Yes, it's been a while since I last posted. My apologies to all my faithful readers out there...you know who you are!This has been a great summer so far. We had an awesome 2-week trip to northern Oregon in the ol' family truckster. The kids are growing like weeds, enjoying the pool and our new grass we planted in the back yard this spring. It only took 4 years to get the dirt patch cleaned up and get some greenery going back there. Actually, it is one huge work in progress with much more in our "Master Plan" yet to accomplish. But the next "to do" is to restore the front door. We are looking a little scary out in front. That's why we spend all our time in the back yard!
Maddy starts 2nd grade at Manchester in the fall. I think she has already read every book in the house and at the county library and is starting in on the second go around. She is so beautiful and intelligent...tall, yet unawkward (unlike her father). Benjamin has been perfecting his BMX, Pirate, and Ninja skills this summer. He is becoming such a good little sword-fighting, gun-toting mercenary. I'm so proud! Ben is actually quite a sensitive fellow. I absolutely love that he attacks me when I come home from work, wanting to do some activity or play one of our games. His favorites are always the ones with the highest risk of some sort of injury...most often on my part. And there is never a dull moment with Samuel. He is so very funny and entertaining. That's when he is not screaming and shouting at us at the top of his lungs (mostly at mom while she's cooking and at all of us while sitting at the dinner table...every single stinking night...fun stuff). He REFUSES to be ignored. 3rd child. Go figure. At least he gave up on the whole "let's-wake-up-10-times-a-night-and- drive-mom-and-dad-insane" thing that he insisted on for his first 16 months. Now he just wakes up every morning at 6am (sometimes 5:30 like this morning) and calls it good. That business aside, we are really having a blast watching his personality come out. All three kids are really growing and developing and Meegan and I are blown away by the process. I have to remind myself a lot these days to step back and notice the details because everything moves by me so fast as we live our day to day lives. I look at Sammy and he's running around acting like a big kid now. But I swear he wasn't even sitting up by himself a few days ago. How did that happen?!
The family picture here is actually from Easter Sunday, but I thought I'd throw it up here so you all can see what I look like when I let our pet gerbil sleep on my face.
More to come. I hope to get some good stuff going on here shortly.
Peas out! CK
