Weekend Of Dreams

Ruari helped me title this post, she must have had a really awesome weekend! Happy Valentine's Day. I was a bit behind schedule this year and downplayed the whole thing, but Nuala totally called me out on it. Heart shaped pancakes? Is that all? She wasn't demanding, but I could tell she was a bit let down. So on Saturday morning, one day late, I got out the banners and found the time to stuff a couple of pretty treat bags. Nothing big, chocolate hearts and lollipops, but it was just enough. Better late than never, right? Plus if you wait an extra day all the candy goes on sale.

We are in the middle of a four day weekend here and it is snowing today. Really snowing. Michaele had her baby, a chunky beauty named Isla and we've all been admiring her from afar and talking about how excited we are for them to move back home this spring. They're in France right now and it feels much too far away. Even though I'd love for Oisín to have a little brother, the idea of having a daughter  makes me smile and the vision of two little girl cousins running around is enough to remind me that Oisín already has plenty of brothers….

I've been keeping Saoirse home from her afternoon preschool with increasing regularity. Honestly all the driving around back and forth all over the place is just too much sometimes and it is easier to say to heck with it. But it's a bad habit, one that Brendan especially doesn't appreciate, and so I am recommitting myself to the schedule even on those days when I'd much rather cuddle with her on the couch instead. There's less than 4 months left in the school year and soon it will be summer vacation, I swear. We just have to make it through the rest of this grueling winter first. I don't even really mind the cold or the snow, and things are starting to improve now that the sun isn't setting at 4pm, but being cooped up for weeks on end is starting to really take a toll on all of us. These kids need fresh air and a chance to be outside with the earth. We are all growing restless and weary.

Oisín had his first double ear infection recently, and it was a rough couple of days. Poor baby was up for 4 nights, just miserable with pain and wanting to be held upright. This is really his first illness since his bout with Pertussis last winter and so all in all we've been really lucky, but it was still hard having him in so much pain and pretty much feeling powerless to help. He's back up to full speed, running around the house like a little fire cracker, tormenting the cat and wrestling with anyone he can get his chubby little hands on. He's nearly 17 months old, weighs 25 pounds, is fully weaned from the breast, drinks coconut milk, eats just about anything, loves giving out drooly baby kisses, is completely smitten with all his big brothers and sisters (Finn and Sidhe especially), has become a total dada's boy and rarely cries at bedtime anymore so long as there is a book in his crib to cuddle with. Who needs stuffed animals anyways? He still doesn't talk much (Dada, Mama, bus, dog, Brenna) and I'm trying not to worry, but I am almost certain he'll need some type of speech therapy at some point. I had Micah evaluated at around 24 months when he had a speech delay and Oisín seems to be following a similar pattern. The good news is that he is a total book worm and is willing to sit and read books for hours if given the option, so his comprehension and receptive language are right on track. I feel like Saoirse waited a while to talk as well, so time will tell.

Nuala, Saoirse and Micah slept over at grandma's on Saturday and so Oscar was the only little kid left at the house, which pretty much meant that once Oisín was in bed he had us all to himself. We dissected an owl pellet and tucked him in together; all three of us (four of us, I suppose?) squished into the bottom bunk whispering in the glow of the nightlight. It sounds ridiculous when I type it or say it out loud but it didn't feel ridiculous, it felt special and was another reminder that the connections we seek, the connections we crave, are right in front of us. And they don't require pretty packages, extravagant plans or fancy fillers, they only require a little bit of time and the ability to be truly present.

The weekend was otherwise predictable and ordinary. Forensics (congratulations Maija on your third place trophy), a birthday party, sleepovers, playdates, an anime convention, haircuts, the Lego Movie, tons of reading, dinner guests, a brunch date and lots of 30% off chocolates and as always I wouldn't have it any other way.