Words of encouragement

Michael continues to surprise us. While he sometimes spent his season of soccer picking flowers and looking around at the other teams on other fields, he genuinely looked forward to his Saturday games. He was disappointed to learn the season would be ending, probably more upset that all of those snacks would be gone as well.

He was especially excited when, after the last game yesterday, he, too, got a medal. After it was placed around his neck, he said, "Now, look, Mommy, I have a medal, just like Jason."



The good thing about Michael--even though he was fairly engrossed in the end of soccer, in his medal, he still had time to notice me.
I swear this came out of his mouth.

"Mommy, you look pretty. I thought you didn't, but now I do."

Always thinking, that one.

Standing tall

We're beginning to stand tall at the house.

Not independently, yet, thank goodness. But it is just a matter of time.



The past couple of weekends have been filled with fun with family and friends. Most recently, it was soccer time.



We were so impressed. Michael played the whole game and he did not pick one flower! He may have even kicked the ball.




The boys and I watched the action closely. Can you tell?



The weekend before, we had the chance to go to Mike and Claire's house, where the fireworks lit up the night sky. As you can see in this picture, the action mesmerized the boys for a moment. But only a moment. Then the questions. "How did the fireworks get up there? Will they blow up the house? Why are they so close? Why are they blue, green, red?" You get the picture.

On two wheels

If anyone was outside this week on my street, they would have seen me jumping up and down.

Earlier this week, it would have been in frustration.

Tonight, it was through sheer joy.



I know, what would I do if something REALLY good happened.
In any case, this is a big deal for Jason.
He learned how to ride a bike without training wheels this week.

We are so proud of him.
He was beaming tonight. On Wednesday, I pushed him down the driveway on his bike, and he screamed and he told me he couldn't do it.

But, tonight, he did it. Turned around in the cul-de-sac, too. Several times.

Yay!

Michael also hit some milestones. He was making strides on his Big Wheel.



Again, Joshua was just happy to be included.

Beach bums

What a bizarre spring!

We've had dog days of summer, we've had winter-like weather this spring--and sandwiched in between--some gorgeous days. Like Mother's Day.

We went to the beach.



The boys had a blast.
They tried to bury as many body parts as they could in the sand.



I don't understand the fun in that, but no matter.



The baby and I ate cheese crackers and watched the waves beat against the shore.



Oh, yeah, and Doug took a nap.

Poker face

We're teaching Boy #3 early the finer points of poker.
A game at the house brought the boys into the kitchen.

Mike says he didn't win a single hand while Joshua was sitting on his lap.

But, he took home the whole pot at the end of the night, so the baby must have brought in some good luck!!!

A tribute to our mothers

Every day should be Mother's Day, Father's Day, Grandparent's Day. But it's not all bad to have a set 24 hours to really focus on the people you love.

The last few months have been very, very difficult to several people close to us. We are thinking of those very strong women today--close friends who have lost parents, who have said goodbye too soon to children, who are dealing with emotional as well as physical issues. We know we are blessed to have our parents and tragedy, as it always does, makes us cherish the memories we have even more.

I have to say Doug wanted to share a gift card to Macy's with our mothers. A nice gesture, yes. Maybe next time. But I hope these pictures from the past, of many of the times we have laughed together, are worth more. Already, Jason, Michael, and Joshua are glued to the screen every time we play these videos.

Cheers to our mothers. We love you! We are so lucky to have you with us.






To all the mothers out there, have a wonderful day!!!

First word?

The baby continues to amaze us with his fantastic personality (unless you catch him right out of a nap). If that happens, good luck.

But feed him and hold him for a few, and you're good to go.

And he's learning his manners.
We think we may have heard his first real word.

He's been saying "mama," "dada," "baba" for a few months.

But at dinner last night, we think we heard a little more.

He did the sign language sign for more food. We gave it to him. I think it was a piece of chicken.

Then, we said, "Joshua, say thank you."

And he did.

"T'ank you."

Catching up

First, a wonderful Happy Birthday to Grandma. We were so glad we could celebrate (a few days early) her special day. We love you!



Grandma enjoyed the birthday cookie (I think! :)

But, it may be safe to say, Joshua enjoyed HIS birthday sweets a little bit more.



Don't get me wrong. Being the third child, he's had cake, cupcakes, cookies, he may have even had french fries, before. But, this is the first time (maybe the last) he's been allowed to feed himself the messy food...icing, sprinkles and all.



We had such a great weekend last weekend. Grandma and Grandpa surely got a tour of the area. One day we went to the Air Show. The boys buckled up on one of the big aircraft, but really didn't get to go anywhere.

Of course, we went to games. Soccer and t-ball were around the same time, so we split up. I was watching Michael run across the field. No flowers last weekend! Notice, though, he is nowhere near the ball.



