It's been too long since I gave a quick update on what the small Stewies are up to, so here we go....
BENJAMIN - 22 MONTHS
Benjamin is quickly closing in on 22 months old. He continues to be a very active and fun little guy, and is HAPPY (almost all of the time.) He tries hard to keep up with the big kids, which keeps us all on our toes. He's an excellent sleeper (still happily in a crib). One of my favorite things he says is, "I love you Mama. I love you." It melts my heart...and I think he knows it! When he wants out of his crib, he usually starts down the list... "I love you Mama. I love you Daddy. I love you Ukie. I love you Pe-a. I love you Nanny." Just waiting for someone to hear him and come to his rescue. It's adorable. Benjamin continues to love Elmo, and recently, he's fallen completely head-over-heels for Dora! His older brothers really want him to like Diego instead...which cracks me up!
18 months to 2 1/2 has always been a challenging stretch for me! But, with Benjamin, I find that I am loving this stage. Watching him grow and discover the world is so fun. Love this little munchkin!
NATALIE- 4 years old
Natalie is 4 and sees life through ROSE colored glasses! This girl loves all things girl! She recently named her kitty (a toy), Sparkles. She then informed me that the kitty will also answer to the name Pinky, Lovey, Diamond, Heart, or Glitter. She loves her babies and spends most of her free time playing with them in her room. She makes elaborate nursery set ups, hosts very fancy tea parties for her babies, and tucks all of them in to bed at night. I absolutely treasure this age! I get a tear in my eye when I see her comforting her dolls...(kind of like how Aaron can be found crying soft tears of joy when the boys are having a Star Wars battle.) Natalie is loving preschool, learning her letters and perfecting writing her name. She's my buddy, and really likes to stick close to mom. She's very helpful and has earned the honor of being best table setter in our family. She recently informed me that when she grows up, she would like to drive a bus. She then informed me that I will be required to watch all of her (real) babies while she does that. So, it looks like I've got job security for the future! Natty-Kate is our sassy, sparkly, ray of rainbow-colored sunshine!
PETER- 6 years old
Peter is 6 and is in all day Kindergarten this year...sniff sniff. I miss having him at home, but he is LOVING school. He is quick to make friends, and is a leader in his class. His favorite parts of his school day are riding the bus, recess, and lunch. Oh, and learning...that's great too! If you know Peter, that sounds just about right! Peter started reading at the end of last year, and continues to amaze us! His favorite thing right now is soccer. He lives for soccer and is on a team of great kids (with great parents). He's fast and aggressive and we are having so much fun watching him play. Soccer is the perfect sport for 6 year old boys...running, kicking, falling, mud...is there more to life? He's also a big fan of drawing, and recently learned how to draw stars. He shows it off like a magic trick! I love the wonder he finds in these discoveries. He also learned the books of the New Testament (song) and is often belting out..."Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts..." in the grocery store, or at the pumpkin patch, wherever. Peter has a soft sweet heart, and I love that our rough-and-tumble boy who knocks the world around all day, still snuggles up every night for reading.
LUKE- 8 years old
Luke is 8, and is taking 3rd grade by storm. This boy loves school, and learning! But, he also recently discovered wall-ball, 4-square, and kick-ball at recess. He likes them so much, he asked if he could join a wall-ball team. He was completely perplexed to find out that there is not a wall-ball league. Luke is also playing soccer this year. He enjoys playing defender. In a recent game, he was having a hard time getting after the ball. Aaron told him to pretend the other player was his brother who had just taken his favorite toy...that seemed to do the trick! (Not sure what that says about brotherly peace in our house...but it's reality) Luke is on a great team, and the coach is truly amazing...emphasizing hard work, team play and sportsmanship, over winning and super-star play. Wow! Love the lessons our son is learning. It's a blast to cheer on the Eagles!
Luke is growing up a little too fast for me! The other day he informed me that he is a young adult. I informed him that he's still a kid. He said, "fine, I'm an older kid...almost a young adult." That's so Luke! His enthusiasm for life is inspiring!
Aaron recently accepted an ordained call as the Executive Pastor for our church (more details on this to come.) But, that led to the church asking for a recent family picture...which led to me balancing my camera on a ladder in the driveway, and snapping the picture below (and about 50 others that didn't turn out.)
