Random tidbits on the kids

My kids. They are a handful. They are cute. They are crazy. They are lovable. They are sanity testers. I hope this means they are normal. haha.

Derrick. Oh that Derrick-boy. What a fun, fun, FUN baby. So smiley. I feel bad sometimes, because often times he is just watching me, waiting for me to glance his way, and when I do, he puts this HUGE grin on his face. I should look at him more often. Those other two kiddos of mine are so distracting though! Oye. Derrick loves life. He seriously is always happy. Well okay, maybe not when he is hungry and I've made him wait for 5, 10, okay...15 more minutes. Then he's not. But other than that, I couldn't ask for a better baby. He is 5 months old. How is he that old already????? SLOW DOWN KID! Slow down time. He can roll, he's actually been doing it for over a month. He is starting to grab things in front of him. He'll grab Meg's hair when I'm doing it, he'll grab Carter's ears when Carter rubs his face in Derrick's belly, he'll grab anything he can. His most favorite thing to do is grab his feet and then try to eat them. He love, love LOVES to chew his feet. Whenever I'm changing his diaper and I have to pull his legs out of the footie sleepers, the feet are always wet. haha. He is so flexible. I know babies are supposed to be, but this one is my most flexible by far. To quote Bo, "It looks like he's bending in half." Really. He's also my drooliest, slobberiest (word? it is now) baby. He loves his brother and sister, but I'm by far his favorite. I should be, I've earned it. :) Derrick is very sensitive. If one of the other kids is crying, you can count on him to join in, even though two seconds before that he was grinning ear to ear. That is my cutie boy Derrick. I love that boy and am glad he's in the family. I really love having him around.

Megan-love. What a girly girl. She loves to play with babies. She's been great with Derrick, but she's even better with her dolls. She loves all things pink, purple too, but mostly pink. She can also wrestle with the best of them. She puts up a good fight with Carter. She says the funniest things. Lately, when we lay down with her for nap time, she'll stroke mine or Bo's face, say she missed us too much, she loves us too much, and that we're the best mommy or daddy. Too tender. She'll also just have the most adoring look on her face. Yeah, I love that. Meg is STUBBORN. She still screams herself to sleep every night because she doesn't want to go to bed. Megan is independent. She knows what she wants, always has. She calls me "mommy" even though I've always referred to myself as "mama" and Carter calls me "mama" too. Don't know where she got it, but that's what she calls me. She's athletic, just like Carter. She loves to dance. She can't wait to wear make-up, and was strutting around the house today in my heels. She makes us laugh so hard. I can't wait for the Fall. Carter is going to be in Kindergarten half day and for those 2 and a half hours that he's gone, it's going to be just me and Meg. Okay, Derrick too, but he'll be sleeping. It's never been just me and Meg. I'm excited. So that's my Megan-love.

Carterbug. Carter informed me yesterday that he can't decide whether to do Karate or be a Jedi when he grows up. Tough choice. He is OBSESSED with Star Wars. He even wrote a book about it. really. He goes around the house humming the Darth Vader song. At night time, just before prayer, we usually sing some songs. He ALWAYS requests the Darth Vader song. Really sets the mood for a good heart-felt spirit-inspired prayer. haha. For the longest time he thought 88 was the ultimate number. To quote him, "It's even more than a hundred BILLION." He did, however, inform me like a month ago that one million twenty might be more than 88. haha. Still, 88 is usually the number he refers to when he means a lot. Funny, right? I don't know why it's that number, but whatever. He is quick to compliment. I can be my ugliest, just rolled out of bed, in mismatching bleached clothes with the hair everywhere and he'll say, "you're so pretty today, mom." I tell Bo he could learn from Carter. Carter has learned to talk back. Talk back and argue and debate and everything else! What happened to my little boy who just assumed I was all knowing and did everything I asked??? I hope this talking back thing is a quick stage, 'cause let me tell you, that is NOT going to be acceptable with this sister. No way. Carter is my most challenging child, but he's also my most loving and comforting child. Why is that? Because he is my oldest, and a lot like me, I have a hard time watching him try to make friends because I know what if feels like, and I don't want him lonely. It makes me sad if I think he's left out. This move has been hard on me for a number of reasons, but one of the main ones is because Carter has no friends right now, and watching him try to make new ones and trying to fit in is just so gut-wrenching to me. He really wants some friends. He is hyper, he is active, he is trying, but at the end of the day, he's still my lovable, sweet, adoring baby. I love him and would be lost without him.

Do I really have THREE kids??? I somehow don't feel like I'm old enough for that. haha. I love them though, and can't imagine what life would be without them. Very dull, I'm sure.