-a monthly recap of some of the things I just don't want to forget-

John Paul

-has such a ten year old boy silly humor.  All the puns.  It's almost painful except that it's so innocently sweet.

-fashioned the greatest cardboard doula ornament for me for Christmas.
-will fight me when I send him outside to play but then spends two or more hours engrossed in snow projects or shoveling.
-could probably write his own Lego design book.
-is very concerned with his altar serving schedule and always makes sure he knows when it's coming up.  He was very excited that his birthday this year is on a Sunday and he possibly might get to serve.
-is already beginning to make references to "when I can drive."
-is excited for our new beekeeping adventure.  I really hope we can pull this off the ground.  Visions of a vast honey-selling enterprise have been filling his head.
-has been waiting -and waiting- for the neighbors to open up the skating rink in the yard.
-ties Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride ( Europe) as his favorite game.

Michael

-has been so motivated to help shovel and earn money.  He's such a good worker!  Right now, he and David are saving up for a pearler bead set.

-lost yet another tooth.  The others haven't even begun to grow in yet and he's verging on jack o'lantern.  This time he lost it in the morning and didn't tell us to see if we would notice during the day.  I didn't and he told us at dinner!  (In my defense, you can't see his bottom teeth with his normal talking or smiling…but I still felt bad!)

-decided, "when the new baby comes out, I'm going to sit and snuggle that baby for a whole week long."
-wore his new priest vestments all Christmas morning long.
-is still certain that the baby is a girl.
-says Risk is his favorite game on a cozy day.

David

-was the very first one in the family (besides me, of course) to feel the baby move!
-has had a few nights where he has been a handful and a half at bedtime.  I kinda thought we were done with that.
-has never held a baby (according to him…he "held" Luke when he was little) and is very excited to hold the new baby and play games with him or her.
-is, I think, the one responsible for the rearrangement of the tree ornaments practically every time I look.  along with his younger partner in crime.
-still is my 'turn on a dime' child.
-has been on a 1/3 dose of his medicine every three days for a few months now.  He says he doesn't want to take it but has never actually given us a hard time about taking it.  I'm so hopeful that at some point, he will be completely cured and not need anything.  Thank you, God!
-agrees with Michael that Risk is his favorite game.

Luke

-still copies whatever the older boys say at dinner if it gets a laugh.  Even if he has no clue why.
-is not a big fan of the ole brushing of the teeth.  Unless, of course, it means just sucking water off the brush.
-anytime you call him any silly name will adamantly and quite seriously tell you, "No, I'm a person."
-will quite insistently let you know that you can't eat red dye because "it'll make you die."  Homonym confusion for the win?  (I do tell him it's not true, don't worry ;)
-very much believes that once he eats enough food he will be bigger than Papa.  He does probably eat more than the middles and at least as much as John Paul.  If you ask him how he got so big it's always, "because I ate lots of food!"
-at over two years younger is now wearing the same size as David.
-barely eats sweets, always preferring meat or dairy.  His favorite snack is a dish of frozen peas.
-gets up around six or 6:30 most mornings.  And Brian very generously keeps him upstairs and mostly quiet while I have my coffee/prayer/blog time downstairs.
-chooses Stratego as his favorite.  Or as it sounds when he says it, "Mister Tego."