6 weeks

My little guy has gone from this precious newborn...

...to an alert and smiling six week old.  He still sleeps like a champ and is a laid back, easy going little brother.  It is very rare that he actually cries, which is good because the other two still do plenty of it!

Some Pig

As a preface, this spring Zach and I read "Charlotte's Web" together.


Last week I prepared ribs for dinner and as I was spreading a rub on the raw ribs, Zach asked what animal the meat was from.  I answered that these particular ribs were from a pig.  His response, without an ounce of remorse or sadness...

"Bye, bye Wilbur!"

Half Birthday

For Zach's birthday we took the boys to play Jurassic Putt miniature golf.  My game was lousy but I blame it on having Marcus in the carrier and putting one handed.  Steve and Zach each played a good game of golf. But Eli had a great game of baseball!  No matter how many times we told Eli and demonstrated for him how to play golf, his game looked a lot like baseball.  Eli took huge swings at the ball and then would drop the club and take off running around the green.  

 

Underwater shark

Zach has been strongly against putting his face underwater.  We have tried bribing, coercing, tricking, everything to get him to try.  Swim classes haven't help, in fact I think the pressure made it worse.  Finally at the beginning of this season I told Zach that he was in complete control over when he wanted to go underwater.  No more pressure.  I told him when he was ready he could do it then.  He was thrilled with that conversation and told me one day he would be an underwater shark, but for now he would stay on top.

While we were at the beach, Zach overheard my aunt and I talking about a couple of strong swimmers that we knew.  Truly I was just making casual conversation with no hidden agenda.  When she and I were done talking, Zach asked me if he was a strong swimmer.  At first I was going to placate him because I didn't want him to feel insulted, but instead I gently told him that no, he wasn't a strong swimmer yet but that I knew he would be one day.  He accepted my answer without arguement and then turned around jumped in the pool and has been swimming underwater ever since.

Apparently honesty is the best policy.

To the beach

Last week we went with my family to the beach.  We had perfect weather and a wonderful week.  It wasn't quite as relaxing as last year's trip because we were trying to keep Marcus off of the beach, so one of us always had to be at the house.  

At first Eli was miserable on the beach and kept asking to go back to the house, but eventually we figured out that he was sensitive to the sunlight and wearing glasses helped.  After that both boys had a great time, especially at low tide when natural tide pools formed.  Zach has gotten more brave each year going out in the surf and this year he played where the waves were breaking.  Eli, completely out of character, was very afraid of the waves and would only play in the tide pools.  Maybe next year both of the older boys will enjoy the ocean.