Happy Father's Day!

A video clip we made for Eric of the boys singing a special father's day song!

Dear Daddy,

Just wanted one more chance to tell you what a generous, loving, hard-working dad you are!

xoxo Love, Mom, Cal, Ben, and Seth

Look Ma!

Getting into just about EVERYTHING...and loving it!

Car Wash and Stand!

He's dying to stand on his own!

The boys washing Millie

Off the Charts

At Cal's preschool graduation - not that he graduated.

It's come to light that we've added yet another spunky little dude to our clan. Even the parents of a 4-day-old baby were unable to pass Seth by in the doctor's office without stopping to smile and say hello to him. Friday was Seth's 9-month visit and I was told he literally dropped off the chart for weight. He only weighs 16lbs 1oz (Ben weighed 2lbs more and Cal 3.5lbs more at 9 months!). Mind you, Seth is in the 25th percentile for height though. No small feat for us dwarfs over here. The doctor recommended that I nurse him and give him baby food all at the same time rather than space it out like I normally do. I have to say, I think it's working. I don't know if it's coincidental but he's also been sleeping longer so I'll take it!

The doctor also commented that he thought Seth would be "an early walker". How he came up with this, I'm not really sure. The child didn't even sit up on his own prior to this visit so I sort of dismissed the comment. But as if on cue, as soon as we got home I witnessed him sit up on his own and then pull himself up to his feet using a toy piano all in one day! What?! Did he HEAR the doctor say that and then just comply? I guess I better watch out - I might have another walker soon!

Other than that, not too much to report. I'm glad that summer is here (sort of). First of all, the weather hasn't been TOO summer-like yet...but also, each new season brings it's own problems. Summer adds to the already overflowing laundry now that water and sand play are in. Sand gets freakin' everywhere (floors, sheets, you name it) and I'm not just talking about going to the beach. The sandbox in my backyard is the bane of my existence. As soon as they ask, "Mom can we go in the sandbox?" My gut reaction is to say "NO!" but then I think, "Well, what's it FOR then?" and let them get all messy...sigh...it doesn't help that my semi-OCD child AKA Ben loves to go in the sand box or play in the water table UNTIL he gets all dirty or wet and then he's like a friggin' broken record..."Mommy I need to get cleaned up", "Mommy I dirty" "Mommy I wet" "Mommy change my pants...shirt...shoes...". I don't change him because he'll just go back out and do it all over again. We change their clothes 4 times a day as it is already. It'd be 20 times a day if Ben had his way.

I'm torturing myself over what to do about Cal and swimming lessons. The child has had "swim lessons" since he was 2. Can he swim? you ask. Nope. Not even close. Why? I DON'T FREAKING KNOW but I think it's more lack of attention to each student than that he can't do it. But classes have now filled up and private or semi-private lessons are more than I really want to pay for...plus Cal is already signed up for soccer and whiffle ball and I can't justify having to cart the other two around for ANOTHER activity for their older brother. Ben won't go in the pool...another issue I'm just ignoring. I'm hoping as the weather warms up we might be able to convince him it's a good idea to go in. That's the thing with Ben though you can't gently coax or convince him to do anything...if he doesn't want to do it, he literally screams like you're abusing him if you try to make him. He also refuses to pedal a bike....this makes me so sad that he won't ride his bike but he just WON'T. No swings either. He does use the slide on our swingset but that was not without tough love and lots of tears. He first figured out how to climb up the slide (now he can climb up the ladder) but once he was up at the top he didn't want to slide down. Well, sorry kiddo, this mommy isn't helping and there's only one way down - the slide. So he cried and fussed and begged and pleaded with everyone that was there to help him. He tried to tell me he was sick, he needed his diaper changed, he was hungry...I told him all he needed to do was go down the slide. Eventually he slid down and was happy about it but not without a lot of drama. Good luck to me potty training him for September, right? I'm already trying to concoct ways to make it "his idea". He asks me about preschool every day so I'm hoping that is enough personal incentive for him to potty train. If not, there's always marshmellows and cookies and ice cream :)