Family Game Night!

There's nothin' better than a little friendly family UNO competition

on the back porch on a warm summer night.

There's nothin' better than hearing Chase yell "BAM!!" every time he plays a card with words on it (Skip, Reverse, Draw 2, Wild Cards...). No, this is not in the UNO rules, but we'll do whatever it takes to keep a three year old happily in the game...

There's nothin' better than playing with two kids who actually

"get" how to play a game, according to the rules.

Finally.

There's nothin' better than hanging out with our favorite little people...

and showing them that's exactly where we want to be.

Compromise... or not.

If you don't know Tyler or me very well, I'll let you in on a little something. We're perfectionists. Both of us. Aren't opposites supposed to attract? Anyway, I suppose every couple works differently, but God knew that we both needed the other to be some sort of a perfectionist. I say some sort because I think we're perfectionists in different ways. And in a healthy sort of way, at least I think. Hmm... now you've got me thinking about that. But, this is getting way too complicated for a post on the fair. Ahem.

So how do perfectionism and the 4-H fair go together? Well, perfectionism is how we landed on our plans for this summer. Tyler and I like to do lots of things, and we like to do them well. But we also know how limited we are with four children ages seven and under. Many people are great multi-taskers. Lots of parents (and children) are way more flexible than we are. But through trial and error, we know our family's limits. And we'd rather do a few small things well than tackle more than we can pull off successfully.

Do you see it all coming together yet? Yeah, I'm not so sure either.

We try to think like a three or one year old when making plans, and that often sways our decision one way or the other. So instead of lots of travel, forcing kids out of their schedules, unmet expectations and crabby children (and parents!), we opted to simplify our lives this summer. Really, this mentality has become a way of life for us over the past year since Tess has been born. And guess what? We are having the time of our lives!

Here's a newsflash in the world today: kids don't need fancy stuff to make them happy. Now "stuff" could mean lots of things here, and if I start listing examples someone is sure to get offended. Which might not be a totally bad thing. What I mean here is that I feel the pressure the same as anyone else. Jack and Trey are constantly talking about their friends and their latest trips and gadgets. And it's easy to start the comparison game.

But what I've found is that my kids can go a long way on a little attention and some cotton candy.

I'm just saying.

We have this fair tradition. Even though the older boys hit Indiana Beach this summer and got to experience bigger and better, they wouldn't have missed the fair for anything. We left without our camera this year, and had to drive back to get it, because our photo-fair-tradition dates back to 2004. That's not long to you and me, but that's a heck of a long standing to a seven year old. And he would miss the 2009 pictures if they weren't there.

We always get foot-long corn dogs. We used to share, but now we have to get six of them. You could eat for a week on what six corn dogs cost at the fair.

We're also getting distinct in our fair roles. Daddy rides the rides, and I cheer everyone on while watching the baby. This is a good arrangement, trust me. And when there's no baby, I'm still not riding rides.

Just so we're clear on that.

Mostly because I wouldn't be able to keep my corndog down, and nobody wants that.

Wait, I do have to ride the green wavy slide every year, because Tyler won't do that. Yes, I think I can handle that. The last official day of summer break is today, and I'm off to find Prang watercolors for my school boys. Anybody know where I can find some? Eight stores already searched, the rest of the city to go. I'm a woman on a mission. More summer stuff to come!

Now I know why...

Remember the Summer Rewind Series (SRS for short... catchy, huh?) on this blog last summer? Well now I know why I had to do that. I originally thought it was because I had a newborn and was nursing half my life away at the time (wanna bet?). Turns out, summer itself just does that to me (although it's still good to blame a newborn for a lot of things). And summer should.

I neglect the inside and soak up every minute of fresh air I can get. I work in the yard when the little ones are napping, monitor bike riding on the road in front of our house, hand out lots of Bomb Pop Jr.'s to the neighbor kids. I drive a van load of kids (yes, they're all mine) to a different park than the day before after Tess's morning nap, and pack a lunch so we don't have to come back home until it's time for her afternoon one.

