Zink Family Adventures

Josh at 1 1/2

2012-02-12T11:00:00.001-05:00

I have waited a while to write about each child. . .and in Joshy's case it's really a shame. He has changed so much, it's almost hard to know where to begin. How do I describe how this little boy has blossomed and grown over the past several months of his life? All I can say is, every day is a new adventure with our 20 month old Josh. Every day he amazes us with something he can do or say that he couldn't the day before. Every day he looks just a little bit different. . .a little but more grown up. . .a little bit less of a baby and more of a little boy. Every day I wake up and I can't wait to hear the sound of him singing and rolling around in his crib so I can go in and start my day with this sweet, quirky, pensive, goofy, musical little unconditional-love-bug of mine.

Usually one of the first things people say about Josh is, "Wow! He looks so much different than his brothers!" And it's really true. Josh has a look that is uniquely his own and a unique personality to match. Although Josh is quick to smile for the camera, he can actually be a very quiet and serious guy. He spends a lot of time just taking. . .things. . .in. You can see the wheels turning as he processes each situation or focuses on trying to do an advanced task. After minutes of silence he'll wrinkle up his eyebrows and tell you exactly what he's thinking or wondering. . ."What brothers doing, mommy?", "You see dat, mommy? Dat train." , "I do dat, Mommy. I do dat." Sometimes, Josh will just up and take his quiet, serious self and disappear. He really seems to value time spent alone, and often I will look around and he's just gone. . .off in the basement at the train table taking apart pieces of track and trying to put them together again, up in his room reading a book, off in a corner trying to pet the cat. . .totally quiet as a mouse. Sometimes he can be quite hard to find!

Now as much as Josh likes solo time, the first thing out of his mouth is "Go see brothers. See brothers doing. Where Phiwip. Where Daniel?" The sun rises and sets with his brothers. He follows them everywhere, likes what they like, pretends what they pretend, says what they say. The boys call him "Scrappy", or "Scraps" for short, and it is a well deserved nickname. He's right there in the thick of it if they are playing, wrestling, tackling or doing anything "boy". And if he can get a laugh out of his brothers, well you had better watch out because he will not stop whatever it is that he is doing at ANY cost. Usually mealtime is the only time where he can get a captive audience, so he saves a lot of his antics for then. One of the cutest is where he says. . ."Heyyyy, Phiiiwwwipp???" and Phil will say, "Heyyyyy, Joshy??" and then Josh will hold up whatever he can find on his tray and shout it out. . . "CRACKER!!!", this repeats until Josh has run out of things on his tray and done each one about 10 times. The boys have a giggle fest. He also loves to do knock knock jokes, since his brothers do! He can't remember the real jokes, so made his own up. . .

J: Knock, Knock.

Me: Who's there?

J: Twain.

Me: Train who?

Josh: Woooo-woooooo!

He is so proud of himself when he says something that gets a smile or a laugh.

As far as getting smiles go, for Josh there is one guaranteed way to get a smile and that is singing. Josh loves music so deeply. He loves to hear you sing, he loves to sing alone, he loves to sing with you. I called Paul at work one day when Josh was just a year old and said, "Honey, I think Josh has been walking around singing Sunshine on My Shoulders to himself all day today!!!" At that age, it was hard for us to tell for sure but now it is 100% clear that Josh gets songs stuck in his head and feels the need let them come out, whether by humming or full on singing! Philip and Daniel both really loved music at this age and had favorite songs that they knew by heart and could fill in words to if you paused while singing or sing little bits of themselves, but Josh is a different breed entirely. He will sing ALONG with you, while you sing, basically pitch for pitch, word for word. Although I am sure he doesn't know what most of the words mean, he at least sings things that sound exactly like the words and makes a pretty convincing show of it. When he gets in the car, he starts saying, "Mister Rogers!! Mister Rogers PLEASE MOMMY!" so that he can sing along with our Mister Rogers CD in the car. When he gets out, he's often still singing "I wike to take my time. . ." or some other MRN hit. It is precious.

Josh is a pretty independent little fella. He likes to do things himself, and will try anything that he sees his older brothers doing. He goes and gets his own shoes and brings them to the stairs without me asking and says, "Put shoes on, Mommy!" when it's time to leave. When we come home, he will unzip his coat and take it off, then toddle in to the coat rack to attempt to hang it up. He wants to wash his OWN HANDS. "I do it! I wash hands!" -all by himself. His independence extends to bedtime where after his stories he looks at you sleepily and all he wants to do is go crash out by himself. Well, sort of by himself. He has accumulated a tiny entourage of friends he asks for . . .paci, two pacis, blank-IE, blank-ET, Coh-roy and Scout. As long as he has most of those guys with him, going to sleep is a snap! Before he goes to bed, he always gives me a hug and a kiss and says, "I wuuuv you, Mommy!! SOOOOO MUCCHHHH" Now THAT is the best valentine ever.

Joshy, I love YOU so much. You amaze me every day with the things you do and sing and say. I can't wait to see what you become and accomplish in your lifetime. God has great plans to use all of the special things about you to do great things for the world and I am proud to be a part of His plan. Our family would not be complete without our bright, sweet and funny lil' Joshy Pooh!

The impish one-eyebrow look. He gives it a lot.

These Adidas were Joshy's first pair of shoes. Paul couldn't help himself.

This is not the only time I have left out cereal from breakfast and later found Josh on top of the table enjoying seconds.

Josh gets to watch a few minutes of "movie night" with his big brothers. He was so excited to watch Dumbo that he punctuated the entire part he watched with, "Daddy!!! You see dat!!???? Dat ewephant, Daddy!! Dat ewephant!!!" The picture above is of him watching the beginning of Toy Story 3. . .he was enthralled.

Look!! I'm even big enough to play play-doh without eating it! :)

Daniel at three years old

2012-02-12T00:38:00.000-05:00

D-mo.

D.Z.

Dmoney.

Deezle.

Dan the Man.

Sir Daniel.

Daniel Joseph.

We call Daniel all sorts of things and he answers to them all. He definitely has more nicknames than any other person in our family- or maybe the rest of us combined! But he's just the kind of kid who deserves a lot of them. Daniel is truly SOMETHING ELSE. He'll answer to any of those names, but no matter how sweet he is he does not like to be called sweetie, or honey, or sugar. "Mommy, I not a ingredient. I a Daniel." Of all his names, the one he likes best is "Sir". We still have no idea why Philip and Daniel call each other "Sir", but if Philip calls Daniel by ANY other name, his feelings are deeply hurt. "I not DANIEL, Sir!! I SIR!!!"

Daniel's universe continues to revolve around Philip. We were worried about what would happen when Phil went off to preschool. In fact, for months before, there were some serious conversations between the Sirs.

Daniel: "Sir, I don't want you to go to preschool"

Philip: "But, Sir, I HAVE to go to preschool, I just have to!"

Daniel: "But, Sir, I will MISS you when you are at preschool!"

It was enough to break your heart.

When we went to drop Phil off on the first day, I was concerned there might be crying from Daniel or some sort of scene (or maybe just a flat out refusal to leave!) but it turns out Daniel is really gracious about Philip going to preschool. He loves Phil's teachers and gives them hugs every day, he has learned the names of most of the kids in Phil's class and greets them as he comes in, he even carries Phil's backpack for him. Phil gives D a hug and kiss at the classroom door every day, brings him his candy treats from the treasure chest and tells him stories about his day. Daniel is so excited for the day HE gets to finally be a preschooler, but he has handled this year of being apart from Sir very well! It doesn't hurt that while Phil is at preschool Daniel and I spend one on one time together which he absolutely loves. The whole way to preschool in the van, Daniel is describing to me in vivid detail all of the things we are going to pretend about in the Neighborhood of Make Believe when we get home. Once we arrive I set the timer and we spend the next 15 or 20 minutes before nap totally absorbed in pretending all of Daniel's different scenarios. When we play, D is always King Friday, and I am his Queen Sara. D is so absorbed in his character (he does an excellent voice, by the way) that I have to be all of the other NOMB characters as well. All of that thespian club training from high school totally comes in handy. This little part of our day is really special. Sometimes Daniel will help me cook or bake something instead, if we need to make a casserole to bring to a friend or a treat for dessert I can always count on D for some help. He is very interested in the kitchen and really likes to help. . .especially if it means he gets to lick the batter or wash dishes in a soapy, bubbly sink!

Daniel is so sweet, loving, and gentle and thoughtful. However, he can also be really impulsive. . .which gets him into trouble! Sometimes I wonder what is going through his head. . ."Hmmmmm. . .I wonder if this will break if I drop it on the floor." (Answer: Yes) "I wonder if this will hurt if I throw it at my brother's head?" (Survey says: Yes) "I wonder if this will make a huge mess if I dump it everywhere?" (Once again: Yes). When I scold him the first thing he does is start hugging me. I will me mid-lecture and before I know it his arms will be wrapped around my neck in a hug so tight and warm it's impossible to continue making my point. Daniel just wants to skip straight through the discipline part to the part right after where I give the boy a hug. You can't blame him, right? One day, a few minutes after a particular lecturing incident, we were sitting at lunch and Phil (in his typical fashion) kept bringing it up. . . "Mommy, remember when Daniel broke your sandwich cutter? Remember that?" I told Phil it was water under the bridge and told Daniel I forgave him.

Me: "Daniel, I forgive you for breaking the dinosaur sandwich cutter"

Daniel: "Mommy, I forgive you. . . for breaking my heart."

I think my heart broke right there. See a trend?

Besides being a little heart-breaker, Daniel is also still our #1 comedian in the house. This kid is crazy funny. Paul and I really love the movie Tommy Boy, but perhaps we love it too much because somehow we have given birth to a tiny Chris Farley (Daniel) and David Spade (Phil). The sirs are a comedy duo made in heaven. They can tickle each other's funny bone so easily, and if we let ourselves not be parents for a second and actually enjoy the quality of their humor Paul and I will be rolling, too. Daniel loves making up silly songs, doing goofy dances, creating pretend words and bringing pure slapstick into the mix. He does his own dance routine to Donald O'Connor's "Make 'em Laugh" from Singing in the Rain that pretty much sums up his philosophy of life. Daniel is gonna make 'em laugh. Whatever it takes. At least Paul and I figured that out so we can understand the root of most of his misbehavior. "Daniel, were you just trying to make us laugh?" "Yes." "OK, D, that wasn't very funny but maybe you could try. . .(insert more productive activity here)" His sense of humor is advanced beyond his three years. He'll chuckle at things that go over most kids' heads and come up with some things that really tickle my funny bone. For example, the same day as the "I forgive you for breaking my heart" incident, the kids were asking me to explain what I meant by "water under the bridge". I was feebly explaining it and I could tell I was totally losing their attention and that Daniel's wheels were turning in a completely different direction. Then Daniel nods in a knowing way, "Yep, Mommy. Whale under the ocean." I looked at him puzzled and he said in a serious voice, "You know, blueberry under the octopus." I realized he was totally mocking me and my nonsensical grown up phrases! I cracked up, and it became our new joke anytime we needed to correct someone's behavior. "You know, Philip. . .that's blueberry under the octopus!!" Daddy had no idea what was going on when he got home, but that happens a lot to poor Paul!

Just like Phil, Daniel is so inquisitive about how the world works and all of the different things he sees. We have so many great talks when he asks me questions. . "Mommy, that tree still has it's leaf-es in the wintertime!!" And then we have a whole talk about evergreens and deciduous trees. Next thing I know he's pointing out evergreens everywhere! Daniel is fascinated with letters and words, and he will look over my shoulder when I am reading to try to pick out words on the page. . ."Mommy, I see the word GO!!!" and he also wants to know what every road sign says or means as we drive down the street. When he isn't peppering me with questions in the car, he is listening to Q95 and getting in his classic rock fix. He heard "Welcome to the Jungle" a few weeks ago, and for the rest of the day he had to ask everyone he met if THEY knew the song "Welcome to the Jungle" It clearly made an impression. He has also been really curious about what makes boys and girls different now that he knows he is a boy.

D: "Mommy, can I come to the bathroom with you so I can see your big penis?"

Me: "Honey, I am a lady, I don't have a big penis."

D: "Oh (knowingly), well. . . can I come see your SMALL penis?"

Oh, Daniel!!!

There's never a dull moment with this little fella .

Daniel, you are my sunshine. . .sweetness and light. Your joy in everything you do helps us to see the all the best in life. Your giggle is infectious. The way you clap your hands and gallop around when you get excited makes me smile just thinking about it. Nothing melts my heart more than your raspy voice asking me to sing you just one more lullaby, "It's You I Wike, pweese, Mommy." or telling me how much you love me, or that I have great ideas, or that you had so much fun with me today. I love you and I am so proud to hold your little hand in mine and call you my son.

Daniel loves his plastic "characters". For some reason, he named all of his frogs Brad and names that rhyme with Brad like Shad, Vlad, etc. . .he has special voices for them, too. It's great.

Phil at 4 years

2012-02-10T00:35:00.000-05:00

It's no secret. I love this boy. Phil is one of the most amazing things that every happened in my life, and every day I get to live with him I learn something new. He's so many things wrapped up in a tiny little energetic body. Phil is a builder. A dreamer. A carbaholic. A cuddler. A lover. A joker. A super student. And the best little friend you could ever ask for.

The first thing I think people notice about Phil is his voice. It's so sweet and full of energy. His inflection mimics the adults in his life and his vocabulary is astonishing. When he gets excited, it gets more and more high pitched and the volume can go off the charts. . .but you can't fault him for his enthusiasm. He's so thoughtful and will always ask you how Daddy's day was, "What did you design today at work, Daddy?" or "did you have a good shopping trip at Meijer last night, Mommy?". When he sees a friend he'll always remember details about their lives, like "Did you have fun at your Grandma's the other day?" He's something else. Phil chooses his words carefully and he is quite the diplomat. He is the prime negotiator in our family and is forever looking for ways to bring peace to the family or get what he wants through words. He would never dream of hurting someone's feelings, so he'll come up with elaborate excuses as to why he just can't do something or eat something or go somewhere. It's pretty comical, but you can't kid a kidder! I am always wise to his tricks, but it's fun to play along.

Phil is also very bright and inquisitive. His mind is a steel trap, so if you tell him something he will NEVER. FORGET. IT. He loves to retell stories that we tell him or tales of things that happen during his day, and he spins quite a yarn. His favorites are the stories Nana tells him about when she was a little girl. . .especially the one where Aunt Therese had a stick poke through her cheek! Boys love a little gore. He also loves science, and is always asking me to explain things to him like how our bodies make poop or why the leaves fall of the trees. Or, even better, he's applying the science I explain to him or he sees on PBS kids to his everyday life. "Look, mommy, a pulley!!!", or (running into a table ON PURPOSE and flipping over it) "Look mommy, my inertia made me keep going!" One day, I explained fulgurites to him and he thought it was so cool. The next day we went to go out to play in the sandbox and

Phil: Mommy, Can I take Lightning McQueen in the sandbox

Me: No honey, he's an inside toy.

Phil: Yeah, yeah, Mommy, if I take Lightning McQueen outside he'll turn the sand to GLASS!!!!

He must have been setting me up for that one. Sometimes Paul and I laugh to ourselves and call him mini-Sheldon. If Sheldon was really sweet and polite and thoughtful, that is. :)

Phil is still our number one train engineer. This boy loooooooves his trains. The coolest part about this past year has been to see his abilities to design his own tracks develop. He has gone from being Paul's little helper at the train table designing the track to a full partner. . .and when Daddy's at work, he's the lead designer around here! He loves to "chuff" and spends a lot of time each day make-believing with his trains. He'll even build a separate track for Josh so that he doesn't mess up his work. He got his first train track at about 16 months old as a gift from our old neighbor, Marcia, who's grandson had outgrown it. Over the years, we have added more engines and more pieces and as his set has grown so has the ways that he can play. Now that he's a little older, he can pretend so many more things and he will build whole villages around his tracks with his blocks. I love to see his imagination soar. Phil says when he grows up he wants to be a diesel train conductor. (Daniel wants to be a trolley driver, so my kids may be in need of a time machine when they get ready to enter the adult world! Paul, can you design one of those?)

Speaking of being an adult, Phil often talks about "When he's a grown up". He wants to be a daddy and have children of his own, and Daniel can be their uncle and I can be their Nana and he will take them to preschool and the Children's Museum. One of my favorite things he said about adult life was to Paul. . .

Phil: "Daddy, when I grow up I will have you over to MY house for dinner."

Paul: "Oh, thanks, Philly! Will you cook me dinner???"

Phil: "Oh, no, Daddy, I will have a wife and she will cook you dinner."

See, he's got it all figured out.

Another thing about Phil that stands out to me is his faith. He is such a reverent little boy at church and listens very closely to what is going on. He asks me questions all the time about heaven and Jesus, to teach him songs about Jesus and read him stories about Jesus. He told me he wants to go to heaven right now, but I told him he just got here from there and I'd like to keep him a while longer. He really loves the songs we sing at church. He'll hear a song in church and then have a question like, "So, Mommy, how did Jesus save us?". Phil is quite the careful listener. We have a few albums called "Hi, God" that I loved as a child, and one morning I put them on for him as background music and went upstairs to get dressed. When I came back down, he hadn't moved a muscle and was sitting on the couch, totally glued to the blank TV screen. I was like, Phil, what are you DOING? I seriously thought something was wrong with him. "Mommy, I am just listening to this man tell me stories about Jesus." He melts my heart, that Phil!

Phil started preschool for the first time this past fall, and he loves it so much. For his mommy, it was VERY hard to let go and send this sweet boy into the world. However, it is only for two hours three times a week, so I got over it pretty quickly! His teachers are so kind and loving, I can't imagine him being in better hands. It blows me away how much he has learned in just those few hours a week. He has amazed me with the skills he has acquired- writing his name, coloring in the lines, drawing pictures, cutting with scissors. . . these are all things that we had dabbled in at home, but he had shown very little interest in or just lacked confidence in his skills. I was so curious as to how he would do at school in these areas, and so pleasantly surprised with how much and how quickly he learned! He really wants to please his teachers, so sometimes he will even miss out on free play time because he has worked so hard on coloring his paper and getting everything just right. He'll just keep plugging away while the other kids goof around. He never does less than his best. If he runs out of time, he will bring his coloring home and tell me it is "homework", then labor over it more at his little table. He has done some beautiful work and his pride in what he does makes Paul and I so proud. He brings joy to his teachers and makes their day easier, so what more could I ask?

Phil, I am so proud of the way you're growing inside and outside. I have loved you since before you were born, but each day I only love you more. Thank you for teaching me how to have the heart of a child! Mommy and Daddy love you!

Phil on his first day of preschool

Phil riding his bike for the first time!

