The Busy Month of May

Easter, Mother’s Day, the boy’s birthday, Nick’s birthday, and two family visits, all in the course of three weeks. We’ve been busy! But lucky me, I'm getting six days and nights of quiet and rest. Nick took the boys to Florida to visit his grandmother, so I'm home alone with our dog Bella. This is the first time since they were born that I've been home alone. While I miss them all, it's a nice break. Bella seems to enjoy the peace and I'm giving her extra attention.

The big event this month was of course the boys third birthday. This year we opted for a trip to the Children’s Museum and cake and presents at home afterward. We decided not to invite the entire neighborhood over again. It’s too much work, and then you get invited to every kid’s birthday party in the neighborhood for the rest of the year, so we went the simpler route. My brother was here the weekend before their birthday when we celebrated, then my parents were here the weekend after.

Dylan and Reid knew it was their birthday, which really made it more fun. I think my family enjoyed them more too since they’re able to communicate, and the boys know who Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Jon are. The big present was a water/sand table, which they love and I hate. I hate it because of the obvious reason – they drag sand into the house and all over the patio. They also like their super soaker squirt guns, but the Legos and Lincoln Logs just seem to end up all over the place. I recall being a little boy who sat quietly in the basement, alone for hours, building things with my Legos. I guess I was older though. Reid seems to think the fun of these toys, as well as puzzles, is just dumping them out onto the floor.

I think we’re officially on sugar detox after all the cake and Easter candy. I quietly put the Easter baskets back in the storage room last weekend after the boys went to sleep. I’ve gotta look good in board shorts for the pool, so no more candy! We still have food in the house like Oreos and Pop Tarts – things I would never buy for myself. I’ve turned the boys on to fat-free sorbet for desert which they seem to like, and it’s healthier for Papa.

Our neighbors who have a surrogate pregnant with twins came over Saturday night for a little guidance. They have five months until birth, so it’s about that time to start preparing. I think they know more about babies than I did prior to parenthood, but we were explaining the routine we had the first year while trying not to scare them. Our nanny we used prior to me being laid off will be available this Fall, so they may end up using her. I don’t know if I mentioned her before, but she’s a skinny, short Chinese woman in her ‘60s. She was a great nanny and funny too – very conscientious, good with the boys, and kept the house clean. I asked her why she wanted to be a nanny for a gay couple and she said because she likes gay men, and because women are “too much drama”. Only in our neighborhood could she keep finding gay couples to nanny for!