Whoa

May taught me a valuable lesson about taking on too much and needing to take a step back to prioritize.  When I went back to Microsoft this past February I knew there was a tradeshow the first week of June, but I had NO IDEA it was such a big deal.  Also in February, I proposed (and offered to oversee) a Preschool Prom & Silent Auction Fundraiser at Lily's school, to be held in the middle of May.  Little did I know that the tradeshow (E3) was the biggest industry event of the year and would mean crazy around-the-clock hours the entire month, or that Preschool Prom would take on a life of its own, and that despite having an amazing committee backing me up, I would still be overwhelmed as I hadn't been in years.  Oh, and May is also Matteo's 1st birthday.  Yeah, it was a little busy.

So the lessons learned are as follows:
1) I am going to seek out volunteer opportunities that allow me to spend time WITH my children.  While Lily had an absolute blast the night of the prom and clearly enjoyed the elevated status of having mama in charge of it, it didn't compensate for the many hours I missed spending with her and Matteo.  I've since resigned from the Board at Small Faces as well.
2) While I feel righteous indignation when other parents don't help out, it doesn't mean that I have to compensate for their shortcomings at the expense of my time at home.
3) I have amazing friends I am so grateful for.  Katie came to prom and helped at almost every volunteer station and Jo Jo created almost all the bid sheets when I told her I felt overwhelmed. 
4) While it can be a little stressful getting it on the table, and Lily would rather watch TV, family dinner is critical to keeping us connected when things get chaotic.

Since things were so nutty, I didn't do a very good job of journaling all the funny and interesting things the kids did this month, but I do have a few observations...

- Lily has taken to saying "oh fooeys!" when things don't go her way.  It cracks me up every time...although I don't think it's meant to
- Matteo has become quite the re-arranger of furniture.  Now that he can cruise, he likes to move the dining room chairs into the living room, move the side table to the front door, etc.  His feng shui is a bit off, but he's getting there
- Lily asked me what an allergic reaction was the other day and I explained what happens, including getting puffed up.  She then asked, in all sincerity, if you "would puff so much you would then float away"
- Remember how I said Matteo does that funny "mwah, mwah" sound?  Well, now he does it in reaction to you blowing him kisses. I *knew* it had deeper meaning!
- Around Mother's Day a commercial came on for Jared, the Galleria of Fine Jewelry.  Lily asked "should we get you something from there?" to which I replied that I didn't need anything.  She said "good - 'cause I'm making you something MUCH better at school!" 
- I thought it would never happen, but Matteo actually held his own bottle this month!!  He hasn't really nailed the whole tipping concept, but just holding it is a big step for the kid who until now saw no point in holding a bottle when he could be served from the comfort of our laps.  Even Lily was super excited for him. Could sippy cup mastery possibly be next??
- One night at dinner we were talking about birthdays when Lily declared "Daddy is going to die first because he's SO OLD" (see why I love family dinner??)
- The day after he turned 1, Matteo pushed a ball back and forth with Chris.  He's surprisingly coordinated, too, which fills me with hope he inheirited Chris' athleticism rather than mine
- "I don't need school - I can learn math on my fingers!" Lily discussing her future academic plans

And finally my favorite...a conversational exchange you just can't make up....
On the way to breakfast:
Lily: I want chocolate chip pancakes
Me: Well, ask our waitress
Lily: What's a waitress?
Me: The person who takes our order and brings out the food
Lily: They are also called servants
Me: Not exactly, the word is "servers"
Lily: Yeah servants are for a queen!
And then on the way from the Pancake House to school:
Lily: Where does bacon come from?
Me: Pigs
Lily: So the animals make food for us?
Me: The animals ARE the food
Lily: So they come from the food chain?
Me: Uh....yes
Lily: YAY!!!

Overall I feel like I've done a pretty good job of chronicalling Matteo's growth, so I'll wrap up with just a few words about him turning 1...it's of course bittersweet, especially since he is my last baby, and with work madness and the juggle of two, I feel like I didn't get nearly enough time with him the past year. However this is countered with the joy of watching him develop daily into an incredibly sweet little man with a wonderful belly laugh and eyes that sparkle. A wee dude (dudicle, doodus, doodle) who simply adores his sister, smiles and makes excited huh-huh-huh noises and rushes over when I pick him up at the end of the day, who is so generous with his gorgeous smile, who continues to be an adventurous eater who'll scarf chimichurri salmon as readily as fresh peas, who amazes me daily and makes me fall in love all over every time I check on him at bedtime. Yes, the days were sometimes long, but the year was way too short.