New Layout

I finally found a new blog layout to try. What do you think? I know, change is hard and I'm sorry if this throws anybody off. I think I like it!

Emerging Language

It is amazing to watch Joseph start to demonstrate an understanding of language. He definitely gets it when we say "no," even if he doesn't always want to comply! Even more exciting than this, however, is the beginning of his expressive language abilities. Check out his first sign:

The Future According to My Kids

I recorded these stories during lunch today. I love hearing what is going through their little minds!

Julie's Story
When I grow up my husband will come. I will be the Mommy and my husband will be the Daddy. My 10 babies and I and my husband will live next week in Ohio. Our new car is the gold van we will keep it forever. There will be 10 seats. We will sleep in a giant bed and Felicity will come over to our house and we will all live happily ever. And that's the story of my 10 babies when I grow up. The end.

FYI - Felicity is a friend of ours that lives in Ohio. Julie's 10 babies are all girls and even have names. Last time I wrote them down they were: Kiaya, Robert, Jessica, Belinda, Marty, Melody, Julia, Julie, Steve Green and Tubby. There are some pretty unfortunately named girls in the bunch! Julie also says that Larry and I aren't allowed to come help her with these 10 baby girls (ha!). She is going to do it all by herself with her husband. When her 10 babies grow bigger, they will sing and dance with her. Last week Julie told me she and her family would live far away from me and would send me a card. When I asked why they would live far away she replied "so we can live near Grandma" (who is in South Carolina, not Ohio).

Melody's Story
My 3 babies when I grow up every day my husband and my mommy live in South Carolina. And then we all sleep midnight and the elephant goes SNORE. And they live happily ever. The end.

FYI - Ever the realist, Melody has long maintained that she will have 3 babies. So far they have not been named. Also, the elephant snoring at midnight is straight out of a Sandra Boynton book that we love to read.

I can't wait to hear how these stories evolve as the years unfold! :)

Still Here

I never know how to start these "it's been so long" blog posts. Sometimes life is just way too busy for blogging, and then I get a bit overwhelmed with wanting to write something profound to describe all that has been going on. Then I avoid it all together and a vicious cycle is born. Maybe I'll just ease myself back in gently with few photos.

Julie started Kindergarten last month!


Melody is getting to be so grown up at almost-three...


Joesph is a wild man who crawls, cruises and climbs anything he can reach!


Larry is back in grad school 2 nights a week and all of our extra activities are back in full swing. We're still trying to get Joseph to sleep through the night, with some success here and there. He turned 9 months old on 9-9-09, adding to the fun number facts surrounding his birth (born at 9:12PM on 12-9). Melody will be 3 in just about a week. I can hardly believe it. I wish time had a pause button so that I could stay here and savor these precious, fleeting moments with my little ones. My heart thereatens to break over the realization that their baby years are rushing away and I will never be able to revisit them. Right now, however, I hear one of my littles waking up and I can't wait to scoop him up and kiss him until he giggles. More soon...