Goodbye Mini Cooper!

Big year for us – we added an 8 pound girl and an 80 pound boy to the family.   The girl, of course, is Jesse…the boy is Winston – a four year old, golden retriever. 

It’s surprising how similar the two of them are.  Neither cares about where they sleep, what they put in their mouths or where they poop. Jesse is now 8 months old and is truly wonderful.  She crawls, she sits up, she waves and she loves to smile.  As far as Winston is concerned – great pet…mellow, fun loving and awesome with the kids.  Far and away the best fetch player in the house.

So, other than those small changes, things are relatively the same. 

The reality is, taking care of five others plus an animal is a big job (so I hear – wouldn’t know first hand).  Having a bigger family has forced us to make to some tough choices.  For instance, Shelly has given up on her dream of owning a Mini Cooper or ever reading for pleasure again.  I have come to realize that watching SpongeBob really is more enjoyable then the World Series.  Also, now that Shelly has decided to donate my golf clubs and skis to charity, I have more free time.  Of course, our little growth spurt has allowed us to realize several unexpected benefits. We always get to drive in the HOV lanes and Shelly has mastered the ability to juggle, outsource and multitask all at the same time.  I am also pretty sure that the eyes in the back of her head have developed peripheral vision – ‘cause, man, I can’t get away with anything anymore. 

Oh, I Just Thought You Were Getting Fat

 

“It’s tough being a single mom with FOUR small children”

- My dad in reference to my apparent inability to   behave like an adult.

Even though I haven’t matured into a responsible parent, Shelly has given me one more shot.   She is due in April with another baby and we are very excited.  As our friend Bart said when he heard….”you guys gotta’ get something tied!”

        

What really amazes us is that we were able to manage this feat despite all of Avery’s efforts to keep us apart.  You see, she usually sleeps between us horizontally and we can’t seem to get rid of her.    

New Year’s resolution number one - buy Avery her own bed.  New Year’s resolution number two….see Bart’s comments above. 

A Glimpse into the Future

Happy Holidays!! The kids are constantly changing and continue to keep us on our toes.  They are now getting to the ages where their personalities are leading us to get a good sense of their future careers.  We just thought we would share a glimpse of what may be to come… Avery (a.k.a. “Wild Thing”) - Stunt Pilot / High Wire Performer  She is only 20 months old but it is clear to us that she is a world class multi-tasker.  Not only can she balance on one foot perched atop a highchair while drinking a bottle and doing her crazy wiggle dance, she can do it in such a stealth manner that her parents don’t hear her until after she cracks her head on the floor.  Shelly and I are really hoping that her big brother or sister decides to become a cardiovascular surgeon because this kid is going to give one of us a heart attack.  In the meantime, we got her a helmet and crash pads for Hanukkah.

Is Shelly Really Out of a Job?

 

Happy Holidays!!

We just wanted to share some of the good things that we experienced in 2001.  It has been a busy time for us both personally and professionally. 

Avery is nearly nine months and is just amazing.  She is extremely independent and always flashing her beautiful 3 tooth smile….she gets lots of attention and is adored by her older siblings.  But the fact is, being the third child, she would have to attempt to juggle knives before she could elicit concerns from us - a far cry from when Jake was that age.    A cough out of him would send us scrambling to the hospital.