Monsoon

Out back at Mom Mom and Pop Pops with Uncle Pete and Samantha.

The kiddos help Pop Pop celebrate his 60th the day after our adults only fancy schmancy celebration downtown.

Leaving for school this morning. Julia insisted on bringing two purses (I will leave them in the car, Mama) and fat boi totally unaware of the shots that lurked in his near future.

My girlfriend.

It is a wet and wild Thursday afternoon here in PA. Nate has been away much of the week as it is year end for the Government, which means year end for him. We are getting crazy torrential rain and wind, which only makes me happier about our decision to go with a school that offered drop off/pick up! I honestly think that if I was lugging Jake and Jules and Luke in and out of the car on mornings like this I might be a parent of two pre school dropouts. The kids are just loving school and I am loving the adorable creations they bring home. This months project is to get shadowbox frames so that I can preserve these childhood masterpieces :).

Jake had his 4 month appointment this morning. Moose Mangan weighed in at 21.1 and 27.5 inches long with an 18 inch head. So, he is, you know, big boned. Solid. Thick. Huge. The chart didn't really apply, so we just went with "large" as his official assessment from the Dr. All is well developmentally, I had no questions (this really does become old hat after 3 kids, especially when all three of your kids are such similar babies). The good news was that Jake is officially our first kid to not have had an ear infection by 4 months of age! After the nightmare that we went through with Julia's ears (she had had 2 by now) this thrilled me.

I had a meltdown this week. I have some exciting decisions on my plate and am considering some changes come January. I think that I am going to go to school (very, very part time and at night). All is still in the works, but I'm really looking forward to it. I think that now that I feel like my family is complete, like I know all of the faces that I hope to see around my table for the rest of my life, I have some other work to accomplish. Not actual outside the home work, but some unfinished business to take care of academically. I'm so thankful for the constant support (okay, prodding :))of my husband, who always encourages me to be better than I think that I am.

Bit by bit I feel each day getting easier. Nate's travel is a no brainer for us now. We are very used to the routine, and are making it work pretty well for everyone. I went on a shopping spree for the kids today. I confess to totally completely being the-mom-who-does-not-buy-toys. I just don't. I just forget about them. I admit to being annoyed by toys, too. Blinking or singing or beeping things make me want to pour acid in my ears. Puzzles just get lost. Things break, or constantly need batteries. We read a lot of books (books are so wonderfully silent).....but I just don't think to buy many toys. We have lots of balls and bats and footballs and outside ridey things, but not many toys. Suddenly it is fall, and the kids are going to be 4 and 3, and they need some toys. We need things to do together on these dark and cold afternoons. So, to the store I went. Armed with Go Fish and Uno and Candyland and Chutes and Ladders and Memory and Dominos and individual craft containers full of markers and construction paper and all that jazz I armed myself for the cold dark that is to come. Bring it, old man winter.