B

B...
I am so thankful for this little guy! He keeps me on my toes with all of his questions. Although frustrations run high as he tries to 'wear me down with his reasoning', I know that God has something special for this kid. He has been given a mind that does not seem to ever slow down. He is always planning and thinking about his next move. You can see it in his eyes. You can hear it in his voice. He is trying to figure out how to get what he wants.
I love to watch him work a 100 piece puzzle.
I love to hear him sing songs.
I love to watch him play his board/computer games.
I love to hear him 'rev' up his little engine (feet) as he prepares to take off running.
I love to watch him wrestle with J.
I love to watch him get excited about something and exclaim "you have got to be kidding".
I love it when he wants to help me in the kitchen.
I love it when he comes up with a better solution to a problem than I could have.
I love to see his independence and desire to do things by himself.
I love to see his problem solving skills, as he tries to figure out how to get the ball out of the tree.
I love to watch him teach J new things.
I love to watch him try to close his dresser drawer when he has crammed all of his clothes in there.
I love to watch him decide it is best to pull them all out and fold them properly.
I love to get on the computer and find cool things to show him, like astronauts in outerspace and how things float around, to which he exclaims "that's incredible".
I love to hear him call people, whose names he cannot remember, "Dude".
I love to watch him get excited when we go to the arcade and he 'plays' all the games, although I don't put any money in the machines.
I love to listen to him play with his Rescue Heroes and all the pretend conversations they have.
I love to watch him cross his arms and get a pouty face when he is upset with me.
I love to watch him run across the playground at the end of each school day and give me a hug.
I love to hear answer a question about the bible - the things he retains.
I love how he can recall events and details from things that happened 6 months ago (things that I don't even remember).
I love to hear him answer the phone now when it rings.
I am so thankful for his unconditional love even when I discipline him and his willingness to forgive when I lose it with him when I should not have.
I love to watch the expression on other peoples faces when we are out in public and overhear the two of us talking/negotiations.

I love some of my most recent interactions with him....
"Mom, I want to buy this"
"Sorry. I told you we are not going to buy any toys this trip"
"But Mom, let me explain to you why we need to buy this. You see, Luke has this and so does Ian so it is only right that I have it too...."

At the checkout stand...
"Mom, I really need this"
"I have already told you no"
"Mom, why are you so mean to me. You don't EVER buy me ANYTHING"
"Sometimes I tell you yes and sometimes no. Today it is no"
"That is not fair" with the folded hands and pouty face.

I love how his mind is always thinking...
Today we were riding in the car listening to a CD about the creation story. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." As the story went on, he quietly listened. Then it was
"Mom, can we go to outerspace sometime?"
"No, just a few people ever get to go to outerspace."
"Why?"
"Because you need a really big spaceship to go there and they are very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very expensive"
"Well....if dad worked hard everyday we could get one."
"Oh, I don't think that would get us a spaceship. Maybe you should be an astronaut when you grow up. They get to go into outerspace."
"Well, I just don't understand...." and he trailed off on a long list of things he does not understand about outerspace. He was just so frustrated that he could not wrap his 5 year old mind around it.

There is a lot about my oldest to love and I look forward to the many more things I will discover.

My 3 Sons

I like the sound of that....My 3 sons. Not to mention I really liked the show growing up!!

boys and fall festival 005, originally uploaded by Mory2006.

Fall Festival

Was a hot day here! Could not believe the number of people that turned out for the local fall festival. The parade was about 6 blocks long and I would guess that the people were 2-3 deep in most spots. We actually got there a little early to make sure we were in the front so that J could get candy. I should have known that about 1 minute before all the floats got in front of us, a lady and two small kids stepped right in front of us and sat down basically at my feet. I was a little peeved. I decided not to say anything though because J was so tired and did not seem interested in getting down from his perch on dad's shoulders. We stood on the side of the road for an hour watching horses, fire trucks, army trucks, cheerleaders, high school band, etc. I did not realize a parade could last that long. JB slept through it all thankfully. When B's float, the AWANA float, finally came by, he was sitting on the wrong side of the float (despite the careful instructions I gave him about where to sit). Dad chased the float down and got some pictures though. He said he had a good time though. When I picked him up afterward, he looked so tired. I did not even think to send a water bottle along with him (he had been out in the 90 degree heat for 2 1/2 hours without water.