So proud!

Phil loves the sand!

Pure joy.

Christmas Day 2011

2011-12-31T11:59:00.000-05:00

Christmas morning was MAGIC. These are the moments that I forget the details of because I am so sleepy, but my heart will always remember. The boys were thrilled to open their presents! It takes a while because they each have their own method, and we sprinkle in the grown up gifts. Josh didn't really even get the concept, he just liked to play with the stuff his brothers had already opened. Phil gets easily overwhelmed and will just take a little time out on his own to read a book or play with a toy. Daniel will open every single present just for the joy of opening it. If you don't watch out, he'll open yours!! D was even more interested in the opening than what was inside!!

Here's Daniel demonstrating his superior gift opening skills.

Nana and Grandpa always pick out fun, educational and meaningful gifts for the boys. They are sooooo lucky.

Phil was thrilled!!! He had written a letter to Santa in preschool and asked for his own golf course. Way to think big, Phil. How about Augusta National?? I told him I wasn't sure Santa could fit down the chimney with an entire course, but the Big Guy in Red came through and brought this club set. Phil was beside himself. He couldn't believe that Santa had heard his wish and remembered. It was a priceless moment!

Josh loves trains. Santa brought him this tiny train to keep him busy while his brothers played with THEIR gift from Santa. . .

The POLAR express!!! Oh, wow. This train made their day. And it might have made Grandpa and Daddy's day, too!

Their stockings were full of Disney characters for hours of pretend play!

Uh-oh. What happened in Bethlehem?? Could Knight Daniel have been here with his floppy sword? Not cool, D!

Here's Josh watching White Christmas. . .I appreciate that at least the tiny members of our family will indulge me by watching my favorite holiday movie.

Daniel was so content to just run his train all day. Santa really came through!

We went through lots of holiday jammie changes. . .their jams from last year still fit, so we spent a full day in JAMMIES. That's the best!

My sweeties all tired out after a beautiful day. Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Christmas Eve 2011

2011-12-31T10:59:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve is one of the highlights of the whole year. It's such a busy and fun day, it really feels like three days put into one. The only part we actually managed to take pictures of in the midst of the hustle and bustle was the third part. . .we really missed having our resident photographer Auntie Em documenting our kids' lives for us! The first part of our day is pre-church. . .it involves lots of cooking, packing, getting ready, getting all of us dressed and out of the house. . .maybe it is better we don't have pictures of that part because it's kind of messy! The second part is church. . .doing music at Christmas Eve mass is so special, and it's a privilege to be a part of it every year. We definitely couldn't pull it off without Nana and Grandpa. We have to get to church so early to get set up, warm up, practice, sound check. . .if it weren't for Nana and Grandpa taking care of our boys and bringing them to church for us they would be exhausted before mass even started! The boys enjoyed mass with Nana and Grandpa and it was a beautiful service. Then, it was back to my parents' house for phase 3 of the day. . .the actual Christmas Eve celebration! By that time, Mommy and Daddy are ready for a nap but the fun is really just beginning! We had an amazing dinner made by Grandpa and enjoyed some great wine and some family time!

Here we are snuggling and watching Josh's favorite video of all time- Disney Sing Along Songs Very Merry Christmas. He looooooovveeees it. I don't think he takes his eyes off the screen for a nanosecond.

In honor of Darlin and her love for Jello, I made Jello in her mold so she could be with us in spirit! I made my Jello a normal flavor, though. . .Darlin was notorious for some retro Jello concoctions :)

Aunt Therese gives the boys their presents on Christmas Eve. This year, she gave them these precious knight costumes and books of Fairy Tales to get their imaginations going! She even made them little certificates naming them Knights of the Round Table by Queen Therese. They (especially Daniel) loved it!

So, we attempted to take a family picture. This is my favorite. . .where Paul is throwing his hands up in the air and getting off the couch. Can't imagine what would frustrate him about trying to get a picture with his supermodel wife and three angelic children?? Hmmm. . .

I love this picture because you can see the wonder in the boys eyes as they lay out the cookies for Santa. Believing is magic.

As a side note, that little bag you see is "Reindeer Food" that Phil made in preschool. Paul, being the super dad he is felt the need to sample some of the reindeer food to lend some authenticity. What followed was one of my favorite holiday moments. . .Paul ("I eat anything") Zink took one bite of the food and got an awful look on his face. He spit it out in the trash and we looked in the bag to investigate what he had eaten. . .it turns out that the Reindeer Food was a concoction of marshmallows, chocolate chips, raw oats and . . .glitter. Mmmmmm. . .glitter. :) We had a great laugh. Real Dads eat glitter. Whatever it takes, right?

Here's the boys nestled all snug in their beds. Needless to say, it took a while to fall asleep with all the excitement, but they finally gave in after they realized that Santa was really not going to come until they did!! I'm glad they finally caved because Santa was getting SLEEPY!!! Stay tuned for Christmas Day 2011!

Holiday 2011 Activities

2011-12-30T11:09:00.000-05:00

The holidays are such a magical time, especially with Philip, Daniel and Josh around. These guys keep the season in total perspective with their simple joy and kindness in everything they do. We love to anticipate Christmas and do all of the special traditions we have created as a family.

Our December is usually planned around doing Advent music at church, then we fill in the rest with lots of family fun. In Paul's home growing up, Advent was a REALLY big deal, so honoring and respecting those traditions of his family is something that is really important to me. It actually makes decorating for Christmas way less stressful. . .we have one (pretty giant) box marked "Advent" that we get out right away and then we just gradually pull other things out until we finally end with putting up the tree about a week before Christmas. I have a rule for myself that I have to really deep clean a room before I put any decorations in it (because if it were up to me, my life would be 99% decorating and 1% cleaning but real life is actually the other way around) so the gradual decorating strategy makes that more manageable with three tiny helpers underfoot! The boys have so much fun seeing each decoration go up and "helping" as much as they can.

Their favorite part is helping to assemble the tree, and I can honestly say they are better at it than me. Even Josh was helping bring branches to Paul as they assembled the pieces. It's a cute holiday tradition, and the boys even extended that tradition over to Nana and Grandpa's this year. We noticed Nana had been so busy and tired from teaching second grade that she had no energy to put her tree up when she got home from work. Nana LOVES her tree and made most of the ornaments herself when I was a little girl, so we knew she was sad that her tree wasn't up yet. So, one morning the boys and I packed up and headed over to Nana and Grandpa's while they were at work. Santa's little helpers and I assembled and put the whole tree up, lights, ornaments and all. The boys were so proud of themselves and left a little note from "the Zink elves". When Nana got home and saw her tree she cried! It was the best surprise we could have given her!

We also started a new tradition this year thanks to a friend who suggested wrapping up a book for the kids to open every day of Advent. I pack up all the Christmas books anyways, so after I got them out, I wrapped them. I added a few books Nana bought for the boys, bought a few new books, and picked up some board books at the Goodwill and pretty soon I had 24 brightly wrapped packages of "new" books for my buddies to open. They LOVED this activity and it brought a fun break to the middle of the day- they couldn't have cared in the least that most were books they already owned and they were WITH me at the Goodwill when I picked some of them out!

The boys also loved opening their Advent calendars from Nana every day. Phil did an excellent job this year of keeping track of what day of December it was and would wake up in the morning saying, "Mommy, it's time to open the eight door today!" Each door had a piece of scripture and a cute picture that told the Christmas story. I didn't really tell the kids this because I thought the scripture might be a bit above their heads, but Phil figured it out by the end of the first week, "Mommy, when we finish opening every door we will know the story of how Jesus was born!!" Philip, Daniel and Josh really love Jesus. It warms your heart. After Christmas, Daniel was looking forlorn and I asked him what was wrong. "Mommy, I thought Jesus was going to come have cake with us on His birthday." He was so bummed, he must have been waiting all day for the Lord to ring the doorbell! I told him Jesus was always with us, and we got out our pretend wooden birthday cake and had a Birthday party for imaginary Jesus right there in our basement, and D was content. The Christmas season was complete :)

Paul and Grandpa Phil took the boys downtown for an adventure the day before Christmas Eve. They went to the Eiteljorg and to the Indiana State Museum. They had an awesome, train-filled time!

We had the pleasure of hosting Paul's family for Grandma Kitty's birthday again this year.

Josh loved the tree and spent a lot of time rearranging the ornaments. :)

Phil had many fun holiday activities in preschool. My favorite was this day, when he came home dressed like Rudolph!

It may look like the boys are wrestling, but they are just trying to find Bootsy. Once we put the tree up, we know exactly where to find her for the next month!

Watching the Charlie Brown Christmas special with Nana

Celebrating Nana's birthday with some yummy mexican food and sugar cookies that were made with LOTS of love (read: sticky fingers and extra sprinkles) by the boys!

Enjoying a Christmas storybook!

Playdate with their little buddies Sophia and Lucas. These four are literally and figuratively attached at the hip.

We had a fun family outing to the Fishers Do-it Center to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus. This is the way to do it folks. . .no line, no waiting, no pressure, free popcorn and you can pick up some extension cords or paint while you're there! It was our first time seeing Santa EVER and Daniel bopped right up to his lap to request an electric train. He loved it.

Phil, on the other hand, was petrified. He went completely mute and clung to me so tightly that he could have been attached with superglue! Not that we expected any different from Philip OR Daniel in this situation. Now, Josh, on the other hand, was a wild card. We had no idea how he would react. . .

Well, you can see how that went! Oh, well! It was a good laugh for all of the adults involved! The Fishers Do-it center has a special place in our hearts, and the boys loved visiting often in December to see the Christmas train, pet the doggie, get some popcorn, and if they were REALLY good. . .get a lollipop at the checkout. Paul and I love how friendly and helpful everyone is, and having Santa there was the icing on the cake! Thanks for the memories, Do-it center!

November 2011

2011-11-30T11:12:00.000-05:00

November is a very special month for us. Not only is it my birthday, it is also Paul's birthday, our wedding anniversary, Thanksgiving, the start of Advent. . .the list goes on. It is always a month full of exciting events.

My birthday was so special this year. After mass, we went out to dinner at the Mexican restuarant by our house with my mom, dad, cousin Kelly and her boyfriend, Dan. The restaurant is so ornately decorated inside that the boys simply couldn't get enough. There was lots of oooh-ing and aaahhh-ing and playing "I spy". The food was awesome and we had a great time. Then we came home and opened presents- here is me opening my card from the boys. Phil decorated the envelope himself and I will treasure it forever. He wrote my NAME and covered it with hearts and flowers! It was the cutest thing ever.

I had another birthday surprise. . .Adrienne and baby Jack came in from Chicago for the weekend and surprised me for lunch, along with Eric! It was so special!

Here are the boys enjoying their favorite book of the moment, "The Spooky Old Tree"

The boys had lots of fun supporting the Colts this fall. I mean, the Colts weren't that GREAT, but they still had a great time making snacks and wrestling Daddy while the game was on TV.

Josh is getting so brave and adventurous! The next few pictures are from a day at Forest Park with Grandpa Phil. It's one of my favorite places to visit. It's such a beautiful place with lots of childhood memories! Josh loved going down the slide over and over, and spinning on the dish.

Phil loved the dish, too. I love his sweet smile in this picture! So Phil!

The boys loved exploring the area outside the Transportation Museum!

Rub a dub dub, three men in a. . .laundry basket!

Another one of our box creations. . .the Zinkmobile! We came up with the idea and excuted it within minutes- it was hours of fun!

Josh perks right up for dessert!

Our goddaughter Grace on her birthday!

On this day, Grandma Kitty and Grandpa George had come down to take us to the zoo, but we got there and it was CLOSED!! Oh, no! Children's Museum membership to the rescue! We had a great time checking out the new frog exhibit and it was awesome having man-on-man coverage. This is one of my favorite pictures of Josh. . .it's just so "him". He was loving feeding this baby. . .of course, he alternated a lot of bites and had plenty of rubber food himself. . .ick!

Phil had his very first school program at Thanksgiving time. I was so proud of my little guy! He knew all the songs! It was so sweet. . .about halfway through the program he stepped out of the lineup of kids and walked down to where his teacher was. After giving her a great big hug, he returned to his place in line. He must have been feeling nervous and in need of some cuddle time! His teacher is just so sweet I would want to give her a great big hug, too!

Mmmmmm. . .batter. There's nothing these guys love more than "helping" me in the kitchen. If I try to make something by myself, the sound of the mixer will give me away and I hear the patter of three pairs of feet and the scrape-sliding of chairs on their way to quickly assist. They like the helping part, but they LOVE the batter part most of all! That's the upside of egg allergies. . .no worries about eating all the batter you like!

This was the major score of the month of November. On a whim, we went to the Goodwill by our house and found THIS amazing mountain for 4.99. Best. 4.99. Ever. We were nervous Daddy might not approve of another large piece of plastic entering our house, but turns out that the little boy in Daddy also thought it was super cool and we have had hours of fun with it!

MMMMMM. . .Arby's. Our favorite "restaurant" brings so much joy to their little roast-beef-loving hearts.

Daddy's birthday was so fun. We had a yummy pulled pork dinner and all kinds of goodies. Paul loved his day. . .until about 11 pm when Daniel started puking and set off the beginning of a Zink vomiting marathon! Phil had the stomach flu the week before, but we thought we were in the clear since none of us had any symptoms. How foolish we were! I stayed up through the night with Daniel until about 6 am when I started to get sick. . .then at about 3 pm Paul started to feel not-so-good. . .it was a yucky Thanksgiving to say the least! I am sure it is one we will never forget, though! Philip was the only one who got to celebrate, he went down to Nana and Grandpa's all by himself without the crew and had his own personal feast. It was definitely a November to Remember for many reasons!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T15:17:00.002-04:00

Halloween 2011 was so much fun. . .all three boys were totally into it. Josh had been talking about "Spooky Hah-weeeeen!"* for weeks. When the day came, they were READY!

Because Daniel loves to dress up, our Halloween day involved multiple costume changes. Daniel spent the better part of the day in last year's Winnie the Pooh costume. Josh thought he was the real Pooh. Daniel pretty much thought he was the real Pooh, too. Who needs to take your kids to Disney? Just invite Daniel over for your personal Disney experience!

Here's the boys right before preschool. Phil was some sort of Skeleton/Farmer hybrid, Daniel was Pooh and his Chicken, and Josh is creepin' behind the cat with his puppy hat on.

Here's D in another costume. . .Skeleton Witch.

Here are the boys preparing for trick or treating with our traditional hot dog and mac dinner!

Touchdown!

Phil as an ear of corn. Nana made this costume for Auntie Em when she was in Kindergarten. It has stood the test of time! That Nana is SO CRAFTY! We are lucky to have her!

The whole Farm Fam!

Our special friends from the neighborhood Sophia, Lucas and Lillian joined us for some trick or treating! We had so much fun. The kids were beside themselves with joy and I think they spread a lot of it as they visited each house! These special little friends share our kids' general enthusiasm for. . .EVERYTHING, so when they get together the cuteness is electric.

Josh thinks he's big stuff. He loved his how costume and kept saying "Moo!"

Josh totally got the concept of trick-or-treating!

Our best neighbor stop was at the Trimbles, where Mr. Trimble had set up a special Halloween train just for the boys! They talked about it for weeks afterwards!

We got a picture of the whole farm! The boys loved their costumes. Phil thought he was HILARIOUS, Daniel really thought he was a farmer, and Josh just wanted to hug his cuddly cow self.

After a long night of trick or treating and fun, it's time to rest and get special presents at Nana and Grandpa's! We are so lucky to live in such a great neighborhood with so many people who love our boys and make Halloween so fun!

*When Christmas rolled around, every time Josh saw an outdoor decoration he would say. . ."HAH-WEEN!!! Spooky Hahween!!!" If it's a decoration, it must be for Halloween, right?

October 2011

2011-11-01T11:15:00.000-04:00

Our boys are growing and changing so much. This fall was a very special one full of really fun activities. As Josh gets older, we can do more and more together as a group and he becomes a full participant in the fun. Obviously, that means one more little person for mommy's eyes to follow, but letting him roam and explore is well worth it!

Fall of 2011 was a fun time for bathtime. . .we discovered the amazing "glow stick" bath trick, where you go to the Dollar Tree and buy some glow sticks, crack 'em open, turn off the lights and the tub becomes a miniature frat party with all the brothers and none of the booze. The boys have a delightful time when we do "glow stick bath" and Josh even makes some nice club music effects for us in the tub to get the party going. Thanks, Daddy, for teaching our boys all kinds of beatboxing tricks.

This is one of my favorite Fall moments. One evening long after bedtime, I went in to the boys' room to check on my sweethearts. . .only to find the bed of sweetheart #2 empty! In a panic, I started searching under the bed, in the bathroom, in my bed, in the office. . .of course my mind was filled with worst case scenarios, like Daniel finally escaped and made it down to Chatham Tap. Fortunately, Paul had the clarity to turn on the light and we spotted him immediately, passed out on his brother's bed. Awwww. . .gotta love these boys.

We had lots of traditional leaf fun and the boys were actually somewhat helpful this year with the leaf and yard work!!

October is Homecoming time at Purdue, and each year our traditional tailgate group welcomes more and more pint-size tailgaters!

Daniel loves the band so much. This is the look of anticipation as he waits for them to parade into the fountain area!

Paul and his boys at the fountain!

Some of the tailgate crew! We only get better every year. . .it was our 10 year reunion this year, time sure does fly! Speaking of Purdue, the next few pictures are from a special day we spent with a special friend! Kristin, my sorority sister and best friend from Purdue, stays at home with her little one Josie and we live just minutes from each other. This is the ideal situation for making lots of fun memories together! As if we didn't already have some crazy fun memories from our Purdue days, and our young single days, and our newlywed days. . .now we get to make even more in our "mommy" days! On this particular day, Kristin took us to Conner Prairie with some passes she had received as a gift. I had no idea how many wonderful things that Conner Prairie had in store for the younger set. It was an AWESOME time!

The animal encounter barn was something else. The animals were just out and about, walking around and interacting with the kids. This kind rooster allowed Daniel to pet it and love it and pet it and love it and talk to it and pet it and love it some more. I wasn't so sure about this whole situation, so I was watching D closely to make sure he didn't get his eyes pecked out. Meanwhile, Josh toddled off and a goat decided that J must be some sort of baby goat. . .he went up right behind Josh, butted him and sent him face first into the ground!! Poor Joshy Pooh! He was more traumatized about the goat hurting his feelings than anything else, and we had a good laugh. I wish I would have had a video of that. . .mark my words. . .someday, America's Funniest Videos, I will actually capture some of the hilarious things that happen to us and you will pay me a million dollars. Someday. Until then, we're just making memories!