The baby just soaked up the rays. It was a rather hot one.



Jason played t-ball. I think this is the one where he had a home run. He so loves getting out there.



Just before the weekend got officially kicked off, Michael sang for us in a school program. The "Spring Sing" was a big hit, with our #2 belting out such favorites as "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." His little lady, Jorah, never left his side. I didn't realize Michael was so captivating.




Then we can't forget our trip to a galaxy far, far away.
Actually, it was just the beach. We were there for the March of Dimes March for Babies, and out came Darth Vader and his Storm Troopers.



Jason did a double take. He really was in heaven and even after this photo opportunity, he couldn't stop staring at the Man in Black.



Until next time!
May the force be with you.

Happy Birthday, Joshua!

These next few entries are going to be a little out of order, but forgive me, I'm an emotional mother of a now ONE-YEAR-OLD. No more baby here.

You may be wondering why we would dress the baby/boy in such a fashion. Well, the other two had to do it.

This is one of the Chinese customs we incorporate into first birthdays. We have dressed the boys in red pajamas and try to take a peek into the future.



We lay out several items in a row. We had a toy computer, a cellphone, an envelope of money, a book, car keys, and a lightsaber (thanks, Jason!). Then, we placed baby at the other end, and let him go. Which item did he go to first?



The lightsaber! So it appears our little one is going to be a Jedi Knight, trying to follow in at least one brother's footsteps. And, just because he's #3 and always different, he went from the lightsaber and proceeded to touch every single item in front of him. I suppose that means he'll be a well-read rich warrior specializing in high-tech cars. We can only hope.



Just in the last couple of days, the baby has started to STAND up. Yeah, we're not happy about it, either.



We took him to the doctor yesterday, where we learned he's 30 1/2 inches long and he's 19 pounds 7 ounces. He's not obese, according to the baby's doctor, so he's now drinking 100 percent full-fat milk. And yes, the baby looks a little sniffly. That's because he has an ear infection, even though we didn't know it at the time. The doctor told us that, too!



We had a great little celebration for the Baby's special day. We were so lucky to have Grandma and Grandpa and some dear friends to come and spend it with us. Pictures and stories to come!

There's a reason for everything

So many times Michael's tantrums don't end with us in a good mood.

But this one had us rolling.

This morning, the two brothers just wanted to start the morning off with some television. While waiting for Doug to wake up, Jason put his face up to the baby monitor in his room and breathed, "Daaadddy....we would like to watch TV, please. Daaaadddy....TV, please!"

On the other end, Doug was forced awake.

He went upstairs and told the two they could watch for a bit.

He went downstairs.

And Michael started to scream. If you've ever heard him do this, it is ear-piercing and rather hard to ignore.

Doug went back upstairs.

"Why are you screaming, Michael?"

Michael said, "Because Jason won't let me watch my cartoon."

And Daddy asked, "Well, did the screaming help?

"No, but Jason wouldn't change the channel when I wasn't screaming."

Good point.

He's pushing for change in his own little way.

On the right note

It's T-ball Wednesday and Jason sure was pumped for the game. A minimal amount of fuss getting him into his Braves uniform and squeezing his feet into his cleats.

Michael was excited as well.

He started to sing.

"Take me out OF the ball game...."

I didn't say anything, but Jason couldn't let it go.

"No, Michael, It's take me out TO the ball game...."

"Ok," said Michael, "Take me out to the ball game....Buy me some peanuts and APPLE jacks...."

Well, he got the tune correct at least.

Unfortunately for Jason, the game got called when we got to the field. Good news for Michael, though. He will have another chance to practice his singing.

Easter egg-citement

Easter seems like a long time ago, doesn't it?
We're all still in the spirit of the season, though. The boys continue to find new chocolate in those plastic-filled shells. The dentist will be thrilled. Those brightly-colored eggs seem to be multiplying inside our house.



I was going to have an egg hunt in our backyard, but our friends and neighbors beat me to the punch.



What a treat for the kids to search for prize-filled eggs in new surroundings! Natalie hosted a little party (pictures above). Before that, Miss Anne, Baby Joshua's babysitter, brought the kids together (pictures below).




She even brought out the Easter Bunny, but as you can see, Baby Joshua would have enjoyed it more if the big bunny had stayed home.




Not to worry. Miss Mary (Miss Anne's mother-in-law) always manages to put a smile on 'oshie's face. And vice-versa.



I am happy to say we made it to Easter mass. And we got there early, so the children actually had a place to sit. It was a cold morning, so the kids were dressed in many layers, but thankfully, they allowed us this snapshot before they started whining about tearing it all off.

It has been something to see the changing relationship between the three brothers. Jason is beginning to embrace the role of big brother, Michael is taking on the middle child syndrome (you know, 'Why is it always Marsha, Marsha, Marsha?'), and Baby Joshua is just delightful, I suppose because he's just thrilled to be remembered.