Afterwards, there were vendors and inflatables at the local park. The fire department had free pit BBQ for lunch. I hear the BBQ was still available 2.5 hours later. (That is a lot of meat!). Remembering how chaotic the park was last year after the parade (waiting in the bounce house line that was 30 kids long) we opted to go back to the park later in the afternoon. The lines were much shorter. Although my outing was almost ruined by 2 boys that were around 10 years old. I don't know that I have ever told anyone to their face that they were obnoxious, but I did not withhold my tongue with those two. It seemed that they followed us from bounce house to obstacle course to inflatable slides. As we finally left the area I even made it a point to talk to B about those boys and how rude I thought they were. Just being loud, pushing, inappropriately using the inflatables, just 2 boys unsupervised totally feeding off of each other. The boys sure had fun and I was very impressed with all the climbing J did. He kept up with B pretty well.

Mannequins

I found it so odd. Today I ran into Old Navy with J and JB. As soon as we walked in, there were 2 mannequins right in front of us. J stood there for the longest time looking at them. I realized that he had probably never seen a mannequin, since we don't frequent stores that have them. I told him they were not real people and then walked up and 'knocked' on one of them. His eyes got really big. Then he smiled and walked up and touched them. As we left the store, he was eyeing them again and I told them he could touch them one more time. He walked up and just about knocked both of them over. It is so fun when one of them discovers something 'new' like that!
The last couple of nights JB has been fussy. I think it is more a matter of overstimulated and can't go to sleep, versus colic. Either way, it has meant two nights I got to sit on the couch and watch Biggest Loser and America's Got Talent. Something I very rarely get to do...watch evening TV in large chunks of time.
B had another good week at Kindergarten. He brought home his first 'fundraiser' - ugghh! One thing I have started doing on the way to school in the morning is to pray out loud for B's day. It is amazing the things he will mention for me to pray about. That is one thing I really want to instill in their lives, the importance of prayer. Anytime or anywhere and no request is too small. I also find that when I start praying I get there attention. Sure comes in handy when I am mad and frustrated with them and cry out loud in prayer for patience and wisdom. He is back into AWANA and is a Sparky this year. The local 'Fall Festival' is this weekend and I think he wants to ride on the AWANA float, so hopefully we can get some good pictures.
I attended a PTC (parent teacher committee) meeting tonight. Figured a great way to get plugged in and involved and knowledgable about what goes on. For example, there are two K-3 schools here and we attend the 'older/original' school. I did not realize that the school was built in the 50s and therefore is not wired for this century. Most classrooms only have 1 computer. One of the goals of PTC (long term) would be to get 4 computers in each classroom. However, before that can be done, there has to be $40K worth of electrical work done to support those computers. I knew the school district was very tight for funds and the budget had been cut, but there is no art program and unless the PTC funds a field trip for each class, there will be no field trips.
I had my 6 week check-up today and got the green light to resume all activity.
That's it for now...hopefully more pictures this weekend.

JB's first hike

We finally got out as a family of 5 and did a short hike - about 1.5 miles round trip, at best but it was great. The weather was beautiful and it was a very shaded hike with just enough uphill to burn some energy. The two older boys did great. They are starting to figure out if you don't watch the trail, you will take a dive. J had one big trip while he was crossing a very small (depth wise) stream. He did not like the cold water. We actually got a really good family shot again while hiking
.


I have been playing with a few features on the camera and for some reason, love the eye shots. It is not too hard to tell who is who....(I tried to get one of JB with his eyes open but the red eye flash kept freaking him out). I don't know if all babies are not born with eye lashes, but JB did not have one when he was born. I am amazed how fast they have grown in 5 weeks. He might end up with beautiful long lashes like the other boys after all.





We also bought a fire pit for the backyard today, so looking forward to roasting lots of marshmallows and spending time out back as the days get shorter and the evenings get cooler!



