Haircuts & Growing Up

Daniel went on his first field trip this week. We visited a farm and pumpkin patch. He got to feed goats, climb on hay bails and pick out a pumpkin. He chose the first one he saw...again. All he wants to do with it is eat the seeds. As we waited to enter, Daniel and several other boys discovered how much fun kicking up dust in an old barn can be. The were covered in dirt before we even got through the gates. It was lots of fun.
The boys visited my hair salon last week. All three got haircuts in the garage. We took before and after pictures just for fun and they were so cooperative. Vincent's chin is looking really good, we're just keeping the band aid on for extra protection. He got the stitches out Tuesday, just four days after the ER visit. The second layer of stitches will dissolve slowly over the next 6 months.
What handsome boys, being so good for their mother who keeps wanting pictures of all three of them together. I'm just loving that I can finally get them all in the same shot. We've arrived!
This week, Gavin seems to have made a leap from toddler to little boy. There's really not any baby left in him, except he still loves and needs to cuddle. He's my snuggle bug and I love that about him. He runs around, climbs on things and swings on his own on the big boy swing. He turned into a little boy this week. I'm loving this stage with all three of them. We go places without the stroller, they can all follow instructions reasonably well. They love playing together and Gavin really holds his own. He's even taken down both of his big brothers from time to time.
Tomorrow, Daniel turns 5. We said goodnight and goodbye to our 4 year old Daniel tonight and reminisced about our last night without kids five years ago. It's been madness ever since. He's so excited for his birthday. Every morning this week, the first words out of his mouth were "Is it my birthday today?" 5 seems like a pretty big landmark age. Daniel loves to climb trees and does whenever he gets a chance.
Vincent was playing in the backyard this evening when he fell and started crying. When I looked outside to see how bad it was I saw Daniel giving Vincent a huge hug. They have such great moments. I've even captured some of them on video. The funny thing about the videos is that they almost always end with crying or fighting which just really tells the whole story. It's a mixed bag of crazy around here.
A couple weeks ago I had the privaledge of joining these two awesome girls on a houseboat for the weekend. All three of us are busy moms who needed a break. We sat there at the dock for three glorious days of rest, soaking up sun, taking an occasional dip and enjoying some great conversation. It was awesome and I'm so thankful for that time.
George took care of the boys all weekend once again. He was amazing, taking them to an air show, In-N-Out and the fairgrounds. I was impressed; he was tired.