Fall fun

It's OCTOBER!

I can't believe it.

We've been spending quite a bit of time on the baseball field. Michael is playing coach-pitch baseball. Jason is playing kid-pitch. It has been a nail biter of a season.

On this day, Jason had a game and during a break in the game, I went around the fields to find the other two.



At least they get along. We travel between two different fields for games and Joshua knows this one is more fun than the other. Thank goodness for swing sets and monkey bars. What hams!



Jason got to pitch for the very first time a few weeks ago. We were so nervous for him, but he actually did pretty well. Unfortunately, the ball is a magnet for our little one. If someone is going to get hit by a pitcher, it's Jason. He has been hit four times already this season. We look at the bright side. He gets hit, he gets to walk to first base.



The boys really love school. Jason is enjoying third grade and he is settled into his school. Michael is embracing his role as the SCA representative of his first grade classroom. He is very excited, too, to be receiving a citizenship certificate at a school program tonight. Who knew how excited a 6-year-old would get about something like this?

And, Joshua, well, let's just say that this preschool fits Joshua like a glove. The teachers love him and I really believe they do. And actually, Joshua tells me all the time, "Mommy, I very love preschool."



Doug snapped this picture of Joshua on the first day of school, when he wasn't so sure about the process. No matter what he did, Joshua would not smile.

These days, he really is all smiles, when he's not concentrating on drawing pieces of art for us. I think he has some sort of artistic eye.



He certainly knows when he is not supposed to be someplace, and that's when we get the most brilliant smile of all.



Have a great day!!!!

New beginnings

The beginning of the summer always holds so much promise, of lazy days and lots of time.

We cannot believe all of those hours have passed so quickly.
We packed plenty of things into the kids' time off from school.



We paid a visit to our Nation's Capitol. The boys took a ride in the Metro and saw the sights from inside the moving car.



We visited the Washington Monument (pre-earthquake). Actually, we stopped by the weekend right before it needed to have repairs done because of the tremors.



Only two of the boys made it to the Lincoln Memorial. It was a rather long walk and although we did hear a bit of whining, the boys said it was mostly worth it to see the statue. Of course, we quickly realized why they wanted to get to monument itself. Once there, they asked to be taken to the play area.



Our trio had plenty of sand to play in at the Oceanfront as they came to cheer me on while I finished my second half-marathon. It was so nice to see them, and, well, let's be honest, after the race, it was nice they were all there to hold me up!



We were happy to have squeezed in so much activity before the first day of school. Doug was there to wave Jason and Michael off from the bus stop. No tears as the boys boarded and drove away. They are getting so big!



It's an important year for Joshua--his first year at pre-school. He loves it and from what we can tell, they love him.



The summer has been full of love and fun and we want to thank Amah and Akong for helping us manage all of the drama surrounding Hurricane Irene. We love you very much.



Joshua made a name for himself at a birthday party recently for our friend, Ethan, who turned 10 this year. Our little one, who, as you can see, is inches from the cake, took it upon himself to blow out the candles before the birthday boy could even draw breath.



On that note, we want our loved ones to know that Joshua's real 10th birthday will be a gathering of everyone. :)

We love you very much, Grandma and Grandpa!

Forgetful Tooth Fairy

Joshua hasn't seen a camera he doesn't like.



Perhaps Michael, in the short term, shouldn't take lessons from his baby brother. The poor kid lost both front teeth this past week, AND the Tooth Fairy forgot to pay up. We hope it doesn't scar him. She's all squared up now, but we wonder if this is a story that will come up during Thanksgiving Dinner in ten years or so.



The summer is moving by too quickly. This is what happened one day when we were stuck in the house.




Actually, this is what happened before. The fighting took place later.

Have a great weekend!

Summer lovin'

We are lucky enough to live by the beach. And while we don't spend as much time outside enjoying the sun and the sand as we'd like, when we do, it deserves a moment of celebration.



All three boys enjoyed time in the water during our most recent trip to the beach. For some reason, they REALLY enjoy burying each other in the sand. Jason, as the number 1 boy, always goes first in the sand submersion. By the time it's Joshua's turn, the other two are tired of the sand and are in the water. Poor baby.



Jason and Michael wrapped up a week at a special camp that was tied to Jason's school. A Camp Invention. It must have been good. They came home on the first day of camp and built a roller coaster out of toilet paper rolls. I can honestly say I have never seen them do that before.



Joshua is getting in touch with his inner Picasso. Our poor little baby really doesn't get to experience all that his brothers did. We were buying school supplies for the kids recently and Joshua saw a watercolor set. He begged for it, actually. I wasn't going to get it because the other two never really played with it. But, I caved and he has really loved painting pictures. See his sunrise???



We have also learned this summer the boys really enjoy golf. Yay!!! We're hoping to channel a little bit of Tiger Woods (before the marital distress). Jason absolutely loves to head out to the golf course to hit some balls. Michael is learning but does show some promise.



As always, Joshua is around for the snack.




We hope your summer is going well. We've had the chance to enjoy a little bit of everything. Considering how hot it has been, thankfully, some water has made it into the picture.

Stay cool!!!

Georgia!

We just returned from a wonderful trip to Georgia! Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa, for a great time!



