It's Good to Be Seven: Lucie

Our Lucie turned seven today at 5:04 pm. We watched the clock switch over together, with a hug and a kiss in the beautiful late summer sun. Today was a special day of birthday treats in 1st grade, well wishes from friends on the playground, and overflowing ice cream sundaes for dessert. We feted Lucie in grand form, because it's not every day a girl turns seven.

How fortunate we are to have our sweet Lucie B. in our lives. She makes us laugh, points out the beauty in the world, asks the most insightful questions, and brings us great joy with her incredible zest for life. Lucie teaches us something every single day.

Here are some lessons from Lucie, our girl with eight (!) adult teeth, at age seven:

Fairies exist. Always believe in them, no matter what the kids at school say about the tooth fairy. Fairies appear at night in the garden, school yard and park, and they love it when you leave them notes. Lollipops, notes and fairy dust can sometimes be found in reply.

The best way to relax is to read a book with your Mom, Dad, Gigi, Grandma or Aunt Rach. Chapter books are especially good, like the American Girl Doll books or Rainbow Magic Fairies series.

Cotton dresses are the most comfortable clothes on earth. Who needs pants or shorts (or anything with a buckle or zipper) when you can wear a dress every single day?

When feeling low, get in the water -- the pool, the shower, a bath or jumping in waves in the ocean, any of these will do. Water is an instant perk-up, and will surely cause smiles, giggles, singing, and wild "Rock Star" dance moves in no time.

It's never too far past bedtime to plead, "Please Mom, just one more chapter?" She may not admit it, but moms always want to read more too.

A meal without bread (muffins, bagels, pita, etc.) is no meal at all. Unless it's tacos, of course.

Bits of trash or unwanted items can be reused in the most unexpected ways. A few broken pencils, a bottle cap, a bit of rope and leftover paper towel rolls can turn into a fairy house, complete with a zip-line, in no time.

Boogie boarding is the best sport on earth! Especially with your Dad on a beautiful summer day.

Caring for others can come so easily. From helping out little brother, to sticking up for a best girlfriend on the playground, being thoughtful and loyal towards those you care about is the best way to approach the day.

You are so loved, dear Lucie! Thanks for teaching us, each and every day.

It's Good to Be Seven: Ryan

Our Ryan turned seven today at 5:05pm. We happened to be watching a clock together at the exact moment he went from age six to age seven. Before heading off for a pizza dinner, followed by overflowing ice cream sundaes, we appreciated the milestone together in the warm, September sun. Because it's not every day a boy turns seven.

The older Ryan gets, the more and more difficult it is to remember our lives without our oldest boy. He is a constant source of joy, energy, amazement, and love, and teaches us something every day.

Here are some of the wonderful lessons we've learned from our front-toothless Ryan, age seven:

All the world really needs is baseball, baseball, and baseball. Meals are full of constant questions about the Phillies and Dodgers with an occasional Met (R.A. Dickey) or Brave (Chipper Jones) thrown into the mix. Need I say more?

If you can't play baseball, then dodgeball, handball, basketball, football, soccer, or pretty much any sport involving a ball, racquet or water, is an acceptable alternative.

The best way to watch NFL football on Sundays is with a Nerf football in hand, catching passes from your Dad and providing constant commentary regarding the fantasy football teams of each and every one of your extended family members.

The only section needed in the newspaper is the Sports section. For proper appreciation, poring over the stats page while dripping milk from your morning cereal is required.

Practice fairness, from the handball court to soccer field, and always support your teammates with an enthusiastic fist pump and cheer. It's called "playing with heart" (words his soccer coach used to describe his playing).

Little brothers are never too young to play tackle with, or throw balls to, but always in a safe, sweet and loving manner.

There's no such thing as two snacks a day. Snacks should come at least four to six times a day, watermelon preferred.

For optimum parental appreciation, it's nice to do things like rake the yard or clean up your toys long before you're asked to.

Last, but most definitely not least, a kind, generous spirit is the best way to approach the day.

We love you Ryan! Thanks for teaching us, each and every day.

Eighteen Months Old: Jake

Here's our Jake...eighteen months old and as lovable, smiley and fun as ever!

Jake has sprinted into toddlerhood. At age one, he was barely able to stand unassisted. Now six months later, he trots down hills to the park in his little flip-flops. The walking started practically overnight at fifteen months, steady and strong, as if he had been doing it for years. And, it hasn't stopped since.

