Boys

The Ice cream truck came slowly down our street a few weeks ago. All the neighborhood kids went running toward it with their money. Colin runs back in, slams his dollar down on counter and says "overpriced! I couldn't get anything for a dollar" 

Joel comes back in. a few seconds later  I see him running out the door with his piggy bank....

the difference between these two is funny and I'm not worried about Colin's future....Joel on the other hand...

Birthmark

I'm putting this here so I can easily reference it the next few months. This is Joel's birthmark he was born with. Takes up his whole side. We've been getting it mapped by a dermotologist the last few years to make sure it doesn't turn cancerous. And taking pictures in between doctor visits to compare the change.  Because apparently this kind of birthmark can turn cancerous. And since his is really changing we are starting to go every few months. The top was in December and bottom in July. (Also Mary thought the strings in the top was hair but it's not hair  - it's from his stitches when they did the biopsy) his birthmark is shrinking in the dark area and the white is growing. Basically his body is attacking his birthmark and "eating it." thankfully his biopsy came back negative back in December but it's something he might always have to be checking - we aren't sure what will happen after the dark part is all gone or if it will be all "eaten" and I have certain things to look for between appointments and told to immediately come in if we see them.

My grandpa always said his skin doctor cut him whenever he went in to see him and I wish how-how was still here to sympathize with Joel because Joel says the same thing. 

 So it's always in the back of my mind and we have to be very careful to sunscreen that part of his body.  But also sometimes I wonder why I worry so much because his body is attacking what it thinks is a foreign object (it's also attacking his skinned knees from being an active boy and that is also bright white skin now) If his body is doing such a good job attacking what shouldn't be there then why am I worried about cancer with him?  There are plenty of other things to worry about with Joel! Ha! 

 I'm also so impressed with his doctor - she took a huge chunk out of his birthmark for the biopsy and you can't even see a scar or where his stitches were. Wish we had gone to her when Colin split his chin open when he was 3  - sorry Colin for the huge scar on your chin. Your mother knows better now! 

Beach night

We took a picnic dinner down to the beach Friday night. 

I will be sad when he stops writing his js backwards. He gets it right most of the time. 

Blueberry picking

Last week Colin was in basketball camp so I took Joel and Norah to pick blueberries. 

We were afraid we had missed the blueberry season but thankfully it went long this summer. 

Success! 

New home

We finally closed on our house two weeks ago. 

We are almost done unpacking boxes. It's pretty easy when you are doubling your square feet to unpack. 

The best part is our neighborhood. Everyone knows everyone and we've had so many people come over and introduce themselves. They have block parties and Halloween parties and kids everywhere. I think Colin has 5 other kids going into 4th grade and Joel has maybe 4 others in 1st grade. Every night after dinner the kids zoom around on scooters playing this cops and robbers game they made up for hours. One night we counted 17 kids riding back and forth on our street.  The boys are absolutely loving it. Norah is loving the freedom too and keeps up pretty well. 

Here's a picture of our kitchen/dining room. I know people are hoping for house pictures and I'll try soon to go around and take pictures. 

We went last week to see our old neighbors and let Norah play with Elizabeth and it was strange being next door to our old house. It felt weird not to walk home but also felt like that wasn't home anymore. And then came home to this house and it didn't feel like home either. Such a strange feeling.  But it's slowly starting to feel more and more like home every day. 

Summer

 Its interesting to see what responses the kids give to people asking them about their summer.

 We've been busy since we moved in with dentist appointments, school reading evaluations and basketball camp. And most people will as the kids "hows your summer been?"

 Colin usually hesitates a little and goes well its been different.  Or sometimes he will say he was homeless for the summer and then I have to explain....

 It was a different summer.  To do it over I think I would've tried to push our closing back a week so the kids didn't have to step off the bus and leave not only school but their house.  Its always hard getting into a summer routine but this time was harder.  And the fact that swim team schedule was all over the place - either morning or night practice and it made it even harder to plan.  Plus all the stress of trying to find a house.  And alllllll the driving. 

 But while it was a different summer than we were all expecting I hope the kids remember all the fun we had this summer. 

 The late nights Colin spent watching tv with grandpa, and the pretzel making with ma-ma-maa and all the Chinese checker games, reading books with ma-ma-maa, the walks to the river each night, the games we made up on the daily long car rides, going to see Ooo-Eee - all things we would've done but not as often as we did this summer. 

So it was definitely a different summer in so many ways but a good one.

All stars

This boy made all stars in a relay. Hard to believe he was the same boy refusing to swim his relay and mommy making him in the beginning. But Joel making Divisionals and All Stars and Colin not has been really good for Joel. At first it was really ironic that the boy who could care less made both where the one whose been desperately trying to make it didn't. But it was really good for Joel and gave him a lot of confidence. 

He had a lot of fun at the All Star meet. And is proudly wearing his all star and divisional tshirts with his name on them. 

All the other 6 & unders were nervous behind the block and Joel was Joel - not really caring and just wanting to get it over with. 

All these kids are talking about split times and dolphin kicks off the block but I'm just here wanting to get this over with so I can get my snow cone! Ha! He did get his snow cone after.

But his relay dropped 8 seconds which is amazing and Joel was amazing. He only took 4 breaths the whole 25 and I've never seen him swim faster. 

Living museum and training camp

Last Thursday Sarah got invited to the the VIP tent at redskins training camp and brought Brent and Colin. 

 I took Joel and Norah to the living museum. We stayed almost 6 hours. And it's not that big of a museum but the kids loved it. Joel kept saying it was too bad Colin was missing the fun so I'm glad he didn't feel left out not going to see the redskins. (Although who are we kidding - Joel at this point in life could care less about the redskins) 

Their favorite thing was this photo booth we did. They have carried their pictures around everywhere. It made me realize that it's probably the only photo Norah has held in her hand. Most are either hung up in frames or on the computer/phone. After we move and get settled I think I need to print out pictures for the kids to hold and look at. 

Brent and Colin enjoyed the VIP passes Sarah got them for training camp. 

Colin got 7 players autographs! His football is still in storage so my mom got this plexiglass to sign so it will fit right inside his football case. Pretty cool. Colin thinks it's worth $100 already based on his signatures. Ha! He's such a businessman already. Between practices he and Brent hung out at Sarah's work and Colin was put to work for money! 

He thought it was great.