Seriously?

Could Sebastian be 4 years old already!? Today is the day, and I couldn't be more grateful for this little guy. I just wish time would slow up a bit. He's lost his toddler figure and now sports the thin torso and legs of a real little boy. He still believes I know about everything and am perfectly just and patient. You and I know better, of course, but it can be our little secret.

I couldn't even begin to catalog all of his incredible qualities here, so instead I'll leave you with a recent conversation.

Sebastian: Uncle Neil, how do you get money?
Neil: I'm a photographer -- that's how I get money.
Sebastian: Oh. {After a moment's pause..} It's hard for me to get money, because I have to find it.

Happy Birthday, my little man!

30.

The number of years of life experience I now have.
Also, the number of minutes that Mia screamed during her first swimming lesson.

20.
The number of cupcakes I baked this week.

10.
The number of kids who will be attending Sebastian's dinosaur birthday party this weekend.

9.
The number of months we've had Daddy all to ourselves.

8.
The number of weeks until we are forced to decide where to go from here.

7.
The number of girls at church I am fortunate enough to work with.

6.
The number of books I've read so far this year.

5.
The number of wonderful neighbors on my cul-de-sac.

4.
The number of pacifiers Mia owns.

3.
The number of Office episodes I have waiting to watch.

2.
The number of kickboxing classes I've been able to attend in the past week.

1 1/2.
The number of hours it took my two junior helpers and me to wash the car Saturday.

1.
The number of pacifiers I can currently find.

Auntie

Antoinette, Sam's sister, came to visit one week in March, and then again in April. It's always so nice to have her in town, and the kids simply adore her. We hiked, we ate, we played with kids, we ate, we shopped, we read food magazines, and we ate some more. Antoinette and Sam come from a family of "foodies," which is great by me. Antoinette never tires of planning our next meal or shopping at our beloved Trader Joe's.

During her second visit, Antoinette and Sam concocted a plan for a spontaneous camping trip. So, off we went to Asheville and the Blue Ridge Mountains. It turned out to be glorious weather (except for the 30-degree nightfall teperatures) and was well worth the 3 hour drive smooshed between two car seats in the back.

Easter weekend

Easter was filled with good things: bike riding, reading, church going, hair cutting, egg dying, egg hunting, candy eating, grilling, and lots of eating.

Sebastian won the Most Patient award on Sunday, as he had to wait until after our early church meetings to hunt for eggs. However, once we let him loose, he had found all 36 eggs in under 5 minutes. He then proceeded to re-hide the eggs for Mia to find. The Easter Bunny obviously underestimated his searching abilities and will adjust accordingly next year.

The Easter Bunny was kind enough to hide some eggs filled with puffs for Mia, although she quickly scrapped those for the M&M-filled. That's my girl. Puffs are for rabbits.

All hail our mighty state

One of the perks of having Daddy home is frequent getaways. We moseyed on over to Texas for a 2 1/2 week vacation that included:


lessons at historic Old City Park


walks around the lake with Nan and Pops


a stop by my childhood home


a Foosball hand injury that required disassembling the table


Uncle Neil & Aunt Steph


lots of family


tea time with the girls


Aunt Paige


baseball at the park


a trip to the Dallas Arboretum




Laura's baby shower




playground antics


watching movies with Uncle Scott