Baseball Season is Over

Cool Shades

Ben showing his support.

My big boy did t-ball this summer.  He has improved so much.  Stevie really seemed to really enjoy t-ball.  Seeing him play was such a joy.  I can't believe he is making such awesome hits without the tee.  Stevie played awesome on the field as long as he got to touch the ball.  It was always a mad house as the kids attacked the ball and Stevie was no different.  My heart breaks just a little as I realize how big he is getting.  We are so blessed.

Throwing to 1st base.

Batter Up

Waiting to bat!

Dinner Time

 I love that my kids want to help with dinner.  They want to be involved in everything!  It makes things take longer, but that is when I need to step back and enjoy the moment.  It will be too soon when helping will no longer be a fun event with mommy.  Dinner was steak and sweet potato fries.  The men did the meat and us girls did the fries.  It turned out pretty well!

Marker Attack

I left Abbie alone for five minutes while she was coloring and she turned herself into the joker!  And got Benny involved.  Thank goodness we buy washable markers because she likes to do make up alot.

Garden

Abbie's Tomatoes

We finally have some produce out of out garden.  It wasn't much, but it was a start.  Too bad the dog dug up part of the garden a few days later.  Ben sure enjoyed our soup we made.  Abbie at least let me use one of her tomatoes for the soup since she wolfed the tomatoes down after we picked them. 

Stevie's Veggies

Ben enjoyed his soup

Abbie eating her matoes

Stevie trying a tomato

Last Day of School

Today was the last day of school.  Bittersweet day for mommy.  Stevie had a fun day and got to take his bike to school.  We spent so much time outside today and got our garden finished up.  You know it is an exciting day when everyone is ready for bed at 8.  My little boy is officially done with preschool and will start pre-k next year.  And my baby girl will start preschool.  Where does the time go?

Summer time

 Boy was this a busy busy day.  We were outside practically all day.  It was so nice out even a little warm.  With lots of "help," we started the garden planting.  Let's see how long we can keep this thing alive.  The kids are loving the new "jumpy thing."  It definitely helps tire them out for the day.  Too bad Abbie didn't want to take a nap and was on an emotional break down at 4.  It was easily an early bedtime.  I love that summer time is here.

Graduation

Thank goodness my baby is not graduating this year because that would make me super sad.  He did awesome at his performance today.  I loved that he actually sang.  My little man is getting so big.  He has been telling me all year that he wants to be a police man (sometime fire man) when he grows up, but right now it is a window man.

We're mobile

Ben's crawl is almost mastered.  It is more of a leap frog action.  He gets up on all fours and lunges forward to get back on his knees again.  I also caught him sitting up by himself today....ahhhh.  Five minutes later the kid is trying to stand up.  I am so not ready for this.  Almost 8 months and trying to stand.

I spy

In the car today, I was trying to keep Abbie awake.  I started playing I spy with the kids since they seem to like that game.  I asked Abbie to find a blue cow.  Steve then tells me cows are not blue.  I asked him what color they are and he responds "they are black and white, just like a panda bear."  That stopped me in my tracks and made me laugh.

7 Months old

Today my baby is 7 months old and I don't know where the time went.  He is sitting up on his own really well now and just a little drool fest.  He loves his jumperoo.  He gives wet slobbery mooches (open mouth and everything).  Time is going so fast and it makes me so sad.  It's not helping that I am watching Glee and they are starting the goodbyes as kids go off to college and I am realizing that time will come far too soon for me.  All my kids are growing so fast.  Happy 7 month birthday Benny!

Stevie is such a big boy now.  He did really well at soccer tonight.  He has such a big heart and wants to help.  He does really well in school.  I can't believe preschool is almost over.  Most days he drives me crazy, but I need to remember that I wouldn't have it any other way.  All the constant questions and curiosity that only a 4 year old can have.  Just looking back at his pictures of him growing up, I can't believe what a fine young man he is becoming.

Abbie, Abbie, Abbie.  She has hit her 2's.  She is full of energy and loves to climb and dance.  She is going to start preschool in the fall and it makes me so sad.  I could do without the screaming and attitude, but I know it is her stage.  I just need to keep patience and that is my struggle.  

Crawler

Ben is trying so hard to crawl.  All last night he kept getting on his hand and knees.  This morning he was rocking back and forth.  He is so close to figuring it out.  It makes me sad since I will know have to keep up with 3 munchkins and it means he is growing.

Spring is here.

The weather is awesome and my kids love to be outside.  Sandboxes are awesome (at least until all the sand ends up inside and we have to vacuum.

Pedicures

I took some me time on Sunday and got a pedicure.  Oh how I love pedicures and thing I should got more than once every 6 months but what can you do.  While Stevie was in school, Abbie and I sat down to color.  She seemed to be pretty entertained coloring her fingernails.  Granted, I could not find an empty page in her coloring book, so I need to get to the dollar store.

Abbie has been staring at my toes and touching them and keeps commenting on my pretties.  We have to put "pretties" in her hair every morning and she had to have pretty dresses on so I just assumed the markers on her nails were for more pretties.  When she started using it as lipstick too, I asked her if she wanted pretty toes.  She was super excited and even sat still for me to paint.  Once I was done, she kept touching her own sparkly toes.  I am glad to have such a girlie girl!

Stevie's check up

Like father, like son!

Since my boy turned 4 last month, it was his turn for the doctor.  After a morning of much needed bible study, off to the clinic we went.  This boy is now 35 pounds and half an inch shy of 40 inches.  He is almost big enough for a booster seat.  The hardest part of the day for him was the shots (mine was the constant waiting since we were there for 2 hours).  Since Stevie went with me when Ben got his shots last week, all morning I heard "I don't want shots."  I kept telling him, we would have to see what the doctor said.  He was then trying to negotiate for only one.  It was a tantrum down the hall to immunizations and then in the room  Even tonight, he is limping around complaining about his shots.  Poor kid.  The good news is Dr. Schilz told Stevie he was healthy enough to go back to school.

Teething

Abbie is finally on her last molar.  This poor girl is having such a hard time with her teeth.  Even tonight, she was just crying when I put her to bed.  She kept pointing to her mouth and telling me it hurts.  After some teething tablets, motrin, and Mommy giving in to her request for snuggle time, she finally fell asleep.  I am a sucker for snuggles especially when she begs.  Thank goodness it is the last for her.  Of course it is just in time for Ben to start.

It didn't stop her from having Daddy's Buffalonian roots.  Dinner time, she couldn't get enough of his wings and those things were spicy.

Soccer and Painting fun

Our early morning started out with Stevie's second soccer game.  I almost want to count it as a first since the first one he had a hard time and cried through most of it.  This game was awesome.  Since his team is so small, he had to play all of it and we had very little crying.  He tried goalie for half a quarter and that was not fun for him.  It was sad that Daddy had to miss because Stevie scored his very first goal!  I am so proud of him for playing so hard and he did such a great job.

Getting ready to kick

Go Stevie

Goalie

We had a family paint adventure after soccer and a yummy breakfast.  Stevie and Abbie got to pick out their own projects at a local paint store.  It was a blast and not even a complete mess.

Naturally, we had to continue the fun once we got home and Ben got to paint for the very first time.  He looked like he enjoyed it and none of it went into his mouth.

He jumped right in

Checking things out

Love this picture

 Hopefully Aunt Debbie will enjoy her birthday present, but I do need to get another one for Ben to do because I just can't part with his first project.