Summer has Started!

It feels like it's been a while since I've sat down to write an update... although how much can really change in three weeks?  What a silly question for me to ask when I know I have small children at home that never seem to stay the same!  The biggest change in the last few weeks has been with Nathaniel.  The last time I wrote, he was "on the brink of crawling".  Well, to stay with that metaphor I guess he's fallen off the cliff!  Not literally of course.  But I did have to dust off the baby gate and block off the stairs to the basement, and we've got to be careful about doors being open and what we leave around that might be interesting to newly mobile babies who don't yet know the rules.  Back to that stage again... learning the word "no".  A stern "no" has sent him into heart-breaking tears on numerous occasions already - he's not too used to a firm voice yet.  But along with the new freedom of mobility comes the need to learn what is and what is not allowed.  Not to mention that Mommy needs to be a whole lot more observant all the time!  It was nice to have a short period of time where I didn't have to worry so much about electrical cords, portable phones, buttons on electronics, and small toys that could potentially become an unwelcome snack for a little explorer.
I find it interesting to see how Nate's awareness of his surroundings has changed so much with his new skill of going where he wants to go.  He sees something he is interested in, and now he has the option of going to check it out instead of just laying on his tummy and flailing his legs and arms in the air.  It is so fun to watch him follow his brothers around the house, army-crawling it from room to room with his poor little legs squeaking along on the hardwood floors or the linoleum in the kitchen.  It will be nice for him to learn how to crawl properly on his hand and knees.  He's done it here and there for short distances, but he hasn't yet figured out that it's much more efficient!  One other thing he's been doing is pulling himself up on things.  He pulled himself to standing the other day when I had the T.V. on for the other boys - they don't watch much T.V. at all, so it must have really caught his attention.  Let me take a look at that thing!  Television screens are so entrancing for little kids... I guess for big kids (adults) as well sometimes.
Nate is completely weaned now, after a number of months of frustration and worrying.  I finally got him to take some milk from a sippy cup, and then when he started refusing to nurse, I called it quits.  I've been worried about him not getting enough for long enough, and it's nice, in a way, to know how much he is actually drinking.  And how much does he drink?  Wellllll, somewhere between 5 and 10 oz a day usually, and only homo milk.  Yeah.  Not much.  I took him to his 9 month appointment last week, and he was finally staying at the same percentile for his age, weighing in at 20 lbs 7 oz.  The doctor wasn't too concerned about his low fluid intake, and not concerned that he was only drinking homo since I've been mixing formula with all his meals, and he is developmentally on track.  I do have a visit next month with a pediatrician to discuss his drinking/weight issues and to check him out for this persistent cough he has.  He continues to be a very happy, cheerful, and content baby, and he sure does love his Mommy!  
That's a lot of writing about one kid... the other boys are doing well too!  I took Peter to a Pre-K orientation day yesterday at the public school down the block.  It's a mix class of PreK and SK kids, although all the moms I talked to there had 4 year olds like Pete.  I'm not sure yet if he'll be there for sure, but he was excited to go, although a little nervous once we actually arrived.  I know it would be good for him socially, and kids can learn so much at a young age.  It would be a good challenge for him and I think he could handle something new.  I think.  On the other hand, I look at him and he's so little still!  Of course he likes to talk EVERY DAY about how he is big, and how Aaron is little, and how one day he will be even bigger, and he will be a Daddy, and he will be in charge.  I digress.  He'd only be three when school starts, and if I wait till the next year to put him in Kindergarten at Heritage, I'd have another year with him at home with me.  It's a pretty special time and it goes by so quickly; I don't want to miss out these years either.  Not that he'd be gone all day - the class is every afternoon for about 3.5 hours.  I wonder who would have the harder time in September on the first few days - Peter or I.  We've got a few months to think about it in any case.  He's growing up so quick.  Sigh.  Writing this makes me want to go snuggle with him for a bit in his bed while he still doesn't mind. 
