Rocky is 9 Months!

I can't believe my good fortune to have lucked out with such an even tempered, all around happy, laid back little dude. Rocky loves to be outside and roll around on the grass and try to sneak blades of grass into his mouth when I'm not looking. He is very tolerant of his brothers and neighbor friends who like to carry him around and wave things in his face. No surprise, Rocky measured in at the 98% across the board--98% in height, weight, and head circumference! Rocky is super smiley and will babble when he's in the mood, but he's not super talkative and doesn't give up his belly laughs easily. For now, rolling is his primary mode of transportation, but he's getting himself on all fours and could be crawling any day (look out!). I'm just completely and totally smitten with this sweet babe--they just don't come any better than this little guy!

Mommy Muscles

I won't be competing in any body building competitions anytime soon, but I am absolutely loving this new non-pregnancy, non-lactating, non-human-being-incubating season of life that I have entered and the chance to, finally, spend a little bit of time getting this mom-to-five body of mine in shape and hitting up a few workout sessions each week. It turns out that carrying heavy babies and keeping up with active kids has it's benefits--Boom!

Aquarium

We took the boys to visit the new fancy aquarium the other night when Ben's early intervention program hosted an alumni party. As cool as it was to see penguins, sharks, sting reys, jelly fish, snakes and lots of other sea life creatures, the aquarium is a pretty low-intensity activity that we'll likely file under the "been there, done that" category.

the "Y"

I've been wanting to hike the "Y" for the past two summers, but didn't feel up to backpacking our little guys on the climb up the mountain. So, Hank, Max, and I invited our friends to join us early one morning before Aaron left for work. The trail is very well worn, but it consists of 11 switch backs and an almost vertical climb, so I was a little worried about Hank and Max giving up on me. Ya right! The kids took off right out of the gate and I literally didn't see another trace of them until I made it to the top, where they were waiting at the Y. I think we may have to make the "Y" hike a summer tradition!

VIP

At our last company function in Scottsdale, a photographer took this photo of Aaron and I on the "red carpet" after his celebratory dinner and ring ceremony. I think I feel more at home in my fuzzy pink sweat pants than I do on the "red carpet," but it was a treat for us to pretend to be part of the upper crust, if just for a night.

Cub Scouts

Since I'm basically the antithesis of a scouter, the whole scouting program has always felt so intimidating to me. Now that Hank is 8 and officially a cub scout, I decided that I better get on board or get left behind...so I got on board! Although I would much rather bond over something more my style, like cooking or reading, I have actually really enjoyed spending some quality time with Hank as we've worked together on his Wolf achievements. One of his requirements was to learn about tools and build something useful--enter Papa Grover. Papa Grover gave Hank a little woodworking 101 lesson, let Hank practice hammering nails, and showed him how to build a birdhouse (no kit for this guy!). If the scouting program teaches Hank to be respectful, be honest, and learn useful skills, I think I just might hop on the scouting bandwagon yet!

Cowabunga Bay

I've mentioned it before, but our season passes to Cowabunga Bay have been such a fun splurge. With their life jackets on, Hank and Max are trustworthy enough to run free, racing down the water slides and tubing in the lazy river, while the little guys and I stick to the toddler area and play with the sprinklers and fountains. I don't think I could manage supervising five little swimmers in a pool, so I feel lucky to have a waterpark so close that is a little more our speed.

There really isn't anything extraordinary about this picture, but, to me, it captures the essence of our summer together: spending all day together and soaking up as much sunshine as possible. This summer could possibly be my favorite summer since my own childhood. I have felt that magical quality about summertime that I remember from my own youth--late nights spent playing games outside with neighbor kids, hot afternoons spent indoors playing long board games, beating the heat at the pool, the waterpark, or just a hose, and every single day holding an endless opportunity for the creation of fun. I love it. I love these kids. I love the sunshine. I love playing outside. It's magical! I love it all!