Monday, June 29th, 2009

Hard to believe that the first month of summer is over. It's going really fast, as is the rest of life. I keep looking at my kids and freaking out to a certain extent about how big they are getting. If life continues to speed along like this, I am going to be an empty nester in no time...and I'm not sure how I'm giong to do with that!!!

Anyway, for now the kids are small enough that they say and do hilarious things without even knowing it.

Jack has taken to adding one last prayer before bed that goes, "And please, God, sell our house." He asked me today if we were going to sell our garage, too, or just our house. And tonight before bed, he wanted to kow how we were going to get his bed to our new house (which, for the record, we do not have a new house!) and who would be driving the moving van. I mean, I consider myself a planner, but he defiantely has me beat on this one.

In Target the other day, I was looking for birthday cards and Jack was just kind of trapsing around with nothing to do. Until, that is, he spotted a kind-looking lady who was also shopping for cards. Apparently she looked like good bait, and he went right up to her and said, "I play soccer." Of course, she turned out to be a very nice lady and entertained all of his questions and stories. After about 5 minutes, I pulled him away from his new friend. He has no problem appraoching a perfect stranger.

When we go to the rec center, Jack and Mallie run ahead of me and stop at the front desk to chat with the ladies there. They just run up and yell, "HIIIIIII!" at these poor, unsuspecting ladies. Then they tell them, "We're going to kids' club" or "We're going swimming" or wherever we are going.....Actually, the way this conversation goes is more like Jack telling the ladies where we are going, and then Myna Bird Mallie repeats him word for word. They love the kids up there. Jack and Mallie (along with Cael) were some of the first kids to ever go to kids club there. So Miss Michelle and Miss Pam are huge fans of theirs and when we started going back after Annie was born, it was like two celebrities returning home!

At breakfast this morning, Jack and Mallie were waiting for their food and spotted poor Theresa next door going out to her garage. The two of the yelled, "Hi Theresa!!!!" about 30 times over and over again....and she continued (bless her heart) to return the salutations. Of course, Mallie says something more like, "Hi TeeeeTaaaa!!!" Theresa is such a sweetheart to both of them and always makes time to chit chat. They are pretty good pals. I just never know if they are over-stepping their bounds with her and don't want her to feel obligated to engage them in the 1/2 hour conversation they want to have with her!!



Annie is pulling herself up on things now. I went into her room after her nap and she was on her knees in her crib, holding on to the bars. I remember the other kids starting to do this, and it always made me laugh because they can get themselves up there, but then have no idea what to do from there. They just stand there, crying because they are scared to fall!!

Annie has also been babbling the syllable, "Baa baa baa baa" yesterday and today, over and over again. I made her a bottle this evening and when she saw it, her little face lit up and she said, "Baa baa!!!" clear as day and very purposefully. Tommy was holding her and I thought he was going to drop her because we were both so surprised to hear it. Even if she doesn't say it again soon, I'm going to consider this her first word, because it was so clear and undeniable!

Annie and I were sitting on the floor today plyaing and she started getting fussy and rubbing her eyes. Then she started babbling, "Maa maa" .... which, to me- the mom who is just ready to pounce on anything to tell everyone she is 'talking'- sounded like she was calling my name. I do think she is going to be talking by her 1st birthday though. She's practicing a lot already!


We played a game of pick-up baseball today at the park. We walked to Bohlken park and Jack brought his ball and bat to play on the big fields they have there. The grounds crew was working on the fields though, so we just started playing on the grass next to the playground. Within 5 minutes, 3 other boys came over to play with us. As each one came up to ask to play with us, Jack would run up from the pitcher's mound and say, "Oh, hey bud!", like he knew they guy his whole life. We had a lot of fun! Jack is extremely in to baseball right now. His hand-eye coordination is getting really good too.