ryan's 27th birthday at the cottage

When I booked a wedding on Ryan's birthday, I knew I would have to try my best to make the weekend before extra special. The pieces of the puzzle just sort of fell together starting with a plan to go up to the cottage. 

Coop and Jilly hadn't been up to the cottage in FOREVER. Coop remembered it, and fell back in love with the screen door that he could open all by himself. Also, no pants...that's the cottage life.

This Office-themed birthday party was perfectly simple. About a month earlier, Ry requested a "simple happy birthday banner, maybe from the dollar store." He thought it would be kinda funny to watch me plan a basic birthday party without any flair. And then Dwight popped into my head...

Andrew, Jana, Chris, Wils, Smitty, Kevin, and Anna arrived on Saturday morning. Jilly was such a princess all day, getting passed around between aunts and uncles. 

Cooper was off his game. He was either sick or over-tired or something because he was NOT himself. He ended up sleeping face down on the deck for 15 minutes in the morning, crying on the dock while mama swam in the lake, and eventually we just put him down for the longest nap of his life. He woke up in slightly better spirits, but still had an early night.

Then there's miss happy pants :)

The weekend ended with dinner on the deck, a game of cards against humanity, a campfire, and syphoning gas into Andrew's car. Everything was perfect, and Ry was so touched that all his favourite people made the trip to celebrate his 27th birthday. 

spirit week at school

Monday was jungle day, and that was a struggle. Coop wore a shirt with an alligator on it and jungle green pants. 

Tuesday was crazy hair day, and he loved putting daddy's gel in his own hair. 

Wednesday was neon day, and Coop had the perfect neon green polo for the occasion. 

Thursday was pajama day, and this was his favourite. He got to wear his favourite striped jammies with a tight t-shirt that said "RARRRRRR." 

Friday was beach day. The kiddos spent the whole day outside in the sprinklers. Coop sported a bathing suit with whales on it, which he mistook for cows and continually said, "MOOOOO." 

Oh yeah, and the camera? Well these days he won't let me take his picture unless he's also taking mine.  

letter to jilly

A LETTER TO JILLIAN

JUNE 19TH, 2016

Jillygirl. My love. I pinch myself every time I squeeze your face to mine on the walk from the car to the house. It's the quickest moment but it happens at least a few times every day. I feel your squishy little cheek press into mine and I think back to that moment in the ultrasound when I found out you were a girl.

If I ever needed to cry on command, this would be the moment I'd think about.

You're the sweetest baby there has ever been. Easy going, perfectly chunky, giggly with just the right about of squinting, and so lovable. 

After the most wonderful weekend at the cottage, we took one look at your dirty feet and pop-tart hair, looked at each other and said, "bath time." I couldn't get over the resemblance between you and your brother. It was a moment I so desperately wanted to remember forever...

stay sweet, my baby boy

A LETTER TO COOPER

JUNE 14TH, 2016

I never pictured you as a big brother at the age of two. Technically you've been a big brother since you were 16 months old, but it never really counted before now. There you are, sitting on the couch watching your favourite show, with a bowl of watermelon slices and a baggie of goldfish. The watermelon is for you while the fish are to be doled out slowly at Jillian's request. 

She's always at your feet. You're her favourite person in the world; who could blame her? She pulls on your shoes, she tugs on your shorts trying to get you to sit on the floor with her. She's a bit of a pest. Too big to just sit there like a little baby and too little to be off doing her own thing. And you handle it like a champ. When she takes a tumble you lean down and give her a hug. When she starts to make that fussy sound at the end of the day, you say "bye bye, Jee," and wave while Dad carries her to bed.

Seeing you sit there with the bag of fishies, handing them out one by one, it makes my heart feel like it could explode. Two babies, and yet you're both growing up. 

For now, it's tugging on the velcro straps of your shoes, but in a few short years it'll be running into your room while you have friends over and embarrassing you. My message to you is this: please stay sweet. Stay good to her always, even as you both grow up. Hug her when she's sad, help her when she needs it, and cheer her on. Stay sweet, my baby boy. 

love, 

mom

xo