Look Mom, No....

TRAINING WHEELS!!!!

I leisurely asked Philp this afternoon if he wanted to take off his training wheels.  I fully expected a "not today."  Instead, he said yes!  I got the wheels off, helped him get on, and let go.  He took off...no falls...no problems at all.  He loved it!  We celebrated with a walk/bike ride to the park.

So proud of the little guy, but can't believe he's big enough to really ride a bike.  Where does the time go???

History Repeating Itself...

Many moons ago, I spent my summer afternoons playing "Go Fish" at the feet of my grandmother, Mammaw.  Oh how it makes my heart happy to see my own boys doing the same...

Thanks GranGran for making memories with my little boys!

Wharf of Wonder

Today we headed downtown to the Exploreum.  We met up with the Weekley and Stockman girls...something we've been doing since Philip was about 2! 

The Exploreum has an area called the Wharf of Wonder that is dedicated to pre-school age children.  It was funded by the Junior League during my early years as a member...long before I had children that could enjoy it.  It is such a treasure....it's got a big ship, lots of balls, lots of fish and nets to play with.  We've been many times, but this time was special.

It is most likely Philip's last chance in the Wharf.  He starts school soon and then turns 6 in October and is no longer allowed!  I thought it best that we celebrate this milestone with some old friends!

We had a great time with lots of friends.  We'll be back many more times with Daniel, William, and John, but for Philip it is time to explore all the many other things that the Exploreum has to offer!

All He Needs to Know

Really, if this is all he gets, I'm okay!

Sorry for the Interruption

About a week and a half ago, we had a bad afternoon thunderstorm that left me without DSL and Directv.  I didn't miss the TV, but I have to admit I did miss the internet.  On the other hand, I was a little more productive without this distraction!

So, what have we been up to...

There was a visit from cousin Henry.  He stayed with Mom and Dad for a couple of nights.  Philip and Daniel loved having another boy to play around with!  They played a lot of Legos together and had a blast playing in the fountains at the Eastern Shore Centre.  Here's Philip and Henry at Old Dutch!

We had VBS last week at church. 

Philip and Daniel participated, William went to the nursery, and John hung out with me.  It was a fun week, but definitely an exhausting one!  Daniel did not like being away from me...hope that isn't a sign of things to come when school starts.

We celebrated John's 2 month birthday mark! 

He's doing great...growing like a weed!  He weighed 13 lbs. 9 ounces at his check-up.  At two months, John, you sleep fairly well during the day and great at night.  You generally get me up once in the night; although, you have slept through the night a few times too.  You smile a lot at me, your Daddy, and your brothers.  I even heard your first real giggle last night as your Daddy tickled you!

Finally, last night we celebrated my birthday (early) and Susan's birthday with Mom and Dad.  There was a delicious gumbo dinner and cake and ice cream to finish things up!  We had a great time.  This was the only picture I took...sorry!

So that's what we've been up to.  Summer is starting to wind down.  We have three weeks left, and we are determined to squeeze in a little more fun.  I'll keep you posted!

A Change of Scenery

Last Wednesday, Mom and I bravely ventured out of town with four little boys in tow.  The destination....the Gulf! 

We had a fabulous trip.  I have to admit that the first 24 hours were a little rough.  I came to appreciate all that Chris does for me when we travel...loading and unloading the car, unloading groceries, setting up pack and play, putting rails on bed, etc.  Once we settle in though, we had a ball.

There were trips to the beach to play in the sand and gulf...

and many trips to the pool where Philip and Daniel further perfected their swimming skills.

I was a little nervous about being away from home with the boys, but we did great.  GranGran was a huge help...she would stay up in the condo with John while he napped and I took the other boys to the beach or pool.  It worked well.  Chris joined us Friday afternoon.  It was great to have another set of hands around! It even allowed for GranGran to leave the condo!

On Saturday, PopPop showed up to retrieve GranGran...

and then the Springfield clan came to play and eat lunch.  We must have been quite a site at the pool with eight children under six!  How fun that everybody has their own playmate when these two families get together!

I think William is informing Walker that the oven is hot!

When we got home, Philip and Daniel were thrilled to be reunited with their Legos.  While they played, Chris got a little help cleaning the boat!