I've watched cute little baseball players come into their own, and took three very happy boys to four straight weeks of swimming lessons. And oh yes, there were the children to feed. And bathe. Unless of course Tyler talked me into pool time taking the place of bath time.

Hey, it's summer.

So I find myself catching up again, and I'm not one bit bothered by it. Because summer makes me care a whole lot less about things like this. I'd rather be in the back yard, reading with my six year old, smushed right next to him in the middle of the hammock.

(I get really sweaty sitting that close to someone, but it's worth it when it's your boy.)

So, at the risk of sounding repetitive and a bit uncreative, I'm committing this week to catching you up on our summer. Don't hold your breath for too long...

It looks a lot like last summer.

Minus the newborn, that is.

The Backseat...

Classified Ad: Wanted

• snacks..........check
• flame thrower..........check
• super strength coat..........check
• dynamite..........check

Say...does anybody have a boulder axe we could borrow?

College Girls' Weekend

I did it. I left four children ranging from seven to one in the care of their very capable daddy. Went away for two entire nights and days, something we had planned for almost six months. I stayed up until 4am, an hour I hadn't seen, well, at least for a month or two.

We talked and laughed. We looked at ridiculous pictures of ourselves from 15 years ago and remembered details about each other's weddings. We covered kids, schools, our kids' friends and how to encourage our husbands. We might have even noticed that we're aging. We went for a walk in the rain, then ran home the last bit, completely soaked and giggling. We opened up the Bible on the porch and were reminded of how we got here.

Friends.

Sisters in Christ.

No matter how much time passes.

She's One!!

Tess Elena is officially one year old!! Unbelievable ... well, sort of. :) The year has been back and forth, sometimes going slowly and hectic with much maintenance. Other times it flew by as we watched Tess accomplish more and more each day. Either way, we are loving this age as she settles into her own sweet personality (and I am loving the fact that she now crawls around saying "Mama").

Tess and Nana at her party...

(this monkey is her favorite... maybe because her daddy calls her "Monkey"??)

These girls share a birthday!

Not sure how it happened, but we ended up with a "sweets buffet" of sorts.

No one seemed to mind. :) Steph and Cory's famous peanut butter balls, designed in party colors! Too cute! Something healthy... (note to self, de-skewer fruit before giving to your children, especially if they are boys!) Tyler's surprise to me... a BonBonerie cake - all the way from Cincinnati (courtesy of the Costellos) - for our last one-year-old. When the first few cousins turned one, Cory and Stephanie started this tradition. If you haven't eaten one of these cakes, you've never lived. :)

Our smiley (unless Mama's in the room),

12 hour-sleeping (but has to be in bed by 6:30pm),

jabbering (words: "Mama," and "Hi"),

brother-loving (they babysit in the toyroom when I'm in the kitchen -

sometimes for a "happy heart", and when I'm really desperate, a quarter!),

book adoring (and book-eating!)...

attention-craving,

teeth-cutting (8 and counting),

Baby Einstein watching (four for four!),

baby wrestling (with the boys)

one year old!

Kissing her new baby doll!

We weren't quite ready when Tess grabbed for the cake.

Nothing that a little lick won't fix!

Her own personal brother fan-base!

A true girl at heart... so excited about her new shoes...

Happy Birthday, sweet girl!

"3"

I have two days before a little girl in the house turns one year old, and with all of her birthday planning, I realized I had forgotten to blog about a very important day (oh geesh, if you must know, at the end of April!) when a very grown-up boy turned 3!

Funny how life with four kids changes you. Seriously, I never thought I would be thinking about stuff like equal blogtime for my kids. :) But with each unique personality and relationship that God has given us with our kids, I do think about equality. And how much attention each one gets. And who I read to last, and for how long. And whose turn it is to fetch me a diaper. And how much each one ate at supper, and when they pottied last.

