Good Times

To some three weeks with your mother staying in your home may seem like an eternity, but for me…it simply wasn’t long enough. We had a great time with her here and looking back at our pictures brings not only tears of joy, but also tears of sadness because we had to say good-bye yet again. I can only hope that someday the stars align in our favor to bring my mother and Steve closer to me. Closer to Lola. And while most husbands can’t stand their mother-in-law, I think Rob and my mom formed their own bond in these three weeks. We had a good time and I can’t wait for her to come back so the good times can continue.

The Pool
I have become obsessed with sites like Living Social and Groupon because opportunities come up to venture out and try new things. My most recent purchase was a ten card pass to the JCC of Indianapolis. I think I was sold when I saw words like “Lazy River” and “Water Slides” because my young heart can’t get enough of waterparks. Seeing the weather in Indianapolis has been in the 90′s, we decided to try out the JCC and were pleasantly surprised.

Be still my heart as I have found a new love…the lazy river!

Look at how happy he makes her.

Father’s Day

A good part of my mom and Rob’s bond comes from their mutual love of working outdoors. I wish I could say I possess this same passion, but after a long day of work, the only thing I wish to do is spend time with my family. So because we moved back to our neglected home after three years in Costa Rica, the yard needed a bit of extra love. While I don’t have pictures of their hard work, I can tell you Rob’s Fathers Day was spent working diligently with my mom to give our old home some much needed curb appeal. My mom also cooked a nice, big Father’s Day dinner. Who knew I would get a cook, a gardener and a babysitter in my mom’s visit?!

The man of the house enjoying a home cooked meal.

She even made homemade strawberry shortcake!

The Puffer Fish

As I mentioned summer has officially begun in Indianapolis so in my opinion, all homes with children should have the coolest pool around…a puffer fish pool.

Lola was especially thrilled with it because the girl could literally live in the water. Even though the pool was a tad cold, she still splashed around and had an amazingly good time.

Girl’s Night Out

My mom, Lola and I went to a favorite neighborhood restaurant one night while Rob was out with a friend. The three of us walked (and rode stroller style – Lola) to Napolese to enjoy a delicious dinner. Lola was extra cheerful that night and she seemed to be quite interested in the environment. Rather than simply banging on the table or grabbing everything within arms reach, she playfully turned around in her highchair and began to engage with another patron. In that time, I sort of forgot she had a vision impairment because she just continued to almost flirt with this man. It was quite funny to see and a bit uplifting as well. Dinner was delicious and sadly, we were back home, in bed and giving baby manicures by 9:00 pm. I suppose we are getting old!

One of my favorite pictures of all time.

She only wants water out of a big girl cup.

Her nightly manicure.

The Swing

My mom bought Lola a swing during her last visit, but we just got around to putting it up as the jungle (aka our yard) had to be properly attended to. Lola was a bit apprehensive as we strapped her in, but that all changed the second we let go and said “Weeeee”!

Last Supper

We spent our last dinner at Thr3e Wise Men in Broad Ripple. The place was packed with people which would have had us hesitant to go in given Lola’s delicate sound senses, but now the girl loves being in the midst of a busy environment. The food was excellent although I think we gorged ourselves in hopes to forget that my mom was leaving the very next morning.

Buddies

And somewhere between all of this, my mom and I went to see Norah Jones at the Murat Theater.

And Lola rode her first pony at Meijer which she was not all that thrilled about.

I’m sure the pictures have shown what a great time we had during my mom’s stay. I’m half considering flying down to Costa Rica to drag her back, but I know we all have to get on with our lives. Instead of making her feel bad about being so far away (and you too Steve), I’ll just remind them that our door is always open. I love you mom. Thank you for being such an amazing mama…and gardener and cook and babysitter. Not only were you a huge help to have around, but you were a daily delight. We miss you already!