One more pic of JB...still trying to capture that accidental smile....

This and That

B continues to enjoy school. Everyday the first thing he tells me is how many times he got to go on the playground. Today was their first "Library Day" and he got to check out a Spider-Man book. He was very excited. He continues to bring home smiley faces every day from his teacher and I learn one or two more names of classmates. Today the big news was that one of the girls had a bloody nose. Still not sure how that happened but did not appear to be caused from an accident.
J plays very nicely while B is at school but throughout the day will say "Go pick up B". He loves getting to play on the playground while we wait for the bell to ring. He is still taking really good naps but struggles falling asleep at bedtime. B now has the bedtime routine down and does not give us too many problems, but J does not seem to mind the spankings. They are both asleep most nights by 8 (and it is quiet usually around 7:30), so that is an improvement. They both seem to be getting into the habit of wanting to read by themselves a bit in bed too, which I happily welcome.
Whenever it gets really quiet in the house, I will call out to J and ask what he is doing. His usual response is "Just Looking", which can mean one of many things. Fortunately he has not figured out how to cover up his tracks yet, so I can usually figure out what he has been up to. I finally got all the toys in the house rounded up and sorted and put in the playroom closet and a lock on the closet door. Now, I control how many toys and what toys come out. It sure makes for a much neater, picked up playroom. No more tripping over toys and the power struggles of cleaning up a whole mess of toys. Now my next project is their bedroom closet and sorting all the winter/summer clothes and getting a lock on that too (to discourage the throwing every piece of clothing out until I find what I want or the 'I picked out cut off shorts for church and you told me to get my clothes and I don't want to change').
JB is doing well. Still sleeping a lot but is finding it hard to fall asleep for 'the night'. He usually will fuss around 8pm and requires some one on one. I recently came across a bottle of Gripe Water that I have had (it is Oil of Fennel) and can be used for gas, colic, etc. I tried it one night. He went from screaming and flailing to an instant calm and ready to tackle his pacifier. (I know the Gripe Water does not 'work' that fast, so assuming it is the taste that distracts him??) He is the first of my three to take to a pacifier so this is new territory for me. It is very soothing for him, but very irritating for me when he can't keep it in his mouth longer than 1 minute. He is starting to coo and even though I see him every day, I am amazed at how big he has gotten. He is starting to outgrow his 0-3 month clothes - seems he has a long torso. When I took him in for his month check up, the nurse practitioner was listening to his heart for a very long time. I started to get concerned when she finally piped up that he has the 'latino' blood. His heart was beating really fast and took him a while to settle down, although he certainly was not upset outwardly. The nurse and others have commented on how strong he is when he kicks or holds his head up. He knows he has two very active brothers he will need to keep up with.
I am just about ready to hit the gym again. Will wait until my 6 week check-up next week and then hopefully the weather will stay nice enough for some bike riding and I can figure out some gym time. We took a short hike over the weekend and did pretty well. Had to push JB in the stroller but we made good time.
JR is enjoying the new job. His boss is very accomodating and good to his employees. We have been a one car family for 2 weeks now (long story short, our trusty mechanic can't figure out the problem, then our mechanic, who works alone, fell and broke some ribs so was out of commission for a while....we hope to have everything fixed by end of this week) and getting everyone dressed and out of the house by 7am so we can take JR to the bus stop to catch the shuttle up the canyon has been challenging. I guess one nice thing is I don't ever have to worry about doing 'hair', unless you count J's long hair and curls.

New family photo

New Family Photo

9.2

JB had his 1 month check-up. He weighs 9.2, which means he has gained 2 pounds in 3 1/2 weeks. So, I guess all of his sleeping is not interferring with his eating and gaining weight. I also had her check my incision (I have been keeping an eye on it). As expected, it is not infected (but inflamed). So, I am getting on some medicine to try to stay on top of it before it becomes infected.
Should be nice weather this weekend, so hoping to get an official family photo with our 3 sons, as well as a hike in. Will probably take a day trip to Billings on Saturday and just hang out the rest of the weekend.

