Library Story Time and Birthday Party

I am slowly earning some independence back. Baby steps. We celebrate our successes. On Thursday I took the girls to story time at the library. Thirty minutes of songs, books and dancing. Sounds like fun, right? Well, I took Jack to these beginning at nine months and the girls didn't make one until they were 2.5 years old. We did OK, as in, I think we can go back again. Kate was the hardest. She has NO fear of ANYTHING (strangers, chairs, heights, etc.) and I had to tell her a few times to sit on her bottom instead of stand up on the chairs, climb up to the stereo and push the play button for the music and just walk around and point at things and name them. Elizabeth was glued to my lap which made controlling Kate hard, and Anna, as usual was pretty good sitting next to me. But, most importantly, we made it through and the leader was tolerant of me (because of the three, I think) and only had to ask Kate to sit down a few times.

I took the girls to Jack's basketball game on yesterday morning. 9 am game time and I made it there with all the kids dressed and fed on time. The girls did OK in the stroller. They went through two pieces of gum and a box of raisins ("time-wasters" as my sister Sarah calls them)...but hey, we made it through!

We also went to our neighbors today for her nephew's 3rd birthday party. Kristen called us last minute this morning to come over and since John was working all day, I thought it would be worth the try. Hey, we are only a driveway apart, so at the very least, we walk home if it is a disaster. Jack made a card for Jude and picked out a few of his cars and books to give him since I didn't want to show up empty-handed. At noon we walked in and we left around 3pm. I fed the kids over there, they ate cake and sang to Jude and played with Helen and her toys. The goody bags were a HUGE hit. Wine always helps, too. It was actually...OK. Our neighbors are SO sweet. I think we are so blessed to have them next door.

Because of the party, "no naps" turned into a true statement today which will translate into an earlier bedtime and I can live with that!

Next on the list is Ash Wednesday mass. I can honestly say there is no way I can  make it through mass alone with the girls--although they are getting better--communion would not happen without a second person. Jack and John have been sitting in the congregation to help Jack learn how to sit still and be quiet during mass and I have been in the cry room with the girls. This has been working OK for us on Sundays. Back to Ash Wednesday. Stephanie (my other neighbor across the street) has told me she would help me on Wednesday. The girls know here fairly well as 'Mrs. Conner' (Mrs. O'Conner) because she comes over a few days a week once we get the older kids on the bus and has a cup of coffee with me in the mornings and will help me feed and dress the girls before going home. Her three kids are all in school at St. Joseph's (kdg, first grade and second grade). Because she has three kids in 2.5 years, she understands the demands of close-aged children and is the first to help me out--brought Jack's glasses to school when he forgot them one day, brought me a gallon of milk one day, brought me a cake mix one day and she has learned of my diet coke habit...and has brought me a diet coke from McDonalds a few times. Her kids come over once a week and Jack plays at their house once a week, too. Again, this set of neighbors couldn't be nicer. How lucky are we?

Just a few pictures of the kids playing together this afternoon after the party.