Hi Everyone!

Caitlin here, reporting live, from the shoe.  My mom is busy (of course) except now it's not school, it's theBen who needs juice or golfish or someone's soul, I'm not sure.  Anyway, thought I'd give you an update on whats really been going on. 
So, I'm in second grade now, which means I'm pretty much eight.  Well actually I won't be eight until October 17, (which is sooner than Hannah's birthday by the way) but still I'm the oldest around here, and GRACIOUS that is a big job.  What with all the helping Pea get out of her carseat, or keeping theBen happy, or even making sure Matthew is NOT wearing socks with holes, it is a MAJOR undertaking.  But Daddy tells me it's okay, he was the oldest too, and he lived through it so I'm gonna make it too.  But back to me, I'm doing GREAT in second grade.  I have three great friends, and a couple of other friends too.  Oh, and Zachary, from last year is also my friend again, even though he's not in my class.  I know he is because today and yesterday he was chasing me on the playground.  I love being faster than him!!
Anyway, Matthew has my teacher from last year, and I think he's doing fine.  I told my old teacher that if she needed ANYTHING regarding Matthew, to let me know, because I can totally handle it.  I also coached Matthew about how to handle first grade.  Especially how NOT to make your teachers think your mom is ghetto, cuz y'all I got in MAJOR trouble for that one. 
Hannah continues to plague me, you guys.  Seriously, how many times does a person have to say 'STOP COPYING ME HANNAH' before she actually stops????   Like, I'm upstairs, minding my own business throwing stuff down the stairs to see what was the loudest (bag of blocks wins, FYI) and she's all "Cake-Yin.  Let me frow too!  I frow stretch!" And I'm all, "NO!  STOP COPYING ME HANNAH!"  and then she's all like, "I FROW BALL!"  and then I have to be all, "NO! STOP COPYING ME HANNAH!"  and then she's all, "I FROW BEN!???!"  And then I have to be all, "MOMMY!!! HANNAH'S THROWING BEN DOWN THE STAIRS!!!"
And y'all know how I hate tattling. 

Anyway, there's not much to say about Ben except he's walking and eating stuff.  Like dog food.  But Mommy says we all ate dog food and its full of protein so he'll be fine, so I'm not worried about that. So really everything at the Shoe is great!!!  I have to sign off now because it's bedtime but don't worry.  I'll be back soon!!!
Love, Caitlin

So, yeah. The baby's walking now....

Ben's Birthday & Uncle Dick's Winging

The Birthday Boy-ready to party!

Happy first birthday Ben!  We got to celebrate a tiny bit early, but Ben did not complain.  He loved being the center of attention (without having to shriek to get there).  We started with a little cookout:

He IS a year older, but still not old enough to leave the kids table...(or even sit there without a tray)

Then we moved on to chocolate cake.  Ben was so excited about this!  We had talked it up-told him how wonderful chocolate cake was, and how fun it was going to be to eat AND play with.   He's ready:

Yes.  We made him 'nekkid' to keep his shirt nice.  Futile effort...

The poor boy was horribly, horribly disappointed (see video two posts ago).  Evidently he is not our son...perhaps they switched babies at the hospital?  Because he hates chocolate.  He let us know this by flinging cake from one end of the living room to the other.  Chassie must have known what was coming because she stationed herself directly in the line of fire.

This was what was left after cakeflingfest:

The "1" candle escaped his wrath.  Barely. 

Then we moved on to presents.  In this, he was not disappointed.  He got some trucks, some much needed clothes, and some very special UGA attire:

The Hat.  Which Matthew promptly relieved him of:

And the polo:

All ready for football season!!

He also got a helicopter...with four colored balls...he loves it. 

So does Hannah...guess how often Ben gets to play with it??

The following weekend, we got to go to Uncle Dick's winging!!

Congratulations Uncle Dick!!  We are all so proud!  Ben is proud too, in spite of spending the entire ceremony shrieking for attention.

The Schroeders and the Learys and the Learys :)

Afterward we got to tour Dick's airplane.  Which is a P-3.  I think. 

Matthew was first up!

The big kids...in the big airplane

Trouble!! 

All the excitement wore Pea out! 

Afterward we went out for Mexican to celebrate.  What better way to celebrate than with Margaritas and Mexican??  Ben...well, by then he had had it.  He decided about five minutes into dinner that he wanted to go home...so he yelled, and wiggled, threw food and yelled some more.  The only thing that would make him stop was taking his picture.  Everytime I held the camera up to take his picture he would stop screaming and make this face:

Or this face:

I have about six more of these...they bought me 5 minutes to suck down my margarita and gobble my dinner.  I'm going to remember this trick!

