Oh yeah ... I was going to write about the kids

Zachary is spending a couple of weeks in Virginia with his Nanna. When he is gone, I realize how much he helps me each day. When he is here I find it hard to remember that he is only 7. He is so smart. He is so big. We will be starting 2nd grade with him next month. He loves to learn. He can't get enough of it. The most common thing we here from him is "I have a question". And we have learned that if you answer that question, he will remember and he will be able to access that information at just the right time. And while questions can get a bit overwhelming and time can not always be made to answer, I pray he never stops asking them.

Our biggest struggle with him right now I think is tied to a lack of peer relationships. Julie was great at making play-dates and making sure that he had an outlet for friendship. Adding to my propensity to be introverted, is a stigma (probably my own) of not fitting in to normal stay at home parenting circles because I am a man.

Zoe's vocabulary is exploding. She and Zane are almost 3 and I can already see that she will be an early learner. She has learned to count to ten and she knows a few of her letters. She is picking up more and more of what we say and then use it correctly later. And following in her brother Zach's footsteps, she is a memorizer. She is starting to repeat books and songs back to us. But of course as exciting as this stage can be it comes with its drawbacks, like when today she told me to "shut up". I would like to say that I can blame it on TV or her brothers, but I have to own this. A couple of days ago, after fighting with them to try and get them to take a nap, exhausted from the whole experience I walked to the bottom of the stairs and yelled, "Shut up, just go to your bed and shut up!" Not my finest moment ...

But Zoe is a stereotypical girl. She cries at the drop of a hat. When this is a real problem is when she gets in trouble. At the first sign of trouble she drops to the ground and sobs. Do you know how hard it is to discipline a girl who is sobbing uncontrolably. You know you are being manipulated, but what recourse do you have.

Zane ... ahh Zane ... My Wonderful Nemesis. I have never seen someone who enjoys life quite like Zane does. He attacks each day. With Zane's day to day antics it can be hard to focus on his development, but develop he has. He is not as advanced with his speech as Zoe and he is not yet potty-trained (I think he just doesn't have the time to be bothered). But he is very athletic and much more social than Zoe. He has also picked up a habit of putting things into order and lining them up in straight lines. Also following in his brother Zach's footsteps, he loves to help and shows a sense of pride when he helps we around the house. Yesterday he helped me build some frames for some canvas prints and hammer some nails to fix our fence. Julie said when he came back in he had a smile on his face and strut in his step when he announced "I helped Daddy."

Our biggest struggle with Zane, to disipline him while not crushing his spirit. I want him to keep that exhuberance that makes him who he is, but he needs to be respectful when he displays it.

Zadie's growth seems like it went to overdrive within the last two months. First she sat up. Then she developed her own mode of transportation. She would sit up, do a split, fall forward, roll over, sit back up and start the whole process over again.  Now she is crawling and pulling herself up to a standing position.  She has had two teeth break ground and she can say da-da.

I know it is not a contest, but Zadie gets the award for best baby ever.  She is the sweetest, most docile baby that we have had.  Now that she is mobile, I can just sit her down and she will "explore" for what seems like forever (I am talking an hour or more).  I have always said that if Zadie is crying, one of 3 things are wrong, hungry, tired or needs a diaper change.  Now that she is mobile I have added a bumped head to that list.

Zadie is very social.  We first took notice on a crowded Metro ride, returning to my parents house from a day in Washington DC.  It was a work day and the Metro was filled with weary travelers returning home after a long day at work.  Zadie was helping to brighten up the days of the travelers by flashing some (non) toothy grins.  But for some reason she became fixated on a woman sitting behind Julie.  At first the woman, probably in her 50's, just gave Zadie a cursory smile, then returning her gaze toward the window and the passing Suburban Maryland landscape.  When the lady would look away, Zadie would cry, which would once again catch her attention and she would look and smile.  This went on for a few minutes.  Finally the woman gave up trying to distance herself and succumbed to my little girls relentlessness.  Turns out that she lived a long way from her daughter who had recently given birth to a little girl.  We chatted for the rest of the ride and I think Zadie really brightened this ladies day.  Babies can have an uncanny way of making people smile and my Zadie is a master of that gift.