The boys had the chance to spend plenty of minutes outdoors. If you ask the boys their favorite part of the trip, they would say, "The park." Really? The park? After everything they did?



Well...I have to admit the parks were pretty fun.

So, was the planetarium. We visited the Fernbank Science Center and every single adult (Grandma, Doug and I) fell asleep upon taking a seat in those comfy chairs. The three boys stayed wide awake, despite dimmed lights, a slightly dated animated feature and really good chairs that leaned back.




If you keep prodding Jason and Michael about the trip, they may remember a pretty big event. An Atlanta Braves game with Ezekiel, Elijah, Doug and Grandpa.





The night was incredible for all the boys. It started at The Varsity and for Michael, a dream come true. He's taken a big liking to hot dogs and while there, he ate two!!!

The game was a win for the Braves and it was just long enough for the boys to enjoy the sights and sounds of a major league game.



Joshua stayed home and this is what happened to him.

The poor thing never gets a bath. He was so excited to have some time alone in the tub that he allowed me to turn him into Ferris Bueller for just a moment.

Speaking of moments, there are some Joshua moments we should pass along before we forget them. We have been pulling out photo albums and he will stop what he is doing immediately for a peek. He will plop down in our laps and open up the books. It is obvious Joshua cannot imagine a world of pictures without him.

We were looking at a book I put together for Michael. Joshua was not in it at all. He kept pointing to Baby Michael and insisting, "That looks like Michael, but that's really Joshua."

After a while, it was obvious he was tired of repeating himself. Finally, we asked him, "Where's Joshua?" He said, "Joshua not there. He is asleep."

Score!

The kids can't WAIT for the start of summer. You can feel it in their eyes. This is Jason, Michael, Joshua, Jonathan and Ethan enjoying a mid-afternoon slushie.



We have been eating, sleeping and breathing baseball for the last week. So it was nice to visit Natalie's pool and take a dip. Joshua made a beeline for the water and enjoyed every minute of it.



Surprisingly, he and Michael have really taken to the ball fields we have been visiting. They have a routine now. First, they scout out playgrounds, since most of the fields are at elementary schools. Then they beg and plead until I let them get a round on the slides. By the time they get tired of that, we are usually in the third inning or so. Then they come back and watch the game with us.



The last three games have been roller coaster rides. Jason probably played the worst he has ever played in the first tournament game. I know he had to be nervous and there was a ton of pressure on the team. He struck out three times and his last out ended the game. Not a great evening, for sure.



Thank goodness the next day turned everything around. Doug told him he couldn't possibly play any worse than he played the night before. And he was right.



The second game they played was against a team with much, much, much more experience. I don't count the 25-2 whooping they got as a loss. It was just practice. But, Jason truly redeemed himself in the third game! He got on base the first time he hit and the second one...he hit a HOME RUN! Jason is in the middle of the group, getting kudos from his team.



We are so proud of him and of all the boys. Michael is seeing what it's like and now wants to play ball in the fall! More days on the field for me!

Have a great week!

The Boys of Summer

It has been/will be a busy couple of weeks. Jason made the All-Star baseball team and we've been at practice every night.



Thankfully, the two younger boys haven't minded the trips to the ball field. Had this been last year, Joshua would have whined and cried. But Joshua and Michael have started to bond and they play together while Jason is playing ball. In fact, Michael says he wants to play baseball next season. I suppose you could say he is embracing his love of dirt and peanuts. It just means I will spend more time in the same environment!



When you play ball, you have to look the part. Jason, of course, has his team hat. Michael has one, too, from a previous team. When Jason and Michael put on their hats for a trip to the ball field, Joshua told me he wanted to wear a hat as well. He refused to wear anything but his winter "stripey" one.



Gotta love that kid.

The beach & Busch Gardens

We are trying to make an effort to enjoy the attractions around us.
Even Michael. You can see he really got into the mood on a recent trip to the beach.



On this day, it wasn't too hot, the waves weren't too high, the beach not too crowded.

Absolutely perfect.



And yesterday, we were so lucky to be able to visit with Grandma, Grandpa, Ezekiel and Elijah at Busch Gardens. What a treat!



Joshua enjoyed seeing everyone. This is him as he was wrapping up a ride on the merry-go-round.



We did notice he was a bit of a daredevil, running from ride to ride to get a thrill.



Speaking of thrills, there is no doubt Jason rode rides he normally wouldn't because his cousins were there. He so wants to be like them. He rode several roller coasters yesterday and I could see the fear in his eyes walking through the line leading up to them. Afterward, though, he told me his favorite was the "Loch Ness Monster."



I know Doug was thrilled he didn't have to go on every single stomach-turning, high-flying ride, thanks to Ezekiel and Elijah. The boys had a GREAT time together. We did, too.



A nice treat, certainly, as we head into the summer. Speaking of summer, the boys of summer, Jason's last baseball game took place last week. It was a tough season. But this game was AMAZING! They weren't expected to win, the other team was pretty good. The kids started out playing horribly. All of them. It was a team effort, for sure. But then, in the last inning, down 15-6, every single kid pulled through. They rallied all the way back, to 15-14, with the bases loaded and 2 outs. Unfortunately, with Jason on deck, a grounder to first base ended the game. While they didn't win, they certainly made every parent proud. No shame ending a season on such a valiant effort! Onto the lazy days of summer!