June 26th

Well, we've had a lot going on over the past couple of weeks, which has left little time to update the blog! Sorry to everyone who has had to look at the same posts for awhile! Lucky for you, our kids just get cuter & cuter each time you see them (or even their pictures)!

Top of the list to report is Jack Man's first experience with soccer camp! Camp started on Monday (June 25), and I must say that I have never seen my little son quite so indignant about anything as he was about not going out on the soccer field with everyone else! He dug the spikes on his little soccer cleats into the ground, and said, "No!" He was really excited (even to the point of not being able to sleep the night before, & waking up at 5a.m. ready to go!) until we got out of the car, and then suddenly he wanted nothing to do with it! Normally I am able to put on my stern-Mom voice and he's responsive (perhaps a little begrudgingly, but nonetheless obedient); not the case here! Not even lighting a firecracker under his rear would've gotten him onto the field! So we sat on the sidelines and watched the others warm-up; once they were put into smaller groups and everything was downsized a bit, I began to push again. "You're going out there," I said, to which he responded, "No I'm not" with just as much authority as I had littered my own statement with! (I'm not kidding, he was so seriously not gonna do it!) I picked that little boy up and set him on the field, thinking to myself, "Well this is money well-spent!" Jack is usually one to get out there and pretty much throw himself into any situation, so I was surprised by his actions! He was really making me work (and he's so good, he usually makes my job a cake-walk!)!! Once he got out there though, he was on fire! He's an excellent dribbler, really understands the "no hands" concept, and of course ended up having a wee of a time! "That was a really good game, Mom," he said on the way home, "when are we going back?!" I must've thanked him a million times for being brave and staying out there, because it was such a thrill to see his little legs go! Of course the last two days he hasn't given Baba nearly the hard time he did me, but I'll try not to be bitter!

Big news for Lola Lou--we're sitting pretty now!! She's a big "little mama"! Lola has recently become quite obsessed with Piper and Wannabelle, watching their every move and reaching out to grab their big fury ears! So far, neither has reciprocated any interest in her at all...my guess is that Jack pretty well wore them down before Lou was even a thought! One of my favorite things about Lola and being Lola's Mommy, is that we already have secret little conversations! When I was pregnant with her I read somewhere that if you imitate their early noises, they will often "talk" back to you--and let me reiterate earlier posts, we've got another talker on our hands! Now our talks have turned into long sessions of imitating each other's noises, and then laughing hysterically! Man alive she thinks she's a funny woman! Just like her brother's chubby face, hers lights up amazingly when she smiles! Miss Lola has also started to lean into us, mouth open WIDE, wanting kisses! Yes sometimes those kisses do turn into a little chin chewing, but until she gets teeth that's okay! She's still loving squash but has added green beans, mac & cheese (Gerber), and pears--the first fruit she's liked--to her list of tasty dinners! She's slowly beginning to realize that what we have on our plates is a little better than what she has, so she's eaten little pieces of bread, macaroni (Kraft), and cheese! She's a carb girl just like her Mama! Hopefully she'll get some of Baba's length for when those carbs start to turn against her!!

Jack has had a busy couple of weekends, spending the night with both sets of grandparents! Two weekends ago he helped Pop-Pop wash the cars & tinkered around the garden with Nana! They went to the park, where (surprise) Jack made a friend! They made sno cones on a sno cone machine that Pop-Pop got from work! This past weekend my brother Brad (have to clarify since we have two brothers Brad!!) played baseball in KC, so Jack watched most of his games! Since then he has talked about "Courtney" (a family friend of many years; she is probably 12 now) every day--Hannah Montana & Mad better watch out!! He went to Topeka with Grandma & Grandpa after Uncle Brad's Saturday night game, and snuggled with Grandma in Grandpa's bed!! In between games, Jack worked on wearing Uncle Brad out a little more! The Fab 4 (me, B, J, & L) hit up the pool on Father's Day weekend for Lola's debut in her polka dot bikini (brown & pink, ladies...the girl has some major fashion sense!)! She just loved the water, which we already knew thanks to bath time with Big Brother (Jack, not 1984)! We also went to a carnival that my work put on; there the main attraction was definitely the big inflatable slide with enough room for a Baba & a Bubba!!

*Will post soccer camp & bikini photos soon!