It was an unseasonably warm and gorgeous day, so we got to take advantage of all of the outdoor amenities for little kids. This kids part back in the Civil War area is SO fun and age appropriate. The boys could have stayed for days!

Here they are running their general store with Kris as their #1 (and only) customer.

Josh loved the train tracks! He's getting so independent!

And of course, Fall isn't complete without some pumpkin carving. Actually, my Fall is usually pretty complete without it- I definitely haven't done it for a few years and haven't missed it a bit. But, now that the kids are old enough that they care, it's time to step up and face the goo. That we did! The boys were so proud of their finished product and had so much fun throughout the whole process. It was worth it! What a fun way to cap off a great October!

Josh in the fall of 2011

2011-09-18T20:17:00.004-04:00

Hi, I'm Josh. I'm kind of a big deal. I walk everywhere now. I have a tiny little pot belly and the cutest little waddle. I don't move my arms when I walk, which makes me look even cuter. I can help myself to anything I want in the pantry.

Corduroy is my best friend. We do everything together. I call him COHR-ROHY.

My brothers are my heroes. I want to be just like them. I try to do everything they do, for better or for worse.

I can feed myself with a fork and spoon. Until I give up and just start shoving stuff in my mouth with my chubby little fists.

My favorite thing to watch on TV is the VHS Disney Sing Alongs that my mommy bought right after I was born at the Goodwill. I love music. And wah-cohn (popcorn). And anything that involves combining the two.

Argh, matey. I'm cute. Unlike my brothers, I am not good at keeping hats on for longer than a minute- or in this case, a second. Good thing mommy is quick on the camera trigger.

mmmmmm. . .I love Oatmeal!

Yeah, this is a picture of me on the potty. When I was about 15 months old, I said to my mommy. "Poop potty." She looked at me like I was crazy, but then she put me on the potty just for laughs. Yeah, I pooped in it, 'cuz I'm that cool. I've done it a few times, but Mommy isn't ready to potty train me or anything. . .I just like to do it for fun! And just because I'm Josh - I want to be a Sir so I'll do anything it takes!

Michigan 2011

2011-09-05T00:42:00.003-04:00

The annual highlight of our summer as a family is visiting the Zink lake cottage on Lake Leelanau in Michigan. We treasure the time we get to spend with Grandma Kitty and Grandpa George and the time we get spend just being a family. . .with no chores and commitments and work getting in the way of just being together! We left early on a Wednesday morning in August for our trip and tried to fill every moment until we left on Sunday afternoon with as much family time and favorite vacation activities as possible- we definitely made the most of our few days at the cottage. The boys love spending precious time with their grandparents and all of the great outdoor activities at the cottage- especially the giant sandbox! Josh didn't remember the cottage from last year since he was only 6 weeks old on his first visit, but his favorite part this time around was definitely the boats! Any time we went outside, Josh babbled about the boats the entire time. It was a little chilly for too much swimming, but we still managed to get in the water a few times and the boys had fun splashing around.

Since we were the only family at the cottage, Philip and Daniel got to share their own super cool room. . .the bunk bed was a main attraction. Can you believe these two can hold up the ceiling of the cottage all by themselves?

Daniel making a classic "D" face at the Sleeping Bear Dunes. The main highlight of the Dune trip for the kids was not the beauty of the scenery, but the fact that we read them the dune tour brochure and it mentioned porcupines eating the wooden bridge. For the rest of the trip, they were on full alert for "stinker porcupines", and couldn't get over the fact that the picnic table we ate at had porcupine teeth marks. A full-on porcupine hunt ensued.

Josh loved toddling around and trying out his new walking skills.

Posing with my lil' buddy.

For Christmas, George and Kitty got each family a cool sign to hang under theirs when visiting the lake cottage. It was so fun to pull up and see our name!

Daniel was really serious about the binoculars on our visit. I mean REALLY serious.

Enjoying a sunset cruise on Grandpa George's pontoon boat!

Captain Grandpa George

The boys loved spotting all of the different boats and wildlife on our trip!

Josh loved riding on the front of the boat. He danced with the waves!

The boys got to enjoy some time with their Great Aunt Suse.

Sunset on the lake. Ahhhhh. . .

Paul is a pro stone skipper, and the boys love trying to imitate him.

We took a trip to Petersen Park on this cloudy day.

Joshy on Sunset Beach

Daddy and his boys walk along the beach. . .the end of a perfect vacation!

Daniel's Third Birthday!!!

2011-08-15T14:02:00.000-04:00

Daniel's third birthday was a special day for all of us. Especially for Daniel, who LOVES to be the center of attention. Being the middle child, Daniel usually has to work hard to be noticed by doing things that would be absolutely HILARIOUS to Paul and I if we weren't his actual parents and responsible for his development and well-being. But on his birthday, Daniel gets more attention than he even knows what to do with, and loves every second of it.

For his third birthday, Daniel requested a Trolley birthday party. D money is a huge fan of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and has been known to thank God for the trolley during his nighttime prayers. When I asked him what kind of birthday he wanted, it was a no-brainer. "Trolley, Mommy!!!!!" Phil and I had fun decorating for his special day, and we had our family over for a yummy dinner of Daniel's favorite- hot dogs and homemade macaroni and cheese. Daniel requested a carrot cake (since Phil had a carrot cake, clearly, Daniel had to have a carrot cake, too!) and had so much fun at dinner sitting at the head of the table in his special decorated chair overseeing the festivities.

Daniel, these three years have gone so fast. You are so kind and funny beyond your three little years. Daddy and I can't wait to see all of the things you do and learn before your 4th birthday!

We made a little banner for D out of some coloring pages from the MRN website. Thanks, pbskids. You rock our world!

Daniel's trolley cake! Following my general philosophy of, "if you slap a ______ (fill in the blank) toy on top of it, it's a ______ cake!!" Glad my kids aren't internet savvy enough to figure out other moms make way cooler b-day cakes!

My Aunt Therese was able to make it for the party, which made Daniel's day since D and Aunt Tweese are soulmates.

Auntie Em was home visiting from Africa for Daniel's special day!

Daniel got some cool presents! I got him this magnet book which he loves to play with, and Nana and Grandpa hooked him up with all of the characters from Bob the Builder. . .

and this cool Mister Rogers' Neighborhood magnet set from Ebay.

Mommy and Daddy love you, D money!

Phil's 4th Birthday

2011-07-15T21:27:00.001-04:00

The time has gone so fast. . . Phil's 4th birthday was a full three months ago and here I am writing a post about it! Now, let me see if I can REMEMBER it. . .why do all of my days blur together? Now, I do remember that Phil was really excited about his birthday this year. I mean, REALLY excited. Like, bouncing out of bed the entire week before with is-it-my-birthday-today fever. Which is great, considering just two years ago he would burst into tears any time someone wished him a Happy Birthday. And forget about singing the birthday song!!! Just the sound of it starting was enough to make Phil's little two year old lip quiver. Fortunately, like all smart little children, Phil learned that birthdays mean cake, presents and lots of attention. . .basically, the best days ever!!! And Phil got plenty of those things on his 4th birthday. Phil loves to be loved more than anything else, so between the phone calls from special friends, a special trip to the Children's Museum all by himself with Nana and Grandpa, the visits from Reen and from family, the fruit arrangement from Aunt Therese, the dinner with Mommy, Daddy, brothers, Nana and Grandpa. . .his heart was overflowing with love. He was beaming from ear to ear when we sang the birthday song with HIS name in it. He ate two huge pieces of cake. He opened his special presents- with the best quote of the day being "What in the HECK is THIS!!!" when he opened one of his gifts. After we explained that may not be the best response to a gift, he matter-of-factly informed us, "But, it's my LINE." Oh, well, in that case, Phil. . .carry on.

He played with his new construction toys and viewfinder. He got all of the extra hugs and kisses he could handle. And he loved every minute of it! After we tucked him in bed I spent a good amount of time wistfully looking at old pictures and videos of my baby growing up. No matter how old he is, his birthday will always be remembered as the day our lives changed forever and for better. Happy Birthday, big 4 year old!

Phil started off the day with some serious construction in the sandbox.

Daniel and I decorated for Phil's train birthday and made his cake while he was gone at the museum!

So much joy :)

Phil with his train cake. Phil said he wanted a train birthday- so I sent him to the basement to find a train and TA-DAH!!! Train cake.

Paul assembling toys, just like all good daddies do!

PA Road Trip '11 comes to an end!

2011-07-15T21:23:00.004-04:00

After two exciting days of nonstop action, it was time to take it a little easy. Well, as easy as you can take it with Phil, Daniel and Josh! Our 4th day, Phil and D headed off with Big Phil and Daddy to Legion-Keener Park, and THIS time, they managed to find the cool wooden playground. Paul said it was just endless, with so many things to do and explore, so the boys obviously had a great time there! Of course, since Grandpa was with them they went off to do some exploring in Latrobe and discovered the train station and also found the street where Fred Rogers grew up. The boys came back with all kinds of stories!

Josh, meanwhile, was busy napping and doing the wash! Josh and Nana are peas in a pod- they both love naps and laundry.

When the big boys went down for their nap, Grandpa Phil and I decided to take Josh on an adventure to the Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival which was going on in a nearby state park. Think arts and crafts, fiddlers, meat on sticks, civil war reenactors. . .you get the picture. My dad was especially intrigued because one of their artists in residence was a chainsaw carver, which is totally my dad's thing now. Once he mastered decoy carving. . . regular branch size woodcarving. . .artsy pumpkin carving. . .now it's on to giant logs! We parked at St.Vincent College and took the shuttle bus, explored for an hour or two, then caught the bus back home. It was a perfect afternoon!

Grandpa and Josh posing by a Camaro for Nana. When I was Joshy's age I loved to bounce around and pretend I was driving my mom's green '78 Camaro!

The chainsaw carver.

After we returned home, Grandpa and Paul took Phil and Daniel to see Cars 2. It was their very first movie in the theater, and maybe not the GREATEST choice. The original cars was such a cute and classy film. Paul said Cars 2 really overdid it on the violence, and the boys both ended up on laps pretty quickly! They still said they enjoyed it when all was said and done. Meanwhile, Nana and I took Josh to explore the finer things Latrobe has to offer. . .the Dollar Tree. . .the Get 'n Go convenience store. . .the Kmart. . .hey, we had fun and that's all that matters!

When I was little, I loved the Kmart carousel. Josh was not as enthused.

On our final day of vacation we decided to stop in Pittsburgh on the way home. None of us had ever been before, but we didn't want to miss the chance to see three rivers coming together all in one place! Looking on their tourism website, I saw a picture of the Duquesne Incline and we decided it would be the perfect place to stop on our little visit. As I suspected- the kids LOVED it!

The adults were a little more apprehensive. . .but we have big smiles to hide it in this picture!

AAAAHHH!! Here we go!

Little Phil- lovin' it. Big Phil- lookin' a little nervous.

When we got to the top, the view was totally worth it!

We didn't go on the other side of the river during our trip, but in front of Heinz Field there is a statue of Fred Rogers welcoming people to the city called "A Tribute to Children". Maybe we'll get back there to see it one day!

After the breathtaking views, we got some souvenir pennies for the boys and headed back to our vehicles to finish out the trip.

One more picnic at a rest stop outside of Pittsburgh found Joshy crawling around in his high chair like a turtle. We laughed so hard at the little guy, he was almost offended. It sure was funny, though! On the van ride home we reminisced and rested while Daddy drove. It was a great getaway and we will never forget the five days we spent in PA! Thanks for the memories, Keystone State!

Idlewild- Day 2

2011-07-15T21:17:00.000-04:00

After some well deserved naps on day three, we headed back to Idlewild park. This time, it was just Paul, Philip, Daniel and I since Josh decided it would be fun to go to the Jimmy Stewart Museum in Indiana, PA with Nana and Grandpa. OK, well, Josh didn't actually decide that HIMSELF, having never seen Harvey or It's a Wonderful Life, but he did have a blast having his Nana and Bah-Pah all for his own. Since he is at the age where all he needs is milk, graham crackers, pacis and hugs to make life good, he's happy just about anywhere. This gave Paul and I the chance to really focus on our big boys, and we loved it! We skipped the wagon to spend the money on more souvenirs, and just gave the boys piggy back rides when we had an especially long trek. Our first stop this day in Idlewild was the Storybook Forest. It is a HUGE and really darling section of the park where you wander through a path that takes you to all of the homes of your favorite fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters. It has to be at least 70 or 80 years old, but places like this are just timeless.

Daniel stuck his head in every cutout for a photo opp!

Phil- surprise, surprise - loved the Little Engine that Could! We had to come back to it again at the end, it sparked his imagination so much.

"Cheese!" from inside a giant piece of cheese.

Goldilocks and baby bear enjoying some porridge.

This is how Paul manages to keep a great girl like me around- Peter,Peter Pumpkin Eater-style.

After the forest, we rode our first "big" ride- hot air balloons that lifted up and spun around! It was so fun. Then the boys and I rested on a big hill while Paul went to gather our swim gear from the car. . .then we were off to Soak Zone! It was a beautiful sunny day and therefore the water park area was packed, but it was still plenty of fun. The boys weren't quite sure what to make of the wave pool, or even the kiddie pool for that matter, but after they warmed up to the place they really had a great time. After another picnic under the trees by our van, we headed back for one last evening at Raccoon Lagoon. The boys were so excited to be back, and really by the end of the night they were running to rides like they owned the place! My face hurt from smiling and laughing so much by the time we left.

Daniel's favorite Raccoon Lagoon ride (next to Trolley, of course) was these motorcycles. He finally got Phil off the hand cars to take a spin with him and they were just too cute riding their bikes.

We had to take one last trolley ride to the castle Hug-and-Song party before we left for the evening! It was just too much fun, and we were sad to go!

Paul and the boys promised me one more ride on the beautiful 120 + year old carousel. Phil even rode the jumpers for the first time! After that, we said one last goodbye to beautiful Idlewild and piggy backed our little buddies out of the park. Maybe we'll be back again someday!

Fred Rogers Center

2011-07-15T21:14:00.011-04:00

Day three of our road trip started out a few minutes later than day two- I think it might have been 6:30 a.m. before Philly's characteristic pitter patter was heard and the brothers quickly followed suit. Since it was a gorgeous day and we had plenty of time, we decided to head off to St. Vincent's College to check out the Fred Rogers Center. Fred Rogers grew up in Latrobe and it is very obvious that his hometown is proud of him. . .nowhere more so than this beautiful museum/archive/research center on the campus of the local university. We were expecting it to be nice, but we were pretty blown away by the beauty of the campus, the building where the center is located, the quality of the exhibit and the amount of memorabilia there.

Here's Joshy eyeing the Trolley- like, "I've seen you somewhere before. . ."

I have to admit, it was pretty cool to see the REAL trolley up so close!

Daniel was in awe- once again! They had touch screen TV's where you could watch clips and interviews. . .it was a very interactive exhibit!

Here's me with the sweater and shoes of the man himself!! Did you know his mom made those sweaters for him? How sweet.

The entrance to the exhibit. Next to his picture is a caption that says "fearless authenticity". I think that is something so special about Fred Rogers. . .he was fully himself on screen and off, and he encourages children to be themselves, because others can like them just the way they are. I hope that message sinks deep inside my boys and they can remember it during the times in their lives when they may doubt their worth or feel as though they need to change to be loved by others.

Phil loved the exhibit, especially the wall of "guest stars"

Paul's favorite item was the handwritten lyrics to "Won't You Be My Neighbor"

The exhibit has the original puppets, but Daniel was a little confused since in his mind- they are real! He was most upset that Daniel Tiger wasn't coming out of his clock, but Nana made him feel better.

I just can't say enough how special this exhibit was. Fred Rogers was an incredible person. I loved his show as a child, but I don't think I really appreciated his wisdom until I began to watch the show with my own children. He remembered so clearly what it was like to be a child, and used that memory to speak to children in a comforting way that nurtured little hearts and minds. Jesus said himself to enter the kingdom of heaven you must become like little children. . .I imagine He must have rejoiced in the work that Fred Rogers did, and in his childlike love and authenticity. I hope I get to meet Mr. Rogers myself in heaven someday, and thank him for how much he has taught me. . .as a child, and now as an adult with little ones of my own. This exhibit was a beautiful way to preserve his legacy and share his message with people for years to come.

"If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet, how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person" - Fred Rogers

After gathering ourselves (my mom and I both got a little teary eyed at the exhibit!) we went to check out the downstairs where there was more memorabilia and a giant painted dino. Dinosaurs AND Mister Rogers? What a great combination!

D checks out those fierce teeth

St. Vincent's College has a beautiful campus and it was the perfect day to enjoy it!

We went inside and checked out the gorgeous church.

St. Vincent has a pretty sweet view, if you ask me!

It had already been an exciting day- and I am sure at this point it was only 10:30 in the morning! We stopped at the campus grist mill turned coffee shop for some more caffeine to power us through the day and headed back to our home away from home at the Stay Inn. Thanks, St. Vincent's College, for a great visit!

Idlewild Park

2011-07-15T21:09:00.002-04:00

Day 2 of vacation started off bright and early. . .and I mean EARLY!!! I thought that I might die when the kids were all up at 6:15. . .but after a huge pot of coffee and a pep talk from Nana we were ready to make the most of it. Since Idlewild didn't open for HOURS. . .and all of our little guys are still nappers. . .we made some plans to spend the morning finding a place to play in Latrobe! We heard there was a huge wooden playground at Legion-Keener Park downtown, so we headed off to check it out. Since no one in Latrobe was awake yet to help us, we ended up at the only playground we could find. It wasn't the fancy one, but it was good enough for us! The boys ran off lots of energy. . .

. . .and so did Mommy. I'm a sucker for playgrounds. This one even had a merry-go-round and my Dad got me spinning on it just like he did when I was Philly's age!

Phil had a blast on the swings. . .

. . .as did Daniel. . .

. . .and they even went around to check out some factories in Latrobe. Grandpa Phil likes to explore!

Grandpa Phil even got in on the matching outfit action! After some playtime, some PBS, and a SUPER early lunch, the boys napped and we got packed up for the park! We headed off for Idlewild about 2 and were so impressed of the beauty of the area around it as we pulled in. First of all, the parking lot isn't even concrete. . .you just drive back and park in the trees!

We enjoyed a nice walk into the park and went to rent a wagon for our buddies. . .

Then we headed to Raccoon Lagoon. This area of the park must be why Idlewild was voted the #1 park in the world for families by people who vote for stuff like that. Not only was it clean, safe and beautiful, EVERY RIDE was cute and fun for the boys to do by themselves.

Of course, our first ride had to be the Trolley ride into Make Believe! It was truly special. The boys were so excited to ride the Trolley. . .

