What goes around...

Just because I can not not remember something like this. And in case you need a good laugh, of course.
Declan and Isabella laid in bed tonight for a good hour before Isabella could not fight it anymore.  She fell asleep and Declan continued to pester her through her deep breathing, thumb sucking, and snoring.  He started calling for me to get him something, but I couldn't understand what he was saying. I walk back to the bedroom and there is Declan with one baby doll wrapped up in my nightgown by his side, the other one curled up in his arms and he's asking me for a "recpipe book." I said "Declan, it's bedtime, why do you need a recipe book?"  He told me that his baby needed to look at recipes.  At this hour Declan, really?  So I picked him up, carried him out the the den and passed him, his babies, and my nightgown, a recipe book. He's been reading it to his babies ever since. Except now he's wearing my nightgown. And Isabella's new shoes. And he's totally zoning out, hopefully having exerted all of his two year old energy.  This boy is a funny one. I can do nothing but smile at him. Even at 10:15pm. He's just that cute.

Today Addie and Jack came over to spend the day with us.  Talk about full circle. I remember when my mom started watching Addie when she was just a baby. I loved holding her, playing with her, rocking her to sleep....Then mom kept Jack as a baby until he too, grew up and went to school.  And now, here they are, the babies I used to hold, holding my babies.  I love friendships that form in this way. From a long time of sharing families, taking care of eachother's babies, loving eachother's babies, staying in touch, and growing up together--across the generations.
And I'm not going to lie. I could totally be fine adopting a 10 year old.  We pulled in the driveway from the library, I left the kids in the car because Declan had fallen asleep and I wanted to put him up in his bed. I came back down and naturally just went out to the garage, but turned around and there's Addie holding Quinn, Jack sitting with Isabella, all quietly, all sweetly, on the couch. Saved me a trip. I could get used to that....

 I warned Addie about this little one in the pool. She's crazy! And she thinks she is two.  Up the steps, down the slide, repeat. Eight hundred times.

 I used to hold these kids when they were this small!

Good, loving, sweet memories with these kids. All five of them. (Declan was sad that he slept through this fun!)