The change of scenery was huge for me.  I came home feeling as well rested as these two...

We can't wait to go back for our week long trip in August!!

The Games He Plays...

William has been a hoot recently.  He has reached the age of imaginative play.  I wanted to share two "games" he loves to play.  He is very repetitive...these games are the same everytime!

First..."cakes" goes like this...

He starts by putting his Duplos under the rug. 

He then tells me...

W: cakes in oven
Me: You're cooking cakes in the oven?
W: uh-huh...hot...burn
W: two minutes
He then plays for a little bit.
W: Ding...ready!
He gets the 'cakes' out of the oven and brings to me to taste!  Sometimes we sing Happy Birthday and blow out the candles.

He does this several times during the day!  It can be dangerous due to the Duplos that are left under the rug.  The other night I stumbled into John's room to feed him during the night.  I tripped on the Duplos!

The next game...he goes on a trip.  The conversation goes like this...

W:  bye bye Mommy...see you later.
Me: bye William.  Where are you going?
There two options here...I'll give you both.
W: Cin-ee-atty / Tus-a-oosa
Me: Who are you going to see?
W: MoMo / Meme
Me: Ok...have fun.
W: See you later.
He leaves the room...waving as he goes.  Few seconds later, he comes back.
W: Home...good trip.

Love his imagination...love his need to repeat these situations over and over again!!!  So fun to watch him develop.

Happy Fourth of July

Today we got dressed in our red, white, and blue...

and headed out to run a few errands.  We made a last minute decision to go out for lunch...a first as a family of six!  We headed to the Causeway...but turned around at Broad Street.  John was fussy and it didn't seem worth it.

Glad we didn't because we would have missed out on doing this..

Happy Fourth of July, everyone!

Halfway...

Believe it or not, we are halfway through the summer.  The boys have been out of school for seven weeks, and we have six more to go.  I have lots of thoughts to share today...bare with me...or don't.  This post is one of those preserving my feelings at this stage in life, so feel free to skip!

The first six weeks were pretty hairy!  As mentioned before, we had good days, bad days, and definitely going half mad days.  About a week ago, I seriously considered my ability to survive!  Chris came home from work to tears...mine!  I had fought John all day to nap and was frustrated.  Chris is always able to look at things from a different perspective.  In addition to reminding me that yes I would survive, we came up with some things to change.

I gave up caffeine.  I began spending only ten minutes trying to get him to fall back asleep from a catnap.  After that, it was the sling or the bouncy seat...from there he could finish the nap or be content to look around.  I also did something Dad suggested many moons ago when I was nursing Philip...throw out the watch.  I decided to be comfortable with nursing on demand. 

But most of all, I changed my attitude.  I am a true believer in the power of a positive attitude.  I began to accept that John is a newborn...not a six month old on a dependable schedule.  I tried to quit complaining about things that I can't change.

The result has been a much better week.  John has been sleeping much better during the day...most likely a result of his maturing, but still a positive!  He's giving me 6 to 7 hour stretches at night making me a happier mom! 

He's smiling lots...at me, his Daddy, and his brothers which everyone loves.  He "talks" to us and has longer periods of awake happy time.  We are all in love with him!

The older boys are doing great...again loving the summer and lack of routine.  The bad news is we have created some bad habits.  They balk at having to wear collared shirts these days...they are much more comfortable going to their drawers and picking out ratty t-shirts and shorts that don't match. 

They have also become a little anti-social!  Philip was invited to a birthday party the other day.  When asked if he wanted to go, he said he'd rather stay home with Daniel.  I did a little encouraging and we decided to go.  At the party, it took a minute for him to warm up.  There are so many pros to having brothers close in age, but we definitely cling to each other in social situations. 

Another bad habit...Daniel and his thumb!  I don't think it has come out of his mouth this summer.  During school, we don't take Sheep along so we have a break from the thumb.  When you're home all day though, there's constant access!  Oh well, fall will fix that, I suppose!

I am looking forward to the last half of the summer.  John is approaching that 8 week mark where we are a little more comfortable taking him out.  But really, we continue to be happy at home...playing outside, building with Legos, and just hanging out!  School and routines are just around the corner!