Mr. Liam Turns 2

I couldn't say enough about how great this kid is and how glad I am to have him. I've become one of those ladies with a lot of kids and I think it's so amazing that each one arrives so vastly different and amply interesting. You'd think he'd be something of a cookie cut-out, but Liam is unique as can be and keeps surprising us as we uncover his quirky talents and personality traits. He is our only child that took straight to thumb-sucking and could not be coerced otherwise. For now, it is still extremely endearing! He also appears to be our first left-hander, which is kind of fun. He took to eating utensils unusually early, and only ever uses his left hand to operate them. He'll fork a whole plate of mac 'n cheese and spoon a whole bowl of oatmeal entirely left handed. And, unlike his easily offended older sister, Liam seems to recognize the value of teasing and sarcasm and he loves to join in. He purposefully switches up our names and acts pretty proud of himself if anyone protests. He mimmicks my facial expressions, whether sour or sweet, and I can't scowl at him for very long because he scowls back with his hands on his hips. Then he proceeds to turn my frown upside down by raising his eyebrows and opening his eyes wide as they'll go and I crack up laughing. Liam's one of those boys who was born with the roar of an engine in his throat, and he'll exercise his skill every time he sees a race car. So when we introduced him to Lightning McQueen he was an instant fan, and always eager to contribute to the sound effects.

He also has some out-of-the-blue, unfounded phobias! We celebrated Liam's birthday a couple weeks ago and he was so excited about his birthday cake so we put him up at the table and pushed it right under his chin and then lit the candles. The fire freaked him out! So I hurried up and blew them out, but the wafting smoke was even worse! He shook with terror. Once the high doses of sugar lulled him into recovery, we were able to laugh about it. Such a funny boy. Happy birthday, Liam! I love you so.

Girl Stuff - So Fun!

Earlier this month Hanna and I got invited to an estrogen-packed birthday party of ice cream and pedicures. I look forward to making these kinds of memories with Kimber and Madix for years and years to come!

4th of July Grand Finale

This year we relished in a spectacular pool party at Jeff and Mel's house. Not a detail was missing to make the ideal 4th of July celebration - great food, fun pool, dear family, sparklers for the kids, etc. We thought the fireworks show was the grand finale for the evening, but then we got rear-ended on the way home and received our fill of sparks flying.

I felt bad for Nolan when he woke up the morning after. I hadn't worried about him the night before because Colby and Hanna were the ones in the backseat and they couldn't stop crying and/or complaining about their heads and necks hurting. Nolan was so quiet the whole time. The next day we realized that his face and shins got munched by the back of Scott's seat.

Sugar Camp

My grandparents on my mother's side own property out in the woods by a lake in the White Mountains. They named it Sugar Camp after one of my grandpa's long-standing terms of endearment, and because of how sweet it is to be there. Such was the case this last weekend. We did the usual woodsy things, catch lizards and fish for crawdads, relax and visit and enjoy the clean air and gorgeous weather. Scott made slings and tried to teach the boys to throw rocks. He's the coolest dad.

Family Reunion

Our Fourth of July weekend is going to play out kind of like a fireworks show. The next few posts will build slowly up to the grand finale, so stay tuned. These are some pictures of a reunion we planned with my dad's side of the family - just lunch at a park. It was neither lame nor boring, and despite the social norm, I love my Wellman cousins so dearly. It was WONDERFUL to see them again.

This is my crazy Uncle Bob. I told him the cupcakes cost a dollar, and he actually paid up...

Here my sister Lisa and I are posing with our closest cousins, Kim and Kelly. This shot is reminiscent of our some of our fondest childhood memories. We used to play house with candy cigarettes. Whoever was the mom had to be a chain smoker :)

And here's grandma and grandpa and their posterity...