Here they are eagerly anticipating going to their seats!

Phil was full of glee!

The first stop of the ride is King Friday's castle, where he asks the Trolley riders to invite everyone in the neighborhood to the castle hug-and-song party. Everyone on the ride just follows the lead of the trolley conductor with the microphone who is chatting back and forth with King Friday. Everyone, that is, except for Daniel. While everyone else on the Trolley could sense that this was pretend. . .Daniel did not. He 100% believed that he was on the real trolley meeting the REAL characters from the 'hood. As the trolley pulled away, he was saying, "OK, King Fwiday!!! I will help you!!!! Thanks, King Fwiday!" then he was eagerly peeking up over the seat to see what was next. At every stop, Daniel chatted with the characters with a sweet enthusiasm that I am sure made Fred Rogers smile in heaven. It certainly made us smile.

This shot captures it all. Daniel was in awe. I don't think any one of us will ever forget it. . .in fact, my mom said we could go home right then. . .the 7 hour drive was worth it just for the look on his face and the joy in his heart! Of course, we didn't go home, there was so much more to do!

Nana and Grandpa joined the boys on some rides, and since it was their first time ever going on rides like these it was super special!

Joshy caught his nap in the backpack. He loved it all too, especially the Trolley ride. "Trah-ee" is one of Joshy's new words since vacation.

Daniel thought he was actually driving the car. It was great.

Phil's FAVORITE ride wasn't a ride at all, it was these little hand cars. The gleam in his eye as he zipped this thing around the track was priceless. He did these time and again, and was so proud of himself for making them go around the track.

Once again, Daniel totally thinks he is driving this thing. Both of the boys loved this ride!

I love this picture of Paul and Phil laughing together on the turtle coaster.

We rode lots of rides, had a picnic, bought some trolley souvenirs. . .It was a perfect first day at Idlewild. Finally, we took our tired and happy boys home and got them into bed. While Paul and I were relaxing on the porch of our vacation house, I told him how full my heart was. Being together with family, seeing joy in your children's eyes, hearing their laughter. . .it doesn't get any better than a day like that!

Zink and Worrall road trip 2011- It begins!

2011-07-15T21:03:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago, the Worralls and Zinks piled into their vehicles to head out east to Pennsylvania for the trip of a lifetime! Many wonder- how does one decide it will be the most fun thing ever to take three kids three and under on a road trip to Latrobe, PA? If it weren't for Rolling Rock beer, the place might not even have name recognition! There's no beach. Nobody we know lives there. Rolling Rock isn't even brewed there anymore!! Although on the surface it doesn't seem like it would be too exciting, it turned out to be a magical trip for our family.

It all started a few years ago when the boys first got into Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. It is only on PBS once a week and it was before Amazon offered episodes, so I would look on YouTube for videos for the kiddos. While I was searching one day, I came across a video of a Mister Rogers' Neighborhood ride at Idlewild park in Ligonier, PA. . .it reminded me of my beloved Smurf ride at King's Island, only with Neighborhood of Make Believe characters and a life size Trolley!!! I thought, oh, the boys would LOVE this!! (Who am I kidding, I would love it.) That idea stayed in the back of my mind until this past winter when my mom suggested taking the boys on a trip. We pondered Disney but decided they were collectively a little too young, and when I showed my mom Idlewild park she fell in love, too! So, Pennsylvania it was!

We had a great trip there- rocking out to some Beatles and Queen in the car, napping a bit, reading books and watching Winnie the Pooh.

On our road trip, we took LOTS of picnics! At rest stops, at the park, anywhere we could find to put our blanket down! It was great. Here's our first picnic at a rest stop in Ohio.

Latrobe is the birthplace of golf legend Arnold Palmer. Paul is a fan, of course, so he was excited to partake in Arnold's signature beverage while in PA.

We found a great place to stay in Latrobe. The Stay Inn Latrobe is a beautiful old home that has been converted into a hotel- for the cost of one hotel room at a Holiday Inn, you get a big, beautiful house all to yourself! It had so much space, and it was just perfect for our family. Top that, Disney :)

We could prepare all of our meals in the big kitchen. . .

. . .eat together in the ENORMOUS dining room. . .

. . .and watch TV and play in the great room. The upstairs had FIVE bedrooms and 2 baths, with another full bath downstairs. It was incredible!

When we got into town, the boys immediately started exploring their new surroundings. They loved racing around the house and checking everything out. We enjoyed some Arby's, Nana and I went grocery shopping, Paul made his first PA beer run to the "Six Pack Shop" to get some Yuengling and we sort of got the kids to bed. Phil and Daniel were so excited to be staying in a new place with their whole family it took them forever to fall asleep. . .and Josh was just a little bit upset that he wasn't in his comfy crib! Eventually everyone got settled in to rest up in preparation for our big day to come at Idlewild park!

Day Out with Thomas

2011-06-20T10:10:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago, the Worralls and Zinks hopped in the van and headed off for an adventure to the Island of Sodor. It was a day that none of us will soon forget. . .when you take three little boys who love trains and put them on a real train ride with their hero, Thomas, the result is pure magic!! Nana and Grandpa got the tickets for our whole family to go, and I am so glad that they did. We didn't tell the boys were they were going, just that we were going on an adventure. They all fell asleep in the van and woke up only to discover that they had arrived on Sodor. Technically, it was just Connersville, Indiana, but they had no idea how long they had slept, so, Sodor it was! They were excited enough just to see train tracks, so when they saw Thomas "in person" it was almost too much for them to handle! To say that they enjoyed it would be an understatement. By the end of the day, my face hurt from smiling so much and all of our hearts were full of the joy that only can come from experiencing the world through the eyes of children. Phil has been talking about it ever since. The other night, he told his Nana and Grandpa, "Thank you for taking me to the Island of Sodor! That was a special day. We thank God for that." Yes it was, Philly. And yes, we do.

They had all kinds of activities to do in the area by the train station, including a "train" made out of barrels pulled by a tractor. The kids thought it was great (mommy and daddy almost had a heart attack, but it sure was fun!)

Phil's face says it all.

Waiting to board the train.

Father and Son time on the train.

Phil was in absolute heaven.

Getting tickets punched with Nana and Grandpa

Daniel was a little more cautious about everything than Phil, but he loved it just as much.

Josh loves "Tuh-Tuss" the Tank Engine, too.

The boys pose with Thomas in the background. After we left, Phil did say, "Daddy, Thomas didn't say anything to me!" but he didn't seem to bothered by it at all. You know, Thomas is a busy and really useful engine with lots of things to do!

Big Phil

2011-06-19T21:28:00.002-04:00

I'd like to say Happy Father's Day to a very special guy- my dad. I found this poem and thought it was just perfect for Grandpa Phil. When I was growing up, Dad taught me how to appreciate the world around me and encouraged my sister and I to wonder and explore. We studied the stars, planted trees, inspected things under the microscope, went fishing and took long bike rides. We collected bugs, flew kites, crunched rhubarb fresh out of the garden and ate grapes straight off his vines. And we laughed- a lot. I love watching my boys enjoy all of the wonder and joy of childhood with my Dad the same way I did- except without the "eat three more bites of pork" and "hold your knife the right way" parts that Dads have to do for their own kids. The relationship they share is so special, and I treasure my Dad. . .as a father, a grandfather, and a friend. Love you, Big Phil!!

Our Sandbox

2011-06-15T22:51:00.004-04:00

So one of this spring's priority projects was to build the boys a big new sandbox. The old green turtle sandbox had served us very well, but it was getting a bit crowded with 2 big preschoolers and a soon-to-be toddler. Every since the boys caught wind of our project plan, Phil would constantly remind me "Daddy, we have to start working on our NEW sandbox!" The boys enthusiasm for the new box made it easy to stay motivated. Finding time to execute was a whole other issue. Then came Grandpa George to the rescue. Once he was aware of the plan to build 2 new gardens and a new sandbox he kindly offered to pick up the lumber for us. This was a huge help since he had a truck that made it easy to haul and it saved us the precious time we would have spent at the hardware store. I started and finished building the box frame that weekend. The next weekend, Jen and the boys helped me level the ground, put down landscaping cloth, and secure the frame to the ground. Next up was getting some sand to fill it! It took a few trips to the hardware store, but 30 bags of sand later we had our brand new sandbox. This one is considerably bigger (6' x 6') than the ol' turtle and the entire family can fit in it with room to spare.
Once the project was complete, it was time for some serious playing! And the boys couldn't wait to test out the new sandbox. Nana and Grandpa Phil were generous enough to give us some of their sand toys for our new and more accommodating box. It has been difficult to pull them away from the sandbox ever since. For the first few days, Phil would want to spend any waking moment he could with the sandbox. Soon after breakfast he would start repeating "Can we go play in the sandbox now?" Daniel is thoroughly enjoying the extra elbow room in the box and loves to bury his favorite "characters" (Buzz, Rex, Tiny, Elmo, etc) and then dig them up again. Josh isn't missing out on the fun either and can often be found trying to steal one of his brothers' toys when he is not eating the sand. Hopefully, this sandbox will provide the boys and all of our guests many years of great fun and memories. I know I will never forget building it.

Phil loves his construction toys and we always find him hard at "work" in the sandbox

Daniel with dinosaur in hand, ready for a sandbox adventure

Josh tires easily of eating the sand and moves on to other parts of the yard while his brothers play.

Joshy's First Birthday Party!

2011-06-14T15:08:00.001-04:00

It's hard to believe that a year has gone so quickly. . .Josh has grown from a sweet, snuggly bundle of newborn boy into such a funny and charismatic one year old! We had a great time celebrating his first birthday with his family, godparents and friends. Josh loves Bob the builder ("Bob!! Bob!!!" he announces every time he sees any of the characters), so we had a construction birthday party for him. It was easily the most GORGEOUS day of the year so far the Sunday we celebrated. . .not too hot, not too windy, just sunny enough. . .perfect! Josh loved the attention and his brothers loved hosting their favorite people the party. Nana had fun decorating and making cute little personalized construction hats for all of the partygoers. We had a "Build a Dog" bar with hot dogs and all kinds of toppings (Paul's idea- it was so fun!), fruit, potato casserole and chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream icing and crumbled up oreo "dirt" on top. After lots of yummy food and fun opening presents, Josh even managed to steal his first kiss from Miss Josie Shirrell. It was a great party and a special day celebrating one special boy- our little Joshy Pooh!

Our front door all themed out.

Jason and Kristin and all of their little buddies!

Josh- loving all of the food. . .and the attention!

Pooh was a little unsure of the cake at first. . .it seemed like it would be more fun just to play with it!

Josh and Josie's first kiss!

Josh loved opening presents with all of his little helpers.

The big one-year-old Josh and his family.

Polka Boy!

2011-06-14T15:05:00.001-04:00

Back in the "old days", when Paul and I were dating and newly married, one of our favorite activities was heading to Polka Boy concerts with our friends. We had so many great nights over man-size beers at the Rathskellar (which is, incidentally, how Paul proposed. . .over man-size beers at the Rathskellar) and we dreamed of the day we would one day share our love for Zee Most Beautiful Music in Zee World with our own children. Fast forward a few years and three kids later, to a Hamilton County parks event where we could finally fulfill our dream! We were joined by some of our old Polka Boy companions from our young and carefree days. . .Ade Murrill (and baby Jack), the Harris family, The Nichols Family, Eric, Jess, Adam, and even more friends from Purdue. We had a FANTASTIC time. The boys loved the music as much as we knew they would. Daniel already knew all the words to Roll out the Barrel from our impromptu family polka parties and watched the musicians with complete awe and fascination. He is especially drawn to trombones and was studying the trombone players so intently they started smiling and waving at him. Phil could not believe his eyes when he saw a bounce house for the first time and patiently waited in line over and over again to go inside (thanks to Uncle Eric for humoring him!). The weather was gorgeous, the company was great. . .we'll definitely be back to do it again next year!!

Josh boogied the entire time on the blanket!

My little buddy, Phil.

Ekisa Sale- What a day!

2011-06-07T09:59:00.003-04:00

The boys were so excited to help Auntie Em by having a huge garage sale at our house! It was such a fun, hot, crazy and blessed day that helped us raise about $400 for Ekisa and spread the word in our community!! So many of our good friends like the Kellers, Hogans, Toombs and Shirrells donated items and we spent all week cleaning out our own garage to have lots of items to sell. When the morning of our garage sale began, we were so excited and ready to go!! It was so nice to meet all kinds of people from all walks of life. The purpose of our garage sale was to bless Ekisa and bless people who needed things at an affordable price, so, yes, I REALLY DID kick a man out of the garage sale who was just a cranky garage sale re-seller that tried to get snippy with me!

Man: (trying to be intimidating) "Are you saying you DON'T WANT MY BUSINESS?"

Me: (smiling sweetly but totally shaking inside) "Um, yes, sir, yes I am"

Our mission of blessing others and Ekisa meant we had a whole box of free stuff on the curb for needy people and EVERY SINGLE thing was gone. It meant giving pregnant ladies maternity clothes for free. It meant selling our digital camera with new batteries and a memory card to a family for next to nothing. It meant listening to the sad stories of the many people who shopped our sale and giving from our hearts- everything from books to stuff we weren't even selling like moving boxes. It also meant many people giving to us from THEIR hearts. People rounding up their orders. Old friends who stopped by and just donated money without taking a thing. My personal favorite, a sweet woman who told me in broken English how much grace God had given her in her life and she could never pay him back. . .and gave me $20 which I am sure was a LOT of money for her. She brought me to tears.

Besides the emotional moments, we had a lot of laughs- especially from the lady who haggled with me like we were in an ACTUAL African market. Since I refuse to get snippy with people, I just laughed so hard I was almost crying until everyone else in the garage sale was laughing as well at the spectacle that was the price-haggling lady. It was so fun to watch our special items go to new homes. The men who were giddy with glee about my Wizard of Oz memorabilia. The ladies who picked out my home decor and jewelry and clothes and were so excited to take their treasures home. And then, there was the beer hat.

The most popular item of the day was Paul's beer hat- one of those delightful helmets with the space for two cans and some straws. To add some authenticity, Paul and put a couple of our PBR empties in it and smacked on a price tag of $1. Every single person picked it up and tried it on to model it and had a laugh, but there were no purchasers. FINALLY at the end of day, two roommates came along and fell in love. They were astonished at the low price (hey, we price to sell) and paid us more than we asked and wore it out the driveway. It's so nice to see your things go to a good home.

At the end of the day, we were hot, tired, sticky with sweat and sunburned, but our hearts were full from the people we met and we had a whole stockpile of new stories and laughs to share. It was a good day for Ekisa, and for us.

Here's a picture of our driveway halfway through the day!

The Sirs' latest adventures

2011-05-09T14:48:00.006-04:00

Philip and Daniel are nonstop entertainment. It's like every day of their life right now is rehearsal for some variety show they will be performing at a later date. The fill my life with so much laughter. The picture above is of a discovery they made this morning that if they put stuffed Kangaroos in their shirts, they could pretend to be mommy kangaroos. Now that Daniel is a little older, they can entertain each other for hours on end. The other side of that coin is- now that Daniel is a little older, he has figured out how to annoy his brother. . .and that he can whine really loudly and drive his brother (and parents for that matter) crazy. The other morning at breakfast, Daniel was asking for more cereal in his whiny voice, and I turned to Phil and said. . ."Phil, do you hear something??? I don't hear anything. Do you?" I wasn't sure what Philly would say. . .he is only three so I thought he might not get how to play along with this one. But my boy Phil looked at me, totally straight faced, and said "Mommy, all I hear is the wind and some birds." Then we were all laughing so hard that D forgot all about his whining.

Phil and Daniel so sweetly include Josh in what they are doing. Here they are joining him in his favorite activity, observing the street. In the tub, they giggle and call him "Josh Cousteau" as he attempts to dive and get their toys. Phil imitates me in trying to distract Josh to get away from his blocks and building activities, and it is funny to hear the things he comes up with. "Here, Josh! Why don't you come right over here and play with this nice baby toy I found for you?" Always Mister Safety, Phil will confiscate any toys that are too small for Josh to chew on.

The Sirs are in love with cardboard boxes. If the box isn't big enough to get in themselves, they like to make holes in them, stick their flashlights through the holes like spotlights and make dinosaur shows. When the mailman brings a package to our door, they are like "THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE BOX!!" And when Paul comes home from work, they are like, "Daddy, guess what!!! The mailman brought us a BOX!!!" It's the little things.

These two tubs of water provide hours of entertainment for Phil and Daniel. They love to get wet and muddy, polish rocks in the water, make soapy water and give their toys a bath. . .it's endless.

Daniel is almost as big as Phil. He might even have him beat in weight. . .I am guessing they are both about 35 pounds now. Phil still has maybe an inch and a half on D, so at least they can wear different pants, but they wear the same shoe size. . .thank goodness for boy cousins who hook us up with cool hand me down shoes!

We have a basket that the boys call the "character basket" where they keep all of their dinosaurs, Toy Story figurines, animals, Sesame Street friends. . .I love to watch how all of these characters interact with one another. This picture made me think of what Sesame Street could have looked like in the Cretaceous time period. Don't worry, the dinosaurs were just there repairing a door that they had ripped off in their frenzy to get into Hooper's Store. . .no Elmos were harmed in this pretend session.
Phil's latest passion is Rube Goldberg machines, or "Silly Machines" as he calls them. After seeing some videos on You Tube that Aunt Sharri sent our way, the boys have been hooked. Phil instantly started building his own and they are hilarious. In his imagination, they are just as awesome as the one on the OK Go video. Get ready, high school Science Club. Phil's coming your way!

Daniel is really a clown. He will do anything for a laugh, and sometimes it is hard not to crack up at him at those times (like the one pictured above) when you know you probably shouldn't. Last night he was in rare form at the dinner table for Mother's Day. I had let the boys watch part of The Sound of Music with me earlier in the day, and although they were interested I wasn't sure how much of it they were really absorbing. That is, until dinner. . . when out if the blue Daniel put a napkin on his head and started singing in his best "lady" voice. It was quite the Julie Andrews impression from a 2 year old. Daniel loves music and is always telling Paul he is ready to "rock out." and that he wants to listen to "Rock and Roll!!!" He loves all kinds of music, though, and does an amazing rendition of "Roll out the Barrel" complete with polka dance moves. We can't wait to take him to a Polkaboy show soon!

Thanks for the laughs, Sirs. Mommy and Daddy love you!

