It's good to be close.

Our kids are a total of 20 months apart, Graham to Gabriella. We didn't plan for it to be that way, and it made the first years of their lives extremely, um, challenging. There were several times when I didn't know how I was going to hold it together. (Will came home from work early those days.) However, we seem to have turned a corner, and our heads are finally above water! We can breathe again!

Suddenly, we are seeing all sorts of advantages to having them so close. Here are a few:

1. Our kids play (and fight) together. All the time. There is no need to worry about them calling one another's game a "baby" game because they're all at basically the same level. Same way with toys--and when they're done with a phase, we can pass them on.

2. They watch the same tv shows and movies. Again, there's no need to fuss. Everyone's on the same page. But they still fuss. Just about other stuff, like who is singing along with the theme song too loudly.

3. No need to worry about leaving small objects on the floor. (Hopefully) they're done with the choking stage. Baby gates and outlet covers came off, too. In fact, our entire house is a choking hazard now.

4. VBS. All 3 kids went to VBS in the evening this week. That meant 4 date nights for Will and me to enjoy, while the kids did something fun and worthwhile.

5. When we take them to an unfamiliar place (like a different church), they are usually near enough that they can stick together and help each other through it. This will be especially nice if they ride the bus to school this year. Bullies, beware.

6. How often can you put all of your kids in the same swimming lessons? That starts on Monday. We all look forward to it. Will and I will look forward to it while lounging with a book at the side of the pool.

7. As Graham is learning things, I find that Chase and Gabriella are learning right along with him. We'll see if it helps in the long run. Bonus: we could be working with the same wonderful kindergarten teacher for 3 years in a row.

8. Recently, the boys (and sometimes Gabriella) started sharing clothes. Even with hand-me-downs, I just move things from Graham's drawer to Chase's drawer. And Chase is not to the point yet where he complains about the stains.

9. We never got used to sleeping through the night before we had another one. I'm not sure this was a good thing--Will and I have never slept well since. But at least we didn't have to change our habits. :D

10. Chores. If one of them can do it, they can all do it.

11. They all nap--or don't nap--at the same time. It's been that way for years.

12. Travel is simplified. We're done lugging the pack-n-play, travel high chair, diaper bag, play gym, and 3 extra changes of clothes for everyone with us. Bonus: their toys are getting smaller every year. Non-bonus: we will have to pay for 5 plane tickets if we ever fly together.

I guess this list is more for us than anyone else, but sometimes we need the reminder. We expect the feelings of self-doubt to return when we have 3 hormonal teenagers, and then 3 simultaneous college bills.

Catching Up

Another look at things we did this summer...

Forgot to add that we went to hunt for shark teeth in the Potomac River. This was one of the kids' favorite activities of the trip.

And here was the best picture of the entire air show...

Will went to talk to the neighbors about fishing in their pond, and they graciously agreed. We now have fishing within walking distance! (Chase and I went shopping that day. I think I won.)

We met up with Chase's birth mom and her family last Sunday. They are wonderful people, and it will be really good for Chase to know them as he grows up.

Will has been on a quest all summer to find salamanders in our area. Finally, we found about a dozen in a small stream while on a hike. Will said it "made his summer." Ha. Can you find it in the center?

Doing Dayton.

At the end of June, we met my parents in Dayton for a whirlwind weekend-o-fun. Friday night was spent swimming in the hotel pool, of course. On Saturday morning, Will and I ran the Dayton Donut Dash, a 5k where you eat donuts at Mile 1 and 2. For every donut you eat, you get 2 minutes taken off your time. It didn't seem like it would be a big deal, but wow, it's hard to choke them down when your mouth is sticky from running. They even offered chocolate milk, the sight of which made us want to gag.

We spent the rest of the day at the Dayton International Air Show. It was amazing! There were planes and vehicles parked everywhere for the kids to explore, and the show itself was like nothing I've ever seen. The highlights, of course, were the Navy Blue Angels at the end.

Thanks, Mom & Dad, for meeting us! We had a great time!

Washington, D.C.

We visited Washington, D.C. with Will's parents last week. Overall, it was a wonderful vacation, especially as the kids slept a little better than they have in the past. We stopped and picked Will's parents up on the way. They were a huge help, and the kids had a blast with them.

(By the way, it was hot. Every time we have gone somewhere over the summer in the last 4 years, there have been record high temperatures. Every. Single. Time.)

On the way into D.C., we stopped to meet my college friends Meghan & Nick at the Air & Space Museum. How did we not get any pictures together? I don't know. They had us over for dessert afterwards and the kids played outside. It was so good to see them and their twin boys again!

The next day, we visited the National Zoo. It was hot. Will's parents got stuck on stroller duty most of the time, but they didn't complain. We happened to see the pandas right at feeding time.

On Monday, we went for a hike in the morning at a nearby National Park. The way the kids complained, you would have thought we were asking them to hike the Appalachian Trail. Meanwhile, Gabriella participated in Dress Like a Diva Day.

On our last full day, we headed to the National Mall. At first, the kids thought we were going shopping. They were a little hot and tired by the time we got to the Museum of Natural History, and they didn't try to hide it.

Petting a digital T. Rex was fun, though.

Mostly, the kids just wanted to swim in the hotel pool. Will commented that we probably could have saved a lot of money by buying a pool membership instead. Oh well, we still had fun. :)

A Pictorial Update

Lots of stuff going on this summer... Here's an update in pictures.

The kids practiced their Ninja moves while camping in the backyard. The sleeping part started out okay, until Graham started fiercely whisper-yelling at Gabriella at 4am for sucking on her tongue too loudly.

Pajama Ninja moves in the family room.

The kids still fit at the picnic table for at least one more summer.

 Chase and Gabriella decided to build a tree house in the apple tree.

I was too cheap to buy a real water table, so we made these out of storage containers. Keeps them occupied for hours at a time.

The garden is going strong, and some of the strawberries were particularly big this year. Chase loves them.

We are trying to make the transition to no afternoon naps. (This is where I choke back sobs.) Gabriella was so grumpy one day that I sent her to her room to calm down. She never made it.

Hope you all are enjoying your summer as well!

Preschool Graduation

Gabriella graduated from preschool a few weeks ago. We were so proud of her! (It's a little funny, considering she's going back to preschool next year.)

Our school district suddenly switched to all-day kindergarten, so the boys will be in school all day next year. We girls will have lots of time to play, I guess.

Tigers

We had some leftover face paint from a picnic, so the kids all wanted to be tigers. (I guess our yard does resemble a jungle lately.)