9 in Human Years

Happy 9th birthday to our first (and sometimes forgotten) little one!

Spring Break

Ev knows how to wind down after a rough week....

On the Ready

When you've posted almost 2,000 blog entries during your children's short lives,  they tend to assume you're taking a picture every time you walk past them with a phone...and so you do it as to not disappoint your constant models...

Peace

When your daughter is 6, but she thinks she is 16, these are the types of photos you get when you ask her to say cheese...

Easter Bunny

The cute news - this little, baby bunny found its way into our yard

The bad news - we found that out because Sophie was running around with it in her mouth

The good news - after a quick death threat from me, Sophie dropped it and it hopped away unscathed

The really cute news - It let Meggan and Amelia pet it before it hopped off into the distance

Working Hard

Tonight after Amelia raced across the yard at a breakneck pace, I complimented her on her speed.  She turned to me and said "Thanks. I'm Santa and (pointing at her feet) these are my elves. They do all my work!" I'm not sure where she heard this or if she came up with it herself. However, what I do know is I love the way she talks the talk.

Time

From time to time when I'm out with other guys and I head out early so I can see the kids before they go to bed, I hear a chorus of "it's one night" or "they'll still be there in the morning". These comments imply that I'd be missing out on something just to see my kids. The truth is, for me, when I get home and get a big hug from Everett, get to hear Amelia pray for Jesus to look over her brother even though he was too grumpy to say prayers, or get to scratch their backs as they fall asleep, there's nothing in the world I could be missing. There will always be another drink or another game to watch. The time where my children are this precious and vulnerable is now and it is fleeting.  I don't plan on missing any of it that I don't have to.

Balance

I turned my back on Everett in the store and turned around to see him following me with this duck on his head.   I'm not sure what was going on in his head, but I'm impressed with his circus-like balance...

Batter Up

With the start of Spring and the new found love of baseball picked up at Grandma and Grandpa's, it has basically turned into spring training at our house.  On a related note, I'm going to have Amelia tested for steroid use since she had never swung a bat before this week and hit multiple balls over the fence this weekend. 

Water World

What do you do when the weather is cold and gross all day, but you're ready for spring?  What's that? Did you say put on your bathing suit, get in your giant bathtub, and have a water fight with your two kids while your wife looks at you like you're the dumbest human or possibly largest child on that planet? Yeah, I thought that was a great idea too.

They're Baaack

Goodbye sleeping in. Goodbye quiet time. Goodbye uninterrupted discussions. Goodbye binge-watching House of Cards.  Grandma and Grandpa brought the kids home yesterday. I love my kids. I missed my kids. But, wow, I thoroughly enjoyed those few days off...and the kids may have enjoyed them more...

Spring Breakers

If you are near the water in south Georgia, watch out for these two wild spring breakers. I'd be particularly careful around the little one. He's got his Lightning McQueen sandals, his life preserver on tight, and he's looking to party....

Relax

While I may be working while the kids are gone, it is safe to say they aren't putting in hard days on the farm....

Free Time

The kids are spending some time this week at their Grandparents' house for Spring Break. This is the time of year where Meggan and I get to remember life before we had children. We get to go shopping at places we like, go out to dinner with other grown ups, even catch a movie if we are feeling crazy.  So far, she cleaned the house and repainted doors all day while I just finished working on a report at 10pm. Something feels like maybe we are doing this all wrong.

Out

This is the look of a man getting some good sleep...

Dinner Mates

With Meggan working tonight, I had two sweet little dinner mates.  I let them pick the restaurant and they naturally went for a breakfast place.  They were pretty good sports considering they had me outnumbered and could have launched a mutiny.

This is how they looked before their food came...

This is how they looked after the bacon and sausage arrived...

Pals

For some reason, I can't help but think Ev enjoys riding in a shopping cart more than Amelia does....

Down the Tube

This is the smiling view I woke up to this morning...

So sweet. So cute. So loving....buuuuut, also the guy who flushed his sock down the toilet last night when Meggan wasn't looking and thought it was hilarious.

Reminders

Sometimes I come across a picture of Amelia and it feels like deja vu. Then, I happen to be looking at old photos and I realize why....

 Amelia at 3....

Amelia at 6...

Report

Amelia got her 2nd trimester report card this week. She is doing a wonderful job and has conquered the majority of skills one can learn in Kindergarten. While I'm always proud of her and any academic achievement, I'm most happy with the final excerpt of her teacher's summary...

"Amelia often offers insightful comments in our group discussions and is able to express her complex ideas to others.  She sets a positive example for her peers in class to follow.  Great job this trimester!"

Learning to read, write, and do arithmetic is great. But, having the confidence to speak out in class and the maturity to be an example when she is one of the younger children in her class, are the types of things a dad can only hope for.

Checkup

You know that feeling you get when you find out despite the fact that your kids brush their teeth twice a day, floss their teeth every night, and even use a prescription fluoride gel, they each have two cavities? Well, we got to have that feeling today. It sucked.

You know that feeling you get when you find out your insurance will no longer cover any of your current pediatricians, your own general practitioner, any of the Urgent Care centers around your house, and the renowned children's hospital you've taken your kids to multiple times? Well, we got to have that feeling today. It sucked.