Ketchup

Our computer died about a week and a half ago.  Luckily most everything was backed up and we were able to get it fixed enough to keep it chugging a bit longer.  That's not even my excuse for not blogging, because it wasn't until today that I realized it's been 3 weeks since my last post.  Ugh!  It's one of those things where we've been so busy but I'm not even sure with what.  Sadly my camera of choice for months has been my phone which takes crappy pictures but I've just felt unmotivated to bring my big, bulky guy with me on our outings.  I am anxious for school to be out so we can have a relaxing summer and not have to dash in a million directions at once.  Our Baldwin has been a joy to have in our home.  The kids all adore him and he is by far the playmate of choice in the house now.  He is such a mellow, low key puppy, I've wondered if there might be something wrong with him!  Every day after school Gavin reads with his head resting on Baldwin's chest, and every night Cameron keeps him in his room for an hour reading with him snuggled up on the floor. Mason loves to play fetch with him, and Baldwin still tries to fit in his tiny lap for a rest.  Jeremy and I have been going to class every week with him and have learned so much.  We just had our first "walk and talk"  which is just an evaluation of the progress we've made with Baldwin and creating some goals for the next few months.  He did so well that he earned his guiding eyes jacket which means he can truly go wherever we go and we need to start bringing him with us more.  I got teary just talking to our regional coordinator about how attached the boys and Jeremy and I are getting to him already.  He really is the sweetest pup and so well behaved that he is basically raising himself and no amount of ruining on our part will make him fail.  I keep reminding the kids of the bigger picture which is that Baldwin will someday change someones life forever in a way that no "pet" can.  Wherever he ends up, he will have a piece of each of our hearts with him.    Mason ends preschool forever next week.  Yikes I am not ready for that.  I even shed a few tears writing our last preschool check to that humble little 4 R's.  He is all registered for kindergarten and so excited to be a big kid.  He keeps telling me how sad I will be with him gone every day.  I don't need the reminders...  I chaperoned a trip to Cows and Corn with Gavin this week.  Gavin had his buddies Nick and Dylan in his group and we learned all about the farm.  His favorite part was the tractor ride that took us to the newborn calves and where they milk the mamas.  His teacher is the greatest this year, it is sad that we will be leaving her behind in less than a month.  Cameron and Gavin also have been participating in a track program put on by the local Running Store.  This has been a big change from spring baseball but the kids enjoy it more and try harder every time to improve their time.  Plus I love that it is only twice a week at the same time for both kids and next year Mason can participate as well.  They both enjoy the shorter distance sprints rather than the longer runs, but are getting better at both.  This past weekend I hosted a little get together with my sister Kristin and my mom for a late mother's day brunch.  We don't do enough of those little get togethers.  The kids loved having their cousins here and far and away the big hit was the kittens!  Good thing we had one for each of them.  They are three weeks old now and just getting fun and cute!  Gavin keeps telling me he is going to sneak one in his backpack to school.  Every morning after they leave I go up to count them and make sure he really hasn't!

So that is the low down.  I hate just spouting off tidbits but they are things I'd like to remember someday.  I tell myself I'm hanging in there with this blog because I want my kids to be able to look back and remember some of the fun things we did when they were little.  But I want them to remember the little things too.  Like today when we had a freak rain shower amid sunny skies during dinner.  We all dropped our forks and ran outside to dance and look for a rainbow.  We were drenched from head to toe.  And I want them to remember that sometimes they do all get along, like in the quiet of the morning when they all sneak into Cameron's room to play legos and are so quiet because they know they're not supposed to be up yet.  And I want to remember that Gavin stays up late at his desk furiously writing down the stories in his mind and Cameron stays up to read his Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, but I caught him reading his scriptures the other night all on his own because he had a question he wanted to find the answer to.  And Mason?  Well some days he is good, and sweet, and selfless.  I cherish those days and love him on the rotten ones too.  He is the jalepeno in our salsa.  My kids are not not the quietest, and they forget to say please and thank you sometimes, and they enjoy farting jokes much more that I would like, but by golly I am PROUD of them and who they are inside.  And that is all.

 

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