Beach photo shoot and dates with boys

One of my presents from Keyan this year was a "photo shoot" on the beach with our family. It was fun to go and let someone else do the picture taking. The photographer took over 700 shots, and it is amazing how many of them didn't work because there was always someone in the group shots looking away, having their eyes closed, being goofy, or something else! But there are some cute ones, so here is a preview.

Afterwards we were going to go get some dinner, and Keyan had to bring a different shirt along because he thought it would look funny that we were all dressed alike. People might stare.............I said, "So what?" It's kind of fun to feel and look like an official group - which we are. It's called a FAMILY!

I also had the opportunity to go on a pretty fancy date with each of my boys. We got to go stay overnight at a big hotel on the beach and then do whatever else the boys wanted. Sam was my first date - I always feel like I never get to spend anytime with Sam because he's right in the middle. I feel like he kind of gets lost, and sometimes his behavior confirms this to me. So, this was a great time for just him and I to go off and do what he wanted to do. I have learned that I have to remove myself from the home in order to really focus on my kids. If I am at the house, there will be a hundred distractions and other things competing for my time and attention. It was fun with Sam. I really enjoyed "getting to know" him some more and just letting him talk. He amazed me with some of the big words and ideas he has floating around in his head - he's pretty observant, if I would only observe that! His favorite thing to do was go dig in the sand at the beach. We spent several hours there doing just that and we dug a hole deep enough to reach the water level, so we created our own little pool right there at the beach! We also went swimming and sat in the hot tub - which he wouldn't go in if there were certain other people sitting in it. His other favorite thing was to drive up to the top level of a parking garage and then drive back down. The simple pleasures of children! Dinner was his choice. I kept suggesting Panera Bread, but he didn't go for it - Whataburger instead! We went and saw "Marley and Me," and during the last 10 minutes when everyone else in the theater was crying because Marley was dying, Sam was very composed. Afterwards, he just talked very matter of factly about death - "They buried him in the ground, but his spirit's in heaven. That's what happens." I hope it can always be so black and white for him and that he doesn't have to question anything!

It was Ben's turn for a date yesterday. His list of things to do was much different than Sam's. Ben would have been content to stay in the hotel room and watch t.v. all night/day! I couldn't get him to go to the pool or hot tub, he protested when I walked down to the beach (which we stayed at all of 1 minute)! His favorite part was riding the elevator up and down from the 15th floor, driving up and parking on the top level of the parking garage (because Sam had told him about it!), riding the hotel shuttle bus around, and getting to go eat out at McDonald's. There was a girls basketball team there eating a snack after their game and all the girls were sitting by the playplace. As we walked back there to sit, Ben said "These girls have ruined it for me. Now I can't play." I thought that was funny. We also managed to squeeze in a game of miniature golf and some scooter riding. Ben also wanted to go see "Marley and Me," so I can now tell you everything about that movie! Ben knew what was going to happen in the movie thanks to some friends at school, so afterwards I asked him if he thought the movie was sad. He said, "No, it was funny. But at the end I think I had a little tear in my eye." That's Ben - he is pretty tender hearted.

Anyhow - it was great to spend time with the kiddos - Mara was sure upset that she didn't get to go stay in a hotel - she only gets to go see 4 concerts with Mommy! I really do appreciate Keyan's thoughtfulness and his listening to me when I express my frustrations with being a mom, feeling more like a maid and cook than someone who really is influential in her childrens' lives. Hopefully these gifts will help the kids know that mom really does love them - although this level of "date" probably will never happen again. Hopefully it was a good memory for them..........