new pics of the kids

Eli is 15 months old and i just got his one year pictures done. he's definitely not an oldest child, or even second oldest, or even third oldest. he has it rough. i thought i was being so good--only getting pictures of my kids every six months for the first 2 years of their life, knowing that if i went hog wild with baby #1 (when you have all the time in the world) getting monthly photos and such that i wouldn't be able to maintain the picture mania. as a 22 year old, i had such wisdom and foresight. i thought every six months was reasonable. i thought wrong. by the time 4 babies come along, 6 months seems like a week and a half. and you can't even remember when your babies were babies.

well, enough is enough. onto little eli. to describe him in one word right now, i'd have to pin it down to "jabbermouth", or maybe, "must be in the same room as mom" (fortunately he just learned to turn his big can around and go down the stairs backwards. i swear, it took forever!! until then, he would just stand at the top of the stairs and moan until someone helped him down. uuhhh, i'm glad that's over). but really, he's so cute when he "talks". he has so much to say, and can carry on a one-sided conversation with the best of 'em. he gets this serious look on his face like he expects you to answer in whatever language he speaks (we still haven't figured it out). so cute. love his big brown eyes and so happy that his runt tooth finally caught up with the others :).

mallory. where do i begin? where to i end? this girl knows all the right buttons to push on everyone in the house. She can send megan through the roof with the wiggle of her little button nose. It's a good thing she's so stinkin' cute or she might have to find herself a new home. She truly is my hardest in preschool. she refuses to stand during the pledge and only will "accept" her weekly job (by putting her little guy in the correct job pocket) if it is line leader. (yes, we've been in school for 7 weeks now and she's only been line leader once). There is also a little girl in my class that i think she is in competition with or is threatened by. but mal follows her around during free time and sabotages any game or toy she picks up. she has spent a few play sessions on the stairs. when she's not driving us crazy, she's so sweet. she is big into doing the dishes and bathrooms. whenever she completes a job or is extra helpful she reminds us all that she is becoming a mom--because she's almost four. sugar and spice is definitely right!!!! (extra spice on this one:))

Isaac is loving first grade. his teacher, mrs. hensler, has a bulletin board in her room that is titled "climbing hensler peak" to help the kids visualize the connection between first grade and college and what they are doing right now will help them get to college some day. on a family walk the other day, isaac was climbing a hill by the path we were on and as he reached the top he informed us he made it to the top of hensler peak! i'm glad something is sinking in. he's doing well and frequently comes home with a b.u.g (being unusually good) award (this also drives megan crazy as it much more difficult to get bug awards in 3rd grade than 1st). it's still a struggle to get him to sit down and read at night as he would rather defend the universe with his power ranger moves. he is so funny making all the combat noises as he disarms his unaware siblings. we go through the same ritual each day after school: drag backpack in the door and ask whine, "why can't you come drive us home from school? it is way too far to walk!" (um, a block and a half). sit on the computer absorbing every crazy, power ranger tidbit possible. begin accosting sisters. when everyone has had enough, sit in time out while eating a red apple. sent outside to read on the grass. end up fighting something. back on the chair until mom needs my help with eli or dinner. i swear, it's daily.

Megan. there isn't anything i can say about her that isn't great. she loves school, church, activity days, has great friends, is uberwilling and ever helpful, i can't stop her from reading (she just finished hp #4) (i wish some of that would rub off on isaac), and she still idolizes her parents ;) If i had to pinpoint a fault, or maybe just a little quirk of hers that drives me nuts, it is that she loves to listen to the ladies. whenever there are adults around her in any conversation, she plants herself right next to matt or i to listen in. i could just be chatting with a friend at the door, she's there. just dropping a baby present or meal off at some one's door, she gets out of the car to "walk" me up. families come for dinner and all the other kids are playing after the meal, she's in the living room, gabbing with the grownups. she's 8 going on 28. some day she won't find us all that interesting, but for now, she lives for company and their conversation. it would be cute if it didn't drive me crazy.

love 'em all to death, if i could just keep on top of the laundry.