Sleeping with Boys

Right now I am so filled with joy to be sharing this life with my boys.
It was Jake's birthday yesterday and we celebrated by taking him up to the Nickelodeon Hotel in Orlando. The night before we left, my little one, Evan had me get in bed with him for a little bit before he fell asleep, as we do most nights. We usually read a book and then he rests his head on my belly. I swear I think that boy wishes he was back in my belly. At one point, he looked up at me and said in a soft voice, "You are the best mommy I ever saw," then gave me a sweet kiss on the cheek. Talk about melting. I was mush. I was excited for our trip together. Jake absolutely loved it. We did the same thing last year. This year the plan was to see Epcot Friday and spend the day at the hotel Saturday. There is lots to do there and Florida resident discount time is the way to go. However, Friday was rainy so we opted to enjoy the hotel and when there was little or no rain the boys still enjoyed the heated pool and the wacky water slides. Saturday did not go according to my plan but as it turned out, that was fine. I am so planned and managing in my daily life that I sometimes forget to just go with the flow while away from it all. So the boys got an extra day at the hotel they love. They got slimed and tattooed. They played basketball, miniature golf and played in the arcade. Then we took them to Lego city at the Disney Marketplace. Another exciting place for boys. It wasn't till I was there that as I passed the Bibbidi Bobbidi Salon that I felt a little girl "pang." It was short lived when I thought about how my boys opted on their own to jump into bed with me the night before, even though the hotel room was complete with awesome bunk beds and a tv in their room. It was great how they, including their dad, carried all the bags for us ( sorry women's libers but I am on vacation and I can still beat most in a push up contest... I've got nothing to prove to my men). It was also great how Evan complimented me while I was getting ready to go to dinner for Jake's actual birthday saying, "Hello pretty girl." What a charmer. I am gonna have to watch out for that one when he starts dating.
And nothing can compare to the smile on Jake's face when he woke up and realized it was his birthday yesterday and his mommy had a note attached to a balloon wishing him a happy 8 and he hugged me and said, "I love you, mommy."

We enjoyed the afternoon after he came home from school and I had an adventurous morning trying to make the shark shaped cake ( not from a mold mind you) he wanted. For a while, it was a standoff between me and the shark, Not a good situation. But Jake's face lit up when he saw it. There was no evidence of the struggle by the time he got home. His nana and papa bought him two coveted movies, Up and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, so we watched Up, just me, Evan and Jake snuggled on the couch intent in the plot of the movie. We then headed off to his favorite restaurant, Flanigan's ( I should get kickbacks for all this promotion shouldn't I?) and then back home to attack the shark.

Last thing we did was kind of selfish on my part but something I love to do on their birthdays... cause after all it's kind of my celebration too. I sat with them on the couch and looked back at the pictures from the day they were born. They both got a kick out of it and of course Evan thought the photos were all of him. I told him which ones were Jake and he would insist it was him as a baby. Then I snuggled with them, and that was my favorite part of the day.