Mothers Day Weekend

Friday night we went and had Shabbat dinner at the park with our friends:

Adam and Charlotte on the swings

Benjamin and Maddie on the drums

Maddie, Benjamin, and Asher. 3 little monkeys!

Benjamin and Maddie

Saturday morning:

After a special trip with Daddy

Big girl enjoying her jumper

Saturday night, Aunt Elana was in town, and we went out for a grown ups only dinner.  I left all 3 kids with a sitter for the first time, and we came home to 3 sleeping children, so it was a success!

This morning we made brunch at Meema and Papa Nick's, and Grandpa David joined us.  Charlotte had her first taste of food that wasn't breast milk- a little taste of honeydew melon.

This afternoon we attended a birthday party at our neighbors'.  Our neighbor, Hila, was so creative- it was a Dora the Explorer party, and she had put out maps for the kids to color, and made each kid a backpack with their name on it.  Then the kids put on their backpacks and followed the map to find the missing birthday cake.  At each stop they got a little treat/favor.  There was a "jungle" with plastic animals, a bubble tower with little bubble bottles, Candy Land with candy, and a gorgeous cake at the end.  Asher had a great time, he has been talking about it ever since.  Here are the boys eating their cake:

I am a very lucky mommy, to have three beautiful children.  Who would have ever thought that I would have three kids?!?  I count my blessings every day (I am actually writing a post about that), so of course I woke up today thankful to see three smiling faces.  I also spent time thinking about the women for whom this day is particularly difficult- the women who badly want to be mothers but aren't yet, and the women who have lost their mothers.  I know it was a hard one for my mom, having lost P and her mom so recently, and it is always hard for my friend Shoshana, whose mother passed away almost 4 years ago.  I am so glad that I have my special mom here with me, and that we got to spend some time together (no kids!) today.

Being a mom is absolutely the most difficult thing I've ever done, but also the most wonderful.  There are no words to describe the intensity of my love for my children, and the pride I feel in all their accomplishments.  I could never have imagined how much I would adore my children, or that I would ever be this fortunate.  It is a gift to me to watch them grow, even if it happens far too quickly.  I am the luckiest mommy on the planet, as I tell them everyday.