Dog, birthday, & blanket hog

I can't believe I last wrote in early March!  Time has FLOWN.  I just read back on my last blog to see where I left off, and I cannot believe how TINY Kedzie looks!!  Our dog is huge.  And, much more manageable now although he really really really likes to jump on guests.  The good news is that he rarely jumps on the kids. Caleb is TOTALLY unafraid now.  It's amazing.  He no longer climbs along the kitchen chairs to avoid the floor when Kedzie is around.  Now, he bosses him around and is very willing to be in the same room as him.  Anna Sue still wins the prize of being the dog's BFF though.  She is fearless and likes to be close to him.  Really close.  Actually, preferably on him.  We think he likes her best too.  Grace has been trying to ride him like a horse lately, so we've had to crush that. Kedzie handles their attacks on him well though, which I'm very thankful for.

You can see here he's a bit bigger than before...

She was sitting/standing on him Mother's day morning.  See how he just sweetly takes it?

And before our vacation to North Carolina, we had Caleb's FIFTH birthday bash.  I can't believe my little boy is 5.  I love him growing up though.  On Mother's Day he unloaded the WHOLE dishwasher for me. (I asked him to empty the silverware).  I was so proud of him. He's also started letting the dog out, filling the dog food and water, and is just generally more capable around the house.  

For his Birthday, I visited Dollar Tree for a few essentials.  Ok, maybe not.  But I HAD to get this killer party hat.  Check it out!! I decided that this is the Birthday hat.  I love fun little traditions, so I told the kids that when it's their birthday they get to wear it.  And they can only wear it on THEIR birthday.  

And, in case I've made it seem like Kedzie is just totally chill and never annoying.... here's a typical scenario. ( I think Kedzie thought it was his birthday because he wanted to wear (eat) the party hat) Notice how Caleb isn't thrilled with him. 

My mom and dad got Caleb some squirt guns for his birthday, and he LOVED them.  It's perfect that there are three because he can let his sisters play too OR his neighbor friends.  

OR even dad

Lately I've been telling Ben his blanket stealing is getting OUT OF CONTROL.  The last few nights have been ridiculous.  I mean, we're talking about him stealing ALL of them.  Last night when I woke up to go to the bathroom for the 9th time, I noticed I was freezing and had no blankets.  So, I decided to take a picture for proof of how insane the situation is.  I didn't think Ben had a clear understanding of what I was talking about.  It's not just like a "he has more blankets than me"  issue.  

Please see below. Now, in case this picture confuses you, I'd like to clarify.  The spot that has a white sheet is mine.  Notice, there are NO blankets even CLOSE to that spot.  Notice also that Ben is almost stealing the blankets from himself.  How does this even happen!??!?

Oh, and know how I know this wasn't my fault? Because when Ben is gone, my bed is practically made when I wake up.  

So there.

In other news, I'm 27 weeks pregnant now and can hardly believe it.  This baby is going to be here so soon. AHHHH!  I am in full blown nesting mode.  I know it's kind of early, but since I have a desire to clean out every little spot in my house and work on millions of home projects, I'm labeling it nesting.  I'm still leaning towards thinking it's a boy, but you never know!  We don't have a name yet, and are kind of planning on having a couple of names for each gender and deciding once the baby arrives.  We have NEVER done anything like that before, so I think it's kind of fun =) BUT, it also makes me nervous. Like, what if we can't agree?!?!? No, it will be fine. Probably. 

I've been feeling like our kids are good ages right now.  Caleb and Grace are seeming bigger and more able and Anna is USING A FORK!!  I have been filling a plate and giving it to her, and it's SUCH a relief.  She and Grace still need help, but aren't nearly as needy as they were.  Anna is also ditching her morning nap, which makes it A LOT easier to go places in the morning. (the park, zoo, beach etc).  I'm excited for summer to come and for us to get a lot of fun outings in before the baby comes! 

Alright, time to start folding laundry before the kids (and dog) wake up.  

Adios,

Melanie