Ready, Set, SUMMER!

 

So hi.  Lots to catch up on.  I better start editing and posting pictures faster than I take them. 

 

Man, I overwhelm myself.

  

As you can see, Charlotte’s growing like a weed.  She’s just finished weaning and is eating babyfood and Gerber finger foods.

  

Usually when I quit breastfeeding the baby inflates and I shrink.  I’m not sure if this rule applies after number five.  We shall see… but it’s weird to realize those precious newborn days are gone forever.  However… I’ve gone five rounds and am not so sorry to say goodbye.  On to other good stuff…

Like Summer Fun!  Saw this idea of making a checklist on what is my new addiction, Pinterest.  Not yet addicted?  Give me your email and I’ll invite you to join.  It’s free.  It’s addictive.  Be forewarned!  Anyway, I thought this would be a good way for the kids- particularly Jack- to know we will have a lot of fun even if we have some slow “down” days.

 

They all noticed it on the fridge when they woke up and were thrilled to read it (and not hesitant to add to it and remind me of things forgotten.)

The summer spirit is catching, freeing.  Even Charlie felt inspired and free.  (Or maybe that was because I finally cut the mats of hair off from behind his ears.)  Either way.

Derivatives of Charles

 

See we have this small problem around here.  We have this cute little new baby.

 

She coos, blows bubbles, and evokes all kinds of high pitched praises from the mouths of all who abide in this home.

She’s the center of attention.

And her name sounds very much like his.

For 3 months now he has been repeatedly disappointed thinking he was being beckoned only to realize ah, no… it’s the human baby they are going gaga over.

See the enthusiasm he shares for her.

What?  Is it not apparent?

The red bandana is no competition for baby-sized fashion.  Teensy weensy baby sneakers.

 

And don’t think he’s always so blasé about it.  Sometimes he can be quite vocal.  He and Sam demand equal rights.  Equal rights, people, equal rights.

He has also been known to utilize the passive aggressive approach.  Take last night for example, when he was curled up in his crate like this and I asked him for a favor:  there was a ginormous Wolf Spider in the foyer and he’s very good at playing them to death.  He rather enjoys it.

Well he used to, anyway, before he was mad at me for letting the baby human take over the house.  So last night he humored me enough to drag himself out of the crate and into the foyer, to give one very limp, half-hearted swat at the thing, and then collapsed.  Right there; just laid right down as though he planned to finish his nap then and there… it was at that moment that- NO LIE- the spider crawled straight to him and ONTO his stomach and all around on his fur:  make me do something about it said his eyes said.

His Royal Highness then proceeded to watch out of the corner of his eye as I fetched a piece of paper and tried to coax the awful thing out of his web of fur and on out the front door.  I’ll also have you know he has gotten so fat and lazy about food scraps that he will only eat small ones after you’ve swept them into a nice pile.  Anything else I can do for you, your majesty, or have you figured out yet that you’re a DOG? 

No really, Chuck.  You’re a dog.  Comes to terms already, man.

This Morning

 

What he does when I ask him to smile.

Lovely.  Thank you.

The Class Clown

Jumping into Summer

We are so ready for summer around here; for grilling and swimming and eating popsicles.  And sipping on tall glasses of pineapple juice and coconut milk that may or may not have generous splashes of rum in them.  (It helps the kids sleep.)

Shaun took a week off when the baby arrived and we imagined we would spend the week doing these things (swimming and grilling, not drugging the children)... but instead it rained.  And rained and rained. 

I took these the first day we were home from the hospital, I believe.  And then it rained...

And rained and rained... for forty days and forty nights until Shaun started gathering wood and animals and- what?  Don't you know sleep deprivation causes slight exaggerations?  But the rain was okay because it forced us to rest.  And it forced the kids to play together.  Inside.

Evan and Madalyn think it's some treat to get to have a slumber party in the same bed on non-school nights- which we've had a lot of since school it OUT now.  They like to tell stories and take turns trading off narrators in the middle (my dad used to do this with me and my brother- the game is such where you say beep to let the other person know you are now picking up where they left off-) so I passed this tradition on to them a few months ago, naturally, as it's a GREAT game for people who like to exaggerate, which incidentally, all children do like to exaggerate...

...anyway- one night Shaun and I were listening through their door because they'd been going on and on with their story for hours...

We hear Madalyn finish up her part that went something like: and then the bear flew to her castle with her magic wand- to which Evan beeped in and continued: but the bear was just kidding about all of that.  And then he went on to pick up the story where'd he'd properly left it- you know, before it became too fantastical and far-fetched from the plot he had in mind at the get-go; the right plot.  I have NO IDEA where he got that need to be in control from but I suddenly feel a deep pool of pity in my chest when I think of my own little brother.

But such is the life of a little sibling, of a little sister.  I've had to keep telling Evan not to bully her into playing his way and to let her have ideas, too.  I was complaining about this tendency of his to Shaun and Shaun was boring holes in my head with his eyeballs.  WHAT?  I said.  I wonder where on earth he got that from, he said.  Or SAID WITH HIS EYES.

Not too long ago we were testing Evan on times tables and division at the dinner table (he begs for us to do this,) and Madalyn chimed in, "okay, let me test you, Evan... what's 25 divided by 489?"  Evan looked at her with pity and said, "no, sweetie, you don't know divided-by's yet."

Well!  You should've seen her face crumple into a scowl as she put her hands on her hips and replied, "I am NOT a sweetie.  I am a big girl."

Ah, good times.  Good laughs for the tired parents who need a few laughs in the midst of the tired.

Charlie was hoping for sunshine, too.

Because the kids aren't the only ones who like to jump in and make a splash.

But only Charlie can shower Jack in water and make him squeal and giggle like this.  Jack needs some swimming lessons.  He was swimming at the end of last summer and now he's freaked out again... which is better than no caution when I'm sitting and nursing and supervising... yes, caution is much preferred to reckless abandon or I'd be jumping in to save him with a baby hanging from me.  But as soon as my six weeks of recovery is up, I'm giving the boy some lessons myself.  Whether he likes it or not.  Because I can just see him inwardly wishing he could join the others in their pool games while outwardly worried about- you know- being able to breathe and not sink.

And here is a shot of Sam bonding with daddy, though as I look at this he has changed SO MUCH since I took it.  He'll be three weeks tomorrow!  Can you believe it?  Well, I can't.

Happy Summer!!