Happy Birthday JR

The boys and I baked a cheesecake for JR's 40th and then the boys 'decorated' it. I don't know that cheesecake and ice cream was a good idea just before bedtime though. The bedtime routine has been going much better. With the exception of tonight, they have both been asleep by 8 the last couple of nights.
J's speech therapist finished up her 'testing' on Monday and is recommending that we hit it hard for September and then reevaluate discharging J, or at least going to every other week in October to see if he regresses. He has so many words and is becoming a little chatter box. He has definitely regressed in the potty training area, which I expected. I have backed off and will wait for a cue from him to pick it back up.
Recently I was outside with a neighbor talking when B approached us with glasses of water. Seeing a 'teachable moment' I commented on B's servant attitude and how nice it was that he was looking out for our needs/wants. He has 'served' me numerous times lately. However, the 'serving' pattern is becoming quite interesting. Around snack time, B will seek me out and bring me a popsicle, telling me he thought I would enjoy one. He never asks for one himself, but you sure can see the 'want' in his eyes. It sure is hard to tell your son no when he is being so 'considerate'. He is also a great help around the house, especially getting me things when I am tied up with JB.
J is quite helpful around the house too. Just today he saw me taking empty cereal boxes and 'breaking them down' for the recycling bin. So, he grabbed the full box of Frosted Mini Wheats and proceeded to pour the whole box in the trash before 'breaking' down the box. Fortunately we had just taken out the trash, so it was a clean trash bag and I could salvage most of the cereal.
Finally starting to get JB on a set schedule with eating and sleeping. The last two nights I have actually had dreams, so not sure if that means I am getting good sleep at night, but have not been napping every day.

A proud American

Most of you all probably have not seen some of the pictures that JR likes to take, particularly of the boys when they are little. He gets quite creative. This is the latest one that he took and sent to my family. They have all enjoyed it so much, figured I would post it.
Here is the text of the email that he included with the picture....


This is why I am able to sleep so good at night; I was born in the greatest country in the world, I am free to worship GOD and I can have a gun as well. I can not use or shoot my rifle yet, but my dad sure can..!!!!
GOD bless America ...
kisses to everyone.
JBM
Future US Navy Seal

Bath time

B had a great time yesterday at school. His first comment, and the one thing he told anyone who asked, is that he got to go to the playground three times. I also, finally, witnessed him doing the monkey bars by himself. All summer he had been too scared but sounds like watching all the other kids gave him some motivation mom could not provide. Last night we laid in bed and he rambled off all kinds of things about his day - who misbehaved, who brought their lunch, who had what backpack, etc. He said his teacher is the best because she lets them do things they like!
J is doing well with speech therapy. The therapist said that most of his sounds are there, he just needs the repetition. She is really working on 'oral secretion management' - ie drool. Seems that he forgets to swallow so still trying to make him aware of that. The last piece of the puzzle is getting his 'marker' words. Instead of "Mom, lay me" we are working on "Mom, will you lay with me". He omits all the "the, and, with, to", etc. words. She said once he gets this, we can look at discharge. Either way, it looks like he will be done mid March, when he turns three and no longer receives services through this one agency we have been dealing with.
JB sure enjoyed his bath today as did J as he helped me. He loves to kick and squirm in the warm water. I have noticed that he also loves his sleep. I knew he loved to sleep, but now he has a definite "put me in bed Mom, so I can sleep" cry.

He is off!

B is at Kindergarten! We were actually on time, a few minutes early! He immediately took off to play on the playground until the bell rang. He was a little nervous, asking how he would know when the bell rang, if he would know where to go, etc. He was so excited last night he could not sleep. We laid in bed together and talked until he fell asleep.
These are the times that I am very thankful I have had 5 years to be at home with him to help 'train him up' and build into his little life. From here, it will be lots of covering him in prayer as he begins his first step of gaining 'wings' so to speak.