Josh at 10 1/2 months

2011-05-03T21:18:00.005-04:00

Josh is growing up so fast! Last time I wrote about him, he was barely crawling, had just started talking. . .now he gets into just about anything he wants and babbles more and more each day! Josh cracks us up. He has a great sense of humor and loves to make us laugh. His biggest joke right now is "Uh-OH!", it is hard to get annoyed because he gets such a kick out of himself when he drops something. He also loves to crack up at anything silly. . .especially his brothers' antics. He just eggs them on. . .the last thing the Sirs need is a bigger audience some days, but they are pretty darn funny, I have to admit. Josh loves to dance and shake his little booty. . .it is so cute when music comes on that he likes to see him just get shakin'. Josh has all kinds of new words Bah (ball), Gock (clock), ook (book), and Nigh-NAH (night night) among them. He is really trying to communicate with us and be "big" like his brothers. It makes playing with him even more fun!

Josh has also really started eating "big people" food and is at that beautiful age where they eat pretty much anything you put in front of them! He loves peas and carrots, fruit, chicken, cheese, beans, pasta, cereal, bread and butter. . .but MOST of all. . .bananas! In the morning, he sits in his high chair after I put some cereal on his tray, gives me a serious look and says " na - NAAAAH- nah." This boy doesn't mess around. He wants the good stuff. He has also learned to ask for "more" very consistently and totally surprised us last week by saying "MOH!" and doing the sign when he wanted more na-nah-nah's (as opposed to shrieking at top volume over his brother's chatter until he got someone's attention and then saying more :) The look of joy on his face when he realized that he had effectively communicated his needs was precious. You can just tell he is so proud every time he asks for more and gets what he wants! The down side is he might have gained an entire pound since he made this discovery just one week ago. I just keep giving him more!!!! The giant grin in the picture above is because I finally gave up on rationing and just gave him what was left of the container of macaroni and cheese. He was beyond thrilled.
I love this picture of Josh because it captures his serious side. For all his clowning and giggling, Joshy can be quite the serious lil' man when he wants to be.

Josh entertains himself by standing at the glass door and watching the world go by. Before he could pull himself up, I would have to stand him there so he could watch the happenings on our street. Usually, he says "DAD" the second he gets to the door because this is where he waits for Paul to come home, so he is always hopeful that when I open the big door he will see his hero on the other side of the glass.

Josh and Bootsy continue to grow in their loving relationship. See how comfortable she is just sitting in his lap. . . If cats could sing, she would be humming the Carpenter's "Close to You".

Here's Josh- he's made his way onto the landing and he is ready to tackle the stairs! He can make it up about three stairs before he gets too excited/ proud of himself and loses his footing. Josh pulls himself up on anything now, but he still army crawls to get where he wants to go. It's pretty funny. . .but it does make for many outfit changes during the day! This kid is a human Swiffer inside the house, and I can't even describe what he looks like after dragging his belly through sidewalk chalk, grass and dirt in the yard!

My friend Adrienne and her baby Jack have come by for a few visits and Josh loves the baby, or BAH-BUH as he calls it. Jack is such a tiny fella, I told Ade that this picture looks like Josh is a giant alien baby that has landed on a planet of normal sized babies.
Josh isn't shy about swiping his girl Josie's lunch. I hear he gets this from his daddy, who was always asking the girls at his table in the high school cafeteria "are you gonna eat that?"

Josh is Nine (and a half) Months!

2011-03-21T20:26:00.004-04:00

Can I just say how much we love this sweet baby boy? Josh is such a funny little guy and he is growing so fast! I can hardly keep up. His personality is so large that sometimes it's hard to remember how small he really is (plus, I am holding him a lot and seeing him from just a few inches away so he just feels big). . .but then I see him across the room peeking over some furniture or in Paul's arms snuggled on his shoulder. . .and I just melt as I am reminded that even though he is getting bigger, him's still just a wittle guy.

Josh had his nine month appointment a few weeks ago and he's looking great. He weighed in at over 22 lbs, so it was time to make the move into a big boy car seat! He seems to think he is big stuff now that his car seat matches his older brother, Daniel. Good thing Daddy always hooks his boys up with car seats on demand! He still isn't crawling for real yet so he has resorted to pulling himself across the floor to get around. Once the weather gets warmer and those darn pants and socks aren't holding him back, he'll probably make it up on his knees. For now, I definitely prefer the belly crawl because it slows him down! Bootsy has another thing coming because once Josh spots her at his level he grabs at the floor and begins to ddraaaaaaaaaaggggg himself over to her, laughing gleefully. He got his first full grasp of the cat's tail and also, not surprisingly, his first scratch this past week. Lesson learned, thanks to the claws of Boots. There are no hard feelings between them and they remain fast friends. Boots will lay near Josh and supervise his play and sleep in the drawer under his crib while he naps. Josh lights up with a 1000 watt grin any time she even gets in his peripheral vision or he hears the jingle of her collar. Although Paul claims that Josh's first word was "Dad" I am pretty sure that it was "Cat".

Josh has started speaking and has lots of new words he likes to share with us- cat, dog, dad, duck and more are the ones we hear consistently. I've heard him say "Mom" a few times, but of course, they ALWAYS say Dad first! He's funny in that he doesn't say "Dada" or "Mama" like his brothers did, but just simple, straight up, "Dad". No baby talk for Josh! He has learned how to wave, give high fives, stick his tongue out when he looks in the mirror and give hugs. My favorite moment had to be when I was getting ready to put him down for a nap a while back and I said, "Joshy, can I have a hug?" He nuzzled his head in my shoulder and said "Awwwwwwww." Precious. Josh tries to pull himself up on everything and also enjoys wedging himself under furniture. He loves being outside just as much as his older bros, especially when he can get himself a nice handful of dirt/grass and shove it in his mouth. When we go out in public, Josh can be much more shy and reserved than his brothers. Every once in a while, someone will smile at him and he will just burst into inconsolable tears. It's always a little embarrassing for the victim, but also pretty amusing that he can get so worked up just by some good-intentioned soul smiling at him in a way that does not please His Royal Joshness.

Josh is getting two teeth right now, which will bring his "tooth total" up to seven! These two have been a little rough on him over the past few days and he has been rejecting most attempts to set him down. Therefore, Josh has been getting lots of extra cuddles and I have been building up some extra muscle toting him around on my hip (while having a good excuse not to do things like scrub toilets or organize the junk drawer) I'll take a cuddly baby over a clean house any day, especially YOU, Joshy-Pooh!

Josh continues to love bathtime with his brothers. He now likes to pull himself up on the side of the tub and try to belly crawl along the bottom (giving his parents a few gray hairs in the process).

Josh knows what a "hat" is and loved to wear this one! He gets a little freaked out by other people wearing hats (especially his family) and gives them funny looks until the hat is removed.

Here's Josh getting ready for our Mister Rogers party! Josh loves the show and gives Fred Rogers some million dollar grins when he bursts through his television house door!

This shot of Josh is a favorite of mine. . .favorite baby, favorite toy, favorite outfit. . .priceless.

The luckiest girl in the world

2011-03-04T17:06:00.008-05:00

By now, I am pretty used to people stopping me and asking the routine questions about my boys. . ."Are they twins?", "Are they all yours?", "Are you gonna try for a girl?" but another one I get a lot when I am out with Paul is, "Wow, he looks like a really great dad." When we lived on the east side, I once got this comment three times in the matter of a week. My ever-humble Paul thinks is just a sad commentary on the state of fatherhood in some areas of the city, but I see it more as a compliment on Paul's great attitude as a Dad. Anyone can take their kids places, but Paul's love for his boys is so obvious everywhere he goes.

Even though Paul and I have the exact same level of parenting experience, he brings so many things to the table to enrich the boys lives that I would never be good at (such as drawing things that actually look real) or never think of (like his silly bathtime games). Paul gets the kids to do things I would never think they were old enough to accomplish, like using their own login on the computer! They are already little geeks-in-training, as I once heard Phil say to Daniel while they were playing make believe, "Sir, we need to perform a SYSTEM UPDATE!" Every night, Paul bathes all three boys and puts Phil and Daniel to bed. You should hear the giggles from the bathroom as Paul and the boys perform their amazing toothbrushing act that Paul has titled "The Big Daddy Circus". On Saturdays, Paul takes the boys to the library to check out books and do crafts. He has done so much to nurture a love of reading in our boys. Paul will be the first to admit he doesn't enjoy reading fiction much himself, but he knows how important it is to our kids and patiently reads even the longest Dr. Seuss stories to them.

Being a parent makes some big changes in your life and requires major lifestyle adjustments, but Paul takes it all in stride. Being the sweet husband he is, he will wear his work shirts until they stand on their own to save me the ironing. He packs Teddy Grahams in his lunch because I forget to buy grown-up snacks at the store. Paul folds all of the laundry. He tells me I am beautiful even though I haven't gotten around to losing a single third-pregnancy pound, and is now enduring his 10th season of American Idol to humor said beautiful wife. Paul moved into a house that is a much longer commute from his work so we could be closer to family and have a safer environment for our kids. At our new house there is no room for his drum kit and there is a train table where he dreams of building his bar, but we never hear him complain beyond his normal good-natured joking. Every night, the instant Paul cracks open his High Life on the couch our cat bounds down the stairs and adoringly drapes herself on his chest, purring like crazy. I can just tell on her sweet little face she's thinking that she's the luckiest girl in the world. Sorry, Boots. . .that's me!

Just beetuhz. . .

2011-03-04T11:17:00.004-05:00

Daniel amazes me every day with the things that he says and does. Daniel has the typical two and a half year old stubbornness, but he likes to make sure you know WHY he doesn't want to get out of the tub, or eat his veggies, or do anything you want him to. "Mommy, I tan't dit out of the tub, beeetuuhzzz, I playing in it." "Mommy, I tan't eat dat, betuuhzzzz, it make me sick." The serious look on his face as he gives his excuse makes it hard for Paul and I to keep a straight face. Sometimes, in desperation he skips the first part and as you pick him up he just yells "BEEETUUUUUHZ!!!! I want to!" or a plain and simple, "Beeehtuzzz!!!" Fortunately, D isn't too hard to reason with so we can usually get him to go our way eventually. This opens the door for me to incorporate the infamous mom phrase, "Beehtuuzzz. . .I said so!"

We think Daniel probably learns this from Phil, who is Captain Negotiator. As Paul says, he has never seen anyone want to be more like their older brother than Daniel. He should know, he has five of them, right? D will repeat every phrase or action that Phil does, and will do ANYTHING to make Philly laugh. Phil's sincere giggle is pretty rewarding, and D money is the master of getting it- no one can make Phil laugh quite like Daniel does. In fact, making Phil laugh trumps anything else that Daniel might consider, such as safety, or rules, or common sense. . .Phil is the center of his world and nothing else matters when D and Phil are together. Daniel's latest make-Phil-laugh tactic is to pretend to speak in Spanish. Phil will giggle hysterically and say, "Sir, Sir, tell me more Spanish!!!" Daniel can not only make Sir laugh, but Josh as well. Just as Daniel idolizes Phil, Josh follows Daniel's every move with a giant grin on his face. D is so tender and sweet with Josh and loves to give him hugs and "care" for him.

Daniel can be, in the same minute, a huge stinker and the sweetest thing you have ever met. I now understand why they invented childproof things. . .Daniel is "that kid". Leave him out of your sight for more than 30 seconds and you have no idea what he could be doing. If Daniel is quiet, I grow concerned. . .in this week alone he has colored on the wall, dumped a bag of flour, eaten toothpaste, torn a page out of a library book, unrolled a whole roll of toilet paper, attempted to apply my makeup. . .the list goes on. However, I am just as likely to find him quietly working on a puzzle, flipping through the pages of a book, petting the cat or hugging his stuffed animals.

Daniel has a quiet determination that helps him master new tasks (along with his desire to be just like Phil) He will assemble an entire 24-piece puzzle on his own. It's not easy for him, but he will patiently persist until he gets it done. He loves to do crafts. . .especially painting. Daniel's paintings are really pretty, he will spend a great deal of time adding all kinds of colors and getting it "just right" Daniel loves helping me in the kitchen, too. . .if he even catches a glimpse of me getting out ingredients he starts dragging over a chair to help me out. I am trying to get across the point that I probably don't need a two year old's help browning ground beef, but he wants to help despite any danger that might be present.

Daniel continues to love books. He will snuggle on our laps and read as many stories as we can handle. Every time, he will say, "Just LAST MORE STORY, Mommy!" It sure is hard to say no to a kid who loves to read so much! Phil has taken to sneaking Daniel books through the slats of his crib. Paul went in to check on the boys the other night and found D sitting up in his crib, in the dark, just flipping through the pages of Corduroy. His sweetness makes it impossible to get mad at him for too long. He apologizes profusely for any transgressions. If the boys get in a fight and Phil is the one in the wrong, Daniel will be the one to apologize to Phil and give him a hug. If I get upset with D, he immediately hugs me and says "I sorry, Mommy." Then, of course, I feel like a huge jerk for getting frustrated with him in the first place. Daniel is a gentle soul with so much love in his heart for his family and a sense of humor and adventure that keeps life exciting at the Zink house!

Here is a little video of Daniel "performing" the Beatles. He loves to sing and dance on the coffee table!

The ant family.

Brotherly love.

Daniel earns his bath each day.

Eating "Crisputs and Grabies", or biscuits and gravy for you English-speaking folk.

Yeah-Yeah

2011-03-04T11:15:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite movies is the Sandlot. . .where one of the characters is appropriately nicknamed "Yeah-Yeah" for his trademark phrase. Phil could earn the same moniker easily because of the high level of enthusiasm he brings to the table for. . .everything. The more excited Phil gets, the more "Yeah, Yeah"'s get thrown in with his phrases. And just about everything gets Phil fired up, which is what I love about the kid. After many years of teaching high school where my students tried hard to keep their rabid enthusiasm for science in check, there is a refreshing lack of restraint or pretense in my house. Not to say I don't miss the energy and humor of teaching high school, but nothing beats being with little guys who do ANY-silly-little-THING you want to do and will not make fun of you for dancing like a fool or having a huge booger on your shirt. Not to mention that my own kids harbor no interest in the kind of underwear I am wearing, or really anything I am wearing for that matter. Phil tells me every day I look beautiful even when I am wearing a booger-covered sweatshirt. . .such a sweetheart he is!

As Phil passes the 3 1/2 mark, he grows more delightful every day. Always the emotional one in the family, he is learning to control his hurt feelings and seek comfort when he gets upset. He is so curious and fun to talk to, and absorbs everything he sees and hears like a sponge. The connections he makes boggle my mind sometimes. Perhaps it is genetic, or maybe it's PBS, but Philly is REALLY into science. He loves the show "The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot about That" and has learned a ridiculous amount of information from it. Sometimes I will not be watching with him, and he will catch me off guard later in the day with some comment like, "You know, mommy, some birds POOP seeds!!!" (followed by hysterical giggling- that Cat cracks Phil up) We have been learning about ants lately, and Phil is a little tiny encyclopedia of ant knowledge as we play pretend. We made pretend anthills on paper and Phil's little queen laid eggs and all her workers helped her get food, then he was thrilled when we made ant hats and pretended to be ants (I got to be queen, of course).

Speaking of pretend, the boys' favorite game of late is pretend Kangaroo. In an attempt to go to Build a Bear for Valentines Day, my parents were thwarted by the crowds and ended up at the Disney store, where the boys picked out Kanga and Roo (Phil) and Roo (Daniel). Phil's Kanga and Roo are by his side at all times, which is funny because Phil has never been a stuffed animal guy like his brother D. It is precious to watch Kanga "care" for Roo. . .she puts him down for naps, gives him hugs and breathing treatments, reads him stories. . .so sweet.

Phil also has a sincere interest in helping me, especially in the kitchen. In fact, he has informed Paul and I that when he gets bigger, he wants to be a chef. Then he proceeded to ask me "Mommy, what do you want to do when you get three?" (Phil thinks that when he grows up, I will be little and he will take care of me) I said, "Phil, I've already been three but when I was three I liked to have tea parties with Darlin." And he said "Yeah, Yeah!! On your heart table that we have in the family room!!" That Philly, he never forgets a story I've told. Too bad I can't "get three" again, but at least Phil's sense of wonder and enthusiasm can help me feel like I am!

Phil plays "narrator" with all of his toys, describing their every action.

In the Tri-Delt house, this is what we called "Double Dorkin' It" But when you're three. . .you can wear the same everything and get away with it! Thomas jammies, Thomas cup, Thomas trains. . .you can never have enough!

Once Phil sees a visible patch of sidewalk, out we go!

Josh is eight months!

2011-02-15T14:37:00.002-05:00

Josh is growing so fast! We are beginning to see his little sense of humor developing and he became super fun to play with. Now Philip and Daniel are really starting to take notice of Josh, and since he finds them absolutely hilarious they love to try to make him laugh at any opportunity. At eight months, Josh continues to bring us so much joy. He sits up all day and plays with toys, his favorites (as it seems with all babies) are toys not intended for children under three, or better yet things that aren't toys at all. Josh loves taking his socks off and chewing on them so much, that our home is littered with tiny baby socks at the end of the day. One of Josh's favorite "toys" is the basket of misfit socks that I keep in our bedroom. I just stick it in front of him and he happily chews away on all of our lonely socks. Ah, the simple joys of being a baby! His favorite real baby toys are his sorting blocks, stacking cups, linking rings and ANYTHING that makes music. He lights up like a Christmas tree when he sees a Sing-a-ma-jig or hears his Glowworm start to make music. When music comes on the stereo or TV, Josh starts to shake his little booty and squeal. He loves to "sing" and wakes me up every morning with singing or blowing raspberries from his crib, or I will just hear his happy kicky feet hitting the mattress and know he is up and ready to go!

Josh can tend to be a little more quiet and reserved than his older brothers, especially when he gets in a crowd, but he has a few things he gets REALLY excited about- and that's food and bath time. He loves to eat, surprisingly he loves green beans and peas but he also loves the typical sweet potatoes, bananas and applesauce. I can't shovel the food in his mouth fast enough, so I have started passing off the job to Daniel who gets a real kick out of feeding his bro and never leaves him waiting long for another bite. Now that Josh can sit up, he enjoys big boy bath time with his brothers. I have never seen a little boy enjoy bath time more than J. He starts kicking his feet so hard on the way to the tub he looks like he is riding a little air bicycle in a tiny Tour de France from the changing table to the tub, then he practically dives in the water where he promptly scoots himself over to the tap and sticks his face in the stream trying to catch it in his mouth. He also has a new favorite activity- thanks to the warm weather this week Josh has gotten to escape his baby car seat and ride in the shopping cart big-boy style. The look of pride and wonder on his face as he cruised through both Target and Aldi this week is something I will never forget. I don't know why that is such a special moment for me, but it is a milestone I have treasured with all of the boys. Phil must have thought it was pretty special, too, because he insisted on riding "up top" with Josh in Aldi and patted him on the head the entire time. We all love our little Joshy-pooh!

