Laraway Family

Anthony, Chas, and daddy ventured out to the wild...
where the fences stand tall, where the grass meets the patio, where the bird feeders hang high against the sky.

They packed their gear - sleeping bags, popcorn, flashlights, portable DVD player, and The Incredibles.

It was a good camping trip, lots of fun, even though daddy was crammed into the tent like a sardine, and the incessant coughing sounded like a flock of Canadian geese heading south for the winter.

Chas awoke at 8AM, and Anthony at 9AM, which never, ever happens for any reason. If we were to put Chas to bed at 6AM, and he'd still wake up before 7AM. We aren't certain, but we think we gave birth to a couple of roosters. Daddy does, afterall, have chicken legs.

Perhaps the best part of the camping trip, though, was the anticipation. The moment daddy agreed to do it, Anthony stripped off his clothes to get ready for his bath. Chas' voice inflection was noticeably variable, unable to contain his excitement. Anthony jumped around like a naked flea at the dog pound.

Anthony wanted to watch Mulan, and Chas The Incredibles. We flipped a coin - Heads for The Incredibles, and Tails for Mulan. This marks the first ever coin flip used to choose between competing interests in the laraway household. It went well; daddy expected the loser to flip out - pun intended - but when it landed on Heads, Anthony only made minor protests. "That's not fair," he muttered, but daddy explained that it couldn't possibly have been any fairer, even if we used a computer generated randomizer.

The boys enjoyed themselves, mommy was a little bit jealous, and Starks was missed. We're now ready for our big August camping trip with a number of other families. The best part of which, of course, is that daddy gets to wear his Leatherman on his belt, bring all of his knives, make a fire, and like the Pope himself, poop in the woods.

Hey everyone... as we approach Starks' first birthday June 14th, we are seeing him really grow toward toddlerhood. Last night while saying prayers in his brothers' room, he took 2-3 steps from Mommy to Daddy. So, this morning, I was finding a show for his brothers to watch, and Anthony shouts, "Look, Mommy!" I look over, and there's Starks standing in the middle of the room. He went from squatting to standing! He stood there for a good minute relishing everyone's praise. He's on the verge, and I hope we're ready!

Also, we've included a close-up picture of his fangs. His third and fourth teeth to come in were the tops ones- prominent fang and incisor... the right fang is due to pop through those gums soon, too! How cute will that look?

So, pray we can shovel enough food into this little guy to keep up with his increased energy exertion!

Oh my goodness. Since it's been so sunny and warm here, Anthony has just wanted to relax and veg in the afternoon rather than play more or learn. So, I've let him. Due to the TV watching, he has said some pretty interesting things. This weekend he told me "Maybe I should go to the Sylvan school?" I asked "Why?" (We had his Kindergarten orientation at his Elem. school Thursday evening.) He replied, "Because they can help me be really good in math." Seeing as he's begun doing multiplication, I told him that he didn't need help. "But it can make me better!"

He's a nut. We had a birthday party on Saturday afternoon, and Russ took the boys there after soccer while I got my teeth cleaned. So, I was away 1.5 hours total and met them at the party. That evening I was going over the next day's plan, and I told him it was Mother's Day, church, and then something fun. He said, "I love you, Mommy. I wish we were always together." I asked, "Don't you think we are always together?" He said, "Well, I wish you didn't have to do things without us and go in a different car." I was away for 1.5 hours! Now, granted, I totally missed them and could not get to the party fast enough, but one would think they'd enjoy the time without hearing me! I guess not. I'm soaking this up as I feel it won't last long enough.

Anthony also has been suggesting good foods and drinks for us to try- as prompted by recent commercials. Marketing sucks them in at such a young age, huh? If only they had an income.

So, while eating breakfast, Anthony says, "When I grow up, Lisa's going to be my wife." Chas chimes in and adds, "And I'm going to be her husband." I explained that we only chose one person to marry, so he, too, couldn't marry Lisa. He thought briefly and said, "Well, I'll marry Christina." (She's a little girl across the street that loves him, and we all love people who we can make laugh... and she smiles and laughs with him a lot.) He then goes on to say, "I think that's a good choice."

So, we're eating dinner outside tonight... Mommy at the table with Starks and the boys at their new little table and umbrella. Anthony looks over at me and says, "Sometimes I hide my feelings." Of course, as usual, thoughts from Anthony seemingly come from outer space. So, I asked, "What do you mean by that? How do you hide your feelings?" To this, he smiled and replied, "You know, Mommy... like the song. '..learn how to hide your feelings.'"

(http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/intolerablecruelty/dontcryoutloud.htm)

He's so crazy. We sing "Don't Cry Outloud" just to be funny- Russ and I. What a nut.