Playing catch-up

Oh my goodness it has been a while since I've updated!! Wow!
Well, by now, Gabe is studying for his law degree, yes, we are the proud parents of a college man at Harvard. He is preceeded by 3 siblings having graduated from Harvard as well, 2 from Notre Dame and his oldest brother still lives at home in the same room and laying on the same bed with the same sheets.. from 1994. Ok, so not really, well, about the college - the sheets are questionable - but yes, I do look to the future and wonder how all my kids will grow up, what they will be, will any of them visit their mother, will one of them *ahem, Will* ever leave their mother, etc. etc.

I just want them to be able to grow up - and if I've done anything right (I'll have to keep you posted on this) Maybe they will be good people. "It's nice to be important, but more inportant to be nice" I read this once, somewhere here in cyberspace, and thought, ya know, I like that. Think I'll steal it. Well, kudos to the author, I think more people need to focus on the "be nice" rule of thumb.

Anyhoo, let me give everyone a run down of the house...
Gabryel, the baby, is now 18 pounds and about 28 inches long at his most recent check-up from Aug. and he turns 6 months old in a few days! Yes, half a year old!! I cannot even think about how fast the time has flown! And do you know how many poopy diapers one can change in 6 months? I don't think there's an actual diaper count on record that I know of, but I can imagine that landfills get their share of stank! - And I, who have been a faithful contributor over the years, am really shocked at how something so sweet and adorable and lovely, can eliminate such aweful, rank and nasty things from their cute lil onsied butts! Let's try solids!

Gracie - My Miracle, 23 week micropreemie, turned 3 in August!!! Yes, my itty-bitty little teeny one pound baby, has turned into this babbly, playful little girl who likes to dress up. *even if it is backwards, inside out, 3 sizes too big/small and not quite on her body as it was meant to be - visualize legs in an armhole or crotch parts on head* She is so sweet, so smart and so fun, I can't believe she is going to preschool this year. - This leaves Gabe and I all alone... what am I going to do with myself??? Gracie and Talon will be in the same preschool, nice to see everyone has a partner in their schools.

The "Tweens" They are in middle school this year (3 of them)... now life gets fun. I have had the most wonderful barrage of questions, answers and comments from this bunch. They are all girls *insert glazed look of insanity here* while dad is building a bomb shelter/period hideout hut/boyfriend burial ground in the basement, I've had fun chats about periods, boys, make-up, shaving legs, hormones, internet chatting and have had to question my role as a parent for not calling a professional referee to start fielding the fights over clothing. - watch out, next it's boys.
Did I mention dad was also installing security and is building an aresenal? Yes, it's stocked well with all kinds of nifty things he's collected during his 8 years as a Marine. Don't mind the twinkies, he's collected those in the couple of years since the Marines, he's also acquired a spare tire to show his affection for those twinkies.

The Ele. crowd. (2 of these)
Well, these 2 are doing good, they have a bus stop about 1 block down, they already made friends and are still into things of the "grossing out" nature. Lucky me. I will elaborate more on this as time affords it, but now I will leave you with the thought that Kids will do anything and everything to not only "gross out" their brothers and sisters, but parents, strangers, people you really wouldn't want to see your face again and other family as well.

"yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirates life for me!"

Why is all the rum gone?