A December to remember!

2010-12-30T14:27:00.002-05:00

December has absolutely flown by. Paul and I can't believe that the holidays are nearing an end along with 2010. . .the craziest year we've ever had! Fortunately, we are still having a lot of fun celebrating the Christmas season. The word that I would use to sum up our December is "magical". I want to remember our sweet, kind, innocent, loving boys just like this. . .forever. Everything is special, everything is fun, everything is exciting, impressive, appreciated and the "best-ever". If we all had the spirit of childhood in us, the world really would be a happier place. The boys have had so much fun celebrating the season together. They love Christmas carols and know so many lyrics it is mind boggling. Everyone's light display is thrilling to them, no matter how meager, so you can imagine their wonder at the massive display of lights at Reynold's farm equipment. Nana and Grandpa took them twice and it was all they could talk about. Phil heard the story of the "Grinch" for the first time and loved it, and the movie on TV was icing on the cake. Phil has already decided that his brother, Sir, should be the Grinch for Halloween. The boys were quite the little helpers decorating the house for Christmas, and did a good job of leaving the fragile decorations alone. The cutest part was watching them help Paul assemble the tree. As usual, they were completely thrilled to be helping. Daniel loved fetching the various colors of branches and Phil held the diagram from the box importantly and instructed everyone what to do. The serious, intent look on Daniel's face as he helped Paul test each bulb on the half-lit strands from last year is something I will never forget. I admit I was nervous to decorate and celebrate in our new house. . .our old home was so dear to us, and each Christmas decoration had its own special place. I always selfishly thought that our home on Graham was the most beautiful place in the world at Christmastime. But as I unpacked each treasured decoration and found a spot for it in our new home, I started to feel a little silly. . .Christmas isn't really about decorations after all! All the Who's down in Whoville knew that. It's about people. . .family, friends, Love like no other. This December in our new home was perfect, because we were all together. I will never forget it.

Daniel, Phil and Josh posing for our Christmas card picture. This one didn't make the cut, but it did make me laugh until I cried. Phil is itching, Josh is doing his James Brown, and Daniel is ever the middle child. Perfect.

The Sirs loved to pretend to be Santa. Phil said that Daniel was the REAL Santa and he was Santa's helper. Here they are getting ready to go down the chimney they built.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care. . .

Daniel and Phil loved the snow. Daniel calls his hat, mittens, boots and coat his "Winter Costume". For the first few days it snowed, he cried hysterically any time we tried to take his winter costume off. Phil went out in the snow to play almost every day. . .he loved making snowballs and throwing them at our house or the van.

Every night after dinner the boys would light the advent wreath and say a prayer, then they would sing "Away in a Manger". These kids love candles, and blowing them out at the end was a highlight!

Josh is 6 months old!

2010-12-19T11:50:00.002-05:00

Josh turned six months old this past week! A half a year has passed- it's hard to believe. Josh is growing up before our eyes. . .already the newborn "blob" days have passed and we have a smiley, spunky, loud, funny and sweet bundle of Josh for our entertainment. Josh is really something else. . .his volume is unparalleled, earning him the nickname "JB" around our house. When Josh squeals, James Brown smiles down from heaven.
Josh loves his brothers and tracks their every move. . .and now that he is a little more exciting to be around his brothers take some interest in him as well. They really get Josh giggling with their antics, and they know just what do to to make them smile. Overall, the boys are really good "helpers" with their little brother and treat him very gently. Josh's favorite family member right now is probably Bootsy. . .no one gets a baby more fired up than a loud black and white cat. He also loves it when his Daddy gets home from work. . .his face lights up and he gets the biggest dimpled grin when Daddy rubs his head. Josh is getting his first two teeth right now, so he is really going to start looking grown up! He has done pretty well with teething so far and it hasn't interrupted too much of his nighttime sleep. His favorite "teething ring" is my shoulder, so hopefully my shirts can survive the next few months. Also, two weeks ago Josh started sitting up full time. We still put the Boppy behind him in case he topples, but his balance is getting very steady and he can now play with his toys in a whole new way. He is also pretty excited because now that he can sit up he can sneak in some PBS with his brothers. It's actually a little concerning how excited Josh gets when he hears the Super Why theme song. . .and how when I ask him "Where's Mister Rogers?" he turns his head towards the TV. It's all educational, right? We are so excited for Joshy's first Christmas. . .he is at a great age for chewing on tissue paper and getting hypnotized by the lights on the tree. . .it will be really fun to see!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-11T09:56:00.001-05:00

We had a great Thanksgiving celebrating with family this year! It is so nice to be in our new house. . .we are that much closer to everyone and heading to the days' events required far less packing and planning! We didn't make it to mass this year since all 3 of our kids and the cat slept until 9- A THANKSGIVING MIRACLE!! We spent the first part of the day at Paul's sister Susan and Arron's house for the Zink Thanksgiving. Phil and Daniel enjoyed playing with their older cousins, and Josh adored spending time with his sweet little cousin Marina. The two are only 10 days apart and it was so sweet to see them interact with each other. It wasn't easy to tear Phil away from his buddies, but a nap was in order before the Worrall Thanksgiving!

After a nap at our house, we made the long trek down the block to my parents' house. Grandpa Phil made a wonderful dinner for everyone. It was a little different this year without Darlin and Emily for holiday entertainment, so Daniel had to step up and fill the void. My mom had knee surgery two days before Thanksgiving and the highlight of the night was Daniel wearing her knee cold water pack around his belly and then attempting to drink out of it. Paul and I are already concerned about Daniel when he is in college. . .this contraption has football tailgate written all over it. Thanksgiving was a great chance for Paul and I to reflect on the many blessings we have in our lives. . .2010 has been a crazy year to say the least! We are truly thankful for our three boys, our home, our little Boots and our family and friends who bring so much joy to our lives!

Paul and Daniel watching some football.

Daniel in his water cuff. . .so proud!

Josh is growing so fast!

Josh's Baptism Day!

2010-12-10T09:58:00.002-05:00

It was a joyful day on November 14, 2010 when Josh was baptized into our church family! It was a beautiful, sunny, and not-too-cold Sunday, perfect for our first gathering of family and friends together at our new home! Josh's baptism was at our parish, Holy Spirit at Geist, and he had a whole section full of guests. . .most of the Zinks and many of our special friends, along with my parents, aunt and cousin were there to join us in welcoming Josh to the church. Josh's godparents are Carl and Deanna Hayes. Carl and Deanna have been a part of my life since I was a freshman in high school and they invited me to sing with them for the first time at Christmas Eve mass at Holy Spirit. For the past 17 years they have not only been role models for me but also have become very dear friends. We are happy that they will be an important part of baby Joshua's faith journey just as they have mine, and maybe they can pass on some of their love of music to him, too!

We had very nice ceremony led by Father Dave, with three other babies being baptized alongside Josh. Of the four, Josh was the most. . .shall we say. . .vocal? Some babies cry at their baptism, some babies sleep, some are indifferent. . .but our little Josh decided it was time to squeal like James Brown and try to put some moves on the little girl being baptized right next to him. Josh seemed to really love the spotlight and provided a lot of entertainment for the witnesses to the ceremony.

Afterwards, everyone came back to our house for our first big gathering at the new place. It was a perfect party, and so much fun to be with everyone. Paul and I are especially glad that we now have a house that can accommodate more family with plenty of room for kids to play. Phil and Daniel had a blast hosting their cousins and friends and showing everyone around. We were so grateful to everyone for being there- Josh was blessed to be surrounded by lots of love on his big day!

Weekends and Daddy Time

2010-12-06T20:40:00.009-05:00

Daniel and Phil enjoying Toy Story 3 on a 'movie night'

Alright, so Jen has been pulling the weight around here for quite some time. And so it is my turn to step up and give some 'daddy' perspective. I must say that one of the most rewarding parts of being a dad are the little routines that you share with your child(ren) that forge the special bonds you will have all your life. One of the my favorite routines right now is my weekend routine with Phil and Daniel (sorry Josh, your sleep routine leaves you out for now). Phil is getting to the point where he can more clearly discern the week from the weekend. "Daddy, do you have to go to work tomorrow?" he'll often ask me. "Yes I do Philip" I'll respond most of the times. "No, you don't have to go to work tomorrow!" he'll retort. Then, when the weekend finally approaches, I get to inform little Phil that I don't have to work in the morning and his face beams with joy. "Is it movie night?" he'll ask excitedly. "Sure is!" I respond. Now, it's not like I need a whole lot to make weekends even better than they already are, but this makes the weekend that much more special.
Our 'boys' weekend usually kicks off with movie night on Friday. The movie night tradition started as a reward while Phil was potty training and has turned into a tradition for the whole family to enjoy. Most of the time, it is Phil, Daniel, and I as Jen is usually putting Josh to bed for the night. The boys love sitting on the couch under the blanket with the big screen on and the surround sound up. Right now we are working our way through the Disney/Pixar animated collection. Their favorites are Cars and the Toy Story movies. To get pumped up for movie time, you can often catch Phil whispering "I...am...speed" in his best Lightning McQueen voice. When a Toy Story movie starts, Daniel will shout "Wook Daddy, it's Buzz Whiteyear!" with all the enthusiasm he can muster. The boys are riveted throughout the movie, though Daniel will lose a little interest around the 45 minute mark and begin to play with his toys. All in all, the boys love movie night because it means they get to stay up later than usual and that the weekend has officially started.
When Saturday morning comes, I am usually awakened by the pitter patter of little feet running down the hall and into our bedroom. "Daddy, do you have to go to work today?" Phil asks seeking confirmation. "Nope, not today." "Okay, come snuggle in my big boy bed with me," Phil answers. Even a dad can't refuse that offer. Phil and I will usually lay in his bed whispering our plan of attack for the morning/day ahead while Daniel continues to saw logs. At some point, Daniel will wake up, look over and give his trademark "Hewoah Dayey" (hello daddy). Phil, Daniel, and I will march down stairs to have breakfast, leaving Jen and Josh to sleep in. A bowl of cereal is typically followed by an episode of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. One could write a whole other blog post about the boys' love for Thomas, but suffice to say they look forward to this throughout the week. In my hand is my morning coffee - in the boys hands are they favorite toy tank engine. After Thomas is over, we build a new train track with the boys' wooden train set. Every weekend we try to top our track design from the week before and the boys love to act out antics from their favorite Thomas stories (or the ones they make up). It makes me smile and laugh just thinking about the conversations and words flying about during these play sessions. "Percy chuffs down track" states Daniel. "Thomas shunted the freight car back to Knapford Station" Phil says matter-of-factly. "Over the hills and around the bends, Thomas and his Friends" they sing in unison. There is no toy the boys love more than their wooden train set and the Thomas engines.
Once Josh and Jen awaken, 'big boys' time is mostly over and we go about the rest of our busy weekend. If we are lucky enough, we repeat the routine Sunday morning as a bonus. As a switch this past weekend, Jen tried to get up with Phil and Daniel so that I could get some extra rest. "Where's daddy?" asked Philip. "In our room sleeping," said Jen. "I want to have breakfast with daddy," said Phil. As I overheard this in the next room, I realized how special this routine has become to the boys. And to me, really. Nothing makes you want to forgo sleeping in quite like boys who want to spend time with you.

Daniel and Phil (with their Thomas shirts on) and me on my birthday

The boys and I having a little fall fun in the leaves

Happy Halloween from the Hundred Acre Wood

2010-11-01T11:22:00.002-04:00

Once upon a chilly Autumn day, Pooh, Tigger and their friend Christopher Robin set out to go Trick or Treating in the Hundred Acre Wood. . .

The Zink boys have developed an obsession with all things "Pooh" this Fall, thanks to a 99 cent copy of "Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree" that I picked up for them at the Goodwill. That video was instant magic for Daniel, who can relate to Pooh on many levels, and Phil, who loves some good make-believe just like our boy Christopher Robin. It wasn't long before we decided there were no more perfect Halloween costumes for the Zinks than the characters from the Hundred Acre Wood! Thanks to our friends Ben and Jackie, who had a Tigger costume from their twins' first Halloween, a $6 polo shirt from Land's End for C.R. and the magic of eBay for Pooh, we had ourselves a little gang. Phil and Daniel have been talking this day up for months, and the week leading up to Halloween were counting down the naps until they got to put their costumes on. We knew the boys would be excited to dress up as their friends, but I don't think either of us expected that they would actually believe they WERE Pooh and Christopher Robin. But from the moment they got up from that last nap, they were instantly transformed. We heard lots of "Oh, Bother" and "Silly old bear". It was pretty much so the sweetest thing ever.

Their first house was Nana and Grandpa's, and since they had been practicing all of their trick or treat phrases all week with each other, they were ready for showtime. They had so much fun visiting the neighbors on our street and my parents (who, of course, Phil knows all by name) that they could have trick or treated all night. They couldn't get over all the candy and seeing all the other kids in costumes, the lights, the decorations. . .it was magical! At the end of the night they finally agreed to take their costumes off and drifted off to sleep with sticky lollipop faces and sugar-coated dreams of doorbells, pumpkins, and best friends.

Silly old bear. . .

The 2010 custom pumpkins by master carver Grandpa Phil

First Halloween at our new house!

"I love you, Pooh!"

It says, "T-I-double- Guh- RRRRRR"

That's Daddy pulling the wagon and Bjorning it up Kanga-style.

To Sir, with Love

2010-10-09T21:39:00.000-04:00

It's no secret, Philip and Daniel are best friends. Really, what choice do they have, since they spend about every waking and sleeping moment together? They are constantly cracking each other up, and in turn cracking us up with their banter and shenanigans. The greatest thing that has happened from a comedy standpoint over the summer is that they now refer to each other as "Sir". All. the. time. I can't even remember the last time Phil called Daniel by his actual name.

Not only do they say it to each other, as in, "Sir, would you like this train?", "Will you hold my hand, Sir?" but also in the third person. "Phil, would you clean up your toys?" "Uh, I think Sir wants to do it". Or as he said the other day when introducing himself to a neighbor. . ."Hi, I'm Philip and this is my brother, Sir". It makes us laugh so hard to see the two of them running around the backyard, "Sir, wait for me, Sir!!" It is truly the politest of nicknames and we have no idea how it started. Paul and his five brothers all have nicknames for each other, too, but none of them is "Sir". A mom can hope that the "Sir" nickname will survive through their teenage years, right? :) One thing's for sure. . .we love our sir. And the other sir. And Philip has already informed me that next summer, Josh can be a sir, too.

Josh is 4 months old

2010-10-08T15:12:00.001-04:00

Josh has hit the four month mark and we are loving every moment with this little guy. He is such a sweet baby and loves to smile and coo. For the first few months he just made sweet little singing noises but lately, he also really likes to squawk when he plays. Hey, he's gotta do something to keep up with those noisy brothers of is! He laughs a lot now, and when he laughs it almost sounds like it hurts, especially when you tickle his neck!

Josh already idolizes his older brothers. He tracks them all over the room as they play, and gives them million dollar grins even when they come close to him. . .they don't even have to make eye contact or acknowledge his presence to get a smile, they are that cool! Philip and Daniel are doting big brothers. Phil likes to help change his diaper and give bottles, and he even attempts to help me get Josh dressed. Daniel will comfort "Joshy-pooh" any time he gets upset and loves to tickle him and give him toys.

Josh is a great little sleeper and been doing great in his crib in his own room. It's actually better for Josh to be in his crib since he's a little more sensitive to loud noises than his older brothers. It was harder for me than for Josh to let go of having my little baby right by my bed, especially considering we have had a tiny roommate ever since Daniel was born! Josh loves his nursery and especially enjoys cooing at the animals on the mobile over his crib. He is a good sport about tagging along to the playground and getting hauled to the grocery store. Josh enjoys laying on a blanket under the trees in our backyard while his brothers play and riding in the baby Bjorn when we go on walks. He loves watching his parents play the wii fit and cracks up every time his daddy does super hula hoop. We love watching little Josh play and learn and grow! Happy 4 months, Joshy- pooh!

Darlin

2010-09-21T13:54:00.000-04:00

Today would have been Darlin's 87th birthday. My beloved grandmother and best childhood friend passed away in August after a long battle with lung cancer. I am so grateful that she was a part of my life for so long, and that she was able to be a special friend to Philip and Daniel as well. She really loved the boys and they were a bright spot in the struggle of the past few years of illness for her. Philip was always telling her, "I wuv you Darwin!!!" and Daniel would bring her special trinkets that he found around the house to make her smile. And smile she did. And laugh. A lot. There was so much joy in the relationship between the three of them, and I will always treasure that.

As I was going through the box of things that my grandmother had put aside for me to have. . .her rosary from Lourdes, her baking pans, her potluck dishes, her apron, the deck of cards we used to play together every week. . .I found a few things my mom had put in there as well. A tiny rock. A small book. A piece of a toy. The little offerings Daniel would bring to Darlin every time he would visit my parents' house that she could never part with. She carried them around on the tray of her walker until she would see him again. Phil and Daniel don't really understand what heaven is, they just know that it is in the sky, and Jesus and Mister Rogers are there with Darlin. With that kind of company, I am sure they can't wait to get there! I'll hold on to my little angels on loan from God for a while longer, but I still look forward to the day when all of us will rejoice with Darlin in heaven. I miss you and love you, Darlin! Happy Birthday up there!

D money turns two!

2010-09-10T15:43:00.001-04:00

Daniel's second birthday was a VERY special day. We love birthdays around here, and for a middle child like Daniel who often gets overlooked in the hustle and bustle of his brothers, his day is EXTRA special. Daniel truly makes the most of every moment and his sweet smile glows all day.

Daniel was so excited about his present- a play house we bought off of Craigs List. Paul always thinks that I need to offer the people less for the stuff I find on CL and can never believe the kids of things I want to get when he goes to pick them up, but he's such a good guy he always obliges. The look on D's face when he saw his house in the backyard was so worth every penny of the $50 we spent!

We had a little party for D with his godparents and my family, and he just glowed every second. The life vest from Aunt Therese was the surprise hit of the party. Aunt T and Daniel are kindred spirits, so her presents are ALWAYS his favorite. He had to sport it around for quite a while after he opened it!

Daniel loved his cake. . .this boy will always mix his sweets with his regular food, though. I am pretty sure right after Daniel finished smashing cake in his face he went back for some more fruit or another hot dog!

Here's the boys with their cousins, Charlie and Gerry. It's so fun to watch our boys grow up together!

Daniel's birthday was such a bright spot in a very busy and stressful time in our lives. We had a newborn, a new house, and my grandma was dying. The joy our little Winnie-the-Pooh, food, laughter and tackle-loving Daniel brought to our days eased a lot of our anxiety. Kids like D make you remember that no matter what our adult worries are, or how long our to-do list is, or how sleep deprived we are, this too shall pass. Daniel's giggle seems to come from the deepest part of his soul and it whispers into mine. . . no matter what. Life is good. Happy 2nd birthday, big guy!

