Read this today

My friend Vicky wrote and contributed a post to her friend's blog on leaving a legacy. This is such a beautiful post, it must be shared. http://www.leavingalegacyblog.net/

Baby

"Baby", that is my baby's first word. This weekend I thought that is what she was saying when she was holding and kissing her baby doll. Last night she said it clear as day. My baby said,"baby!" In the sweetest little voice I have ever heard. She also is standing on her own now for a good solid 10-15 seconds wobbling back and forth, she inevitably falls when she gets so excited her knees buckle. Her brothers both squeal in delight and she just goes crazy. Hooting and hollering, turning her head back in forth in excitement-as if she is saying no way but is really meaning heck yeah!

Talia's personality is becoming more and more apparent. She is just as goofy as her brothers but on a sweeter level. When it comes to screaming with excitement she can hold her own but has a softer approach to everything. There is definitely a feminine quality that is born intuition. Right now she is into EVERYTHING. This weekend I am insisting that Erik put all of the cabinet and drawer locks in. With Alex we never had to re-install them but if we don't with her she will be into something she is not suppose to be. She eats everything off the floor, nearly choked on a cashew at Leslie's lake last weekend. Dog food is another obsession of hers, poor Howie has to eat real quick or she will invade. YUCK! Talia also claps like crazy, dances, and loves to her,"Go Talia! Go Talia! Go Talia!" She starts dancing and squealing with delight. She will be one next month. Refuses baby food now and is transitioning into milk, goodbye formula-I will not miss you on any level.

Now that Anthony is out of school and Alex is done with preschool for the summer it is so fun to observe their dynamic. Fun in between their fighting and wrestling matches. Anthony is definitely more sassy this summer, after all he is 8 and he knows everything. Alex is more sensitive, screaming at his brother whenever he is frustrated with him. Anthony acts like the oldest most the time. In between his fits of running to his room and screaming at me with anger for taking his I-pod, etc because of his know it all attitude. Pushing buttons constantly! But also stepping up to the plate and helping out A LOT around the house or when one of his siblings needs something. Alex tends to be more lazy and I am pretty sure Anthony enables that because he is always there willing to help him when he needs it. He also can make a bottle in a snap and is the gate police at the top of the stairs. Right now he is in Babe Ruth baseball and loving every second of it. His hair is long like Bieber and he has to take his hat off and "swish" it at different times during practice and after he makes a run during a game. He just finished Insta-Gators and made the Gator Swim Team. We are not enrolling him until this fall though-this summer is going to fly by. Last night he lost one of his last top teeth and once he pulled it he out stood there looking at me with a gaping bloody hole in his mouth, so proud but unfazed like when he lost his first couple teeth. There definitely is a new phase of life on the horizon, he is leaving my little boy on the horizon and coming into his own. Thankfully that little boy is still around enough to satisfy me but definitely pulls at my heart string when the bigger guys shows up. I am not ready for that.

Alex like I mentioned has become more sensitive. Shy when he gets in trouble. Pouts more, screams more, and is in the,"no one likes me phase." Not all the time but it has arrived and it is annoying. He has been my easy child so I am not accustomed to him being a little pre-Madonna. We are working through it because quite frankly I think it is too much work for him. I think he is slowly realizing it is a lot easier just to go with the flow and be happy. A lot less time out's and more popsicles equals a happy Alex. He was in swimming lessons too, absolutely loved it. He did get irritated that his teacher wouldn't let him swim under water all the time but liked that he had all girls in his 4 person class. He is literally throwing a tantrum right now over nothing, off to his room with popsicle stained lips. It is 7:45 am after all. Why not start the day with a tantrum and popsicle? Summer is his ideal because he can play all the sports he loves outside. Last week both him and Anthony were at St. Joe's Vacation Bible School. He LOVED it! Alex likes to meet new people, do art projects, and sing/dance. He was able to do it all there. On Friday they had a little program, the entire program there was a little girl with super curly pigtails that would not stop trying to kiss Alex. The teacher had to finally separate them. She then moved onto another little boy. After the program Alex matter of factly tells me,"Mom, did you see that girl keep trying to kiss me? She wouldn't stop it and I told her I already have 3 girlfriends and she wasn't one. She is not kissing me!" Okay.....

So now we are in planning mode. Our SD trip is the end of the month, trying to figure out all the places we will visit. In the interim I am off to referee who called who dumb or fat, really? I thought I had boys?!