Friday Five!

It's been a few weeks, and I've been missing my blog! But the season is really revving up, and my energy level by the time homeschooling is done is at about zero! I'm going to keep trying though.

~~1~~
Peter.
Peter turned 10 weeks this week, and everyone is commenting about how big he is! He no longer looks like a little newborn and he's feeling thick and solid. He's interacting a lot and awake for long periods of time. He's started chewing on his fists and can hold his head up really well. He still gets fussy in the evenings, but is really happy in the mornings and early afternoons. We've been taking lots of walks to the park and spending more time out and about. He pretty much hates the carseat unless we're on the highway, so I try to avoid doing any unnecessary driving! He likes the swing and tolerates the bouncy seat. Mostly he just wants to be held by me, of course!

~~2~~
Katie.
Katie turns 3 in about a week and she is finally pretty much potty trained! I'd been feeling guilty for not working on this, so the past few weeks we just went for it! She's only had one or two accidents in the past week, so she's doing great. She loves her brother and wants to smother him with hugs and kisses. She loves reading books and playing with her Little People. She's dying for a "big dolly" (American Girl), so her big sisters are starting to let her play with their old ones a little. She's also been sleeping in Ellie's room for about six weeks now, so we have our eyes out for a bunk bed for them. One of her favorite things right now is using special glasses and plates! Her NeNe lets her look in the cabinets and pick out special glasses and plates for her snacks, and now she's wanting to use them all the time! She wanted to use her aunt's fine china at the Super Bowl party last weekend! She's ready for a little tea party time, I guess.

~~3~~
Big boys.
Steven and Thomas are starting baseball tomorrow (Well, today. It's after midnight)! The crazy season is beginning for me, with practices and games and baseball gear and all around insanity, especially since the girls have ballet and 4-H events, the boys will probably start swim team in April, and Steven is traveling a lot. I'm already ready for summer! Steven got some reading glasses this week; they look pretty cute on him! Both boys are just loving the warm weather, and they escape to the driveway or backyard for baseball, football, or basketball any chance they get! In the past few months, they've really gotten into watching sports and keeping track of scores and players too. They're becoming good buddies, which I love to see.

~~4~~
Big girls.
These two keep busy with school, ballet, and babysitting jobs. They both entered a 4-H photography contest this week, which was a bit of a hassle for their mom as we loaded and printed photos, then got them mounted and mailed! Tomorrow they have a 4-H food challenge workshop bright and early, as they prepare for the big one at the Houston Rodeo. They're both a great help around the house, and it's such a blessing to have babysitters now and to be able to go on some spontaneous dates with Steven every so often!

~~5~~
Steven and Me.
Steven has been busy with work and lots of traveling. He got to take quite a few hunting and fishing trips last month too. He even took the boys on a work/hunting adventure to Oklahoma! But even while busy and traveling, he's still checking up on our crew, grocery shopping and cooking for us, and especially spoiling me on my birthday weekend! Last Saturday I turned 39, which was celebrated with: gorgeous flowers and a date on Friday evening, Saturday brunch with the family and my parents, a Peter Pan play with the 3 oldest kids (and baby), and a mom's night out to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. My friends spoiled me with some sweet gifts too. Sunday was the annual Super Bowl party with Steven's family, and it was just a great family weekend overall. I am so blessed! I'm also feeling more myself again these days. I was able to get out a lot the past couple weeks; we went to the trampoline place, to a nature class with the boys, and to the park quite a few times!

I have a bunch of photos I'd love to share, but the USB ports on my computer are not working, so it looks like I'll just be able to share this one from Facebook (Peter in a doll bed at my parents' house) and will have to come back with more pictures to share. Check me out on Instagram @blairsblessings where I tend to post a lot and do some Live Stories most days.