So close I can almost taste it...

44 - My third birthday party (ohmygosh, I just now realized this is the age of my boys, yikes!) and there's a super-special someone sitting right next to me!  If I'm reading it right, this is just before everyone sings to me, I cry, and my husband-to-be jumps on my birthday cake.  Good times.  I don't think my boys look like Daddy in this picture, but Baby Bear does.
45 - Me and my sister, being goofy cute kids.  I'm sorry, but I see my boys in this picture.
46 - A cute coloring page I'm working on.  Work in progress.  I may put it up in Baby Bear's room.  In case you don't know, her room is going to be a gallery of sorts, all kinds of pictures in it.

We are in the final stretch here, people!  Only two days left!!  He's sleeping now, and when he wakes he starts packing and doing paperwork to prepare for his flight home.  Then he'll be on native soil Monday morning, to arrive home that afternoon!  One more full day, I really hope I don't explode by then!

Today was nice.  Mom watched the kids for me while I went for groceries - the first time I've done that alone in months.  It was so easy!  Then they all napped well again and I got some more work done and some rest.  I am basically caught up enough to start focusing on packing for vacation, woohoo!

Are there enough exclamation points in this post yet?  Not sure!

I also tried some of my pilates video this morning.  That was shocking.  It was always a challenge, but I barely made it through 10 minutes... maybe.  And at first the boys thought it was all a game and were all over me, and under me, but eventually they left me alone and then were laying on the floor beside me, trying it out.  It was so cute.  I'm going to keep trying, but I can tell it's going to take a while before I make any progress in strength.  S'all good!

If anyone has any specific fun ideas for surprises for Brandon's return, email them to me.  Obviously, don't post them in the comments here since this is a blog mostly for him to read!  I have some ideas but I just know someone will tell me something cool after the fact.

Here's the cute day 43 picture of my niece that got sent to my spam inbox, so I didn't see it until it was too late.  What a doll!

Making some fun plans to celebrate the boys' third birthday (gasp!).  It's going to be pretty low-key, but super fun for them.  I already received their main presents that I ordered online, but have resisted the temptation to open the brown shipping box to see them because once I do, I'll have to find a place to hide the gifts, and then remember where I've hidden them.  That's a risky situation.

I just had a huge showdown with Bubby at bedtime.  I can only assume he's teething, because he's not sick or very tired.  He was doing that completely irrational, downright psychotic, toddler thing.  It sounds terrible, but he eventually cried it out.  I had to feed Baby Bear, and there was no pleasing him anyway.

Oh yeah, I forgot.  He got started because his brother bit him on the arm.  Hard.  You can see each tooth's impression.  I'm so very tired of punishing them for hurting each other.  They fight CONSTANTLY over every possible thing they encounter or discuss throughout the day.  I'm utterly exasperated.

Off to bed, somewhat early for me lately, yay!  And then I actually get to go to church and sit through a sermon, yay!  And then I get to prepare to see my beautiful husband and to go off with my crazy, wonderful family for super fun times, yay!  And then I get to see my beautiful husband and go off with my crazy, wonderful family for super fun times, super yay!