stickyfeathers

he makes such a good dad.

there are a million great things i could share with you about matt.  he seriously loves his kids (and me) so much.  even when we all drive him crazy, he takes it in stride and doesn't let too much ruffle his feathers.  i think in many ways, he does remind me of my dad.  i could have never married a man that doesn't know how to FIX things.  because, isn't that what guys do?  i could have never married a man that was more drama than a prom queen.  because that's why i have girlfriends.  i could have never married a man that i didn't think would be a good dad to our kids.  because that is the most important thing we've ever done together.  became parents. 

let me tell you, he does one kick ass job at the whole dad gig.  our boys are so lucky to have him.  and so am i. 

we love him to the moon and back. 

oh, tucker.

last night, i went to pick up tucker from matt's parents house.  they only live in finland (15 minutes away).  he had been there since LAST friday.  matt's mom had picked up two of tucker's cousins and had all three of them for a week.  she kept them busy.  they went to indian lake for a picnic and swimming.  they had a fire and ate smores.  they went to the marina to swim and relax.  they went to duluth for an appointment and threw in a stop at the aquarium and the bookstore.  one night, we all went to the birthday party of one of tucker's friends.  that same night, tucker and his cousin, rocky, spent the night at our house.  they logged many hours in nana and papa's hottub.  they logged many hours outside playing.  i seen him nearly every single day, but i still missed the crap out of that little rugrat.  no lie.  i am so glad that they all had a great little mini-vacation at nana + papa's house. 

i have pictures from one of the nights we went out to matt's parents for dinner and a fire.  but i'll share them another time.  okay, i'll share just one.  :)  because he's cute.

levi was a bit lost at times without his brother.  then there were times when i think he was living up the only child gig.

last night, before we even pulled out of nana + papa's driveway, tucker said he missed nana.  i told him we would see her soon.  he said we wouldn't.  i told him we'd probably see them again this weekend.  and next week.  we always see them.  we got about two miles down the road, and he said he thought he was going to cry.  i told him it was okay if he was sad.  he said he didn't want to cry, but that he couldn't turn his tears off.  oooh my gosh.  it was kind of heartbreaking to see him sobbing in the backseat because he missed his nana so much.  he cried the rest of the way home.  no joke. 

at bedtime, it started again.  there was a toy gun that rocky had left on tucker's bed.  tucker told me not to move it because that is where rocky had left it.  then he paused and told me, 'i think i'm going to cry again'.  yep, it started all over again.  i laid down in bed with him (and levi).  he wanted me to tell him stories and i gladly told him all of the ones i knew by heart.  it helped get his mind off missing his nana.  while i told stories, levi passed out in tucker's bed.  bonus.

then, out of the blue, he asked me when he would be able to drive a car.  i told him he could get his license when he turned sixteen.  when i told him he was only ten years away, he seemed excited.  a decade seems like a long time to me, but he face lit right up.  then, he added ten on to my age and told me i'd be forty-one when he got his license.  he told me i would be OLDER THAN DIRT.  and with that, i told him it was time to go to sleep.  :)

i put levi in his crib and let tucker come fall asleep in my bed.  i then put him back in his own room and kissed his forehead as i laid him down.  ah, that kid.  makes my heart swell. 

i am his daughter.

thirty-one years ago, the stars somehow aligned and i managed to get one of the most amazing people on earth as my dad.  i feel so grateful to be able to say that.  he has been the rock in my life since the first time he held me in his arms. 

i remember fighting with my brother when we were little.  my mom never really scared us into behaving ... but we always knew dad meant business.  just the tone of his voice was usually enough to set us straight.  i never really broke the rules (and i only speak for myself and not for my brother here - haha).  i knew what he expected of me.  sure, there were times i knew i probably disappointed him in my choices, but he let me make those mistakes.  he knew i probably needed to make mistakes in order to become a better person.  that's just how he is.  he has this amazing ability to look back and see the big picture. 

