Fun with Friends!

When the boys have friends over to play, there are always photo opportunities. One of their favorite things to do is jump and wrestle on the trampoline.

Recently, our friend Donovin came from San Angelo for a visit. The boys were so funny running away from Noah who was pretending to be the "bad guy!" He had on his Incredible Hulk mask and was chasing Luke and Donnie around.

Not too long after that Lil' Luke was over here. The trampoline was, once again, the focal point of the fun, but this time the boys were all dressed in costumes.

I had to laugh at Luke when he chose his army man costume from when he was **3**! I told him it didn't fit, but he insisted it did! So, we stuffed him in it. He literally looked like a stuffed sausage crammed inside that thing. Making it even funnier was that the pants were high-waters on him, the ridiculous belt he put on with it and his flipped up collar. Oh my gosh, I can still look at that picture and laugh!

Life with 3 boys is always busy, loud and extremely laughable! I never know what's coming at me next...and the camera is never too far away!! Who would have ever thought we would be so blessed!

Spring Baseball 2011 - Luke Hits a Grand Slam!!

Well Braves Fans, Spring baseball season is off with a bang!

Luke is really doing well this year - he hits a home run almost every game! Actually the whole team is doing well! We're winning more than we're losing...and that's saying something considering last year all the kiddos were newbies. This year Leo is an official coach and I do believe he's having as much fun (if not more) as Luke!

This last game was a nail biter. The bases were loaded and Luke missed the first coach pitches. I yelled to him from behind home plate, "You've got this one Bubba! Hit a home run for Mama!" And, the next hit off the tee was just that - a GRAND SLAM home run!! Luke ran around those bases as fast as his little legs would take him. And, when he rounded home plate, he looked up to see me jumping, and yelling and cheering ...all with a sleeping baby Cruz in my arms!

I can't completely express in words to the look of joy and pride in his face. Those chunky little cheeks were lit up with a smile from ear-to-ear! And, to top things off, he was given the game ball!

I think I've come to accept that we are a baseball family and that this is what we will be doing for the next 18 years. I'm officially, ALL IN -- I have the hat, the shirt the bleacher chair ...and the boys! And I do LOVE my boys!!!

Luke Loses His 1st Tooth!

THIS has been a long time coming!! Ever since school started and Luke's friends began losing their teeth, Luke has been wiggling his - just hoping one would come lose. Finally, about 3 weeks ago one did!

Every day, Luke has been ever-so-gently wiggling his tooth. He kept asking when it would fall out and I told him he had to wiggle it harder! "But it hurts!", he objected! "Ah...yes...it does hurt a bit, but if you want your tooth to fall out you've got to wiggle it."

This past weekend Luke was fed up with waiting and wanted his dad to "punch out" his tooth. Problem was, his dad couldn't bring himself to do it. So, mommy to the rescue! I got a wet wash cloth and tried to pull it straight up, but it wouldn't work. It was REALLY lose though, so I changed my tactic and pulled it forward instead. Two tugs and it was out! And, waiting right behind it was a new shiny white tooth!

Luke was SO excited. He couldn't believe all the blood on the wash cloth! That was soon forgotten about though when we picked out the perfect little Tupperware box to put it in for safe keeping until the tooth fairy could come that night.

The next morning Luke was SO funny! He came out of his room, leaned back and did several fist pumps in the air. It took me a minute to figure out what he was so happy about, but then he held up two $1 bills!

Now Luke has $$ in his eyes and is busy wiggling his other teeth! We'll see how long it takes to lose his next one!

Cruz - So Sleepy!

This morning after the big boys went off to school, I put Cruz in his exersaucer so I could get a few things done.

It had only been a few minutes when i sat down with my coffee to start working. As I enjoyed the quiet for the first time this morning, I heard a strange noise that I thought sounded like a strong, steady breathing - almost a soft snore. I looked down and couldn't believe Cruz was sleeping, standing straight up in his exersaucer! Poor baby!

I immediately picked him up, cuddled him for a few minutes and put him in his bed. I guess he wore himself out playing!!

Neither of my other boys have ever done that! As they get tired both would start crying and getting fussy. I guess the 3rd baby just goes with the flow and sleeps when he can! There's no choice but to be flexible when you are last in the birth order!

I love my little "punkin pie!"

Cruz Discovers His Fingers

Cruz has found his fingers...and he's actually starting to prefer them over his paci!! Despite my best efforts to keep a paci in his mouth, he spits it out and pops his two middle fingers right in. If I'm not mistaken those are the two fingers I used to suck as a baby too.

My experience with Luke still sucking his thumb at almost age 6 has brought me to the conclusion that it's much easier to get rid of a paci vs a thumb! And, I've been determined to keep a paci in Cruz's mouth in hopes that one day the paci fairy could come magically take it away. (Much like with Noah.) Cruz has the strongest sucking reflex of any of my boys though so I'm not sure there's much I can do about this.

It's funny remembering back to the delivering room, but it was the doctor that commented on Cruz coming out of my womb sucking his fist! I guess there are somethings you just have to accept - his newly discovered fingers are more than likely one of those things!

In the end, it's really of no consequence to me. And, he sure is cute sucking them!!

Our Garden 2011

It's the middle of March and that means one thing...time to plant our garden!! In addition to our garden from last year, we are making a second raised bed gardent this year - we just need more room to plant!!

Today, the boys helped to prep the dirt from our old garden. What fun everyone had knowing it was ok to dig in the dirt!! Leo topped the garden off with some fresh compost and tomorrow we will finish the second garden and fill it with dirt.

Our seeds came in the mail on Saturday. This year we will have green beans, peas, cherry tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, cucumbers, cantaloup and honey dew. We will plant tomorrow and wait for the sprouts!

The boys and I are very excited for our first harvest!

Big Brother Luke & Baby Brother Cruz

Luke is SUCH a good big brother!! He always wants to help with Cruz and hold him...and finally Cruz is old enough to let his big brother hold him every once in a while.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of them together. Both were grinning from ear to ear. I just love my boys.

So overwhelming and never enough of me to go around, but so joyous too. My life, my joys, my boys!!