After dinner, Ginny and Dick and Mr. & Mrs. Leary came back for the afterparty at our swingin' hotel room-

Mrs. Leary bonded with the big kids...especially Matthew, who tripped on the way in and scraped up knees and elbows.  Mrs. Leary knew just what he needed: A heavy dose of sympathy mixed with amazement at his bravery.  He was in love!

Pea found a captive audience in Mr. Leary.  And no, he did not get a word in edgewise:

Overall, the mini vacation was way too short.  We had so much fun though!!

Awwwwwww!

Back to School

First day of school! I cannot believe it. This summer did not exactly fly by with my school schedule from hell, but my time with the kids definitely seemed too short. The kids are in uniforms this year, which is the only reason Caitlin is wearing a "boy shirt"...after some grumbling about it I think she has finally resigned herself. But! She has assured me that she will be changing every day after school. (Yay! More laundry.)

Matthew ended up with Caitlin's teacher from last year, which he was happy about (and so was I)..Caitlin has a teacher that I don't know much about, but who seems really nice. Unfortunately Caitlin doesn't have any of her friends from last year in her class...poor girl-when she saw the list of kids I could just see her starting to stress out. It took her a while to make close friends last year and I know she hates having to start all over. But she'll do fine. As I dropped Matthew off at his class I spent a few minutes talking to his teacher and then said goodbye to Matthew...but he was way too busy getting settled in to pay any attention to me! I suppose it's better than crying, right?

It feels really wierd not having the bigkids home right now...Pea and Ben are sitting here playing/fighting together and they are really reminding me of Lil' C and Matthew at that age...better not blink I guess...before I know it these two will be off to school!

So...He might not be my son-

Happy Birthday Party Ben! I'm going to post more pictures on his actual birthday, but I had to share this video of his first experience with chocolate birthday cake. (spoiler: apparently Ben is violently opposed to chocolate):

Study Break

If I have to read one more sentence about language arts I will literally find a third story window and hurl myself out of it.  I'm blogging so that does not happen.  (also:  Dear Future Self: If you are considering going back to school again.  DO. NOT. DO. IT.  It bites.)

Quick, & tiny update/fun facts on the kids, plus a haircut and cousin visit:

Caitlin: Mature and helpful-Still worries when I go to school, says the best Christmas present of all this year will be mommy being done.  Im right there with you girl.  That, and finding a job!!

Matthew: Growing like a bad weed-continues to do kind things, like giving me pictures so I can think about him while I study.  Still really silly, but knows when it's time to be serious. 

Hannah: I've given up calling her The Bad One.  Not only because Ben has taken over the title but also because she is really growing up, making decisions about what she should and shouldn't do.  (not always the RIGHT decision, but at least she is thinking about it).  Also starting to play with Ben, which melts me.

Ben:  When he's good, he's very, very good...you know the rest.  He does play well by himself and with Hannah, but when he has had it, he will do "crawlin' and cryin'".  Until you pick him up.  Matt thinks he just needs an "Altitude" adjustment. HAHA!  He is on the cusp of walking-doing bear crawl, and free standing...but still too scared to walk alone.  He'll be one in a few weeks...I'm expecting great things by then!

Also! Ben got his first haircut :(  The Bozo sidehair was getting out of control.  He took it really well, no crying or anything.  Here's before, during and after:

Before. (Do you see why I waited so long?  Look at those beautiful curls!)

In Ms. Deana's Chair

"Uh, wait.  She's gonna do what with those???"

After.  Still has some curls, but not nearly as many :(

With wet hair.  He looks all 'growed' up!

Next:  We got to have the cousins and Aunt Elizabeth come over and spend the night...it was wonderful!  Nine kids and two adults sounds like a lot, but it actually felt like only a few-they all played together so well!  The big kids played Wii, and the little ones got to go to Sophia school:

Hannah, Sophia and Surfer boy Stephen.  Aren't they beautiful?

Big Kids playing Wii.  Alex watching :)

These were my attempts at a group shot.  I took three...it's a funny progression:

"Smile for the camera! Yay!! Say Cheese!"

"SMILE DAMMIT!"

"Good!"

Quick post

Ben has usurped Hannah's position as "The Bad One".  Here is just one tiny example:  (and yes those are knives.)

In other news...Yesterday we went to Lamar Dodd to see an art exhibition because we are all cultured and fancy like that (ha!  It was a school assignment).  Anyway, Hannah conned the Janitors into taking us on a tour of the entire buiding where we found this little gem:

It's made of papier mache and guess who else was there?

Yep.  The whole freakin' jungle.  And the best part?  The janitors are sick of tripping over these animals and are going to try to get us permission to TAKE THEM HOME!  Im so excited. 

More later :)