Listen To Me Ramble About My Kids   Because I'm able to bore people across the Internet now, not just in person.

On Monday, Alex had surgery to fix his eyes.  Since he’s been little, he’s had eyes that are not quite aligned…one of them looks off to the side a little bit.  Now, he’s all better, but he looks a little beat up now.  He’s really upset that he can’t go to school until next week (no really…he LIKES school.  He’s weird).  He and I had fun today watching movies and hanging out together.  I like to be able to get 1:1 time with him every once in a while.

Yesterday everyone started school, except for Isabel, who didn’t go until today (new kindergarteners do a staggered start).  This morning, Izzy was so excited she could hardly stand it, and her two big brothers who also go to her school were very proud of her too.

I cant believe that all FOUR of my kids are in school now.  I guess you can just cart me off to the old folks home.

I do this every year…I’m so predictable.  I just noticed that there are only 125 days until Christmas, and to get everyone into the spirit, I’m posting my two favorite Christmas videos.  First, we have Linus telling us what Christmas is all about:

then, we have Robert Earl Keen singing the greatest Christmas song of all time.

And finally, a picture of cute girl.  She’s sick today, so we’re taking it easy.  At least she didn’t throw up on me.

They say that July and August are the price you pay for the weather Charlotte has the rest of the year.  For some reason though, this year has been harder than the past ones.  I’m considering moving to Maine or something like that, because for the past week or so, the heat index has regularly hit about 110, and that is for the birds.  Luckily, we’ve been able to go to the pool most days, so we haven’t DIED.

The big news this summer is that both Izzy and Jake have learned how to swim enough that they don’t need floaties or life jackets or any of that foolishness to swim at the lake or at the neighborhood pool.  It’s awesome to see them have a great time, and I am glad I don’t have to worry quite as much anymore (although the worrying never really ends, no matter how big they are)

I’m trying to get back into blogging regularly, but the past year or so (since I’ve slowed WAY down in my posting) has been hard on me.  Hopefully, the worst is past, and I can get back to being the regular old HAPPY Bill that I like being.

One of the bad things about having everyone visit for Christmas was that Izzy got all used to people spoiling her.  Now that everyone has left, we’re trying to get her back into the habit of doing what we tell her to and sleeping in her room and in her bed.  When the grandparents were here, she’d pretty much do whatever she wanted and sleep wherever she wanted.  She takes after her mommy, so she doesn’t like it when I try to make her do something she doesn’t want to do.

This is how happy she was with me this evening as I made her go to her own room to sleep.

Just like last year, we had the annual Lawson Neighborhood Yard Sale today, and Alex and Lauren ran a lemonade stand.  They had a lot of fun, but when I asked for a donut, it came with a bite out of it.  I hope they didn’t do that with all of their customers.

While Alex and Lauren were trying to make some extra cash, Izzy and Jake were just trying to be cute.  They are so much fun, but sometimes they tire me out. 

Izzy looks pensive here, but this is one of the few pictures where she is not smiling (or running her mouth).  Today, she helped Jennifer run her yard sale by selling juice boxes (for AT LEAST a penny) and gummy bears (mostly she ate them though).

I don’t even know what to say about Jake here.  He’s a nut.  Notice (if you view the zoomed-in version) that he has sand all over him.  I have no idea where it came from.

…but how can I refuse to let Izzy sleep with me when she’s this cute?  Someday, she’ll master sleeping in the proper direction.

She’ll be FIVE next month, and she will be “too cool” to want to be with me soon, so I am kind of savoring it while I can.  Her problem is that she wants to be RIGHT ON TOP OF YOU while she’s asleep.  It gets tiresome sometimes, but not TOO tiresome.

I know, what a surprise.  He was actually sick last Wednesday-Friday, but I thought he was better, until the school called because he didn’t feel well.  Jennifer and I figured that he was just goofing off because he didn’t want to go to school, so I made him stay in bed without watching TV until it was time to go to the doctor.  The doctor told us he had pneumonia.  BOY, did I feel bad.

In my defense, he doesn’t look all that sick, does he?  This is right before the doctor came to look at him.