Things the boys have said recently...

Dylan:
"Not quite" (As in, if I say something is good or funny he will say "Well, not quite funny...etc.)

"Mommy, you are getting fat!" "Dylan, that's not nice to say." "No, you are getting fat in a nice way!"

Every morning before Aaron leaves for work, he says goodbye to the kids and Gabe would always say "Wait Dad, hugs and kisses." So, now before he leaves Aaron just calls out "Gabe, Dylan - hugs and kisses", to which they come running. Last week, after Dylan had slept in two days in a row, he sad straight up in bed, looked around sleepily and said "Oh, man! I missed hugs and kisses again." And then he laid right back down. Too cute!

When Aaron and Gabe went out of town a couple of weeks ago, Aaron told Dylan he was now the man of the house and needed to look after things. So, for two whole days Dylan would ask how I was and then pat my arm and say "I'll take care of you, mommy."

He lifts my shirt a little and pats my tummy every day and says "Good baby."

But my favorite was yesterday on the way home from the ultrasound, he smiled and said with a sigh "I'm so happy I'm getting a sister!"

Gabe:
Well, Gabe is getting older and so more and more these days we run into his sarcasm rather than his cuteness! But he did say something last week that made me laugh and made me remember how young he still is. We were watching 'So You Think You Can Dance' and were discussing our favorite dancers. He told me his was a certain girl and I said "Oh, that's right - you think she's pretty." To which he said "Yeah. I think she's sexy." Me: almost passing out, "What did you say?!" Gabe, laughing: "You heard me." Me: more gasping for air. Gabe: "What does that mean, anyway?" Me: huge sigh of relief. And mental notes: no more TV and no more playing with older kids!

If he ever hears about something rude or dishonest or even criminal that someone does, he says "They sure aren't following the Golden Rule, are they?" I love that! And I need to remember to thank his teacher for that, because when he is being a pill I can say "Gabe, are you following the Golden Rule?" and it works!

Gabe may not have many fun little quotes I can pop in here, but he is a sweet, sweet boy. He is helpful and kind. He tries to be considerate (although, if it involves Dylan, not so much!) and is very conscientious. I am very proud of the little person he is turning out to be.

Happy Independence Day!

An early, early morning at the Murray parade; lots of candy and excitement; sweaty, content kids.





An evening of swimming and more swimming; BBQ-ing; fireworks, friends and family.

A perfect July 4th!

Proof That I Occasionaly Let My Kids Play in the Mud

In the spot where our hot tub used to be, there is now a patch of sandy dirt. Since we have gotten rid of the hot tub, it has served as a make-shift sand box and the boys have loved it. Well, last month inspiration struck and Gabe decided he was no longer content with just a sand pit, but felt the space would be better utilized as a swimming pool. He asked permission, amazingly enough, and he, Dylan and a neighbor girl started digging. Thankfully, the digging itself filled up more than an hour, but the soon time came where they either got tired or felt it was deep enough and that is when the real fun started. The hose was brought over and the space soon began to fill. And to my surprise (and maybe a little dismay) the water did not just drain into the ground, but stayed rather well and the hole filled up quickly. What I thought would be an inch or two of sandy water, had now become at least six inches of muddy, watery slime. Perfect! The kids all dove in with glee as I bit my tongue and let them splash and wallow to their heart's content!




The clean-up was another story altogether, and the water stayed in the pit for days and just kept bringing joy to my life, but the above pictures and the fun they had, make it all worth it.