The biggest change in the past six months is in Jake's desire to do everything, and I mean everything, his big sister and brother are doing. He used to be entertained by watching their activities, now he wants to be right in the center of everything they are doing.

This little guy can ride a scooter, eat grapes and kid-sized pieces of watermelon in single bites, walk to school, kick a soccer ball, laugh at jokes in Ryan and Lucie's TV shows, surprise us by doing somersaults on the bed, and fervently express his desire to be excused from the dinner table, just like the rest of them.

When it comes to the dinner table, he has no interest in his high chair, and prefers to be sitting on the bench at the table, smack dab between his brother and sister. He may be eighteen months old, but Jake thinks he's nearly seven.

Despite his desire to do what the big kids do, there are some things about him that are decidedly toddler-like. He loves Elmo and sings out his name when he spots him, "Emmo!". He needs one big nap every day, and is happy to take it, especially with Froggy by his side.

He loves trash trucks. He puts up a fight about being strapped into his car seat or stroller, especially it seems, when we're late for soccer practice. He has funny names for things or people, like "Daddin" for "Daddy". He is obsessed with remote controls and cell phones. He does not like putting his pajamas on at night. And, of course, he makes us smile and laugh, all day, every day.

It's hard to imagine life without our Jakey around. He is truly an integral part of our family, and we are thoroughly enjoying this adventure through toddlerhood together. Now, on to our newest family tradition at half birthdays... doughnuts!

One Year Old: Jake

It's hard to believe that only one year ago, after a calm and complication-free delivery (what a change), Jacob Blue came into our lives. We're all so excited to see him turn one and begin to explore the world on his own.

Coupled with this excitement, there's is a bit of sadness or nostalgia too, now that his baby days are coming to an end. Even Ryan and Lucie have commented that they want him to stay how he is now forever. But there's no stopping our Jake, so age one, here we come!

When it comes to mobility, Jake has changed by leaps and bounds in the last few months. He now crawls steadily on hands and knees, forgoing the
army crawl all together. His newest move this week it to crawl on hands and feet, in an ape-like fashion. Walking is clearly right around the corner.

He pulled himself up for the first time on New Year's Day, surprising the whole family. There were a few days where he couldn't get himself back down, and would cry and cry for help (especially at nap time). Thankfully that didn't last long, and he's now a master of getting up and down, finding every piece of furniture in the house to practice on.

Along with physical progression, he's made some strides verbally. He babbles, babbles, babbles, especially when he's "reading" to himself. He loves books with pictures of babies in them, and giggles when he sees his favorite little faces. The "That's Not My..." books are another hit, especially a Lucie and Ryan hand-me-down about a car.

He loves balls (what a surprise, right?) and has started to say "ba" when he sees one. "Mama" and "Dada" and "mo" (for "more") are other words, along with signs for "more", "all done" and "milk", often done in the wrong context, but no matter. He's working on "bye-bye" waves too, accompanied by a "buh-buh" that sounds slightly different from his ball sound, or at least we think we can tell the difference.

If you want to make Jake happy, turn him upside down. This little guy loves to see the world head first, and will often throw himself back while in our arms to get a better view. He giggles and giggles and wants to do it over and over again.

Jake is getting teeth just about as quickly as Ryan and Lucie are losing them. At recent count, his toothy grin includes two on the bottom and nearly four on top. We joke that the tooth fairy has been passing R & L's baby teeth right down to their little brother.

When it comes to mealtime, Jake's favorite foods are carbs and dairy. He'll eat any kind of bread, preferably by the slice and not served in little pieces. Cheese and yogurt are adored too, especially chunks of cheese and whole string cheese sticks. He likes fruits and veggies too, with favorites including strawberries, peeled apples, avocados, and blueberries.

It warms our hearts to see how loved Jake is by his big sister and brother. For two kids who have already had to share so much in life, they have impressed us by how happily they are willing to share again now that Jake is here. They kiss him, read to him, feed him graham crackers, build endless towers of stacking cups and delight in all his new accomplishments.

The first thing Ryan and Lucie do when I pick them up from school is run to us and tightly hug Jake. He beams and kicks his legs in delight, because nothing makes him happier than being around his siblings. There's no better Little League and girls' softball supporter than Jake.

A very happy birthday to our dearly loved Jake. I must admit I felt a tinge of sadness on the big day. But the feeling lasted only for a few minutes, and now I, and the rest of the family, can't wait to experience the adventures of toddlerhood with our little guy. You make every day a joy - we love you, Jakey!