The other day I overheard Jason say something I'm sure warmed Doug's heart. They were watching a commercial on ESPN, something about football, and out of Jason's mouth comes, "Daddy, what do you think about Georgia's chances this season?"

What!!? He's six. They talked football for the next ten minutes, games, scores, players. This is the just the beginning, isn't it?

Then there's Michael, who is a true treasure--when he is in a good mood.
We were discussing our trips to the beach last year and our flower child was recalling his first experiences with sand. I believe I wrote about it when it happened, but if you missed it, here goes. Michael ate it up. Vegetables don't touch his lips, but sand, no problem.

All of a sudden he said about the sandy beach, "One time I was eating a piece of sand and it was like magic in my mouth."

We'll be watching him closely on our next trip to the beach.



What would Easter be without a little bit of soccer? Michael had a game Easter weekend, and while we thought he was getting more interested in the game, we realized maybe he's better suited for something else.

Flowers, again, were the focus. This time, he stopped several times during consecutive quarters to look for some pretty flora to take home.



In the meantime, we are simply waiting for the big milestone that awaits Baby Joshua. He turns one on Saturday!



Grandma and Grandpa are coming into town to celebrate and we can't wait to see them. You can tell Baby Joshua is ready!

It had to be done

He's not yet a year old (close, though). But, I had to do it. Couldn't wait any longer. Get it?

This is the before.



Here is the after.



It's a new era for Baby Joshua.
Yes, it is really the same baby, although it looks like we did a bit of a switcheroo, doesn't it?

Thanks to Mr. Jack, our #3 has a new 'do. And, guess what? He was delightful for his first cut. We weren't sure what to expect, but as you can see, not a peep from Baby 'oshie.




And Mr. Jack as well as one of his colleagues were quite busy. All three of our boys sat in the chair for a pre-Easter trim.




You can tell they needed it! More to come from a great weekend with family and friends.

Hope your Easter celebrations were joyous!!

Taking sides

Our weeks are filled to the brim with sports, not the kind you'll find on the news, the kind you'll only appreciate if you're a spectator.

We did plenty of spectating this weekend.

Michael has been so looking forward to his second soccer game which took place this morning. He admitted it was all because of the snacks, but this week, he was really into the game. No picking flowers. Maybe the snacks (fruit juice and chips) are really an incentive.



Here he is during a practice drill, kickin the ball into the goal. He ran after the ball during the entire game, too. No goals, but we're hopeful he'll show a fierce side soon. Maybe if I offer him a chocolate cake after the game???



During Michael's soccer game, Jason had Opening Ceremonies for his season of T-ball. Of course it was at the same exact time. As a coach, Doug had to be on the field as well, so no pictures.

Their game was in the afternoon, so we all had the chance to watch. This is the only picture I could capture, though. It shows Jason and one of his closest friends, Tommy, side by side.

Jason really had a fantastic day on the ball field. His first time at bat, he hit a home run!!! The second time, he hit a triple. We're still talking about that feat.



Joshua had the pleasure of being carted around. Literally. He's old enough to enjoy a ride in my backpack baby carrier. He hated it a few months ago, but today, during a walk after dinner, he seemed to like it just fine.



You can tell by his face. He is probably thinking it's better than sitting in a stroller watching big kids kick soccer balls and hit balls into the air. If he only knew it is only the beginning. Until next week!

Flower child

Big day today, with the official start of Michael's journey into organized sports.
For so many years (okay, like three), it has always been Jason's activities. Today, it was Michael's turn.
He has been wanting to play soccer for several months, and today, couldn't wait for his first practice and game. I think I even pulled him out of a tantrum mid-scream to remind him we were heading to the soccer fields.

The practice was a lot of fun. Michael was very into the action. He dribbled the ball, and kicked it into the goal, just like the other kids. Here he is, deep in concentration before a kick.



Then a funny thing happened when the referee blew the whistle. He started to notice how beautiful it was outside. And, while I've never seen him pick a flower before, nor have I ever seen him hold it up to his nose to take in its scent, I saw it today. On the soccer field.



He was enthralled with the flora surrounding him. Actually, they would be weeds, but he didn't care. He even gathered some friends to pick flowers with him. All of us parents of those flower children were screaming, "Run after the ball! RUN AFTER THE BALL! PUT DOWN THE FLOWERS! THE BALL IS OVER THERE!"

Mercifully, Michael started to get the hang of it and the screaming on our parts subsided a bit.

Until next week.

This day was all about sports. Before Michael's game, we had pictures for Jason's team. The Atlanta Braves. Doug is one of the coaches, and both of course are thrilled to be a part of such a great organization. :)




We're dreaming big here. Hope you have a great weekend!