I did it with one, so I'm guessing that you do it too.

But the funnier thing about all of this is that I like the idea that many children leads to less equality. Because in a loving way, it's healthy for them to know that it's not all about them all of the time.

Yes, I realize this is a birthday post. Are you still with me? :)

All mom-guilt aside, the point is, Chase is 3. And he's quickly going on whatever age Jack and Trey are acting like on any given day.

I remember "3" with the other boys. And I'll admit, it makes me cringe a little bit. Tyler adores this age. I seem to have less patience for it for some reason. But with a bit more experience this time around, I'm soaking up all the cuteness I can, because there sure is a lot of it. And I'm convinced that in God's great wisdom, he made "3" the cutest age, so you can live through those 3 year old moments when they forget all about being cute.

I like to say that Chase is the oldest three year old I have ever had. He likes to run with the big boys. He does more, knows more, and says more stuff than the other two ever did at this age. Trying to be big brings him much happiness a lot of the time, and much frustration the rest of the time. Because three year olds can't always do what 6 and 7 year olds do, no matter how hard they try.

He's into Scooby Doo big time, and says the word "Like..." way too often because Shaggy Rogers is his hero. He talks about going to preschool this fall, but he doesn't know what August means in terms of timeframe, so he asks every day if "today is the day" when he will go. He loves to cook with his momma, and would bake cupcakes every day if I said yes. He talks nonstop, and entertains us constantly with his made-up songs, usually to the tune of the Star Wars theme song ("I-have-to-go... to-the-potty.... yes-I-do..."). Oh, and speaking of Star Wars, he knows more about the characters than I do. His memory amazes me.

Chase loves to play dress-up. Lucky for him, the third time around I've decided to choose my battles, so he even gets to wear his Spidey outfit to the store on occasion. He wants candy for breakfast every morning, and never tires of asking, even though I've told him "no" every day for the last 58 days straight. Chase has a very special relationship with his daddy. They often run errands together or go out to breakfast, just the two of them. And when he's not with his dad? Well, let's just say that I have a shadow closer than Peter Pan's.

Did I mention that he's cute?

And really stubborn.

If I try to open the door for him, he gets frustrated and tells me to shut it because he wants to open it. Then he (fumbling and taking what seems like forever) opens it for me, and says, "The gentleman always helps the ladies."

And the cute factor wins again.

He's silly and smart, which might just turn out to be a pretty good mix when he gets his emotions in check. Whenever that might be. My guess is it's not happening at "3".

But you never know. This one could be different.

Then again, he always repeats everything his brothers say.

Chase Dylan, my sweet third boy.

Thanking God for you, and for "3".

To Tyler...

When I first said "I love you..."

I thought I understood the full meaning of those words.

But when I watch you as a dad -

playing and laughing,

giving a big hug,

just being there -

I realize that when I first said "I love you"

I had just begun to understand all my heart could hold for you.

I thank God for making you mine-

and then for making you ours.

-DaySpring

"How can we thank God enough for you and for the joy and delight you have given us...?" 1 Thess. 3:9 TLB

Happy Father's Day

We love you!

Whitney, Jack, Trey, Chase and Tess

Girl issues...

She got my uni-brow. So did Trey, but guys seem to pull it off a little better.

She also likes to squint a lot. Sooo much personality starting to come out (maybe with a little attitude mixed in)!

And, I've decided that most of my pictures of her will be this close for a very long time. She wants to eat the camera, and there's no stopping her.

AND, that's all I have to say, because it's late. :)

Late...

Gosh, what kind of a mother blogger am I? I've got to blog about this kid's birthday... ...before it's this kid's birthday...

But I can't tonight, because it's late. In every sense of the word.

And I was going to get smarter about being late to bed. But I haven't gotten there yet. Because apparently I excel in lateness.

There you have it.