rest of his night of sleep.

Sour - Robbie slept in our bed with us. Enough said.

Sour - waking up one hour later to feed Maddie at 4:30am.

Sweet - spending any time alone with her is sweet to me! I also got to sleep in the bed in her room for the next 4 hours straight, which felt like the best 4 hours of sleep ever at that point. (Robbie had sprawled out in my bed during my absence and I was basically not invited back - ha!)

Saturday:

Sweet - having family breakfast together

Sour - feeling like we had been out all night partying, except that we hadn't. Oh, and in our daze we forgot to change the kids' diapers at appropriate intervals and Robbie's was so full that pee was actually pooling on his chair while he ate his eggs. Low point as a mother.

Sweet - getting out of the house for groceries to keep our energy up (and to acquire coffee!) while daddy worked in the yard.

Sour - taking all 3 kids to Target for groceries is like my Everest. I keep trying to get in and out without incident and it keeps not going well. I refuse to give up. At least at this point I was caffeinated.

Sweet - having friends over for a cookout and watching our kids play together!

Sour - It drizzled on our heads, was slightly chilly, and both of our 2 month olds were awake during dinner, making it hard for the moms to eat (think trying to cut grilled chicken with one hand and a fork). Robbie brought the toy shopping cart outside and then drug it back inside, smearing mud on the carpet. We had totally given up managing the 3 older kids and just let them do whatever so that we could finish eating and have a few moments of conversation!

Sweet - although they went to bed a little later than usual, all of the kids slept hard through the night.

Sour - Rob and I waking up Sunday with sore throats, and because children were still sleeping well past the hour we have to be up and getting ready for church, missing church altogether.

Sunday:

Sweet - happy little faces greeting us when they finally awoke

Sour - Rob and I weren't the only ones with colds

Sweet - picking up donuts and coffee and heading to a park for the morning, and enjoying mild weather and time together

Sweet - everyone back on their regular sleep and nap schedule

Sweet - stopping by the nursing home to visit my grandmother with Maddie in the afternoon. I got there at the tail end of dinner time, and if you want to be popular at a nursing home just walk in with a baby. I was literally swarmed by sweet old ladies and when I tried to follow my grandmother out of the dining hall as her caretaker wheeled her towards her room! My baby and I were trapped behind walkers and wheelchairs and shaky little hands reaching out to stroke her chubby cheeks and soft head, and it was just the funniest, most precious situation.

Sweet - spending time with just my grandmother in her room before she went to bed for the night. She held Maddie nearly the entire time and it lit up her world.

Sour - listening to her try to speak and not finding the right words, or forgetting the thought that was just at the forefront of her mind and on the tip of her tongue. Discussing who in our family may have had red hair, and hearing her say that she doesn't remember the color of her mother's hair.

Sour - leaving.

Sweet - returning home with pizza for dinner.

Sweet - everyone in bed with full tummies by 8:30pm.

And the sweetest of them all - Maddie slept from 8pm-5:30am straight last night without waking! And the older 2 are still asleep, which means 11 hours straight for them without waking. What a great way to wrap up the weekend.