When I grow up

Had a wonderful weekend (which of course is still going on today since there is no school or work for any of us!) and especially Easter Sunday. Not that we are a family full of drama or anything...but we are. This has been the first major holiday gathering in at least a year where there was no fighting or arguing or people not showing up when they are supposed to... it was lovely. We ate here, my mother in law cooked her famous lamb (the only time of year we eat such an expensive meat) with plenty of yummy sides, my parents joined us here too, that was a first and very nice. A little too much wine, but plenty of people to play with the kiddos and hold babykins so I got a nap and woke up feeling quite refreshed. The best part was the weather...simply gorgeous. Kids in the front yard playing baseball with Daddy, their Uncles and one of Daddy's friends that stopped by...as well as grandparents getting in on the game. I love watching the boys get older and their skills improving. Maybe it will be time to get them into some organized sports before too long...I hear the discipline is good for kids, go figure. Riley is always a little apprehensive to start new things which is what has held me back so far...but I think if the conditions were right, or maybe one of his friends from school was doing it too, it might be okay. Saturday we went to an Easter Egg Hunt at the Lazer Factory (in Annville) and the boys got lots of candy- Dec found a prize egg, which allowed him to stuff a bunny. (generic build a bear) He was so proud and pleased, but it was hard to be excited for him since Riley was so bummed out he didn't find one. Well, maybe saying it was hard is wrong...holding in my excitement was the hard part. That is one of the toughest parts of parenting at this stage of the game for the older two...the constant rivalry involved. Riley has been going to birthday parties of classmates for a few years now and that was just fine and dandy. Today is Declan's first party for a classmate, and Riley is pretty torn up with the fact that he can't go to it. Declan doesn't get upset when Riley gets things that he doesn't, or gets to go to places he doesn't...I think it is just the different personalities. I'm hoping Declan will always stay this mild mannered, calm and sweet. Riley is definitely more of a pistol, the squeaky wheel, and the first to get his feelings hurt. Isn't it amazing how kids in the same household can be so different?

I love wondering what they will be when they grow up...based on their interests now, here are my predictions for my three boys:

Riley: fabulous at video games, super smart at all of his school subjects, has an endless memory- can tell you the make and model of almost any car he sees just from Zach telling him once when he was 2 what any given model happens to be. He has just recently started to come into his body a little better, and loves to run around and burn off energy. He loves the military, and also knows alot about military weapons. The books he signs out from the school library are always either about one of the branches of the military, race cars, or an eye spy book. When I ask him what he wants to be, he says a cop. I would prefer him in a safer position of something computer related. I definitely could see him programming video games and staying a kid at heart forever.

Declan: he is my little artist. He loves to draw, to create with clay or play-doh, to paint. He also loves to play...whereas Riley wants someone to play with him always, Declan can play alone for hours and I hear the cutest little stories coming out of him as he plays. He often creates whole cities out of his toys, and more recently he creates video game levels (think Mario Galaxy) where you have to travel in certain ways to get to the other side of the playroom, fighting "bosses" as you go. He is definitely very creative, and yet he also has quite an arm on him! A little more shy, he comes out of his shell with encouragement. I could see him in the role of an architect... although he has told me many times that he wants to be a Daddy when he grows up, although just now he has said he wants to play tennis when he grows up.

Archer: Still getting to know this guy, as of now he is definitely going to be a musician. He loves music more than any of my other babies. Riley and Declan both say that Archie is going to play golf like Daddy, though.

But for now...let's just get through today.