Ta da!

Claire enjoys the hour each week she spends at the gym. Allison does a half hour of gymnastics. Then it is Katie and John's turn. Claire plays on the floor, crawls up and down the row of chairs and bounces back and forth between my arms and Spence's. I was holding her during the kids' most recent class, watching through the windows... At the end of every cartwheel, somersault and hop the kids are required to do a gymnastics stand - throw their arms up in the air and say 'ta da!' Half way through the hour I became aware of Claire, on my hip, throwing both of her arms up over her head in her own gymnastics stand each time one of her siblings did the same out on the mats. What a cutie! :)

I am aware enough to keep activities gender non-specific in our home. Girls can play baseball if they want to and boys can cook... I can't say Spence is as aware. Case in point? Today he spent an hour in the back yard with the kids. When Spence was done cleaning up the yard he walked over to where Katie was shoveling snow off the porch. Katie to Spence - Look at me Dad! It is good to be doing man work! (Sigh, I am shaking my head... Wait a minute! I cleared snow off the drive the only time we had snow last winter. Our neighbor did it after our first big snow this year. And I did it again after the second this year. Man work. HA!)

John joins us in bed almost every night. Twice recently I have awakened to a noise. I stop and listen. There it is again. John giggling in his sleep! What a sweet, innocent baby noise. I hope it never goes away. (Though I do hope the nightly visits cease before he is big enough to take over the entire bed.)

One of Spence's coworkers managed to find a lollipop for Katie, John and Allison while they were sitting down to watch Spence's promotion. The room was silent except for Colonel Merkel making his remarks. Allison (remember, she has NO volume control!) to the entire room - Look everybody! Do you all like my lollipop? Again, silence as the S-1 calls attention to orders and proceeds to read the official declaration. Allison (bouncing in her seat) - I like my lollipop! I see candy in the middle!

Their antics make me giggle every day. :)