October 19

Chris ended up with last-minute tickets to the football game today and was able to round up a last-minute business connection to go with him, so we spent most of the day without him. I took the kids to church in the morning, and was delighted when I dropped Lily off in her new classroom that she happily toddled to one of the worker's laps and didn't even look back for me.

After church, our neighbors Nora and Tim and their kiddos happened to be walking by our house just as we got home, so we spent a while playing with them outside. I fed the kids lunch, put Lily down for a nap (she's working her way into dropping one of her naps each day. It's slow and painful.), read some books to the big kids, put Daisy down for her nap, and convinced Caleb to join me in my bed and watch a movie while I napped. It was lovely.

Even lovelier was when his movie was over, and I suggested that he snuggle up and nap with me. He protested at first, but five minutes later I heard him snoring next to me. At bedtime tonight I proposed that we make Sunday afternoon naps together a new tradition, and he liked the idea. I think he just likes any idea that involves extended snuggling with Mommy, though.

Lily woke up from her nap first, so we went out to play on the front porch. Caleb stumbled out 30 minutes later, quite upset that I was no longer snuggling with him. After a bit of snuggling on the porch swing while Lily played, Caleb was good to go. I ran inside to grab my camera, and he immediately wanted to take a picture. He agreed to let me test the settings first, and I got this sweet photo:

I love this sweet boy!

Then I handed him the camera, and he took this picture: 

It has some issues, but I think Lily's smile makes everything else seem minor. 

(Side note: Can you believe she still only has four teeth? She's 15 months old today! Also, I'm really surprised by the fact that her two top teeth are so widespread, while her two bottom teeth are really close together. When she had her tongue tie corrected as a newborn, I mentioned what looked like a lip tie up top. The doctor assured me that it was merely cosmetic... I hope this isn't the "cosmetic" issue she was referring to!)

Happy 15-month birthday, sweet girl!

And then Lily walked into the garage, grabbed her helmet, and grunted until I put it on her. Then she walked over to the tricycle and - after a few failed attempts - climbed on top of it. This girl knows exactly what she wants, and won't stop until she gets it!