Last week of 'summer'

Hard to believe that summer has come and gone!
B starts Kindergarten on Thursday. I was talking with someone today about it and when I told them who his teacher was, they replied that I am gonna want to stay on 'top of her'. I inquired further and was told that she is okay but I want to make sure that I stay in close contact with his teacher and make sure that B is being challenged. So, not that I want to push my child, but it sounds like his teacher might be one that does not really challenge some kids and knowing B, he is going to need that or he will get bored and probably into trouble.
JB loved his first shower. He still continues to sleep and eat, in that order! As long as I get 4 hour stretches at night, who can complain.
J is continuing with therapy and from the sounds of it, his therapist is wanting to test him again because she thinks he is getting close to being on age appropriate level.
Off to try to stick to the new bedtime routine. It took an hour last night of going in and spanking them before they 'got it' and settled down. I anticipate a shorter 'fight' tonight because J has not napped and he is usually the one that keeps B up late with his antics.

JR has taken the two older boys camping tonight, so looking forward to a quiet evening!!! This past week we took the boys out to a forest service cabin where an out of state friend was staying and got a few more pics of the boys. JB continues to do well, mainly sleeping and eating, in that order! Both of the other boys seem to have adjusted well. Not sure how J will deal when big brother B heads to school next week. JR is enjoying his new job!

Is there a baby in the house?

Little JB continues to amaze me. Every day I think he will 'come out of' his sleepy newborn state, but he continues to nap anywhere from 3-5 hours throughout the day and night. (If I can get him to stay awake for 30 minutes after eating, that is a huge accomplishment.) He is eating very well although I don't have him on any kind of schedule because I hate the thought of waking a sleeping baby. His umbilical cord has come off, so it will be time for the ceremonial 'first shower' with dad in the next day or so. (They are too slippery when wet for me to handle). Hopefully JB will come to love showers as much as his brothers. Every night they happily hop in the shower, sit under the water and play with their toys until the 'hot' runs out.
Kindergarten will start next week for B so we will soon be gearing up for the new school schedule. Can't believe he will be in school. I think it will be a great change of pace for him and fill that big social need that he has.
Thursday my mom leaves so the real test will begin! No more sitting around while someone else does all the work!

Settling In

We are settling in. JB (Joseph Bailey) sleeps and sleeps. He usually goes a 4 hour stretch, be it day or night. So that means that I am only getting up once in the middle of the night. I like this! The only time I have ever heard him cry is when he is dirty or hungry. It is amazing how he already knows my voice and it instantly calms him in the middle of the night. He is just a calm, relaxed little kiddo that is very alert, when he opens his eyes. The boys are doing well with him. J loves to give him lots of kisses and hold him and B has already given him a bottle.
I am feeling pretty good. Usually by the end of the day I am ready for bed but certainly getting up and around well.

More Changes

The first night home went well. Got more sleep here than I had been getting at the hospital, although JR did not. He was up retrieving JB for me, etc. Was noticing today that both of the other boys had dark, really long eye lashes and little JB does not have any eyelashes or eye brows. He might tend towards the red head characteristics of Momma. His hair is a light brown, but we will see as he grows.
I went through the pictures JR took after the birth and found one that was too cute, from when they were giving him his first bath. According to JR, he loved the bath.

On a totally different note, another big change. After lots of prayer, JR has decided to leave his electrical apprenticeship and go to work for a property management company in the area. He was offered the same job a few months ago but did not feel it was right at the time. We tried waiting out the economy and things just are not picking up as quickly as we had hoped. This job offer was almost equivalent to his other job but guaranteed work. So, he begins on Wednesday. He has given a 2 year commitment so he could always pick up the apprenticeship later down the road when the construction industry stabilizes. We are just thankful that God brought the job offer back around to us and made it very clear through some circumstances that this was right.

Home from the hospital

We arrived home Sunday afternoon. 24 hours earlier than anyone thought, but I was feeling good, up and moving and the baby was doing great. I was not getting much sleep (despite the baby going for 4 plus hour stretches of sleep) so looking forward to some good sleep tonight. We did not decide on a name until just before leaving the hospital. (Despite what you have heard, you can leave the hospital without a name, you just have to have one within 10 days). So, we decided on Joseph Bailey (JB going forward on the blog...So we have a JR, B, J and now JB.)
The boys have been great. Always wanting to hold him, soothe him, etc. When I got home today, forgot how painful it can be to laugh. B and J had put up streamers and decorated the house. B had put a streamer across the front door and told me I had to break it. So, I reached out with my hand and broke it, to which I got "Mom, you were suppose to break it with your stomach." Needless to say, I started laughing, was soon doubled over crying and supporting myself with the wall. B looks at me very seriously and says "mom, you really do not look good!". I was glad when I finally got to a chair to sit for a while.
Nothing planned this week but laying around and adjusting to life with a little one. More pictures hopefully later this week.

