A week

We've had quite a week over here.  On Monday, we attended (for the first time!) the annual March for Life downtown.  After I got over the mental hurdle of taking two kids downtown to a huge crowd with a forecast of rain, we actually had a relatively easy time of it, and I'm so glad we went.  James had class that morning, so Lucy, Charlie and I rode the metro and met him there.  I made sure to pack pretty much everything we could possibly need including two rain ponchos, one which I rigged to fit over Lucy's stroller (but we didn't even need it!).  After successfully meeting James and a couple of his fellow classmates, we rode the metro further downtown.  As soon as we got off the metro, we ran into other marchers, so we just joined right in.  Many people have told me about the March for Life and what it was like to be there, but I'm not sure anything could have prepared me for what it was actually like.  The sheer amount of people is overwhelming, but then I realized how peaceful everyone was.  As an introvert, I think I tend to assume that massive crowds are going to pummel me to the ground if I don't watch out.  But I've never been in such a calm and considerate crowd before!  I'm sure it didn't hurt that I had a baby strapped to my chest as well...

Anyway, it was a beautiful and inspiring day.  The kids were wonderful, it only lightly rained for about 10 minutes, and James or I didn't even have to push the stroller most of the way thanks to our wonderful friends who were more than happy to do so.  Here is a picture (that I'm borrowing) to give you an image of how many people there were:

from www.lifesitenews.com

After the March, one of our friends who lives downtown had a little gathering at her house so that people could warm up a little and let the crowds at the metro die down a little.  I am very grateful for this because it was right about this time that Lucy was just done.  She needed some warmth, some food and someone to hold her.  After about five minutes in my arms, so was smiling again and ready to party.

On Tuesday, we had the very first meeting of what we're informally calling "playschool."  Five families (us included) are banding together to have our own little preschool.  We're meeting once a week (we being 5 moms, 5 two/three-year-olds, and 4 babies with one on the way), and taking turns planning lessons.  We had a great first meeting, complete with some gluing, a story, sandbox time, and even some preschool meltdowns.  

Thursday, the kids and I visited James at school to attend a surprise wedding shower for one of his classmates who is getting married next weekend.

On Friday, we had yet another surprise party to go to (James's class is obsessed with surprises).  This was quite the epic surprise party.  It was for two people, Mike and Katherine.  Katherine knew about the party, but thought it was just for Mike.  It was her job to distract him, and then bring him to the party (which was at his house).  She even ended up making a dish for her own birthday party!  Also, Mike's parents (who live in Philadelphia) and brother (who lives in New York) came.  Mike knew they were coming, but thought they weren't coming until Saturday.  He really wanted his classmates to meet his parents, so he sent out this e-mail inviting everyone to a party on Saturday night.  Everyone replied that they couldn't make it (because they knew they were coming to his surprise party on Friday night), and Mike got super bummed out about it.  Everyone was pretty anxious for Friday night to come so that Mike wouldn't be sad anymore!

The birthday buds and Lucy

Carly (the brains behind the party, along with George), Mike's dad, Mike brother and Mike

Lucy, as always, was the life of the party.  She hit balloons with kitchen utensils, she ate lots of cake, and she even danced with the birthday boy.

And then, the day after that, we went to a baptism and post-baptism party.  Whew!  And did I mention that in the midst of all of this, James is trying to finish his PhD application, and finish a paper??  

And after all of that excitement, here is a bit of the everyday:

Lucy wearing some penguin pajamas that Grandma Mary made her last year that finally fit!  She loves them.

My kids are weird.  They don't like bananas.  But Charlie likes peas. 

This revelation was pretty exciting for me.  I don't feel like such a loser of a parent anymore because at least one of my children does not despise all vegetables.  Lucy is still holding strong to the anti-vegetable stance and will not let a single one knowingly pass her lips without bribing.  I say knowingly because I am able to get sneak some in here and there.  I say bribing because every great once in a while she will eat a vegetable in order to get something else (cheese, chips, a sandwich), but not without some dramatics of course.  

 Our friend George gave Lucy this ukulele.  He had it for a while but just never played it, and he thought Lucy would enjoy it.  And of course, she does.  James and she play guitar together all the time now. Here she is strumming along to a song book we got from the library.