Block Party

Our morning was usual but I had to rally the troops around the 11th hour to get us going to Mom's house for her Fatima prayer shindig. We got there by 1p and proceeded into the basement/daycare area. Ronin was off playing with trains but Nikko was very clingy to me. He didn't warm up for a while, for some reason. And while his mood is kinda dragging, he was virtually silent for the earlier part of the afternoon. Lunch was busy because there were so many people milling about. I had just changed all three diapers when Mom asked me if I wanted to take home leftovers. Nikko was practically glued to my side so when I went into the sun room and stated using the foil, I thought Nikko was either nearby or downstairs. It wasn't until I truly noticed that he hadn't been around me that I looked up and asked aloud where he was. Someone mentioned that he was outside getting wet by the pond. Uh oh. I went outside and sure enough he was playing with a car in the water, his pant leg and his sleeve soaked. Dad stood nearby plus another person who just remarked that Nikko was having fun, but I put on my Mom cap and hauled him away from the pond. He was kicking and screaming because he wanted to play with the water. I determined that it was truly time to go. Unfortunately it was a big scene with Nikko as I changed him to some dry clothes and tried to assemble our food + Denis and the kids. We made it packed into the car. Denis drove separately so I just took off once the kids were buckled in. I sobbed a bit while clenching the steering wheel, embarrassed by the scene of me hauling Nikko into the kitchen while he wailed so loudly with everyone leaving through the kitchen, and because I felt so bad that Nikko was crying just because he wanted to continue playing and I couldn't let him. I felt pretty powerless, but knew that I had to be firm about not letting Nikko play in the fish pond. It's not a bathtub.

Everyone fell asleep on the way home. I had to park 1/2 a block away because this afternoon was our annual Block Party. I put the kids in the double and hauled us to the house, pausing to say Hi to the Polish mom with twins that I met on the practice bus day. I told her we'd be out soon. Denis came home too, and then there was a big fire truck in the street just to present to us at our block party. The boys thought it was pretty cool. I took pictures like crazy. Afterwards, we took the boys into the air bouncer. That's where our neighborhood girls, Brianna and Alissa, took over Ronin and entertained him the whole time. Nikko hung around us, but was also excited to see other kids like the twins on their big wheel bikes. He did some running around, ate his cold pizza, and then just hung around near Denis a bit. I wish I could have engaged him more, but I had Audrey in tow and she was getting super cranky because she was tired. We took the kids in for baths and bed. Unfortunately, both boys were cranky to Denis, who was also tired, so bath time was very ugly. I was glad when the boys got to their beds, and was tired myself. I have to prepare for another busy day, starting with a zoo outing w/the Hannums, then Riley's birthday party in the afternoon.