Mom and Baby are doing good.

Another boy in the family

Baby News!

God has blessed us with a 7 lb 8 oz baby boy!!! Benjamin and Jacob are thrilled to have a baby brother! Shannon and baby are doing very well....Jose says he has a possible quarterback! No other details as to name etc. Pictures and more information posted tonight hopefully! Benjamin, Jacob and I are on our way to the hospital.....I am so proud and thankful for this beautiful family! Granny

Hangin In....

No other words at this point. Just hanging in and looks like I might make it until Friday.....

New Date

I am officially on the schedule (for C-section) for Friday, August 7th at 8:30am. Yeah, my 'regular' Doctor will be doing it!!! As for now, this kid is tucked up so tightly in a ball, the ultrasound tech could not get a shot of a profile, a hand, nothing but a little foot...

Getting out

After 3 days of being still and quiet, decided we all needed some fresh air.
Headed out to the river with the boys.









I was just finding a cozy spot on the ground when I turned and saw, about 8 inches away....




I may be 37 weeks pregnant but this momma proved I can still get up and move if I need to
It was good to see B up and moving again. Not really talking much, but at least being active.

The end result when we left, given J had fallen in several times


Maybe it is just my imagination, but B's voice seems to not be as 'nasally' as it has been and it is weird to see him with his mouth closed. He has always had his mouth open, since he was a mouth breather but I do believe he has much better airflow through his nose now.
As for me, I guess the Doc is wanting to keep a little closer tabs on the baby. She called Friday afternoon and wanted me to come in 2 times next week for a non-stress test and biophysical ultrasound. Basically, two tools they use to make sure the baby is not under any stress while in the womb. The ultrasound is pretty cool because the first thing they check for is the moving diaphram. Babies don't breathe in the womb, but 'practice' breathing and the tech said if the 'environment' in the womb starts going or the baby gets stressed, the practice breathing is usually the first to go. So far everything has appeared fine but I guess the doc is taking the conservative approach. All of this 'extra' testing got started because I mentioned that the baby does not seem to be moving a whole lot, but then again, I never felt the other two as much as would be normal either. Oh well, either way, only 2 more weeks, at best of the waiting game (yes, the envelope is still sealed!)

too much 'hospital' time

Yesterday B had his tonsils/adenoids out. I was up at the hospital with him for about 4 hours, start to finish. He did really well. He was very exhausted going in to it, so a little emotional. When I walked to the OR doors with him, the nurse said "this is where we part, B you want to give your mom a hug?" I thought, not good, it would have been better for me to quietly slip out. He started crying, hugged me and would not let go. Two nurses had to finally pry him off of me. I joined up with him in recovery about 40 minutes later. He came home with quite the appetite, eating mac n cheese, apple sauce, milk shake, strawberries, popsicles and chicken nuggets. He has not taken any of his pain meds and he thankfully slept all night last night. Still feeling a little puny and his voice is raspy. I sure hope he does not get use to all these fun foods and just laying around. (We do have the tonsils in a jar if anyone is interested). The doc did say that the adenoids were pretty large, which we knew the adenoids were more the problem and not the tonsils. Maybe now he will breathe easier and hopefully be able to smell too.
Then today I had my appt. The doctor ended up running a few extra tests to check things out with the baby. So my appt lasted over 3 hours. Everything checked out just fine and both the doc and the ultrasound tech said the baby was in a tight little ball, so the gender was not 'visible', had I wanted to know.

