Jason's One Month Old!

Has it really been a month already?  Jason's been such a good addition to the family.  The kids have been great helping him when he's fussy, or playing with him while Mom makes dinner.  Kelsey has been his best bud but that doesn't mean Jack doesn't try to get some personal time with Baby.

Even Joe likes to try to entertain little Jason.  And Jason loves the attention.  If he's not being held...he's not quite as happy.  But thank goodness we have lots of helpers.

Here's to seeing our little guy growing up!

Not the greatest picture but I tried to get a shot of him smiling.  I guess it's a bit more difficult with little people trying to get in the shot too.  I bring out the camera and everyone wants in the photo!

And if this one looks a little blurry...it is.  But this is my reminder that some of the best photos are like our memories...a little fuzzy when it comes to the difficult times, but bright and clear when the joyous moments come.

First Day of School! First Day of School!

Today was an exciting day for four of our six kids.  John moved up to third grade.  Kelsey started second grade.  Bekah went to full day kindergarten!  And our "little" Jack started half day pre-k!  What an exciting day for everyone!

Jack couldn't wait to go in the afternoon on his bus.  He was found asking Mommy every 20 minutes when his bus was coming and if it was time to go to school.  This occurred for 3+ hours (ever since his siblings departed for school at 0730.  His bus finally came to pick him up at 1145.  And there couldn't have been a more excited guy!

The after school "party" wasn't as happy to see Mommy.  The kids all wanted to show how big they were by walking home alone.  Well, as alone as you can be in a crowd of kids.  What they meant was, without Mommy.  But safety first.

As soon as they got home they had apples, chocolate chip cookies and gallons of water!  It was a hot walk home.  And Jack promptly relaxed to take a nap.  He fights the usual naptime when it's not a school day...but I think today he deserves a little break wherever he can find it.

Welcome to the Family, Baby Jason!

August 6th was an important day in our family.  Jason Allen Colloton joined our family just before the day changed.  He arrived amidst great excitement and wonder.  Well, wonder on the part of our kids because they were off to bed while Mommy and Daddy went off to the hospital.  But they were super excited to know that they were going to get up in the morning to see their little brother.

And speaking of "little" brother, he was actually a pretty big guy.  Our biggest yet at 8 lbs 12 oz!  He's been very alert and already tries to keep his head up.  He wants to see whatever's going on around him.  And I think he loves being held by all the helpers we have around here.

 

Kelsey's been the biggest help.  She's wanted to put him in his swing, put him down for a nap, burp him, get him for Mommy, etc.  She even gets a little sad when told "No, you can't hold Baby Jason right now."  But she's super excited about helping out with the baby.

 

Bekah and Jack want to be helpers too but need a bit more supervision than their sister.  It's fun to see them try to be grown up around Jason.  And Jason's been a good sport as he's been passed from arm to arm.  Such a good little brother already.

Mom's doing fine considering it's the second c-section.  Maybe in a couple of weeks she'll be back to feeling more normal.  For now, the kids and Daddy are taking excellent care of her so she can rest.  The only thing she wishes is when they all make her laugh that her tummy wouldn't hurt so much from the bruising.  She needs the laughter...not the aches.  So, send some smiles our way, 'cause we're thinking of you too.

Our Newest Wolf Cub

John received his Wolf badge at Pack meeting this month!  He's worked very hard and is very proud of all he's accomplished.  He loves attending Cub Scouts and can't wait to show us some of the stuff he's learned.  He earned several belt loops (archery, astronomy, wildlife conservation, and some others I can't remember off the top of my head) at scout camp last June.  He earned so much that he was able to get one gold arrow point with a silver attached.  That's like 20 extra achievements in addition to his Wolf Badge.

He'll probably be done with mostly all of his achievements by the time he turns nine years old.  That's okay with me!  It'll give Mom a good reason to keep getting out the sewing machine to put those arrow heads on his uniform.  Good job, John!

Summer Water Fun

We've been "enjoying" the heat of Texas and are still amazed that the kids' lips turn blue after a few hours in the swimming pool.  But they've loved every second...until the water restriction goes into effect on August 1st.  Ah well.  I guess that's alright since the dog thought the inflatable pool was his personal chew toy too.

Guess too much fun was happening.  We'll just have to enjoy summer another way.

Joe was definitely okay with the pool.  He couldn't get enough water time.  Gone were the fears of last summer when he couldn't float or swim.  There was very little fear as he dove and splashed amongst his siblings.

Kelsey's friends gave her a bunch of pool toys.  That inflatable alligator was a favorite with the kids.  Everyone wanted a ride.  It fit really well in the pool too.

Anyone up for a game of catch?  There were two balls that were in constant motion.  Every now and again we'd have to stop and refill with air; but that did little to hamper the fun.

Break time to thaw out!  This didn't last too long, though.  Everyone was more than willing to get back into the pool...even with shivering chins and blue lips.  It was just too much fun to miss.  We'll be moving on the the local splash pads once August hits.  It'll be "illegal" to have inflatable pools and slip-n-slides.  So goes life in a drought.  Let's pray for rain!

You're Four Years Old, Jack Jack!

So what would a four year old boy want for his birthday?  A monster truck birthday cake, of course.  But what if the birthday boy (+family) doesn't really like to eat cake?  Well, let's make some French Silk Pie and put a monster truck on it.  That sounds like loads of fun!

Jack really has enjoyed his gifts!  He's even been polite enough to share with his siblings.  From Play-Doh to a Robin cape, everyone has enjoyed Jack's birthday!

There was quite the discussion as to which super-hero this cape belonged to.  Daddy has been working on convincing the kids that this is one of the capes Robin wore.  I guess with there being so many different Robin's, they've gotten it into their heads that Robin wears something different.  Ah well.  It's flashy, easy to put on, and new.  Who doesn't love it?

Where would Jack be without some form of truck for his birthday?  Thank goodness Play-Doh is mixing it up a bit so we can have the best of both worlds.  An excavator (Jack's favorite heavy equipment) that can make bricks and smash things too.  Very cool!

And finally, a dinosaur pillow pet!  Jack has wanted one of these ever since Christmas.  It's rideable, huggable, and so soft to snuggle with.  So curl up with the green dino, Jack, and let's take a nap!

Happy Birthday, Kesley!

It's not that we didn't mean to post this sooner, but the weeks before, during, and a little later than Kelsey's bday were "filled" with illness.  It seemed like one by one the kids and then Mom and Dad came down with a touch of the stomach flu.  Kelsey got hers on her birthday.  So, her special day was stretched out over the course of a week to let her recuperate, and also let others who were getting over being sick enjoy it with her.

Anyway, she'd been so excited to get her pink gun and accessories!  What a girl!  She even went into the backyard and shot some "squirrels."  Well, they were targets of squirrels but she was so excited.

Kelsey used her birthday money from Grandma and Grandpa to go get herself a baby doll during a Daddy/Daughter night out.  I didn't get pictures of it, but she got all the accessories with it to make any baby welcome.  It came complete with rubber ducky and sippy cup.  So, Kelsey's practicing for when little brother gets here.  She'll be a pro!  But she had a great day!  Thank you, everyone for your love and well wishes!