It's no secret that Connor's best friend has always been his buddy Benjamin (Julie's oldest). They just adore each other! And over the years of their friendship, Julie and I have become close and we always enjoy getting our kiddos together for playdates. After Lily was born, Jeff and I wanted to have Benjamin and Timothy spend a couple nights with us so that Julie and her hubby could have a little break. Connor couldn't have been more excited!
We met Julie and her 3 kiddos at a local mall to spend the morning before the boys came over for the weekend. The kids had so much fun playing together and then eating lunch. They also took a few moments to look at the Christmas decorations and even Santa. At one point Julie and I were coming out of the restroom with all 5 kids acting a bit rambunctious and a lady said, "Wow, you two have your hands full!" Um, ya think?!
Connor and Benjamin were so well-behaved when Julie and I tried to do a little shopping. What did we ever do before iPhones??
Lily is now 5 weeks old and PRECIOUS! I always forget how small they are in the beginning. It amazes me that Kaitlynn was once that little. (I don't know if Connor was ever that small. I think he went straight from his birth weight to 20 pounds.)
Anyway, back to the boys' sleepover. I think the hardest part of the entire experience was installing 2 extra carseats in the back seats of my car, especially considering I don't do carseats! But probably the cutest moment was pulling into my driveway with all 4 kids and realizing that they were ALL sound asleep. So sweet!
That night the kids played outside, invaded Connor's toy room, watched a movie in a special tent made by Jeff (no pictures since I busted my camera), and then all had a good night's sleep. Benjamin and Timothy were angels (despite what their parents might think, ha!) and they were all so worn out that they slept so well.
The next day (Saturday) it was a dreary and rainy day, so I took all 4 kids to a local mall to let them run off some energy. It is SO much more crowded in the malls on weekends, I had forgotten. After a long morning of playing, we headed home and yet again, all 4 kids were sound asleep. Amazing! (And yes, that is Connor's hand on Kaitlynn's lap. He ADORES his sister and fell asleep with a protective hand on her.)
Saturday afternoon turned out to be gorgeous weather, so we played outside before having dinner and movie night (with popcorn, of course) in the tent (fort?) that was amazingly still standing. I managed to buy a new camera during rest time, so I actually got some pictures this time. (Oh, and those are poker chips they are playing with in there.)
And finally, I love these last pictures. They show the sweet personalities of these boys that are such great friends. All 3 boys were dressed in orange shirts and jeans that day, so when we were at the mall that morning I actually had a lady ask me, "Are your boys triplets?" Now that would be trouble!
Unfortunately our super fun weekend ended on a bit of a sour note because Kaitlynn was up all last night with some sort of stomach bug. Let's hope all 3 boys avoid catching it!
You are, hands-down, one of the bravest moms I know. You are so sweet to take-on time with other people's kiddos so that they can get a little "rest" time with the newest member of the family. It is truly a gift that you are giving. And what a fun weekend those boys had! And I'm sure that K was right in the middle of it all, too. =) Oh, and I love the pic of Connor's hand on Kaitlynn's arm while they're both asleep. Now that is just precious.
ReplyDeleteWow - you are brave, like Amanda said. You really are a great friend to do something like that. Honestly, I'm not sure I'm that nice. :-) I know the boys created some special memories during their sleepover. It's always fun to see your kids having fun with their good friends. Hopefully, you can get some rest this week. :-)
ReplyDeleteWOW! I am so impressed, Lauri. That's a lot of energy to try to control at once!! You are a very good friend. I love the pictures of all the kiddow asleep in the car!! I'll be Kaitlynn was right in the middle of all the boys and having a wonderful time, too!! My hat's off to you.
ReplyDeleteYes, Lauri, you are too good of a friend, that's for sure! You and Jeff both! My boys had such a fun time that they were still asking to go back to Connor's house tonight. And...Timothy was so tired tonight, he asked to go to sleep before reading books was over! I can't thank you enough...all I can do is return the favor by having Connor over soon, but even that isn't the same. Maybe in another year, Kaitlynn will be old enough to come too - and then I can REALLY return the favor - all weekend! Thanks and love....Julie (& hubby)
ReplyDeleteLauri=supermom! What a great friend you are. Having the older kids entertained with a new baby is such a HUGE help.
ReplyDeleteI love that the boys have so much fun together and are so close in age. What a blessing it is. And I love the fact that you always have your camera handy for those precious moments, like sleeping in the car. What a peacful drive you had on the way home! haha!