Potporrui...

I'm so behind in blogging to all 10 people who read this, even in my blog's forum as my quasi journal, that I don't know where to begin. So be forewarned: This is journal-ish stuff I've been wanting to get down. So, how about I start with my main picture here: I love buying my children pajamas. I don't know why, but I love to see them in cute, clean PJs at bedtime. And while I'm certain there are better things to spend $10 on, I love Old Navy's PJs. So, here are my munchkins in this year's new summer selection. Enjoy.

My sister, Mary, is here for two weeks. It's been so wonderful to have her company and extra hands with the kids all day long. I feel very, very spoiled. My mother bought my kids a trampoline for Christmas and we just got it this week. (late order...). Mary helped me tidy up my tiny backyard (I had room in one corner for a 10-foot trampoline. That pretty much ate up the available yard space...) and then she helped me put it together. What an arm work out. The entire set up was a breeze except for those blasted springs. Just as my arms gave out from pulling and pulling (and realizing we'd made an error in placing one of them and had to undo some work) Bob showed up and being, in his words, "a monkey using tools" he figured out an easy way to undo and finish the springs. Thank goodness. Our children, and the neighbor kids, LOVE LOVE LOVE the trampoline. Thanks Mom!

I'm grateful to have good neighbors with children for my kids to play with. Jack and Ben Bacon, who is 1 month and five days younger than Jack, have sort of become one little boy running between our two yards. They love nothing more than to spend as much time in a day outside digging worms, inspecting bugs, building sand castles, riding their (matching!) bikes and now, jumping and wrestling on the trampoline. Ben's older brother, Jesse, 7, and sister, Lilian, 9, provide the extra set of eyes for the little ones and are excellent wagon-pullers, as you can see. I have the best neighbors! And I'm so happy it's warm enough for my kids to be outside, playing, inventing, running. Now, if I could just find a way to get them to keep their shoes on...

A couple weeks ago, the kids and I drove four hours to Ogdensburg, NY to visit my college friend, Amee (Thompson) Longbottom for her baby shower. Her husband is an Episcopalian priest and is in charge of a parish there. They have a lovely home next to the (huge) church and are expecting their first baby any day!!! Rob and Amee made us feel so welcome during our four-day visit and the kids just really enjoyed themselves. Having access to the church's swing set and Father Rob's playful ways did not hurt anything. I was glad the kids traveled so well and enjoyed the trip and I really hope having three screaming kids around the house wasn't too traumatic for idealistic first-time parents. :)

Robbie and I spent last week visiting various lab sections of the Galisano Children's Hospital at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. All the tests came back negative for why he isn't gaining weight or pooping...no cystic fibrosis (thankfully!), no thyroid issues and his stomach is a champion emptier, thank you very much. At his nine-week check up with our family doctor, for whom I have a love-hate relationship, we spent almost an hour (he with a full waiting room) discussing Robbie and all his issues. We decided, and Bob and I had discussed it at length before-hand, that for the next month, I'm going to eat whatever I want (yes, this means milk!) and I'm just going to try to give Robbie some cheese and LOTS of other food to see if a) he really has a milk protein allergy and b) to see if we can get him to gain some weight. Since the boy gained two ounces in the last two weeks (compared with three ounces in the last three months) I figure we really have nothing to lose. I will probably supplement his diet with formula and I've just been feeding him like crazy.

In other words, after months of stress and doctor's appointments and worry, I've decided to ignore all of them and go with my gut, which tells me he will pull through this. If I'm wrong, I haven't jumped too much back into the land of eating dairy, just a little milk and cheese, so I'll be able to cut it out with ease again if it doesn't work. So far, he isn't fussy and even seems to be, ahem, pooping a little better--even considering he's on a laxative. How's that for too much information?

Finally, Jack lately has become an arts and crafts fanatic. A couple weeks ago, the kids got in some trouble for not cleaning up. Also in recent months, Jack and Ellie have been getting up very early before me, running downstairs and turning on PBS kids because I'm sleeping and can't tell them no. (If I were more clever, I'd hide the remote, but I'm not that smart...or, I don't mind them watching "Martha Speaks" and "Curious George.") The night they got in trouble, I told them no TV until all the messes were picked up. The next morning, I woke up to the following scene:

Jack woke up and being very obedient, did not turn on the TV. He did, however, raid his craft supply drawers for just about every craft object in the universe to make this little piece of artwork which I think I will keep forever. Lately, he's really been into layering things and mosaic type art. He found an egg carton and glued a bunch of stuff on it. Glued a toilet paper roll vertically to a drawing he did. Speaking of drawings, he colors/draws about 10 or 20 of those a day. I'm not sure he exactly has artistic talent, but he makes up for it in enthusiasm! He's such a funny kid! I'm thrilled to be his mom!