he is laid back.  he has more common sense in just one of his sixty kagillion brain cells than some people have in all of their sixty kagillion brain cells.  he is caring.  he is a problem solver.  he is intelligent.  he is funny.  he always has a story.  his memory is like a steel trap.  he is professional.  he is the best grandpa.  he loves his family.  my dad is simply the best of the best.  and if you don't agree with me, then it is completely your loss. 

there have been so many times in my life that it seems my dad has came to my rescue.  i have always been able to share anything with him.  the good, the bad, the ugly.  he's been through it all.  he is the kind of guy that drops everything to help out his family.  there is nothing too big or too small you can't ask for his help with.  he has molded me in to the person i am today.  i am so grateful for the influence he has had on my life. 

one of his favorite phrases is 'carpe diem'.  that is exactly how he lives his life.  even in the bad times, you have to shake it off and enjoy the moment.  live for right now with the ones that mean the most to you. 

one time, there was a man that had called me a 'daddy's girl' and he meant it in a derogatory way.  the funniest thing ever though, was that i took it as the best compliment i could have ever received. 

i am his daughter.  always and forever. 

dad, i love you. 

thirty plus one.

thirty-one years ago, i was born.  yeah, i know.  that's cool as all hell.

i'm happy that all of those years have been filled so full.  i have a family that is the best support system in the universe.  daily life would not be the same if i didn't have family to help us keep the wheels turning at times.  i have friends that are my permanent adopted family members.  i love them as much as i love chocolate and peanut butter.  and that is like A LOT.  i have a husband who i have been with for over half my life.  we started dating when we were FIFTEEN.  yes, our parents would drop us off at each other's houses.  we couldn't even drive.  SO YOUNG.  but yet, here we are ... living the good life.  the good life with our two little people, tucker and levi.  these kids seriously know how to make a mom feel so loved. 

i could ramble on and on about life, but reality calls.  all my boys are sleeping, but i am still working.  i am finishing laundry so tucker's swim stuff is ready for tomorrow.  i'm editing pictures for clients.  i'm cleaning up a tad so the house isn't such a divebomb for when my sister comes to watch tucker tomorrow.  i'm googling moths in order to correctly identify one seen on a friend's instagram feed (look up polyphemus moth - so pretty).  i'm looking for props for photo sessions this summer.  i'm listening to one kid cough in his sleep, wondering if i should wake him for cough medicine.  i'm thinking i should wrap this up. 

thankful to everyone that made my birthday special. 

happy thirty plus one to me.  :)

double jumping high five.

tucker had his first swimming lesson today.  he will have them two times a week for seven weeks.  i was a little bit nervous for his first one.  or maybe for all of them.  he loves the water, but he has never been in formal lessons before.  just in the past six months or so, he's started getting away from the stairs or kiddie pool in hotels to swim around all over ... with his lifejacket on.  he has never swam without a lifejacket.  he didn't know how.  add to the fact that at the beginning of the year he got tubes in his ears so he is like crazy about water getting in his ears (he takes anything the doctor says as complete gospel).  so, yeah.  i was just a nervous mom about how he would do. 

my mom took him to his lesson.  i gave her instructions to take pictures on her phone (thank god for iphones!) and send them to me.  she did, and even took a few video's of him.  this is the shot she grabbed before his lesson started. 

 

they went around the pool, holding onto the edge on their way around.  they used paddle boards.  they used the waist float things to swim around the pool in.  they even JUMPED IN.  tucker has never voluntarily jumped into a pool.  EVER.  he also went under water.  he hasn't even done this at home in the bathtub before.  dude, these aren't baby steps he is taking here ... they are more like long jumps. 

in this shot, he must have been sick of having grandma take pictures.  i get the same look on a regular basis. 

 

my mom and tucker stopped by my work when they were done with his lesson.  he came running in and when i had him give me a high five, he wanted to give me a double high five.  but it was not any normal double high five, he gave me a double jumping high five.  and trust me, the kid can reach my hands without getting any airtime.  i could see how proud of himself he was ... and honestly, that made me even prouder of what he had done.