The kids love to play fetch with Barney. We always say, “Go get it!” when we throw a toy. Lily caught on, and showed us that she could do it too!

Everyone had been playing with him all morning, so all he wanted to do was relax!

Today, I wish that:

1. The dog would figure out that, despite the fact he’s learning one new trick per training session, mini treats do not constitute a meal.

2. William would realize that I need a breather between each Dr. Seuss book (he’s obsessed).

3. We would not have 75+ degree days when it’s almost October.

4. I had not decided to cut myself off from the best ice cream in the universe.

Oh well. You can’t have it all. Otherwise, we’re having a good week. William has only spent 5 days at preschool, but he has already learned so much! They started with the creation story.

I love when he forgets the words and says, “He made the man… sometimes.” I don’t think he has memorized the whole thing yet, but it’s just perfect that way.

He can also identify the letters in his name, and the numbers 1-9 on paper. Not bad for a few hours in preschool!

Lily is walking everywhere now. She started saying her first phrase today!

She is lovely. We had a quiet breakfast at Panera this morning. It will always feel weird to go anywhere with just one kid!

The twins have their first CCD class tonight. This is a big year for them. I still can’t believe that one of my daughters will be wearing my first communion dress next year.

I need to rush and make everyone’s dinner! Wednesdays are going to be hectic from now on.

The twins loved going to basketball camp this weekend. We had a chance to watch them play this afternoon before they came home. Mia played great defense, and Molly was good at passing. Here’s Mia, about to go up for a shot:

After we went home:

I couldn’t believe everyone still had leftover energy after all of that. Micah was downstairs with his guitar, and the kids ran over with a request. Unfortunately, they always ask for the same song. Every. Single. Time… So I figured it was worth capturing.

Old MacDonald Had a Farm

We let Will have a sleepover with Molly and Mia tonight. It’s 9:45, and everyone is still awake! At least they won’t wake up too early tomorrow morning.

Here’s Will, “reading” (reciting) his favorite bedtime story:

You can also download the mp3 (right click to save).

I want to remember his voice as a little man forever.

Micah had a long day working at another location on Sunday. It was just me and the kids. They were looking for something fun to do, and it was one of the hottest days of the year. I found a dusty box in the garage. It was a Slip N Slide! I had bought it about 8 years ago when a store was closing, then forgot I even had it. Of course, this song was stuck in my head all day (80s commercials were the best).

I quickly realized that we don’t have an air pump anymore. The box included a big inflatable archway to go near the bottom, so I nearly passed out trying to blow it up myself… only to realize there was a second arch. I just kept imagining how happy they would be to see the surprise I had for them.

The arches wouldn’t stay inflated, so I tossed them. No one cared! They spent about two hours running and sliding around, and Lily liked watching them. The lawn got watered, too. I can’t complain!

Lily is so close to walking. I think it will happen any day now. Yesterday, she was pushing trucks and cars around the room. She goes into her bedroom to grab the toys she wants. She also loves to take food out of the cabinets and open packages (especially crackers – her favorite)!

Hopefully I can keep coming up with ways to entertain everyone until school starts again. Right now, that day seems so far away.

We have two Persian cats named Snuggle and Tinsel.

I recently stumbled upon some old pictures of them, and of course, it brought back a lot of memories.

We adopted Snuggle in 2002. His parents were champion Persians, but the breeder didn’t want to keep Snuggle because he wasn’t “show quality”. He sauntered into the room, past the kittens we were there to see. We were informed that he was ready to go to a new home, and we knew he was perfect for us. He has lived in every place that Micah and I have ever called “home”. He is a sweetheart, even if he is a total slob! He purrs for days after he take him to get groomed, and we always leave a little lion puff at the end of his tail. I took this picture on the day he came home with us:

We brought Tinsel home in 2005. The twins were just babies, and Micah was horrified when one of them tried to pick him up by his fur. It didn’t take long for Tinsel to get used to interaction with kids, and he has always been so gentle with them. He also gets along perfectly with Snuggle. He is a great cat (hairball problems aside)! Will insists on having Tinsel at the end of his bed when he goes to sleep. I took this picture during our first days with him:

It has been a lot of work to keep up with two pets while taking care of four children, but I know it’s worth the effort whenever I see everyone playing together.