We had such a good day today, I almost forgot it started at 4:30am. I don't know why Jack has started waking again, but it's really annoying. It's usually just once, but last night was three times, so we were letting him cry, which woke up Bobby and then Bobby promptly runs into Jacks room, pulls over a stool and starts to get Jack out of the crib. !

We were at Jakes playing one afternoon and since the husbands were working late she invited us to stay for dinner. Then after sitting down, totally unprompted, Bobby said that we have to pray first. And then he led the blessing. Of course, dinner was a total chaotic disaster, but I was proud of him for that part at least.

I've always said how Bobby likes putting the lego models together from instructions so much more than free play with them. He'll play with the bat mobile, but not with the pile of bricks we have. But maybe it was just an access thing. We dumped the big box out onto a blanket and he went to town! He made all sort of inventions and it was really great. And that's what his teacher alluded to at our conference - not that he doesn't like art, he just needs to see the stuff.  Our crayons are out, but I cannot leave markers or paint just sitting there!

The boys are playing with each other in earnest these days. Its great to see and makes me so happy. Of course, I am just waiting for one of them to break a bone, but for now, they are really enjoying each other.

Jacks new thing is reaching in kitchen drawers that he can't see, and sometimes hanging on them if he can wiggle them open far enough. So thats just great.

Jack loves LOVES his blanket. Bobby never had a stuffed animal or blanket, so I think this is adorable. He goes and gets it at bedtime and loves hugging with it. Bobby technically has a blanket that he stole from grammys third floor only when he saw Cash and Cooper had one last summer, when Bobby was four. And he's pretty indifferent to it in general. I don't know what the difference in them was.

Jack loves climbing up to the top bunk alone, bouncing on the mattress, and then swinging his legs over the rail and dangling down the lower full mattress to get down. If you try to spot him, he'll get back up and move to another spot.  Side note, I hate changing bunk bed sheets. It's the worst.

We have these two little kids chairs.  Jack got his for Christmas and while they are more often upside down being climbed on or creating a fort wall, Jack sits in his occasionally. And only his. One is beige (was beige) and one is brown, and he only goes to the brown one. It's really interesting.

Jack can do a somersault and stay about 90% straight from where he takes off. I should probably splurge on a Little Gym class before Baby Petunia (this weeks name) comes.

If I stop running, will this child be calm and docile? Is it nature or nurture? A gender thing? These boys are so busy and will not sit still. And I've always thought it was because I was so active. Not exactly cause and effect, and of course there are anecdotes to all points (and of course -toddlerhood being the main cause), but they came out easy and moving and haven't stopped since.

The name fights have begun. I will share them, just so you can see how I will be bullied out of my choices.  First Ricks;  Mark Paul, or Mary. That's it. Sorry Grandma Dailey, nothing personal, but not happening. Mine: (and these have been mine since before Bobby) Luke, Charlie, Henry, (Ale)Xander, Tucker. OR- Libby, Caroline, Sadie, Campbell, haven't gotten too far on girls - way too many choices.

We also have to get serious about looking at a new car. The 4Runner is just so narrow. That and I seem to have the widest car seats ever. I'd like to put these two next to each other even now, but one would tend to lean away and theres no shoulder belt, let alone latch in the middle seat.  So what do we get rid of: a 2002 with 140,000 miles, or a 2006 with 260,000 miles? Actually the older for sure, it needs tires and probably a slew of services, but has been a very good mom car and could last another 100K for sure. So looking at used cars, do you pay more for a newer used car, or spend less for higher miles. Seeing as how, I'll probably have this car for 10 years, it's not bad to make an investment, Just have to make Rick see it like that. And then in five years, when business is really kicking, he can get his luxury sedan. We just need to do this, because house buying is put on the back burner, but more because the safety features between a 2002 and 2010 car are light years apart.  (Just thinking out loud, thanks)

This month also marks decision time for kindergarden.  We have to send in our letter to return to our current school which we applied for and did the evaluation testing.  Or, we have to start the process for the public school. Which seems cut and dry: check school reputation, budget, priorities (length of day, class size, uniforms, art, technology, music, language) etc. But we also have two schools in Laguna Niguel that, even though out of district, are only about two miles away and we can choose to apply to either of those. How does one know what to do? We want to be locked in by first grade, so we have one more year of wiggle room, but surely we can use this several thousand in tuition elsewhere. And then Jack enters school and we start all over again!

So that's todays update. I'm going to try to do better, especially when the Grannies are out of the country, but even when you all are here, I'm so bad about picking up the phone. Heck, I'm bad at blogging. Once they're in bed, all I want to do is sit around myself and go to bed early!