of parades and fish and walking babies

Been awhile! It's 4:27 a.m. and I'm on the night shift at work. It's my second night. Last night was fun because I was on with people who like to talk. Tonight is going much slower because I'm working with quiet people (cripes, how boring). Otherwise it's been fine. The kids slept over at Charlotte's house last night because Brian and I both had to work. They had a lot of fun and got to play with Michael and Alec. As a matter of fact the 3 middle guys didnt want to come home with me in the morning, choosing instead to stay at Charlottes for the day and play more with their cousins. So Ana and I took Muffin (who now says "Muff Muff", his OTHER nickname) home and I went to bed. After I slept we went back to St. Cloud to get them and we did some shopping. I was happy to note that they are now old enough to do well on a shopping errand even as a group (usually I avoid taking more than two kids to a store). They were SO good at the grocery store. Wils rode in the cart, because his little legs get tired and his little fingers stray; the others walked beside the cart and helped me put things in. Then they loaded stuff onto the checkout, and then they helped me bag it. See, someday, we (Brian, Muff Muff, and I) will have it made, because we are training all these other people to take care of those little jobs.

Our sleep schedules are definately odd but there is something I've liked both nights so far on this shift. I go to bed about 8 and William lays with me and he falls asleep too. I actually get to hold him until i get up to leave at around 11. When we get into the routine more and the big kids are back in school (meaning they actually go to bed) I will probably play musical beds and take turns falling asleep with each kiddo.

The fishing obsession is calming down a bit. A bit. Wils and Ben both broke their fishing poles and I'm not replacing them right now. Brian commended Elijah on his excellent care of his fishing gear, and he really is doing a good job with that. To my amusement, Brian himself is so DONE with being asked to go fishing that he is looking forward to moving off the lake next year (if we are able to do so as planned). Elijah caught a small Northern last night, the first one caught this year.

Zaccy is doing well with his walking.................when he feels like it. He is into dogs right now and enjoys barking at any animals, including fish, which is very silly and he knows it.

Did I already mention that Ben lost his first tooth??? One morning I got up and he came running to talk to me.............about FISHING.............and as he was talking I noticed a hole in his head. "Benjamin!" I said, "Let me look in your mouth!". He shook his head. "Get over here!" I said, "I think you lost a tooth!"

"No I didn't" he said. We proceded to argue until it reachd a point where he stamped his little foot and announced "I dont want to tell you!"

Finally he did open up and indeed he had lost a tooth. To this day I have not ascertained quite what happened. The whereabouts of the tooth are not known even to the former landlord. Anyway, now he and Lij are missing the same tooth. The competition is heating up!

Ana lost another tooth too, so now she is missing the teeth on either side of her big front teeth, so she looks just like Zac who only has those big front teeth (and enjoys making himself look like a beaver).

William still has his beautiful pearly crooked baby teeth.

Last Friday Ana had a community service thing she had to do for the Miss Cold Spring thing going on and I had to find a place for the boys as Brian had to sleep. We took Krabby Patty with us (we brought a stroller that his tender butt has never sat in and never will). The other 3 boys alllll went to Henry and Kate's house! I was very proud when Stacey emailed later to say that they are excellent little boys and all of my kids are welcome at her house at any time.

It's really fun to see Zac and Kate together. They are 2 days apart and she has Down Syndrome. What's funny is that his baby-of-the-family syndrome is quite a bit more severe than her down syndrome and they have been reaching developmental milestones at about the same time. For silly. She isn't walking yet, though; it's related to the poor muscle tone of down's babies.

I love watching Henry and Ben together. They never get tired of each other and never run out of things to do. They like the same wierd things, like cleaning. It's interesting to see that they will also sometimes split up and do their own thing at each other's houses. They are both loners and independent and understand that about each other.

Saturday night we went to the Richmond parade. It was candy heaven. A decent parade to watch and I love evening parades. We are looking forward to the Rockville one. Yesterday on our shopping trip we found kid's collapsing lawn chairs for 4 bucks so I got 5. But...I forgot that they are growing up! Ana's doesnt come anywhere near fitting her, she needs a grown up one (she is nearly 5 feet tall!). Lij's makes him look like he is sitting in a potty chair. I'm just astounded. They'll work OK though. Wil and Zac are so cute in theirs. Of course all 5 lined up in the living room sitting in their chairs watching TV. I did manage to get a picture on my old Canon but it is not willing to upload them.

I need to stop eating beans at work.