Update overload

It's been too long. I blame it all on Ryan. See, he got me this IPad for mother's day. Shame on him, because now I neglect this dear old laptop that holds all of my pictures, therefore all of my blog ideas.  So I re-aquainted with the computer tonight. Oh, and also, on that nice IPad there is an Instagram app, so I will shamefully admit that my dear DSLR has also been neglected.  I actually had to put it out on the counter the other day in order to remind myself (blatantly) that I needed to pick it up...and use it. 

We are already half way through June. Kelly is about to pop and our newest niece, Piper, will be here any day now.  Eleanor will soon know the role of 'big sister' and all of these cousins will move up to make room for the new baby.  We are all very excited.

We've attempted to get in some pool days over the past couple of weeks, but these chilly nights make for some really cold water.  Cold water doesn't seem to bother little kids, but the parents (grandparent...) that have to accompany those little ones...No one is fighting to be the first in the water.  Isabella has fully found her comfort and freedom in the water. She can swim from one side to the other, dive (or belly flop), and loves it.  Declan loves bugs. It works out though because keeping an eye on two in the water is always easier than three. Declan enjoys the outskirts...where all the bugs live. Quinn still thinks she's four....maybe five.  She has claimed her love for water wings and mimicks Eleanor, hopping right off the step into the pool without missing a beat. Mouthful of water? Not a problem for this girl.  She's fearless and unstoppable.  She gives me a heart attack daily. She is fierce.

Quinn still loves her baby dolls.  Even more, she loves Isabella's baby dolls. She has discovered the carrier and has added 'baby wearer' to her list of loves.  There's nothing like nursing a large toddler, while she wears her baby on her back, twirls her hair and swings her legs back and forth. Nothing like it.

Oh, and markers--they rank pretty high on the things Quinn loves.  I think markers are great for five year olds. Two year olds, not so much.  Even Declan usually has a hot mess all over his hands and forearms when he is finished coloring with a marker.  I admit, I let Quinn have at it though.  She's a marker natural. She knows how to hold it, how to keep it off of her arms, and if a spot dare touch her finger, I can be sure she will ask me to wipe it off before that marker touches paper again.  She can handle a marker.

Father's Day is approaching and as exciting as holidays/events are now that the kids understand, it requires quite a bit more planning.  See, we've always encouraged Isabella and Declan to talk to us, be open, be honest, and not keep secrets.  The whole 'not keeping secrets' part, fails us when it comes to gift giving time. Ryan no longer tells them what 'they' are getting me for any holiday and if they make something, it's usually the day of so they don't have time to spill the beans.  On Monday it was rainy and yucky out so we decided to work on some Father's Day "surprises."  I again explained the importance of letting our ideas be a surprise.  Isabella was totally on board and I was pretty sure Declan wasn't even paying attention to me. So, we did our thing, packed it up and went about our day. You know, another seven or so hours of doing something totally un-related to Father's Day. But, not to worry--as soon as Ryan got home, Isabella grabbed his hand and told him all the sweet things she was going to do since it was 'almost Father's Day.' Then she told him that he was going to love watching the thing we did for him.  I took her aside and whispered in her ear, "Isabella, if you tell him that he is going to 'watch' something, then don't you think he may know what we made?" She smiled and said "oh, yeah.  Hey dad, it's not a video, you just put that out of your mind! I am not telling you what we made for you."  Ryan looked at me. I looked at Ryan. He smiled. I laughed, shrugged, and said I had no idea what she was talking about.  Seriously, having kids is pretty awesome. (And I totally remember ruining some surprises when I was a kid.  I was the worst...)

Isabella has a thing for statues. This is a stone bunny that I had taken down from the mantel when I was painting. She adopted it as her own and played with it all day.  Gave it a collar, made it a home in her lunchbox, and fed it wooden food.  I don't even know what else to say about this.

Declan has changed so much in these past few months.  He is still so much 'Declan' in only a way that people close to him can understand, but I feel like I've learned a lot about him.  Declan's never been one to wander far, but nature has captivated him and pulls him in like nothing I've seen before.  He can spend the longest time running around our entire property after one butterfly.  He is determined to catch any and all bugs that pass in front of his line of vision. But he's amazing. He's slow, he's methodical, and he's careful.  I kid you not, we don't need a fly swatter in our house because Declan can creep up behind a fly and get it with his hand every time.  He can catch a butterfly or a moth 9 times out of 10. He spots ladybugs from 15 feet away.  He can catch a jar full of lightening bugs in five minutes.  He is fascinated and he is in love.  He wants to know all there is to know about slugs, worms, caterpillars, and salamanders.  Our library basket overflows with non-fiction books about every animal, bug, creature, and dinosaur possible.  He wants to be a T-Rex so that he doesn't have to be afraid of anything.  I love his curiosity. I won't lie...his curiosity exhausts me.  Life is very fascinating to this little 3 1/2 year old.

My Aunt Penny, who is out-of-this-world thoughtful, sent Declan a box of large bugs that she has collected for her grand-kids over the years.  Complete with tweezers and a very interesting collection, this boy was in H.E.A.V.E.N.  He told any and every body that would listen, about his bugs for a solid week after receiving them in the mail.  Pure amazement.  Aunt Penny, we appreciate this gift more than you know.  You made a bug loving boy happier than you can imagine.

Okay, catch-up complete. Now on to some little things. Every day, simple things that make me smile:

There's nothing like dressing like your baby doll. In truth, this outfit lasted about the length of time it took for me to snap this picture. You know, because the sleeves weren't the right length, the velcro didn't close right, the zipper itched......

Who loves it when their mom suggests they do something that seems so completely obvious, it's ridiculous?  I just remind myself that that's what mom's are for. I hope when my kids are grown, all of my smart mom ideas decide to present themselves...

Oh, this idea: Declan can drive me insane on any given day (hello, no naps!).  There are times that I feel like I am a referee yet I'm still not calling all the shots...or is it that the players aren't listening?  Anyway, mom suggested putting Declan in the high chair as a way to "confine" him (and for the record, being "confined" feels good for Declan). So, Declan meet high chair. High chair, meet Declan. It is a happy place that he actually enjoys (especially with play-doh or a piggy bank full of coins...).

When the girls wait in the car at Lowes, while the boys go in to buy boring things like trim, we eat grapes, people watch, and pretend we're old enough to sit in the front seat.

Meet Oscar.  Mia's new cat.  Or is it Isabella's new cat? Or Declan's? Oh, wait, maybe Quinn has claimed him now. He's the new object of everyone's affection. Can you tell?

Big sisters are always very helpful in finding jewelry that doesn't interfere with their "real" jewelry. And for teaching littles' how to make funny faces.

I mis-counted, and Isabella let me know that she knew exactly how to count down.  She knew she had four more sleeps (which is how she looks forward to anything...by how many 'sleeps' she has left) and every single morning she hopped in our bed, said "mommy, only three (two, one) more sleeps until I get to take these earrings out and put in my pearls!"  That morning was no different, and although we were maybe a day or two off (oops) we made the switch and she was happy (way happier than she appears here for the record).

It was a family affair.  Viewing a hole in a sibling's ear was a very, very big deal.

And summer has only just begun.