Six

How is it possible? My baby is six!

Tyler James,

Where to start with you…

To begin with you are an absolute joy these days. I am so proud of the young boy you have become! You are an awesome older brother and are looking forward to practicing even more with the new baby. I know that you are going to love and protect him and for that I am grateful!

You are starting your second season of T-Ball, but this year with the Bronco’s. I love watching you in the outfield, with your mitt… looking for four leaf clovers. Hang in there bud, you will find one some day. Let’s just hope you don’t get hit in the head with the ball before then. Although you are a strong T-Ball player, soccer is your love and you keep asking when you can play again.

In school you are an “enjoyable and mature student”, so Mrs. Hawksford says. I take pride in all the artwork that you bring home and keep the special ones tucked away for you to look back on when you are older. My favorite part of each day is when I get to come and pick you up from school. Without fail everyday, as I drive up, there you are with the biggest smile on your face and waving at me as if you haven’t seen me in a week. Then you promptly get in the car and ask if we are going to Nana and Boppa’s.

Your new found love, and my enemy, is zombie farm. You would play it all day if I let you. And believe me, I have thought about it just so you would get sick of it and not want to play it again. Somehow I don’t think it would work though because you are obsessed. We also enjoy a little friendly competition on the board games, although I still have to let you win unless I want to face your wrath.

You continue to be very observant and inquisitive. Matter of fact, it was brought to my attention that one day in carpool with the Lovejoy’s (who have 3 girls) you were so observant that you decided to announce that you were indeed the only one in the car with a penis. That’s my boy, always taking it all in. Katie had a little explaining to do when she got home I hear.

Tyler James, I couldn’t imagine this family without you! Yes, you do provide us with your fair share of drama, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. You are kind, respectful and loving… I couldn’t ask for more out of my son. Thank you for being you, buddy. We love you… MORE!

There's a Major in the house.

Today Dan was pinned as a Major and I couldn't be more proud!

Tyler got to do the honors of pinning and punching (an Army tradition) while Alex watched from afar.

We love you daddy and we are so proud of everything you do!

The terrible two's ain't got nothing on this baby!

( I was in the midst of a great little post on the ways being a mother to boys is so wonderful. Well, today I am not so sure so this one is taking it's place for now.)

Don't let this sweet little blond haired, blued eyed boy fool you...

because I am pretty sure he is possessed by the devil!

I am not sure what to call this, the terrible two's, a strong willed child, a really bad phase. Whatever it is, it sucks and I want my sweet baby back!

A little bit of Bainbridge

Come monday the boys and I needed out of the house. I had had a long weekend at work and the boys had had a long weekend cooped up from the cold. Well, except for Tyler who got to get out for some skiing in some half way decent snow finally.

We decided to pay our good old PEPS friends Colin, Alexa and Janet a visit on Bainbridge Island. Alex was more than amazed by the fact that we got to drive our car onto the boat. And was not all too thrilled when we also had to exit the boat. I am quite sure that the only word he said the whole time we were riding was "boat" over and over again. Our at the house was not so relaxing, shall I say. Our boys, for some reason, feel it imperative that every time they see each other they wrestle... until someone gets hurt. That's what happens when you get 2 all- boy boys together I guess. Something that I am sure I will come to except over the year, but at this point it just seems so barbaric.

Needless to say, Janet and I felt it important to get them out of the house despite the 38 degree temperature. Off to the beach we went. It was fun... for about 15 minutes until I was so cold I couldn't talk and Alex was curled up in a ball next to me now reciting "cold" over and over. The boys though, not them. They were deep in some pirate or army game, I am not quite sure, but they were not ready to go. After much persuasion and a bribe of hot chocolate we got them in the car just as it started to rain.

It still amazes me that these boys are nearly six years old. It seems like yesterday that we were 10 sleep deprived, coffee dependent, breast feeding-stuggling momma's gathered in a big circle trying to keep our emotions in check as we chatted about the trials of being a new mom. Now here we are, six years later, still struggling with the trials of being a mom (of boys), but a little less sleep deprived and a lot more sane (most of the time). Thanks Janet for a fun visit. No matter how old they get it is always fun to have someone that is going through the exact same things!

On the way home we opted to stay in the car on the boat in hopes that Alex would take a nap. Well, the nap was a failure. But we played some fun games and took some fun pictures in the mirrors.

And so it begins!

Best. Buds. Forever.

They don't know it now, but some day these guys will be the best of buds.

Right now, they just need to learn to share their toys!

This is the reaction we got when it was time to leave the park. Classic.

All Kathryn and I could do was laugh the whole way home. I guess that's the key to being a mom to boys... just LAUGH!

I run…

Because that’s just what I do.

I ran until 9 months while pregnant with Tyler.

I ran until 8 months pregnant with Alex.

Not because I LOVE it, not for that “runner’s high” that rarely comes (especially when pregnant) and most definitely not because I am good at it.

I run because I love the way I feel when I am done.

I run because it gets me out of the house with this little one.

I run, he watches Elmo.

I run, that’s just what I do. But for some reason the little bean has different plans. Apparently that’s just not what he does. Nope, he does everything in his power to get me to not run. The last few weeks I have gotten increasingly harder thanks to this little man. He has found it quite fun to use my bladder as a trampoline. Now my runs are not planned by what scenery I would like to take in on a particular day but rather how many bathroom stops I can plan along the way. Lucky for me I have Magnuson park in my backyard. A park where there is a port-a-potty, a bathroom, or a tree (yes, I have contemplated it) every 100 yards. Today on my 5 mile “run” I managed to hit up 4 of them!

So for now, little man, the score is

Mommy: 1

Bean: 0

…and I still run!