This Week {in full}

* Buby watered his vegetable garden--and his little sister. The cilantro is ready.

* Bleu met friends Ella, Addy, Ava, and Sean at the park Wednesday morning. She mostly ignored them.

* She talked about her Benji nonstop though. Oh how she is drawn to babies.

* The kids and I laughed out loud at each other, a lot.

* I had good conversations my with Chief Operating Officer every night.

* Buby won a raffle he forgot he entered at the library months ago.

* My Sweets kissed me goodbye every crack of dawn, per usual. Today he leaned over me and whispered, "Which tie?" I chose the yellow.

* We only flooded one toilet once.

* I have a funny story about James and the Giant Peach, for another time.

* I got more than half of my to-do list done. Laundry hangs in the balance though. One more load of towels to go in, one load sitting in the dryer, one load on the couch waiting to be folded, and one load folded upstairs and waiting to be put away.

* The pool is open.

* I was rejected for Fall busing to Buby's new school, but that's no huge surprise. We are outside the 15-mile limit.

* We were only late to school once.

* Bleu had to go potty every time we were out in public.

* I biked around the village and through the woods towing the crew behind me.

* We hit the tennis court. I'm so glad My Sweets picked up those youth-size Wilson rackets last year, because Buby is hooked now. Bleu just enjoys being there with us. She chases barefoot and tippy toe after the ball. I can already see our summer.

* Buby ran a relay race with a water balloon nudged between his knees. It wasn't his idea of fun, but he showed persistence and finished his leg of the race.

* I wore a wooden bead necklace I've had since I was a little girl.

* The kids apologized and hugged each other after every time they fought.

* The soundtrack of our week was Renee + Jeremy's "It's a Big World." The sing-a-long lullaby CD played nonstop in my car. Other favorites include: "Powder Blue," "Shoorahlayhoo," "Welcome To This World," "Three Little Birds," "Night Manta," "We Are One," and "Sleep My Love."

* I snuck Buby out of school three hours early to treat him to a special steakhouse lunch. Our party consisted of 3 moms with 7 kids 5 and under. We got looks going in, but the children were all on their best.

* I booked a family vacation very last minute. Charming Cape May here we come. You ready for us?

* We ate simply. Raw or steamed veggies, fresh fruit and grilled chicken or pork.

* Buby exchanged homemade cards at school with his designated Best Buddy Timothy.

* I realized how far we've come at swim lessons when my two and four year olds alternated cannon balls from the side of the pool. They enter with more confidence than I had at twice Buby's age. His report card shows he is proficient at the front crawl, back crawl, elementary backstroke, and rudimentary sidestroke for one width of the pool. He dives in from a seated position, somersaults in water, and can float front and back for well over 30 seconds. Of course, he does all of this without any swim aids. Blows my mind.

* I made the most miniature ice cream cones you've ever seen with a blueberry on top. The kids were on cloud 9.

* I thought about motherhood and how much it means to me. How being a full-time mum challenges a person to the core--in a good way. How a seemingly simple task can bring more unexpected drama than a 12-hour magazine shoot. How I have never laughed so hard in my life. How I am learning and making mistakes and loving the process. How I've stuck to my guns on issues important to me {breastfeeding, no-cry, nutritious food + drink, education}. How nothing is impossible.

How a smile is worth a thousand words to a child. How living in the moment can take me places I never dreamt of going. How guilt can consume. How we need to be outside every day to be happy. How wiped out but utterly exhilarated I am by bedtime. How much time I spend in the car each week. How lucky I am that Tom supports me in all things parenting. How wild it is to feel a baby kick from the inside. How often I wish I could stop the clock and just savor this time. For all time. But then I'd miss what's coming next...