Sweet Baby Lila

We all missed Lila a lot this summer.  

We got to see her for the first time in about five weeks, 

and, man, has she gotten to be a big girl!

Her mom said that she's beginning to develop a little stranger awareness, 

so I was worried she might cry when her mommy left. 

Five weeks is a really long time, when you've only been in the world less than 8 months.

Instead she kept looking at me like, "Don't I know you from somewhere."

Then, while the kids were giving her lunch, 

without thinking about it, I sang something I often sang to her when she was here.  

Suddenly her face lit up and she reached for me.  

It was like she was thinking, "That's how I know you!

Summer Fun

Last Sunday, Kate and our neighbor Kaitlyn banged together on the hotdog tube.  Somehow Kaitlyn's teeth went into Kate's chin.  Kate ended up getting her chin glued and two days later her chin swelled up and she had to have the glue removed, the pus extracted, and started on antibiotics for an infection.  Kaitlyn ended up at the dentist getting x-rays on her front teeth and eating soft foods for a week.

They're both nearly fully recovered now.

Looking through our pictures of this summer, I was a bit surprised that this was the first time in three summers that there had been any blood drawn.

These children are crazy!

Here's what an average day of injury-free tubing looks like this summer:

The injury didn't even happen this way, though.  It was on this innocent looking hotdog.

The kids have all learned a lot this summer.  Ally has learned to waterski.

Anna has learned to wakeboard.

Luke and Ally have both learned to kneeboard, although I don't have a picture of the two of them doing it.  Here's Anna and Daddy.

We figured out a way for the kids to get up on the surfboard using an innertube.  

So now Kate can basically do all the water sports that Dave and I can do, kneeboard, ski, wakeboard, wake surf, and wake skate.  (She can't yet drop the wake surf rope, but I'm sure it won't be long.

This is what Dave and I like best, wake surfing.

Now that we have five kids who can do water sports, the neighbors and I combined our resources (kneeboards, skis, ropes) and we've become something for Tommy Bartlett to envy!

But, if there are more injuries, I may make them stick to something slower.

Oh, the summer fun!  I wish it would never end!

Aunt Polly and Uncle Walt

Dave's Aunt Polly has been one of the most important people in his life.  When he was growing up, she was more like an adored older sister.  

For the last few years, even though they live in Maryland, Polly and her husband have been able to come visit us, and they've become a big part of all of our lives.

Uncle Walt is an entomologist and the kids love to learn from him, but more than that, they love to have the grandparent-like love they get from these two amazing people.

Aunt Polly passed along a series of books that the girls and I are reading.
Kate told me she plans to pass them on to her own kids.

Uncle Walt leads us all on a nature hunt

Somehow Ally scored the best seat in the house.

Luke holding his Aunt Polly's hand 

Anna and Ally both tried to coax a Tiger Swallow Tail onto their hand.

Walt's keen eyes found all the good toads, as well.

Happy 6th Birthday

These two.

We were just telling the story yesterday, to amuse Dave's partner and his wife who are expecting their third baby, of how Dave came very close to losing his mind when he learned our third baby was actually twins.

Among the quotes he used after the ultrasound six and a half years ago were, "Our lives are over."  "We'll never be able to go on vacation again; well never do anything fun again."  "Now we have to get a [possible expletive]mini-van," and "I'm not jolly enough to be a father of four kids."

As we told the story, Dave's partner's wife asked, "What about you, Kristal?  Weren't you even a little freaked out?"

"No," Dave said, "She was thrilled!"

This reminded me of the fifth thing Dave kept saying the day of the ultrasound.  With scorn, he'd say, "You wanted this!"

And I did.  I always wanted twins.  I lost my nerve a little some days of the pregnancy while I'd be crawling to the toilet, but it was more because I thought I'd rather die than be pregnant another day.  I still thought it was awesome that we were having twins.  Until they were about six days old.  That's when I had my moment.

Although Dave's freak out only lasted a few days, and he has been great every moment since then, mine continued, on and off, from the time they were about six days old until they were about six months old.

People would come over to us in public, and after they'd ask if the four-year-old, two-year-old, and two babies were all mine, they'd admire the twins and comment, "Awwwww, I've always wanted twins," and I would say, dryly, "Yeah.  So did I."

The thing about twins is...

Well, I think it was best said by a father of twins I heard on one of my podcasts several years ago.

He said, "What people don't understand about twins is, it's two f%$&ing babies."

It's two babies that both want to eat either simultaneously or on the exact opposite schedule depending if you are trying to sleep or not.  And it's two babies who cry and you have to guess what they need and try to meet both the needs at the exact same time.  And, although most mothers have two hands, and two breasts, it's really hard to pick up two babies and to position them onto those breasts without clunking their poor little soft-ish heads together.

Especially when you also have a somewhat more difficult than average two-year-old and a four-year-old to care for.  In our house, especially for those first iffy six months, I felt like someone was always crying and no one was ever sleeping.

But, we survived.  And, I'm back to thinking that twins are the best thing in the world.  I love these two.  They, and their relationship with each other, are some of the absolute best things in my life.  They are a blessing to me every day.

Happy sixth birthday to these amazing little people.

Luke chose Plants versus Zombies as the theme for his birthday, since he became obsessed with the books last year  Kate and I fashioned him a peashooter cake.

Ally chose a butterfly theme and she decorated the sides of her cake herself.  Look at that concentration!

For party favors each kids got a couple different water shooters.  They had so much fun with them.

He may not consider himself jolly, but he's the best darn dad any kid could hope for.

Dave's (well deserved) revenge on Carter.

Presents!

Cake time.  Oh, my heart.  These two!

Look at the way she looks at him.  She adores her 4-minutes-older big brother

And he loves her, too!

That was their birthday party.  On their actual birthday, Ally wanted to kneeboard, even though it was a high of 67 that day.  Her usual kneeboarding partner is Anna, but we couldn't convince Anna to go out in the cold, so I was her proxy.

The water was so much warmer than the air, Ally would say, "Mommy, can you splash me to warm me up?"

Anna and Ally usually stand together, but I couldn't do it very well!

We also went out to eat with my sister's family.

Luke got free chocolate cake from the server.  He was thrilled!

Ally got free ice cream.  With sprinkles and a cherry!  She shared with her cousin.

They asked Daddy if they would still both fit on his lap now that their six.
He said he'd have a leg for each of them as long as they wanted to sit on his lap, even if they were sixteen.

I told him, "That would be pretty weird."  He said, "I said as long as they wanted to!"