Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! As far as I'm concerned, it's the day of the year that leprechauns sneak into my house at daybreak and disappear with every article of green clothing on which they can lay their grubby, hairy fingers. After checking the drawers, laundry hampers, the dryer, and under the beds, this was the best I could come up with: Noemie in a boy's rugby jacket with dark green stripes, Dominic wearing green plaid shorts that almost match his shirt when you cock your head to the side and close one eye, and I eked it out with some Old Navy flip flops.

People ask me all the time if Dominic and Noemie are twins and it's no wonder. Even though they are 17 months apart, Dominic last weighed in at the 25th percentile for his age. Noemie is at the 60th. After reviewing some old home videos, it also became apparent that her language proficiency is about ten months ahead of where Dominic's was when he was her age. Consider that their personalities are so complimentary and that they are sincerely best friends, they may as well be twins. I am so glad they have each other!

It occurred to me as I lay in bed last night that the baby will be here in eight weeks...if not sooner! That's really quick! Less than two months are left to finish updating the baby books, the family trees; to excavate our closets for baby equipment: Moses basket, excersaucer, bottles, baby tub, Boppy, mobile, play mat; to stock up on diapers; to buy a vehicle that can accommodate three car seats; to coordinate plans for Easter, Noemie's birthday, childcare during my hospital stay, summer camp; to pack a hospital bag; to finish unpacking the boxes in our bedroom from our Tallahassee move 7 months ago... Our calendar from now until April is filled in solid with scribble. I've undertaken meal planning in 2 week chunks just so I can wrap my mind around it.

Dominic has three swim classes left of his course at the JCC. Despite their gentle coaxing approach, the instructors have finally had to be tough with Dominic and just stick that boy's head underwater. I applaud them. I'm a tough-love kinda mom.

We used to find Dominic on the floor every night after the first few months that we moved him to a big-kid bed. Noemie made the transition early last week. She also dances in her sleep but at least she stays on the mattress.

Last Saturday, my mom and Tia Loida came up to visit. We ate lunch at Jackson's Ice-cream Parlor Restaurant where I had the most expensive grilled-cheese sandwich imaginable and turned the other way as the kids indulged themselves in a raspberry sorbet. (It came with their kids meal and the thought of throwing away $8 worth of ice-cream was only slightly more overwhelming than the prospect of giving my kids a sugar high to last them till the Easter jellybeans show up.) We spent the early evening on Dania Beach where Dominic ran and ran and ran till I thought my mom would pass out. And then Dominic came to me and said he was tired... he's never said that before! My mom led the kids in some yoga to wind down.

Danny, Dominic and Noemie enjoy doing slide races on Danny's days off. We're still working on getting off the block at the same time. Danny clearly won this round.

Random Dance Party!

(That's right- they dance even without music. They're hard core.)