Bob and Co.

Everyone's favorite blog post topic is back!

It's a post full of photos of Uncle Bobby.   Oh, is that only Bobby's favorite blog topic?

Well if Bobby isn't your cup of tea, there are also photos of Orelia wearing hair extensions Bobby brought last trip.

Orelia thought she was unbelievably cool.

Bennett mostly thought Bobby was unbelievably cool.

Bobby is pretty keen on Bennett too, especially if he gets to pose for photos with him.

Bennett and I FaceTime with Bob most nights before bed, and Bennett will ask to see Bob's dog howl or tell Bob which trucks he played with that day.

These two have always shared a special bond.

Occasionally Grandma can even jump into a photo with Bennett too.

Bob spends the entire photo shoot telling his mom to look at the camera.

Perhaps one day Bennett will be doing that to me.

And since I'm so behind on blogging, I'll just include the other adorable photos I took of Bennett that same day.

Nothing gets this kid smiling as much as a good game of peek-a-boo,

Holding onto a cement mixer and an airplane isn't half bad either.

Luckily for Bennett, Uncle Bobby and Grandma will be back in a couple of weeks for Christmas.  Rumor has it they might even be bringing along some trucks for under the tree.

Traveling Wisdom

This year I have been on a record number of trips without my kids.

Twice I went away for long weekends to attend the weddings of close friends (while John stayed home with the kids), and once I celebrated my birthday at the spa.

Unfortunately for me, John wasn't on any of these trips with me, but the kids were definitely happier as a result.

By the time by third weekend away happened, the kids were more or less used to the idea, and were barely phased when I returned.

I, too, was probably a lot less daunted by the separation and had a lot less stress about leaving.

I have enjoyed many movies on these trips and managed to catch up on the latest tabloid gossip.

And without fail, by the time I am boarding my flight home, I am eager to be reunited with John and the kids, and have almost no interest in the latest in-flight offerings and Hudson News magazines.

It isn't that I wish my kids were with me on the flight, as we all know flying with a toddler is one of the most exhausting experiences (and can be excruciating if a certain toddler has sensitive ears which never seem to pop).

I spend my day traveling thinking not about how much I "miss" them, but more about how dull life seems without them around.

Yes, watching a movie from start to finish with no interruptions, is nice, but it ranks maybe a 4 out of 10 on my level of happiness.  Reading a book - 6 out of 10?  Eating a good meal - 8 out of 10 with a friend and 4 out of 10 alone.

Accompanying a kid into a very tight airplane bathroom is probably a 1 out of 10, as are many other travel experiences with kids.  Those lows are definitely lower.

But, damn, the highs sure are a hell of a lot higher when I'm with my family.

Until I am without them, I don't realize how much more fun every experience is with my family at my side.

Laughing with my family is a definite 10 out of 10 for me, and can't really be topped.

These kids definitely drive me crazy for a large portion of every day, I won't deny that.

But that other part of the day, where we are snuggling and reading books, or I'm tucking in the covers just right - those parts are what make my life grand these days.

I definitely don't regret my trips without my kids this year.  I had a great time on every trip, and it wasn't feasible for them to come with for any of them.

Coming home to two great kids and an amazing husband is a pretty sweet deal, though.

My days are a roller coaster ride of ups and downs these days.  Getting ready to leave and rushing out the door is always accompanied by some stern words and warnings, and almost no one is cheerful when their seat belts are being buckled.  But by the time we get to where we are going, there are some real highs ahead of us.

Whether it's a family field trip to San Francisco or just a day at school, being with my family is pretty great.

I didn't need to be apart from them to realize how great they are, but it's definitely crystal clear to me right now.

Special

 I have grown to hate the word "special."

 And it's all because of Orelia.

 Somehow among her friends, the word "special" as become the get-out-of-jail-free card with regards to not having to share something.

 "No, it's special to me," is uttered again and again.

 Orelia and her friends will often even go up to one another and ask "Can I use that or is it special to you?"  (Clearly they need a lesson on not setting themselves up for failure.)

 I'm sure somewhere along the way I taught Orelia that "special" items were okay to put away during play dates and not share with friends.

 This was meant to be limited to the number one lovey stuffed animal or perhaps a Halloween costume, and was in no way meant to encompass ever piece of tat we own that somehow becomes "special" based on the passing breeze.

 Four year olds can be quite funny.

 I, too, am learning a lesson about special-ness, lately.

 As I've mentioned many times before, I struggle to keep up with the number of photos I take.

 It is very easy to find the most "special" photos in the bunch and the least "special."  That probably only takes a few minutes per 100 photos.  It's the deciding which medium "special" photos should be deleted and which should be saved forever to never be looked at again.  Hmm.

 Now that it's the end of the year and I am motivated to find the best of my 2016 photos (to go into a photo book), I have realized how little I care for sorting through these "medium special" photos for hours with basically zero payoff.

This post contains random photos from the past few months that I have just gotten around to finding.

 The end of the year method is to find the best photos, add them to my favorites, and bulk delete about half of the others and THAT IS ENOUGH.

I feel better already.

The true special photos, just like the real special things in life, are easy to find.  The rest are nonsense.