Heptadecagon

Melina and I were sitting on the double bed in her room the other morning, a bit after 6 am. Aaron comes in, climbs up on the bed, and presses his nose up against one of her windows, which faces south and looks out over the 1 story roof of our family room. Aaron: Mom, what are those black things? Me: I think they are called vents. Aaron: No, those black things. Me: Really, Aaron, I am not sure, but I think they are called vents. Aaron: Mom, I think you need to watch Bob the Builder . He would know what they are. In retrospect, Aaron might have been referring to the shingles. But after having not slept much the previous night, it never occurred to me to ask him if that was the case.

This post pretty much sums up how our summer is going. Yesterday, I got lunch ready for the three older children. We didn't have leftovers in the refrigerator, so I threw together peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cut up some fruit, and topped the fare off with some crunchy corn chips. Who could resist?!? Zoe, that's who. As I headed upstairs to put Melina to bed, I told the kids that lunch was ready, and that I'd be down as soon as I could be. Twenty minutes later, Talia and Aaron had finished their lunches, cleared their places, and were happily reading in the living room. Zoe was still sitting at the table, looking at her sandwich. I knew why. Zoe likes salami and would have preferred to have a salami sandwich. But we didn't have salami. She might have also preferred a hot lunch (many times, I do make lunch specifically for them, not relying on leftovers). But I didn't have the time for that. I informed Zoe that her only option for lunch that day was...

I remember someone telling me (the dentist, perhaps?) that we should always go over the kids' teeth after they have brushed, just in case they missed some food. And, that we should do this until they are 10. Ten!!! So, that has been my policy. But since the birth of Melina, I don't do the brushing routine with Aaron and the girls so much anymore. Imagine my surprise when I looked inside Talia's mouth and found she now has 24 teeth instead of 20. Zoe, too. Of course, I shouldn't be surprised, as they are 7, and eruption of the 6 year old molars usually occurs around the beginning of first grade (give or take some time).

I have been kindly reminded by a few that I never said how Shadow is doing, after having a growth removed. The growth ended up being benign, and aside from a shaved patch on his leg, he is doing well. I am really glad, as I actually would like the beast to be around for a while. The cats might beg to differ, but in the grand scheme of things, I think they all get along pretty well.

I have been trying to write this post for a bit, but the little lady isn't cooperating. I don't know if new teeth are coming in, or if she is just more interested in her surroundings lately, but I do know that napping has become somewhat of a difficult time lately. I keep telling Melina that babies take naps and that she needs to nap in order to grow, but she just hasn't been buying it. *** Speaking of growing up, Aaron has done so overnight. I am not kidding, either. Writing about him now could be like the beginning of a Franklin story: Aaron could count by fives and draw bee hives. He could hold his pencil correctly and draw very gently. Aaron can probably count by twos, but he doesn't have tie shoes, so Franklin has him there. But Aaron's artwork has exploded in detail and design, he really does hold his pencil the right way (finally) and best of all, he has been dry at night! He informed me yesterday that the box of special pants (diapers/pullups) no long...

Shadow is a good buddy and part of the family. The kids love him, I love him when he isn't barking or jumping, and Tim just thinks his first pet is cool. The poor dog had an adenoma removed from his leg last week. Let us hope that our 2nd redhead has many happy years ahead of him. Just so you know, an adenoma is benign. The biopsy was sent off to be read, and if it is cancer, it will be termed adenocarcinoma. What then? We'll cross that bridge if we have to. Enough of the biology lesson. *** Melina is pulling up anywhere she can: bookcases, ottomans, couches, tables, steps. [I don' t get much done these days, inbetween checking to see where Melina is and that she is not trying to pull over the various pieces of furniture.] Each time she pulls herself up, she smiles and waits for applause. She actually knows how to put herself back down, pretty gracefully, too. My favorite thing she does right now, though, is spin around in a 360 degree circle on her belly. Over a...

I just realized that we have not posted photos of the kids for a while. I have plenty I could write about (writing being very cathartic for me) but I never put in any Easter photos of the kids. We have some other pictures, too, that I am sure at least the aunts, uncles, and grandparents would like to see. So, here we go! Tim set up an Easter egg hunt for Talia, Zoe, and Aaron. Clearly this picture was taken before the eggs were collected. The kids had a great time, and I think Tim did, too. Melina is shown here, chewing on the tag of the toy that the Easter Bunny brought her. She is wearing hand-me-downs from Aaron, and obviously, isn't even buttoned up all the way. The woes of being the fourth child! I do dress Melina in pink when we take her out (here she was ready to go to church), so that we don't confuse anyone. Sometimes wearing pink or purple doesn't help, though. Melina was wearing a purple sleeper with hearts and flowers yesterday. At the grocery store, a ...