Maniac

Paul Thomas, having witnessed my wrestling match with his sister in order to secure a shoe on her tiny foot and hearing my exhausted exclamation as I put her down, "Okay crazy maniac now you can play!", asked me what a maniac is. I explained that I called Mary Colette that because she was so fidgety and was constantly moving. She just wouldn't sit still!
PT very matter of fact, "Ohhh, Avery's a maniac at Mass."

I couldn't argue that point.

My Brave Little Girl

Doesn't she look brave here?
No, you say. Why, she is only sitting in the green grass with her pretty dress on.

Well she walked over to that spot all by herself.
I know she has been walking for, like, two months now so what's the big deal?

She walked through this! That's the big deal. Both of her brothers were terrified of bare feet in grass, much less water sprinklers.

(With Avery, if there were sprinklers on during our walks we would have to cross to the other side of the street! He held on to that fear 'til he was 2 1/2.)

All was well as long as we clapped for her and she for herself.

She walked over there to be with him...

...who was much faster.

And to be with him...

...who gave her little reassurances of this wild new adventure.

A few cheers and claps

and all was well again,

and interesting,

and gasp..., what do they have and what are they doing?

Brothers are the mark to keep up with after all.

Avery's bat-check!

Okay PT did something with where the water comes out.

Yes, I think this is right.

Umm, well it's getting a little closer.

Ummm, okay really close!

At this point my little one did get upset and after a quick rescue and wardrobe change was back in the mix.

All I have to say is watch out boys, little sis intends to keep up.

Hand-me-downs

Just as all seasons must come to an end little boys must grow up.
It was a little sad the day we realized that Paul Thomas had out grown his cowboy boots from Uncle Matty. He really loved them and wore them with just about anything... and in Texas why not? Well today we dusted them off and put them on his little brother. They fit just as they did the first time Paul Thomas tried them on, with room to grow.

Avery looked especially dapper so we had a little mini photo shoot with him before Mass.

So sweet!

An angle to show off the "boots just like Daddy."

Add a little Averyness to the mix.

I'm pretty sure this what a true cowboy looks like.

Ohh, now this is a true cowboy!

My favorite!

Avery was so excited about the boots and kept taking all about them and turning on the heels. But the best was his declaration, "I have boots just like Daddy! Now I can have scruff!"

Friday Photo Favorites

It's raining and dreary here, for which I am not complaining. I am all for no AC bill today! However, to spread some sunshine I'll share too many park pictures with you.

Love, love, love this proud scrunched up nose face!

She is so pleased with herself!

Okay, this is the one time I break my ban on climbing up slides.

She's so darn cute, how could you not!

This was PT's silly slide!

See the silliness?

What a great time with Gia!

An attempt of all three on the slide.

"Ha, younger siblings are so gullible!"

At this point Mary Colette is re-thinking the whole "sliding with brothers" thing.

Is there a better way to exit the playground?

I do realize that I take tons of pictures of my little ones at playgrounds, however there is always something so genuinely innocent and lovely about child's play outside.

Heart Melt

This little boy has the sweetest little heart!

The other day while I was nursing Mary Colette he came be-bopping around on his toes, the way only Avery can. He took Mary Colette's little pjed foot in his pudgy hand. My eyebrows raised, as this is the last situation I would like to see any conflict in. Then he bend down and kissed her foot and exclaimed to me, "I kissed Mary Colette's foot because I was thanking God for Mary Colette."

What's a.....?

Paul Thomas is becoming even more literal, if that is even possible. He is very intrigued by language and is constantly asking me about different figures of speech. The one that has him most perplexed right now is "the end of the road." We have had many conversations about where roads end and if we can go to the end of the road. I have unsuccessfully explained the meaning of this figure of speech to him and unsuccessfully driven him to a dead end to show him literally the end of a road. Dead ends are evidently not the same as the end of the road. So for now in our house the only acceptable end of the road is straight into the beach/ocean. And I am all for finding that "end."

Friday Photo Favorites

 

 

First Swim!