Hmmm. . .where are the Zinks?

2010-09-10T15:22:00.003-04:00

Needless to say, the Zink family has had a ridiculously busy summer adjusting to life in a new house, caring for the newest member of "the boys", and saying goodbye to a special family member, the boys' great grandmother, Darlin. Now that we are mostly unpacked and getting grooved in to our new lifestyle I hope to update the blog soon with the many posts that I started this summer and then got sidetracked and never finished. At least that's what I plan on doing. . .until I get sidetracked again!

"I'm a Character"

2010-08-01T21:35:00.001-04:00

Philip Theodore is truly something else. He is full of three year old energy and I feel like I am watching a full on slapstick comedy routine when he gets on a roll. I am always telling Phil he is quite the character, and it might be an understatement.

Always thoughtful and polite, Philip is constantly telling people how nice it is to meet them, how glad he is to see them, and so on. He asks people how their day at work was or how their children or relatives are doing. Hilarious. Phil has also gotten into the business of doing impressions, which his brother finds absolutely hysterical. Phil does impressions of all the Pooh characters and the engines on Thomas. He also does a pretty good impression of Josh crying that makes me do a double take. He has a british accent he busts out and it cracks me up. I swear, this kid is destined for the Drama club, just like his mommy.

I still "wuv" phil's sweet little voice, but he is starting to grow up for sure! His R and L sounds are becoming more clear and he can make them on command, even if he doesn't always remember to make them when he is talking. He is definitely sounding more "gwown up." We have some good laughs with his letter sounds.

Phil: "Mommy, wook! There's Wowe's" (as in, Lowe's, the home improvement store)

Me: "Oh, Phil! I love Wowe's!!"

Phil: "No Mommy! It's called WOWE'S!!! WOWE'S!" Me: "Oh, yes, Wowe's!!"

Phil: "Mommy, WOWE'S! "

And this will go on until we are both laughing hysterically because he thinks I am a complete moron or maybe completely deaf until I finally say "Lowe's" and he says, "Yes, Mommy, Wowe's" as in, finally, lady!! When is that mommy ever going to learn!

Phil has recently discovered the amazing joy of Teddy Grahams, any variety, any flavor, he will shove them in his mouth like it is his last meal. His other faves are popcorn, cookies and muffins, cheese, turkey sandwiches, meatballs, hot dogs, corn on the cob and ice cream sandwiches. He will do just about anything for an ice cream sandwich! His current favorite books are the Runaway Bunny, I love you more and anything about Thomas the Tank Engine. He likes to cuddle with me on the couch and say, "Am I your wittle bunny?" It doesn't get much cuter than that. His favorite TV shows are Mister Rogers, Word World, Super Why and Thomas and Friends. We are on a break from Sesame Street until they start the new season. . .mommy can only handle watching the same episode about 20 times and then I am done!

Phil finally got to see his first movies not involving Elmo, and he loves Sing Along Songs, Lady and the Tramp, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. He knows every song that he has heard on the videos (I bought the entire collection of Sing Along Songs on VHS at the goodwill, so he is hooked up) The loves to sing them all the time. He is a great little singer and songs are constantly coming out of his mouth, all with perfect pitch but not so much with perfect words. Since he doesn't really understand all the words when he hears the songs, he will sing something that sounds like it. . .my favorite is "Sailing, Sailing, over the mountain range" I mean, what three year old really knows what a bounding main is anyways?? He has a particular affinity for the song Be Our Guest and ALL of the songs of Mary Poppins. He is not a huge fan of cleaning up toys, but if I sing "Spoonful of Sugar" while we do it he is much more excited about it!

Phil has also developed some new big boy skills. For one thing, Phil has become a climbing fool. He can climb just about everything at the playground or anywhere else for that matter and gets himself in all kinds of places that make me nervous. A huge change from the little boy who just last year was too timid to try out any of the equipment except the swings! Once Phil has confidence in himself he loves to do something, but he gets easily frustrated with himself when he is first learning. Our little perfectionist. Most of his skills happen overnight, and they must happen completely on his own terms. He doesn't even like to be encouraged. He wants to do everything exactly like a grown up does it on his first try and can't comprehend that learning a new skill might actually take some effort and involve failure. Therefore, we just back off and let him do his thing, because he always comes around in the end! One day we went to the playground and he just climbed everything in sight. One day I decided I should finally potty train him so I took off his diapers and put him in underpants. He started standing up and peeing in the potty just like daddy and staying dry all night that very day. We finally decided to put him in a big boy bed and he hopped right in and loved it. We figure the trick with Phil is waiting until he is absolutely 100% ready. . .we are sure that soon he will be riding his cool new birthday bike all over the neighborhood. Stay tuned! He still has a love-fear relationship with it!

The past few months have made me realize what a special place your oldest child has. Although Phil doesn't really realize he is the oldest (he doesn't remember life before Daniel!) he has the job of being big brother to two little guys when he is still just a little guy himself. He is also our guinea pig on every parenting challenge we encounter. Thanks for putting up with us, Phil, while we get the whole parenting thing figured out!

"I ah stinker, Mahmee"

2010-08-01T21:26:00.001-04:00

Daniel is something else. He has the face and golden hair of a sweet angel and the personality of Chris Farley. He thinks everything is hilarious, including getting bonked on the head by his brother or getting reprimanded by his parents. Quite the contrast to his super-sensitive bro, Daniel is unfazed by attempts at discipline so thank goodness he is pretty well behaved! He has all the stubbornness and independence you would expect of a two year old, and likes to tell you no even when he really means yes. At least he says "no" in complete sentences. . ."No, I not want to eat that, Mommy". . it makes the word a little easier for mom and dad to swallow! He has lots of catch phrases he uses over and over again. . .my favorite is when I go to change is diaper and he will say so sweetly "I'm all clean, mommy", even though I am pretty sure I haven't changed his diaper in about 4 hours! He also loves repeating everything his older brother says, which means i hear everything twice. At least. Since Phil tends to repeat things more than once, and Daniel repeats him it can get a little comical.

In the car, stopped at a red light, we would go through a phase for a few weeks where I would hear "Is the light gonna turn green, mommy?" "Is the light gonna turn green?" "Is the light gonna turn green, mommy?" on repeat until FINALLY the light turned green and I was saved! Daniel always likes to throw some extra words in his sentences, such as yesterday, already, yet, then and though, and he always uses them appropriately, which sounds really cute in his little raspy voice. He also likes to add "Mommy" to the end of everything he says, and it never gets old. My favorite time to have a good laugh at Daniel is when he gets excited about eating. When he knows it is time to eat, there will be a joyful yell of "FOOOOODDD!!" or "DEEENERS!!" (dinner is every meal for Daniel, he doesn't have the concept of breakfast and lunch yet!)

Daniel loves food. He has a particular affinity for Bananas, Biscuits and Gravy, Pizza, Pasta, Mac and Cheese, goldfish crackers, lollipops, watermelon and grapes. I would have to say the biscuits and gravy are his favorite- he will eat more than me at breakfast! He can't quite pronounce it so he will call them "Whiskets and baby" or "Crisputs and Graby" or some other combo of similar words. The look of sheer joy on Daniel's face when he eats makes the cooking all worthwhile. Daniel is going to be that kid (just like his daddy) who is always saying, "are you gonna eat that?" Phil, Paul and I have learned to eat fast or Daniel will want to "have some of YOURS!"

D loves to read and I will often find him upstairs by himself in his room flipping through books by himself. Some of his favorites are Are you my mother, The Best Nest, A pocket for Corduroy and The Puddle. As far as TV shows go, he is the same as Philip, as if he has a choice! They love to pretend to be the Super Readers together and are always talking to the TV during that show. He loves anything about WInnie the Pooh, and he thinks he IS Pooh. I will look over at him and he will have his little shirt lifted up with his belly hanging out and start up-down touching the ground. He carries my empty flower pots around the yard and calls them his honey pots. Nana got him a stuffed Pooh for his birthday and he sleeps with it under his arm at night.

Daniel has a passion for music. He loves Rock and Roll, in fact, one night during prayers Paul asked what Daniel wanted to pray for and he said "Rock and Roll." That's my boy. The look on his face when rock music comes on is one of sheer joy. He absolutely loves the Beatles, and his favorite songs are Yellow Submarine and Hello, Goodbye. He will come up to me and hold out his chubby little palm and sing "I wanna hold your haaaaaaannnnddd. . ." and then my heart melts! He loves guitars and gets REALLY excited about them. The other day he was down in the basement strumming my guitar and saying "Jeeeeesssuuuuuuusssss" I asked what he was doing and he said, "I singing about JESUS, mommy!!!" Look out, Paul. You might have a Christian Rock artist on your hands!

Daniel is such a fun-loving and sweet boy. Phil is so lucky to have Daniel to cheer him up any time he is feeling low, and Josh absolutely adores him and gives him mile wide grins even when Daniel is smacking him more than patting him. "Gentle" and "Whisper" are in Daniel's vocabulary, but he doesn't quite have the concepts in practice yet. Someday! Or, maybe not. We love our little cherub/stinker anyways!

Moving Day

2010-08-01T21:21:00.001-04:00

It was a day of many mixed emotions when the Graham Avenue chapter of our lives came to a close. Adding to these emotions, of course, was the fact that the end of this chapter of our life together came just a week and a half after we welcomed baby Joshua to the family! Fortunately, we were so blessed to have the help of many special neighbors, family and friends. Moving day was June 26th and the week before we were too busy with new-baby-and-two-little-kids stuff to get much done around the house. Basically, we had nothing packed! Fortunately, our neighbor Cary was kind enough to come over one evening (on her wedding anniversary!) to take care of Josh while we got a start on packing the basement. Our friend Becky actually flew into town from Milwaukee to help us move, and she arrived at our house Friday morning with Jess and Adam to get the big packing got underway. . .these guys were amazing and we had the whole place packed in no time. Maureen arrived to help, and David and Eric joined us later for a final celebration at the good old bar. After one final shot of Jaeger with the crew, everyone said farewell to the basement that had served us so well for our gatherings over the years.

Saturday morning, bright and early, the Zink family arrived to help us move. Jerry and our nephews Thad, Andrew and Kieran, Susan and Arron, Joe, Anne and Joan all helped us out. Our neighbor Kassi even came over and held Josh so I could work between feedings. I have to say the little guy could not have been a bigger trooper over the moving weekend. He was such an angel! After all of the furniture was moved out all that remained were the tiny fingerprints on the windows and walls, and the Bootsy hair dustballs, stale cheerios, sand and play dough crumbles all over the floor that showed our house had been well lived in but maybe not very "deep-cleaned" by yours truly. Paul's sister Joan, God bless her, stayed behind and cleaned up the place, for which I will be forever grateful. My parents, Aunt Therese, cousin Kelly and her boyfriend Joe arrived to help us at our new house and start the unpacking adventure! It took three trips of the Uhaul to get everything up to Fishers, but it all made it in one day! Seems funny that Paul moved into the house on Graham by putting the seats down in his Olds Alero and he moved out with a wife, a cat, three sons and three vanloads of junk.

We returned on Sunday and said a tearful (and sweaty!) goodbye- it was so hot as we finished up the last remaining tasks that it was almost hard to be emotional. Phil and Daniel were fascinated with the fact that their house had no furniture and not a single baby gate to keep them out of mischief and ran around like wild men saying goodbye to every fixture and appliance. Josh just snoozed away in his car seat in the middle of the empty living room (that I will always maintain was coral, not pink :) until we were finally ready to leave. We locked the front door for the last time, buckled the kids in the van and stood out in front on the sidewalk with tears in our eyes (OK, I was bawling!). As we drove away Paul said that even though it was sad to say goodbye to our house, it was the people in it who made it a home. So true, honey! Thanks for picking a great first home for our family, and here's to many happy years in our new home together!

Our first homecoming!

Our boys' first homecomings

Last call at the Zink bar

Closing day on our new home. The new chapter begins!

Josh is 6 weeks old!

2010-08-01T21:09:00.002-04:00

Little Joshua is growing and changing so fast! He looks so much like his older brothers, with darker hair and eyes and the addition of a cute little dimple in his left cheek. He has started smiling and cooing, and he especially loves it when we sing to him. He will coo like he is singing along with you! Josh will also let us know when he is bored by making some grumpy old man faces and scolding noises which quickly go away if we give him a new view to look at. It's hard not to laugh at him even though we know he is trying to say something serious. He definitely likes variety, which is great because he gets a lot of it as he gets toted around to wherever his big brothers want to go. Josh is truly a little snuggle bug and loves to curl right up on your chest with his legs like a frog. Nothing is sweeter than snuggling with this baby boy!

Phil turns THREE!

2010-07-13T20:09:00.002-04:00

We had a great celebration for Phil's third birthday. . .even though we were a little overwhelmed with all of the unpacking, cleaning, hanging, organizing and other new house stuff, we decided to stop for an entire weekend and just rip up our to-do list. It was just what we needed! We decided to go to the Children's Museum on Saturday and we had so much fun. The boys were beside themselves with excitement and and even though Josh snoozed the entire time we think he enjoyed his first trip! On Sunday, Phil's godparents Terry and Joan came over with his cousins Seth and Caleb, and everyone went swimming in Aunt Therese's pool. We came back to our house for a cookout and Phil enjoyed his very favorite carrot cake and opening his presents. Grandpa Phil even got his grandson a brand new bike just his size! Phil was so excited to have his own bike, and is working on his pedaling skills. Phil talked about his birthday nonstop for the next week and is so proud to tell everyone, "I'm THREE!"

Brotherly Love

2010-07-10T21:33:00.005-04:00

Here are some videos of the boys together. . .I am already looking forward to showing these to them when they are in high school. . .

Here is their first meeting at the hospital. . .

And when Josh came home, they immediately began offering him "gifts"

Phil loves to hold Josh, and has been singing to him every day.

Joshua Anthony is here!

2010-06-22T13:59:00.004-04:00

The Zink family is excited to welcome little Joshua Anthony to our crew! Joshua was born June 15, which was his due date (and the day I was scheduled to be induced, but Josh had plans to arrive on his own). He made his appearance at 12:28 am, weighing in at 8lbs 14 ounces and measuring 20 1/2 inches long. Josh shares his middle name- and his birthday- with his Grandpa George Zink, which we think is pretty special!

June 14th was a pretty busy day- Paul took the day off of work to come with me to my doctor's appointment in the morning and then he spent some time at our new house in the afternoon during the boys naps while I chatted on the phone coordinating flooring people, paint, and working on other new house things. I started having contractions about 5 minutes apart in the afternoon, but that had happened a few times over the weekend so I wasn't inclined to take it too seriously especially since in my head I was planning on being induced in the morning. However, by the time we finished dinner and the boys were in the tub I was thinking that maybe induction wasn't in the cards. Joshua's birth was a whirlwind- fortunately when I went into labor we were already at my parents' house so we conveniently left the boys with Nana and Grandpa to spend the night and headed off to the hospital at about 9 for the main event! Now, my mom and aunts had been scaring me all weekend with their tales of making it to the hospital too late to even have a Tylenol and what did I do? Wait too long, of course!! By the time I made it to the hospital there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to be having the baby very, very soon. The hospital was really busy since there was a big storm that night and according to the nurses that always makes for an eventful night on the maternity floor, so even though my contractions were about 1-2 minutes apart it took what felt like forever to get admitted! Fortunately, my own doctor came in to deliver Josh even though he wasn't on call that night and it all happened so fast that the only part I really clearly remember is them telling me it's another boy and putting beautiful little Joshua on my chest! There is nothing in the world that compares to the feeling of that moment when you meet your child for the first time, and it was just as incredible with Joshua as it was with Philip and Daniel. Maybe even more so, because I really can't believe that we have three boys!
From his first moments, Josh has been a little sweetheart. Joshua let out a few cries when he was born, then he quietly started to look around the room and check out all the bright lights. After that moment, he only cried one other time in the hospital, when they gave him the Vitamin K shot. Josh and I enjoyed some quiet, peaceful days in the hospital together and got lots of rest, and Phil and Dan absolutely LOVED coming to visit with their Daddy. They were so cute coming down the hall in their little red wagon every day to see us and were infatuated with their new little brother. They prefer to call him by his full name, Joshua Anthony, which sounds so cute with their sweet little kid voices. Within the first few minutes of meeting Josh, Phil was singing him lullabies and Daniel was going after his eyes Three Stooges style. Welcome to the brotherhood, Josh!

Home Sweet Homes

2010-06-07T14:27:00.002-04:00

Well, a lot has happened here at the Zink household since the last time we posted on the blog!

The biggest news, of course, is that we sold our precious house and bought a new one, all within a few days and with the final offer on our new house accepted only 45 minutes before the tax credit expired. It was a crazy whirlwind, because Paul and I had started to figure we might be unpacking Christmas decorations here at the bungalow again before we ever found the right buyers! Not to mention we had just accepted the fact that we wouldn't be getting a tax credit and we would be trying to keep our tiny house showing-ready with 2 toddlers AND a new baby.

So, the weekend of April 24 I went to Chicago with my sorority sisters Kristin and Gina for Beth Cork's wedding shower and left Paul and the boys to hold down the fort. Turns out, Paul had a showing on that Saturday morning, the guys said our house was their favorite of all they looked at that day, they came back on Monday for a second showing and made an offer that night! Bam!!! We were so ecstatic to be one of the lucky few who sold their house in Irvington this spring! Although we have only met them briefly, we have a great impression of the new owners of our house and are excited that they will be moving to the coolest block in the neighborhood. So, this all meant we had to find a new house fast, and it all ended up working out just in the nick of time.

Our new house is in Sunblest, and it is not an exaggeration in any way to say it is right around the corner from where I grew up. Literally, it is right around the corner and about 8 houses down. Paul is very excited that the house has a big yard and a finished basement, just waiting for us to install a new bar for some classic Zink gatherings. The boys are very excited that their new house is going to be right by Nana and Grandpa, and they will have a room to share with a big boy bed for Phil. And I am excited to decorate a new house, organize my new kitchen complete with pantry and hang up my clothes in the walk-in closet. Even though it will be a work in progress for quite a while it will be fun to make the new place our own. It also goes without saying that it will be wonderful to have our family and so many of our friends very close by!

