A tough weekend as we paid tribute to Elliott on her fourth birthday and witnessed the highs and lows of toddlerhood at their most extreme. Luckily, Lydia has been giving us some four hour stretches at night, so we were at least semi-rested while we handled those things. Let’s take a look.

Friday felt easy because Dempsey was out of the house most of the day 😂 But before he left for his tumbling class, we all had Black Forest Overnight Oats and whew, they were decadent! I do love a recipe with almond extract though. Lydia has been doing some “social smiles” and it’s the best 🤍 A delicious salad for lunch too.

Demps was home for lunch then up to his room for nap time and when he woke back up, he was off to… the bowling alley! Joey was there to “pre-bowl” with his league and they grabbed the lane next to them for Dempsey. I’m told he was more interested in the ball return and the hand dryer than actually bowling but he had fun regardless. The videos I saw killed me 🥹🤍 Meanwhile, Lydia and I took a walk around the lake. It had been in the single digits earlier in the week so 60 degrees felt AMAZING!

I cooked some noodles, heated up some sauce and meatballs, baked a loaf of frozen garlic bread and tossed together a Caesar salad for an easy Friday night dinner. Dempsey got a new booster seat! And what’s dinner without a “giant spoon and fork” aka the salad servers. Started All Quiet on the Western Front after Dempsey’s bedtime but we only made it halfway.

Dempsey started Saturday off on the wrong foot — he was teary and not having any of anything — but there were still a few bright moments. Greek yogurt pancakes then a fun time at Home Depot making a vase holder with Dad. Joey sent me that picture of the two of them and I melted right into a puddle 😍😍 He looks so happy!!! I’m so glad Joey took him, especially since he came home and had a rough nap time. I’m not sure if this is new sister related or just regular two year-old stuff, but it’s hard on all of us. After he calmed down and went to sleep, I went for my first run in nine months. Didn’t go far but it’s a start! Oh and a pretty plate of avo toast for lunch ☺️

Post nap, we got both kids in the stroller and walked around the neighborhood. Not as warm or wind-free as the day before but fresh air this time of year is always nice! Lydia had spit up and got it all in her hair while we were walking so she got a bath when we got back home. Dempsey got one too! My sis and Wayne joined us for dinner. In addition to resisting sleep time, Dempsey is also acting differently at dinner time. Lots of playing around, less actual eating and he wants to get down pretty quickly. Hoping it’s a phase because I love family dinner time! 😞 My sis and Wayne were kind enough to stay and hold Lydia, so Joey and I could take Dempsey up. I think he still cried when we left the room but I can’t remember because it’s all a blur 🤪 Watched a bit more of our movie after they left but paused again to catch some of SNL.

Sunday was just a hard day. Dempsey was in a much better mood but there was just a heaviness in the air for Joey and I. We should’ve been celebrating Elliott’s fourth birthday with her and it hurt so much that we weren’t. Dempsey and I had some time outside earlier in the day and Lydia and I had some cuddle time while he was napping. Around 2:30 we started getting both kids packed up and in the car to head to a celebration in Elliott’s honor. Betsy and Jory did such a nice job putting the event together and it was a good turnout too! We did a balloon release toward the end. It was hard but I’m glad we were all able to get together to celebrate her.

Back at home, leftovers for dinner, bedtime for Dempsey and the rest of our movie. It was SO brutal but also beautifully shot. Weird to say such a bloody and gruesome movie is beautiful but it’s true. I hope you all have a good week. I don’t know about you but I’m so ready for warm weather. Sigh.