Happy Halloween!

Sam is two

Our baby is TWO today! At eighteen months, Sam turned from being super-clingy to mom to an independent tough tiger, and has never really looked back.

We love his thunder thighs, emotional personality, full belly, and determination to keep up with his brothers. He may be our most social child yet, and can definitely be bought with food. The terrible two's have fully arrived, and he keeps us on our toes with his biting and pinching.

Sammy, you will forever be our baby. Happy birthday to our joy!

The tetherball story

I often worry about Noah, probably because he is our firstborn and because he is wired a certain way. But this is a story I want to remember about him.

Since Noah started first grade, every day at recess and lunch, he heads straight to the tetherball court. From what I gather, he almost never wins. In fact, the other kids sometimes choose to "go easy" on him. And yet, none of this seems to bother him much. He knows he isn't great, but he comes home so excited to tell me, "I almost won today mom! I was so close. I'm getting better mom!" When other kids lose, they move on to something else. Not Noah. And when we share our favorite highlight at the end of each day, he often says tetherball.

I watched him from afar the other day, laughing and jumping around with such abandon and excitement on the playground. You could tell he was enjoying the game of tetherball with such childish delight. I wonder, could I face life the way he faces tetherball?

Noah's depiction of the tetherball court he wants to install if we ever had a backyard 

House tour - First floor

New floors in the living room 

 

I was going to tidy up the toy room first, but this is how it looks 95% of the time anyway...When we first moved in, this was not quite where I expected our family to end up. But it has absolutely been a great home. I appreciate the efficient layout. We have used every square inch and have welcomed many friends into our space. It is a well-lived home!

This stage in life

We often get comments when we're out in public on how we manage with three boys. I think I've concluded we do not actually do more, we just tolerate more. More noise, more mess, more fighting, more energy.

Now that Sam is nearing two, the three of them are increasingly running like a pack. When they are not fighting, they play well together, caught up in their own games and make-believe. It is a fun and exhausting stage in life!