Been a busy last 10 days. B enjoyed the sports camp and then VBS this week. I started out strong on the projects around the house but finished really strong in the nap department with J. Oh well. This week B is having his tonsils out on Wed so hoping that the first 24-48 hours he will catch up on some much needed rest. I go back in Thursday for another appt and ultrasound. 3 weeks from tomorrow is the scheduled day. Although we have been in the mid 90's the last few days, not too uncomfortable for me. It is usually 80 as we go to sleep and wake up with it close to high 55s. It is this time of year that I wish A/C was the norm. But fortunately our place stays pretty cool on its own.
Recent pics of the boys (yes, J needs a haircut but can't stand the way he looks 2-3 weeks after a cut...) We found this cow a little odd out behind the house. Seems that the cows have figured out this summer how to get through the fences and it is a normal occurence to have the police out trying to round up one or two as they make it down the road or into yards.

We have a date, sort of

Headed to the Doc today. She has 'tenatively' scheduled the c-section for Monday, August 10th. However, she does not think I will make it that long. My track record has been 2 weeks early, which would be around the 4th. In two weeks I will have another ultrasound and she will keep watching things. She is the type of doc that would schedule a last minute ultrasound if she felt it was needed. The upside to the baby coming early is that my Doc, who I love, will be on vacation starting the
10th but is on call most of the week prior.

Summer Camp

Yesterday I dropped B off at his week long day camp with the Y. As I drove away he was circling the group with his arms crossed checking it out. Today when I dropped him off, within seconds he was off and playing with another kid. This has been a fun, new experience for him. He gets to take his lunch, have snacks, etc. If camp is any indication, he is going to love Kindergarten in August.
I have been wiping down top of fridge, finishing up 6 year sewing projects, organizing kitchen cabinets, washing baby clothes, a whole list of miscellaneous projects. Hopefully JR will have some more time off later this week to take J out for a couple of hours!
Today J decided he wanted to take his table outside and color. I was quite impressed to see him carry the table and 2 chairs and coloring stuff outside all by himself. The question remains to be seen if he will carry it all back in....

Summer is slipping away

I keep thinking I will get some photos downloaded either from Colorado or B's 5th birthday. Being pregnant at 40 and keeping up with the two boys is taking it's toll. I often find myself napping most afternoons with J. Thankfully B is very independent and has no problem entertaining or taking care of himself. I find I can stay on top of the day to day, but if I slip up one day, I have a very hard time catching up the next day. I have even come to the point of putting most of their clothes and shoes away because I cannot get them to keep it picked up and I am just tired of doing it! (I think the smart mom is the one who took all the clothes out of the bedroom and kept everything in the laundry room....no more hauling clothes back and forth. Of course she has a huge laundry room and tons of kids, but what a great idea!)
The allergy season is in full bloom and it seems like every 2 weeks in early July it just knocks me out. B was the first one up this morning and I sent him downstairs and told him to watch PBS and get a cupcake for breakfast (yes, this afforded me more sleep time)!! Good thing that is not a way of life for us!
We are about 6 1/2 weeks away from baby number 3. The envelope is still sealed. Some days I am convinced it is a boy and other days I am sure it is a girl. So, it will definitely be a surprise.
We celebrated B's 5th birthday over the weekend. How fun to watch him grow up but boy the attitude we are starting to deal with! As a friend commented yesterday, he is just so smart and strong willed! I love all the 'adult' conversations we have though. It seems like nothing gets by him, everything gets stored somewhere in that little brain of his until he feels it is time for it to surface and ask questions/make conversation.
J continues with therapy. It appears that motor planning is a predominant issue with him. For example, instead of saying "come" he pronounces it as "kim". When corrected he will say come, but it always comes out as 'kim'. Fork is another word. It is always 'fort' and 9 times out of 10, even with correction, he still says 'fort'. Daddy is another word...it consistently comes out as 'diya'. From what I can understand, it is just a matter of training the brain to pull out the correct sounds, sort of like one would learn to read with dyslexia. His vocabulary is continuing to grow and when 'coached' will put whole sentences together.
B goes to a week long sports camp next week, so starting my to-do list. J plays so well alone, when big brother is not here to stir the pot, so hoping to get most everything done. Then all I have to do is enjoy the last 4 weeks or so!
Will try for pictures later in the week.