John Paul

-still gets subjected to my nicknames.  The current favorite is Pook-a-newt or Pookanoodle.

-is on the Cardinals this year and has started up practices and is thinking he may want to try his hand at pitching.

-is convinced that there is a conspiracy going on with the daily Mass attendees.  We are clearly being followed by the suspicious older men who never seem to show up on the same days.  Motivation for keeping tabs on a homeschooling mom and four boys has not yet been determined.

-completed First Language Lessons 3.

-biked four miles alongside Papa on his run.

-upon being checked on before we go to bed has been several times found in Michael's bed snuggled up to his little brother.

-comes home from Mass or after hearing a song on the radio and can figure out the notes on the piano within minutes.

-remembers to pray every night for Ben.

Michael
(finally!  a sunny day!)

-made his First Reconciliation!

-tans right up after the first day or two of sunshine.

-is always very selective about the shirts they will all wear each day with matching, liturgical correctness, and/or role play being priority in the decision.

-is on the Tigers!  (And has been wearing his orange shirt in anticipation.)

-makes sure to "catch" my hand when we're out together.  I love it.

-has become a fan of Uno and could Lego for hours.

-when discussing his petite stature, "I don't want to get thicker, I just want to get taller."

-joined John Paul and Papa for the next four mile bike ride and not only survived but was literally yelling "woo-hoo!!" down every hill.

-remembers to pray every night for our sponsored children.

David

-has been all about Robin Hood since we went to see the play.  I love when he sings the song!

-still talks about getting his tractor and asks Papa if he can find a person who sells tractors when he goes to work.

-claims his favorite foods to be eggplant parmesan and brussel sprouts and has requested such for his upcoming birthday.

-after I gave him a Divine Mercy holy card to look at during Mass continued to pray "Jesus, I trust in You" over and over about a hundred times.  That night he couldn't find the holy card to bring to his bed so he settled for bringing our 8x10 framed picture to hang next to his bed.  It's brought him so much peace at night.

-declared that he would "really like to get gelato with the pope.  But Mama says he can't.  Maybe we can just bring him some to St. Peter's."

-remembers to pray every night for great grandma and for "Bea" my grandmother's late roommate at the nursing home.  We only met her a few times and the last time we saw her she was close to dying.  Months ago.  

Luke

-sings O, Holy Night when he's playing or working on something.  Sweetest.

-also sings the clean-up song and has added "Happy Birthday" to Papa's ever-lengthening nighttime song repertoire.

-is getting better at Mass.  Usually.

-upon seeing a picture of the Colosseum, "Uh-oh.  Broken...(thinking)...Papa fix it!"

-refuses to call Maggie anything other than "Meow."

-and loves feeding the chickens.

-always always always wants to help whenever I'm cooking at the stove.

-finally got those last (for now) molars in.

-spends a good thirty or forty minutes putting the cheap dollar store plastic chains into tiny places.

-wants to see "digging trucks" every time we drive.  It sounds like he's saying "Jesus" but nope.  Digging trucks win.

-does the sweetest genuflection when we are at Mass and remembers to put his little hands together when we go up for Holy Communion.

-but still remembers every night during prayer to remind us he is two.  :)