Hello June!

Welp the end of May can get hit with the door on the way out.  It was a rainy, busy month that ended with a stomach bug sweeping through the house and hitting all nine of us.  Again.  We just had this happen in January.  

Hello June!!

My parents moved in this past weekend!  They are still unpacking, but I'm hoping they'll let me take some photos of the renovations that took nine long months (for my Dad, I didn't do anything!).  They live in the first floor condo and we live above them.  We are trying to shush the kids with more frequency now and also stop them from "visiting with Gammy and Grandpa" every ten minutes or so.  After not having anyone live down there for almost a year during the construction, I admit it is really nice to have neighbors again, especially when Phil is gone at night meetings/events and his scaredy cat wife isn't all alone anymore.

Brendan is nine months, and is just about to really crawl on his hands and knees.  he prefers to pull himself up and stand, and forgets he's not a toddler yet and tries to let go and take steps.  He still clearly says More, Mama, and Dada, which makes me think we should start teaching him more words!  He can nod his head yes, which is quite the feat when you have a head in the 100 percentile.  His little toothy smile cracks us all up, he knows he's hamming it up and does this really funny face while his fan club just eats it up.  Oh to be the baby of six adoring siblings!

Look Ma!  I being like Lucy!

Declan is still not potty trained.  It's not his fault, really, he talks about it all the time.  "When I go poop in the potty, I get gum and M&Ms and I go to school and wear Superman underwear!"  But when we ask him to do said action he says "Not today, Maybe tomorrow".  And we are tired and lazy and just haven't pushed it yet.  He needs to be potty trained before summer camp starts in July, so June should be an eventful month!

The artiste.

Alexander is about to graduate Kindergarten in a couple days.  This boy of ours is so funny and so weird (can a mom say that lovingly?).  He needs to know every single thing about how the day will go or he gets anxious, which I'm sure must be very fun for his teachers!  For example, when the kids get home from school they ask what's for dinner.  I say "chicken".  This satisfies everyone except Xander.  He says "what else" until I name every side, dessert and drink. But because of this, he is always in the know so he's good to have around when my frazzled brain can't remember anything.

Girl stole my man.

Maggie is breezing through 3rd grade, which is definitely her favorite year since her "god sister" Haley was her teacher this year.  Pretty cool to have the girl who babysat you since infancy become your teacher one day!  She went to the Father Daughter Dance with Phil, and they were so cute!  He got her flowers and everything.  I never want her to look at another man this way ;)  She says she's not getting married anyway, she will be a nun.  I don't think so!  But God's Will be done :)

Possibly my most photogenic child.

Eamon is just about to start his summer basketball league.  He's been to one practice and when it was over, he stated "I've lost all my basketball skills since the winter season ended."  It ended two months ago!  Dramatic much?  Ha!  He's looking forward to his last Altar Boy Boot Camp with our Pastor who will be transferred at the end of June.  We are all so sad to see Monsignor leave and go to Portland for three years.  Lucky them!

Fun at Campus Ministry Club

Andrew is also starting his basketball summer league.  Their first game was supposed to be today but it got rained out.  #storyofourlivesthisspring He is sailing through his first year of middle school, made his way into the National Junior Honor Society, and reminds me weekly that in a few months he will be a teenager.  Waaaaahhhh!

John-Paul has so much going on that his post will be one for another day!

And Phil and I are hanging in through all craziness that is parenting these lovable monsters.  We couldn't imagine our life without them but try to sneak away for an hour here or there to get a glimpse ;)

Gonna link up late with Kelly since we have seven kid updates and she has seven quick takes.