Nothing new, just life

There are no major events to tell you about, just some everyday things I thought might make you smile.

To begin with, I have two little boys who can both read and ride two wheeler bikes now! It is so exciting. As Dominic says, I read in my head, not out loud. He just needed a little boost of confidence, and his PEP class has given him just that. He just read the word "different" with hardly a pause. We come home from getting Anthony and go straight to homework. I figure getting them in the habit of getting it done right away will be helpful in the future. So, we make a snack, pick out the books we want to read for reading time, and then head right into homework. Dom doesn't really have homework yet, aside from reading with us, but I give him little assignments and we have workbooks he can do so he feels like a big kid like Anthony. Luckily Nico is sleeping at this point so I don't have to deal with him getting into trouble, which he will do of course!

So that brings me to Nico. Oh, before I go there, let me share another Dominism with you. This weekend we were talking about the weekend, what it means, what we do, etc. Mostly, we decided, it is the time in the week when you don't have to go to school. What was Dom's response? "Oh, Sunday is the day you get to be dumb." You heard it here first, folks.

So Nico, precious Nico. He is getting more used to having his brothers gone most of the day. He no longer cries at the drop of a hat and actually thinks up games to play all by himself. Games like, put all the clean clothes in the sink, or pour all my goldfish into the couch cushions. The kid is creative, I will give him that. Today he decided to literally run in circles for about 3 minutes straight. He didn't fall or run into anything. It must be some sort of 2 year old record, right? He is definitely learning how to communicate better. In complete sentences like "I don't want that lunch", or "I don't want to get Dominic." Most of his sentiments are in the negative at the moment. We are working on that. Of course he is still a little spitfire, loves to tell jokes, and loves to laugh. I find that trying to "eat" any part of his face or tummy gets a good giggleout of him. His new favvorite is what we call a "grandpa kiss." Grandpa Bernie invented it and it just a kiss, but instead of giving a kiss, you blow raspberries. He laughs so hard!

Three boys. We are still trying to wrap our minds around what that will mean for a food budget in the coming years. Or how we will deal with the stinky socks and shoes. I vote for quaratining them in their own wing of the house. Don't ask don't tell will be instituted. It is so neat to have three boys, three boys who already love each other so much. Anthony is the consumate older brother, always looking out for his younger siblings, teaching them and guiding them, and sometimes getting super annoyed with them. Dom is your basic second kid. He does what he wants, bothers his older brother, gets annoyed with his younger, has mastered the art of "not listening". Nico, sweet Nico. I still haven't figured him out yet. He is hilarious and smart and curious and adorable. He wants to be just like his brothers but different, if that makes any sense. He loves Mickey Mouse and also loves Speed Racer. He is sturdy and tough and can handle anything you throw his way, except getting put to bed before everyone else, that still really bugs him! He calls kids he meets "buddy" and asks if you are ok after you cough or sneeze.

I just love how different they all are and yet how much you can tell they are brothers. The years ahead will be full, I know that, and I can't wait. I mean, I can, I am trying really hard to cherish these times with all of them home most of the time and playing together. I know it is only a few short years away when one will be at soccer, one at baseball, one on a date, etc. Hard to imagine them as anything but toddlers and gradeschoolers, but that is the truth of life. I am blessed with a houseful of wonderful men and I could no be happier.