Updates on Four Beautiful Kiddos

Updates on four beautiful kiddos; we are so blessed:

Madeline is amazing! At nearly 12 weeks, she has big, beautiful smiles. She coos when you talk to her. And, she is sleeping through the night consistently (9:00pm to 5:00am) for over a week now!

I have had such great sleep that I stay up after nursing her and putting her back down, as 5:00am is my ideal wake time. It is now 8:00am and Alexa is my first to just wake up. I love that schedule in this house! Three hours for me...coffee, devotion, breakfast for Rob and myself, one bathroom cleaned and a load of laundry on. Now to squeeze exercise and regular blogging into that time!

Alexa has stayed dry at night for nearly two weeks now! As moms know, night time can take the longest when it comes to potty training. I haven't worried too much about it and it seems she has just decided-out of the blue. Hooray for Alexa!

Alexa, at four in August, is blossoming so much. It's hard to even quote her because her enthusiasm, expressions and inflections in her

voice say it all! When I say she is spirited, that feisty spirit comes with so many delightful pros!

Alexa will be participating in a "Princess Camp," this week; where she will be learning ballet, tumbling, and doing some fun crafts. She loves ballet and twirling in her dress-up ballet dress. She has also discovered tap. Her Aunt Jeannette passed down some tap shoes that her daughter, Lucy, grew out of. When Alexa discovered them, she wore those shoes the whole day and excitedly asked to go to the Library to check out one of the Shirley Temple movies that has her famous tap dance in it (I must have brought her attention to tap being the type of dance Shirley Temple does in those movies she has seen).

She has just begun to show interest in movies like Shirley Temple, Little House on the Prairie, and Anne of Green Gables-one of my favorite movies growing up...however, "Anne Green Gables IS HER NAME!" Green Gables is NOT a place. Okay, so she's still a little young but, I still love it!

Drew is going on 22 months now, almost two. He is so delightful to watch...boy to the hilt! Seems to have down every athletic movement that involves a ball; carries tools around the house fixing things; loves to be outdoors; and his favorite room out of the entire 4700 square foot house is the garage! With all this boy in him, would you believe he loves kitchens (he watches his dad cook)!

Sounding pretty well-rounded already!

I like to call him my "little man" because he really seems so sure of himself; he walks into an unfamiliar room like he owns the place; says "hello" and "goodbye" to just about anyone with such intention; and as the third child, he's super self-sufficient. I notice it especially when we are at a family function or with friends and a lot is going on around us. He just looks around for some food and a seat to sit and really does not bother any one for assistance.

He loves kisses. Watch out if your in the room and we tell him it's time to go ni-night because you will surely get a kiss, smack on the lips, if you are present. And he still plops that little thumb in his mouth when I pick him up with his blanket...I love it!

Robby, at six, is clearly moving beyond those dependent first five years. He just doesn't need mom as much (although he still needs me a lot)! I just notice the subtle changes taking place. He's handling his emotions on his own more, more self-aware, toughening up a little and is a little moodier, as I am sure he is trying to decipher the natural changes taking place

in his world. He starts kindergarten in a new school next year. He is pretty excited about it, loves new things, quite social, and very bright yet, I imagine there is some anxiety with the anticipation.

Robby finishes baseball for the summer today. He loves it! Although, there hasn't been a sport we have signed him up for that he hasn't loved. He finished spring soccer just before baseball started.

What I find in Robby is that he seems to be more concerned with the people than the sport itself. Of course he wants to be sure that his team wins but, the means to the end tends to be more of a social connection. He's encouraging to others and just happy to be on a field with friends!

On the other hand, just in the last week, he has suddenly been turned on to tennis and I'm seeing some serious ambition. He asked me if I would get up with him every morning at 5:00am to practice until he gets good. So, guess what? We are getting up at 5:00am! Yesterday, he asked if we could practice twice a day. I love it! He seems to have my enthusiasm for the game, although I haven't played much since high school.

It's great! I get to re-live "Anne of Green Gables" with Alexa and tennis with Robby!!

You know how, as parents, we try to do well in keeping routine and starting as we mean to go so not to start bad habits. Well, I've decided that we should lay the ground work, keep a framework, THEN START BREAKING RULES! Time is too limited, life is too short...now with four children and one going into kindergarten, I am becoming more and more aware of that. If I want a moment with just one child, then I'll have to stay up late with one to read extra stories, let one crawl into bed with me during quiet time, wake up at 5:00a.m. to play tennis, treat one to m&m's if it is just us at the grocery store...I want all the cherished moments I can get with each one of my children and sometimes that will just mean a broken rule for a cherished memory.