It has been forever since I have posted anything, I don't know if anyone even checks here anymore!  Regardless, I have some things I want to document for the boys, and I figure Noah's birthday today is a good reentry point.  So here he is, my 8 year old boy. 

Monkey see monkey do.  How they care for one another when they are not fighting with one another nearly makes me melt. 

With Daddy in the outfield.  Have I ever mentioned that Peter is helping to coach baseball even though he has never played in his life?  Learning because of love.

Memorial Day Parade.

He does this on his own.  The peanut butter in our sandwich.  Don't go in the road, Will...

William, crouched down by the door staring at something--

Mommy, this ant wants to go outside. It's crawling around all over the place and it's saying "I want to go outside."

Tree decorating, feeding doll

 

 

 

William loves to hang stull of other stuff these days.  It's very funny.  We fins scenes like this ll ofver the house.   He also loves to make webs with yarn.  Sometimes from one of my knitting projects, which is not so fun.  He also enjoyed feeding his new doll, for about 2 minutes, but hey, I take what I can get.   

Oh dear

William just walked into the kitchen, opened to door to the fridge, and stood there looking inside. When I asked him if I could help him with something he replied--

Um, I would like to make an experiment...

I think I've heard this somewhere before.

Weekend

 

 

 

Exciting weekend at The Millers-- Noah received his green belt in karate and Henry learned to ride his bike without training wheels!!

Remembering this morning, that when my sweet Noah was a newborn and in the Special Care nursery with and IV in his head and a feeding tube down his nose, we had to be very careful to not overstimulate him or his vitals would change, for the worse. His breathing coordination would become confused, his heart rate would change. Calm and steady holding, no rocking, not too much talking. Just sit and hold him, they would tell me. You don't need to talk or even move. Just sit and hold him. Things change and lessons are learned during times like these. Sometimes maybe some of the most important lessons.

William's grape juice spilled on the couch the other day. I picked up his cup to find exactly this. I like to think that someone was talking to me.

Me- William, it's time for you to go to bed.

William- I certainly not!

Things that are impossible for me to refuse...

A two year old asking for an "ice-cream subway".

William and Henry did not want to get in the car this afternoon to get Noah from a friend's house. William asks why he has to go, and I explain that it is not safe for him to be here alone, he is 2, etc. 2!! He asks again, and I explain that it is the law. (That'll get him.) He gives me that squinty face he does, looking around the kitchen, and says "Mommy, I no see no wetters."

Oy.

Noah climbed into the car today after an after-school play date and said to his brothers,

"Hi guys, how are you? I missed you today."

I just wanted to remember that.

Super Bowl

If we could have only know how significantly our lives would change by having kids. Crazy. Golf, Cub Scouts, the Super Bowl. Noah was so excited about the Super Bowl tonight. He applied face paint (magic marker) to his and Henry's face and put on his football shirt. Life with these three boys is so much fun. Totally just Holdin' on for their ride...

Henry loves to help cook. He is regularly at the counter helping Peter with our Saturday night pizza and was very eager to help with the hamburger rolls I was making for dinner the other night. There is something about the dough that is very enticing. I highly recommend making bread/rolls with your kids for many reasons. I found a very easy recipe and we used drinking glasses to cut our rolls. (I would pick something larger next time.) It is certainly not much more complicated than play-dough, and you get to eat at the end!

Henry brought "GG's table" and their noodles over to the window so they could see Peter outside (stacking wood, I think) while they were eating. I think she would have liked that.

Pinewood Derby Day

Today was Pinewood Derby day for Noah's cub scout troop, very exciting. He has been looking forward to this day since he signed up for Scouts in the fall. He and Peter worked together to build his car, Noah worked very hard on the project. Stayed up late last night with Peter in the workshop putting on the finishing touches to get ready. The races were held this morning at our elementary school and I am so proud to announce that it was a success.

I think 60 or so boys participated, maybe more. No, we didn't win, I don't mean that kind of success. Noah's car did place third in his pac, he was very excited about that. He then, however, went on to compete against much older boys and came in last- many times. Noah cared a lot about this event, and he participated beautifully throughout. Not perfectly, but that's never what we look for in a person. He tried his best. He (mostly) held himself together when his car lost, over and over again. He congratulated his friend when his car won, over and over again. That's not easy for many adults to do, let alone a first grader.

He is learning, brick by brick, through metaphorical sweat and tears, how to do things that are hard, and how to enjoy them. How to be a good sport, how to be proud of trying your hardest even when you can't measure it by being better than everyone. How to rise above your envy, impatience, over stimulation, and disappointment and just enjoy the experience. This takes a huge amount of discipline and practice and I am so proud of his accomplishment. Way to go, buddy!

I took these back to back. This beautiful boy of mine, sometimes almost stranger like big, and sometimes still so very small. Whew.

Snow Day,

finally!!

Read this today on testosterhome.net and loved it. Be well everyone--

Do not look forward in fear to the changes of life;

Rather look to them with full hope that as they arise,
God, whose very own you are, will lead you safely
through all things;

And when you cannot stand it, God will carry you
in His arms.

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow;

The same everlasting Father who cares for you today
will take care of you today and every day.

He will either shield you from suffering or will give you
unfailing strength to bear it.

Be at peace and put aside all anxious thoughts and
imaginations.
St. Francis de Sales

Big boy dreams

Noah walks over, paper and pencil in hand, and gives me a kiss. I look at the paper and see various numbers, letters, and symbols.

"Whach ya working on?"

"Oh, Astrophysics."

Well. Okay then.

Wrapped up our vacation with a fun visit to the USS Albacore in Portsmouth today. Made me feel a bit of vertigo and claustrophobia but both passed pretty quickly and we all had a good time. I recommned the trip if you're in the area.

Celebrating New Year's Eve with some good friends, Chinese food, and movies.

Boys getting ready for a New Year's "brothers sleepover" with their new sleeping bags from Uncle Shep and Aunt Patty. Thank you!

Blessings to family near and far for a happy and healthy 2012.