Yet Another Update

We've had a real taste of Spring this last week and can even tolerate a few storms here and there now that we feel confident Spring will come.

The biggest news of the week is that my mom took the three big kids plus two of their cousins to the state capitol to watch my Dad in action on the senate floor. Afterwards my Dad joined them to show them around his office and then for a tour of the Governor's office. Jamie, Brennan's mom, called me so excited just after 5:00 because she'd just seen them all on the news. I recorded the 6:00 news and sure enough while someone was being interviewed my mom and the kids walked right behind and we got a great view of all of them. When they got home they had no idea and were SO EXCITED to see themselves on the news. They're feeling quite famous.

Anna is getting to experience a program at school called Rad Kids, which is a safety type course that has really impressed me. They even learn some self-defense skills and much to her delight she's found her new skills very handy around here. Nate is always trying to tackle or "fake" fight with everyone around here. He's both really impressed and really frustrated at her new abilities. Anna has lost a bunch of teeth lately and each time leaves a note for the tooth fairy. She has quite a collection of notes now and treasures them. I heard her talking to her friend we carpool with who also lost a tooth and the friend reported that she had left a note, but the tooth fairy didn't answer her note, just left money. I got a good laugh out of that. Then, Anna's other friend told her that she had borrowed some money from her mom recently and some of the money had some blue ink splotches on it. Well, when she lost a tooth and got her money from the "tooth fairy" it also had blue ink splotches on it. They're both very suspicious now and Anna keeps asking me if I'm the tooth fairy. My reply so far is, "Anna, do I look like a tooth fairy?" Her reply is, "Mom, I need to know because if it is you my kids aren't going to get any money if you don't tell me." LOL. I think I'm going to have to tell her today which I'm sad about. We love Anna.

Abby had a good friend get her tonsils out and so we got some popsicles to take to her along with a note that Abby made for her. The note had a poem which I wish I would have written down before she took, but at the top of the card she wrote "Congratulations!" I thought that was so funny and cute. Abby ate over at a friend's house the other night and when I picked her up she was so excited to tell me about some of the yummiest bread she had had and then pulled out a piece she had saved for me to sample. I've noticed lately that while I'm making dinner the other kids are getting in their last little bit of playing Abby loves to sit on a stool up to the counter and fill me in on her day and her thoughts. She loves to express herself, I'm so glad as we are all the richer for it. We love Abigail.

My nephew, Rex, who is also Nate's best friend, called last night to tell Nate there are two really big NBA games this week and maybe they could both ask their Dads and go to it. Rex hung up the phone and told Ryan he had a plan. Nate hung up and started begging. Brennan called Ryan to see if Ryan he had been involved with Rex's planning. I don't think he had been up to that point, but rest assured the four of them are going to one of the games this week. I think it was sweet of Rex to include Brennan and Nate in his plan. Nate is so much happier now that he can work off some of his energy outside. He and Ben spent the morning golfing in their jammies out in the backyard til they got too cold. We love Nathan.

When Ben golfs he always crouches down to read the green before he takes his shot. When he golfs inside (yep, he golfs inside and plays basketball - winters are long) he's discovered that one of the stacking rings on a baby toy makes the perfect tee for his ball. There might be a lot of golf on tv at our house. However, I'll take golf over boxing, we had a rough week around here after Brennan let the boys watch a boxing match with him. I'm so grateful for Ben and his happy sweet temperament. He is like a living breathing anti-depressant. His smile lights up all of our lives and lately he's been laughing a lot. He loves to play tricks on me and gets the biggest kick out it. There's nothing more delightful than the good hearty laugh of a little one. We love Benjamin.