Aaron is also doing well.  I think I'm going to back off on potty-training him again for a little while.  It was going alright for a while there, but he's back to doing his business in his pants without even seeming concerned about being wet or dirty, and that's not a whole lot of fun for anybody.  Actually who am I kidding.  That's not a whole lot of fun for ME!  Who likes cleaning out poopy underwear??  Yeah, there aren't too many people eagerly raising their hands for that job.  SO I think I'll give him some time and maybe he'll be more interested in another month or two or three.  Maybe after summer.  Maybe when Peter's in school...hmmm.  It will be nice to be back to having only one in diapers.
Aaron loves to do everything that Peter does - whether it be how they play, how they eat, or how they talk.  Monkey see, monkey do, all the time.  Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's frustrating.  He definitely picked up the "WHY" question from Peter, and the two of them can drive me crazy repeating that word in unison after everything I say.  Aaron is also a big fan of his Mommy nowadays, and every time he goes to bed, either for a nap or at night, he asks "snuggle with me, Mommy, snuggle with me".  How can you possibly turn that down?  It's nice to take a few minutes out of the day and just have a little snuggle and chat with him to wind him down for a snooze.  And maybe Mom gets a snooze too... yeah right, with two other little ones.  It's a nice idea anyways.
Well well what else is new.  Today was the last day of school for Mike!  What a busy, busy last little while it has been for him.  Between report cards, class trips, school events, and cadet things, he's been going 150% and it is SO nice for him to have a break and to be able to spend a little bit of relax-time here at home with the kids and me.  We've got a few projects in mind including building a deck, fixing the fence that blew over during that crazy wind storm, and mowing the lawn.  Don't worry, the lawn has been mowed a few times already but apparently I am incapable of starting the lawn mower myself, no matter how many times I've tried.  So it has to wait for Mike to get a chance.  Am I really that incompetent that I can't start a lawn mower?  I didn't think so but it seems that I am.  I need one with a simple button so I don't have to rip my arm off trying to get it started.  Of course, it always helps to have gas in the tank.  As for the rest of the summer, we are looking forward to some day trips with the kids, a week at the cottage with my family, and a week of camping at the Pinery with the VD's. 
As for me here at home, I keep busy with this and that.  Some days I'm not sure what I do to keep me busy but at the end of the day I'm tired, so I must have been doing something.  It might have something to do with the piles of clean laundry that sit in the living room asking to be folded.  I know that I don't usually have enough spare time to sit down and read the newspaper that comes once a week, and I've been working on the same (short) book for the last two months or so.  Perhaps if it wasn't for this blog I would lose my literacy, who knows.  I just finished a fourth batch of strawberry jam this evening, and I can hear the jars popping while I write.  What an enjoyable noise - mission accomplished!  It was nice to get out and do some berry picking, it's been a few years since I've done it.  Mmmm, fresh berries - the boys and I were gorging ourselves on them this morning while I was getting them ready.  Yum!!  I wouldn't mind putting some strawberry plants in the garden next year, except for the fact that we've got way too many visiting rabbits who like to munch my plants.  Some of my corn plants have been toppled and I just saw that the tops of my bean plants have all been chewed off... time to get a BB gun I think.  I'm only semi joking.  These rabbits are cute, but only in a cage - when they are in my garden they transform into furry beast-thieves in need of a good lesson.
I feel like I've been sitting at the computer for WAY too long writing this update, so I need to call it a night.  After I post some pictures.  Enjoy!  

Enjoying the swing on a beautiful day

 What a goof, crawling up on my lap. Aaron likes to call him a goofball, lol

 Enticing him with a soother, trying to get him to pull himself up on the couch

 Another day at the park makes these boys pretty happy!

 I can just hear him laughing in this one!

 Higher, Mom!  Push me higher!

 Looks like it's time for a gate - that pack and play barrier isn't going to cut it anymore

 What is this thing?  Nate pulled himself up to the TV

 The first few jars of jam I made yesterday.  Mmmm! 

 "Helping" Mommy get the berries ready for jam.  You have to do lots of taste-testing to be sure that the berries are okay to use, of course

 I put Peter to work smashing the berries for me, and he was pleased as punch to have a job!