Of course, as you know selling your house and buying a new one is really just the start of it. There are so many things that we have been working on over the past month. . .inspections, repairs, appraisals, insurance, mortgage, utilities, etc. . .I can't say it has been at all fun but all of this stressful "stuff" will culminate in closing on both houses this Friday, June 11! Fortunately, the new owners of our house are giving us 2 weeks to live here before they take possession so we will have a little bit of time to make the transition. You know, since we are going to be having a baby and all at some point here in the next few weeks! :) Paul and I can't believe that the day is almost here where we buy our house together. . .June at one point seemed so far away and now that it is here it is hard to wrap our minds around all of the things that are going to happen soon! As excited as we are and as truly necessary as a move to the new home is for us, there are going to be so many things that we miss about our current home (that's right, Basement Bar. I am talking about you, my wood-paneled friend). I can already predict that Paul and I will both be crying when we turn over the keys and drive away for the last time but that just means that we are blessed to have a home we have loved so much.

Coming soon- our new little bean!

2010-06-07T14:24:00.001-04:00

Well, the due date approaches. . .as I mentioned before, June seemed really far away back in October but now that it is here- AAAHHHHH! It is so hard to believe! On top of our house excitement, Bean gave us some extra excitement by still being head-up at 36 weeks. Fortunately, the little one flipped on its own sometime that week but there is always the chance that it could flip around again before delivery since it seems to have plenty of room in there for it to work on acrobatic feats. The cool part was I got to have an ultrasound to check the baby's position, which I have never had this late in pregnancy. It is so amazing to be able to see the baby's features and how different it looks from the 20 week ultrasound. I am convinced this little one looks just like Daddy! I guess we will find out soon enough!

According to my doctor, the due date is the 15th and he doesn't want me to go past that because of Phil and Daniel's large size- I am not sure if I want to try to top 10 pounds 11 ounces either! Every day I have so many contractions, but of course nothing that makes me think that it is the real deal. My next appointment is on Thursday, so we shall see what the Doctor says this time!

We finally stopped procrastinating and have all of our baby stuff ready, which involved getting it all out of "storage" in our wonderful friends Kristin and Jason's basement and then. . .sticking it in our basement! I washed all of the little newborn clothes and packed my hospital bag, but none of the "gear" is out since I can only imagine what the boys are going to do with the swing and bouncy seats, not to mention our cat's obsession with the Moses basket! Good thing we have Daniel's basket for baby to sleep in because until we get into the new house it will be a basket on the floor for our new little one! Paul and I are so excited to meet and hold little bean in our arms for the first time. We'll keep everyone posted!

For your entertainment- a little side-by-side comparison of me at about 38 weeks!

Easter 2010

2010-04-05T12:43:00.005-04:00

Happy Easter, everyone! The Zinks had a wonderful time celebrating this joyous day. . . I have to admit I was still a little nervous after LAST Easter when our car broke down, Phil threw up and it was just an all around crazy time. Fortunately, this Easter was far less eventful!! We started out the day with 8:30 mass at Little Flower. The boys loved it because we got to sit right up front in the 2nd pew and, since it was Easter, they had a trumpet player with the choir. My kids are suckers for brass instruments, stained glass and Jesus. I couldn't have asked for better behaved boys at church, thank you, Phil and Dan! We came home and found the Easter Bunny had left a surprise for the boys. . .new books and some bunny ears that they picked out themselves. I am going to admit that these are not the most macho Easter accessory, but when the kids saw these in the dollar bin at Target and then proceeded to wear them around the entire rest of the shopping trip in the cart, I pretty much couldn't resist. It was quality entertainment for all of the Target shoppers and myself that day, so totally worth the $2. I made some biscuits and gravy and the boys had fun reading their new books and playing wii with Daddy. We headed up to the Zink Easter right after that at Paul's sister Susan's house in Westfield. It could not have been a more beautiful day for celebrating! Phil and Dan were so excited to see their cousins, especially Phil who is just beside himself and floating on cloud nine every time he gets to be around that many of his favorite kids. The grandkids had fun searching for their baskets from Grandma Kitty that were hidden around the yard, hunting for eggs and playing outside. After about two hours of nonstop excitement and watching the Phil whirlwind, we were ready for our next stop at the Worrall house for Easter dinner. Once you have witnessed a Zink family gathering, you will understand why we never have pictures from these events- there are too many great people to catch up with, two toddlers to chase, and too little time! We were sad to go, but looking forward to seeing Nana and Grandpa as well. When the boys arrived at my parents' house, they headed straight for the backyard and immediately began hunting for the eggs that were "hidden" around. Phil was so excited because some of the eggs contained his favorite snack in the world, Flip Side crackers. It's a Town House cracker on one side and a pretzel on the other, so for our little lover of crunchy salty snacks, it is a little bite of heaven. Daniel was so proud to find eggs, and loved the ones that had tiny plastic Sesame Street characters inside. They had completely bypassed their Easter baskets on the way to the backyard, so it was hilarious watching them try to stuff as many eggs as possible into their arms. As exciting as it was to be at the Worrall house, a nap was inevitable and the boys crashed out for a much needed snooze and gave Paul and I a little bit of time to recover! We had a wonderful dinner of ham, rolls, salad and potato casserole with the family and then stuffed ourselves with carrot cake. Phil and Dan eventually opened their Easter baskets and had so much fun playing with their new treasures- rubber duckies, books, bouncy eggs and even some ZhuZhu pets from Darlin. Since it was such a beautiful day, they got in some more trampoline time after dinner and finished the day off with a fun bath with all their new rubber duckies and eggs. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect Easter Sunday or a more wonderful reason to celebrate. The Lord has Risen!! Or, as Phil put it, "It's Jesus' BIRTHDAY!!!!"

Happy Birthday, Neighbor!

2010-03-21T20:46:00.005-04:00

This Saturday, March 20, marked what would have been Fred Rogers' 82nd Birthday. As you know, we love the man so much here at the Zink house and couldn't let the day go by without a celebration! So, I made a carrot cake and we decorated the kitchen just like we do for family birthdays, because let's face it, Fred Rogers is family here. The boys got to drink out of their special Trolley cups and wear their Trolley sweatshirts like the superfans that they are. We had so much fun celebrating our favorite neighbor and the boys enjoyed singing some of their favorite songs from the show. Phil's favorite song is "Many ways to say I love you" and Daniel's is "It's you I like". Both boys love to sing in general, but they especially love to sing these two songs. In fact, tonight I was putting Daniel in his crib and I said, "Good night, Daniel! I love you!" And he sang back to me "I wuv youuuuu" just like the Mister Rogers song. The only thing cuter than your little boy telling you he loves you might be your little boy singing to you about it. Thanks, Fred Rogers. We wuv youuuuuu!!!!

A triumphant return to the blog. . .babies, vans, houses and more.

2010-03-01T13:22:00.001-05:00

After two months of not writing about our family, Paul and I are back to update with some of the things that have been going on in our lives. Since this blog is our way of journaling for the kids, we feel a little guilty that we have been absent for so long! There have been some major events going on in the Zink house, and we will highlight a few. . .

We're having another baby!!! I am about 24 weeks along with little Zink #3. We are so excited. Daniel doesn't really have a clue yet, but Phil talks about the baby in my belly all the time. We call the baby "Bean" since we don't know whether it is a boy or a girl, and Phil prays for Bean every night before he goes to sleep. He is so excited to meet his new brother or sister, and keeps saying things like, "It's time for Bean to come out!" "Let's go in the living room and wait for Bean!" "It's almost Bean's birthday!" I keep telling Phil that there are hopefully many, many days and nights before he meets Bean, but when you are really excited about something it can be hard to wait! Phil has already discussed that he will be holding Bean and feeding Bean milk. Perhaps I can train him to take the night shift. . .

We got a MINIVAN! I can't tell you how much we feel like a real family cruising in this ride. We bought this Chevy Venture off Paul's brother Joe, who had bought it off Paul's dad. . .so it has served many Zinks well! I can't believe I am saying this, but we really, really like the van. The kids really like the "magic door" that opens when I push a button, and I really like the fact that I can buckle the kids in at a much more comfortable level. For Paul, the added bonus is he now gets to drive the Saab to work. I miss driving the sporty manual, but at least I have my hands free for wiping boogers and other mom stuff while I am rolling in the van and Paul installed a sweet after market stereo for me so I can still feel a little bit cool. It's a win-win for all of us!

We are selling our house! Paul just celebrated his 8th anniversary here and we are sad to be leaving Paul's bachelor pad that became the family home we love so much. However, this is really the best time to get a new place since we only have two bedrooms and space would be a little tight once Bean gets here. We spent the last two months packing, preparing, cleaning, organizing and all kinds of moving related stuff. Now we are just waiting for someone to come snatch this gem up! Anyone? Please?? I can't keep my house this clean for too much longer!

Best Brothers

2010-03-01T13:18:00.002-05:00

One of the best things that has happened this winter is that now Philip and Daniel can truly play with each other. As D has moved out of the "destructive early toddler phase", he has been gradually allowed to participate in all of Philip's activities throughout the day such as playing with trains, coloring and block building. It is so cute watching the patience with which Daniel plays with the toys that are a little more geared toward Phil's age and the way he tries to pretend and imitate everything he sees his brother doing. Now that Phil is pretty confident that D is not going to just "Godzilla" through everything he sees, they play side by side very nicely. We have been working on sharing and trading since Daniel has been old enough to grab, and it is so funny to hear Daniel say things like "That Share, Pweez" and "Daniel Turn!" when he wants to play with something (or, even better, when he wants to polish something off that Phil has left on his tray) Their favorite activities this winter have been coloring on moving boxes, jumping on the couch, pretending to be baby birds running around the house going "peep", riding in the van, peeking out from behind doors and tackling each other. Paul and I crack up because they will be sitting on the rug watching Sesame Street and all of the sudden one of them will reach over and just tackle the other one. They laugh, and go back watching Street. Usually "Phil" is one of the first words out of Daniel's mouth in the morning and the last before he goes to sleep. One of the things I treasure most is the quiet time we spend as a threesome in the chair before they take their naps, reading stories together. Daniels' new favorite book is Corduroy, and I love reading them that sweet story with their little blonde heads snuggled under my chin. Priceless.

Mr. Congeniality

2010-03-01T13:16:00.002-05:00

Wow- it is so hard to believe that my little D money is 19 months old now! His personality is something that I delight in every single day. Daniel is so patient, and such a good brother. He will gladly give Phil whatever he is playing with and choose something else if he thinks it will make his brother happy. He has a great sense of humor and he loves to get silly (one of his new phrases is "Dat SIWWY, mommy", but he also loves to just get his blanket "Bwanks" and relax in your arms. That's not to say he doesn't have his moments where he is a complete stinker, but who doesn't, really? Daniel's laid back personality is the perfect complement to his brother, who is our more mile-a-minute, emotional and dramatic fella. The boys seem to really bring out the best in each other when they are together, and I love to watch them interact.

Daniel has grown a lot in independence since the last time I wrote about him. He will go off and choose his own activity and I will find him quietly reading a book by himself or playing with some cars. He tries hard to brush his own teeth and is working on the big climb up to his own booster seat, and he is even also able to hold my hand and walk down all the steps to the street to get into the car. He is also getting good at helping tasks, like bringing me my shoes, putting his toys away, or trash in the trash can, or his milk back in the refrigerator. He takes great pride in doing things well, and for him the biggest reward is if you give him some "pound" for a job well done. I took the boys to my mom's school and Daniel gave pound or five to every kid in the room, and wanted nothing to do with me when we walked down the hall, he was perfectly content to hold the hands of two sweet second grade girls and just be a part of the class.

The other big thing about Daniel that has changed is his vocabulary- over the past month or so, Daniel has gone through a thesaurus or something because pretty much every word in there will come out of this kid's mouth. As we go through the store, I tell Daniel everything that I put in the cart and he just repeats the word right after me, even if he has no idea what it means, like "aluminum foil" and "saline spray". Paul and I have been amazed at the phrases he has been able to string together, like telling us that the "moon up in the sky" and "I jumping" and "Phil asweep". Some of this month's most common phrases are "Fweez, mommy", "It stuck", "I like it" and "I drop it". He also likes to identify everything he sees- "That a fish", "That a Phil", "That a cat". Daniel actually only started saying my name a few months ago. . .up until that point he would talk about everyone, Daddy, Phil, Bootsy, Grandpa, Darlin, Nana. . .but never about me! Then one day, out of the blue, I heard a great big "HI, MAH-MEEE" and he has been warming my heart ever since with the way he says my name. I seriously cannot resist a "Fweez, Mah-mee" from Daniel and he pretty much gets whatever he wants, which in D's case is usually some sort of food or a story. Daniel is constantly bringing me books throughout the day to read to him. He loves "Hello, Purdue Pete", "Goodnight Moon", "Corduroy" and any books by Eric Carle, and I love to read them to him!

Nothing beats the big hugs that our little Daniel gives us, and we are really enjoying watching him grow!

Daniel's favorite activities- eating and sleeping!

Mr. Busy!

2010-03-01T13:12:00.004-05:00

It has been quite a while since I wrote about what our little Phil has been up to, so I thought it was time to put some of his adventures down in writing. Phil has truly become a two year old over the past several months- he is a tornado of energy and activity and he is full of all the drama and excitement that you expect from a true toddler. One thing I can say about Phil is there is NEVER a dull moment!

One aspect of Phil's personality that is very evident is he is one sensitive guy. He lives to please you and wants to make everyone around him happy, and nothing brings him to tears faster than the fear he might have disappointed you or let you down. He is such a hugger and a lover- he is so sweet to everyone and is always excited to see his friends and family. He never forgets a name or a face- once you tell him a person's name, it is embedded in his mind forever and he will use that person's name when he sees them again. Not only does he remember everyone he meets, he also remembers the names of every guest that Mr. Rogers has on the show, no matter how obscure, the authors of every book we read to him, the artists of all his favorite songs. . .to say Phil is a people person is the understatement of the century.

Phil also shares his parents' love of music. Paul has taught him about different genres of music so that when I ask Phil what he wants to listen to he will tell me "Jazz music" or "Rock music" or "Kid's music" or the new one he came up with himself this week "Party music" which is what he calls funk. Phil has gotten really into Parliament lately, and Daniel into Bob Marley. Just another example of our little guys being night and day! One of Phil's latest things to do is to sing entire songs, his favorites of course being from the catalog of Mister Rogers, but he also loves the tunes from Sesame Street and his new favorite song, Seventy Six Trombones. Phil has been singing whole songs for quite a while, but the difference is now he will actually sing along with someone else- his mommy, Mister Rogers on the TV, or his brother. When Phil is happy, he will start singing or humming to himself and it makes me smile. I have to say, his pitch is pretty good, too!

Besides singing, coloring, playing in the sandbox and imagining with all his little trains and Sesame Street figurines, Phil has taken up a new hobby- Basketball. Who knew that any child of mine would be able to get a ball into a goal of any sort, but not only does Phil LOVE basketball, he is actually quite good at it! My parents picked up a kid size hoop at a garage sale and it was a total hit with the boys. Paul is absolutely delighted because basketball is something that he grew up playing every day with his siblings and his Dad and he loves being able to share the sport with Phil. I am most impressed with his persistence- Phil has always been the sort that if he couldn't get it just right the first time, he would get frustrated with himself but for some reason with basketball he doesn't seem to mind missing the goal and is super excited to try again.

Phil's favorite things right now are eggs (which is kind of funny since he is allergic to eggs). He loves to play with plastic easter eggs and pretend all sorts of things are hatching out of them. When we go to the grocery, the boys make me open the egg cartons in the case so they can see the eggs. I am pretty sure they thing something is going to just hatch right out with the way they squeal with delight at those eggs! Nana bought "The Golden Egg Book" by Margaret Wise Brown and both of the boys love to hear the story and look at the sweet pictures. Phil's other favorite things right now are penguins, airplanes, and the moon. I had no idea how many airplanes flew over our house that you could see until I had kids, but now I do because every one gets pointed out to me! I also never thought much about how often you could see the moon during the day until the boys started pointing it out to me, too.

Phil has lots of changes coming up in his life that we are getting ready for. He is very excited about his new sibling and is constantly telling me that he "is so excited to meet Bean! Bean's going to be a brother or a sister" The boys came with me to a prenatal visit a few weeks ago and afterwards Phil kept putting things on my belly and telling me he was listening to Bean's heartbeat, all the while making the "whoosh, whoosh" noise he heard on the doppler machine. He is also getting ready to move to a big boy bed and eventually, to a new house! Phil is also really excited about our new house, but fortunately he hasn't been bringing it up as much. When we first put our house on the market and explained to him about moving he wanted to go ahead and get a new house right then! He would bring it up about every 15 minutes or so- "Time to get a new house!!!" Unfortunately, it isn't quite that easy, but hopefully having plenty of time to prepare mentally makes the transition easier when we finally do move.

So, that's my update on our little Phil! We love you, buddy! Thanks for cracking us up every day with your infectious giggle!

Our first visit to the Dentist

2010-01-07T21:27:00.001-05:00

Today was a monumental event in the boys' lives. . .the first of many semi-annual visits to the dentist to have their mouths poked and prodded. I have to admit, I have been procrastinating on Phil's first dental visit. According to the experts, your child should have their first dental appointment before their first birthday. Hmmm. . .only a year and a half late, right? I was forced to stop procrastinating when we noticed in early December that Phil's front tooth was turning slightly gray. Not really a good sign, if you ask Dr. Google. Usually it means that they have had some sort of trauma to their tooth, but Phil is so tough about things like that he could have easily hurt his tooth and never let us know. So I called and scheduled him an appointment at Fishers Pediatric Dentistry, and they talked me into bringing Daniel in as well. Oh, man. Both of them? Really? But, in the spirit of good parenting I thought I would give it a shot. Fortunately, my Dad (a.k.a. Grandpa Phil) was up for the adventure with us and we picked him up this morning after a snowy drive up to Fishers. The boys were so excited to go to the dentist, especially since Boopah was involved, and Phil was convinced that the dentist would have a "stefascope" to check him out. If only it were that non-invasive, Phil!
The boys loved tromping through the snow to get to the office door and were even more excited about all of the rainforest and beach decorations inside the office. I swear, it was like Disneyland. Not to mention that all of the people who work there are as adorable and friendly as Disney characters. Really, you can't go wrong. Much to my surprise, the exam and cleanings went really well. Turns out that Phil's gray tooth has been slowly regaining color and both boys got a clean bill of oral health. That's not to say they didn't cry when the hygienist used the "tickle brush" on their teeth, but the tears stopped right away and Phil managed to make it out of there without vomiting, so I consider the day a success! Plus, we got NEW toothbrushes, tiny plastic ducks, stickers and train whistles. Daniel said the word "Dentist" for the rest of the day and Phil was so proud to tell everyone "You did a good job at the dentist!" Not too shabby! Thanks, Grandpa Phil for helping make today happen- we are so grateful!