lightning speed

It feels like our boys, who push me to the brink of craziness at times yet are still so amazingly near-and-dear to my heart (is that just boys?), are growing at lightning speed.  Heck, all of our kids are.  :(

Four 'rites of passage' have occurred.

1.  They turned six.

A week before they were born.  It's utterly amazing that I can even button my pants after that.  

Brooks (on the left) was 7 pounds, 12 ounces and Jackson was 7 pounds, 9 ounces.  They were perfection.

Their actual birthday was quite a day with birthday ribbons and crowns at school, picture day (!) and Payton and Avery having a mini party planned for them when they got off the bus (cupcakes and a birthday banner).  Here they are plopped on the front stoop after a looong* day of school.  

* Almost every single day since the beginning of the school year, Jackson has asked me why it is that they have to go to school for six hours everyday?  'Six!' he says.  

That night, we went out to dinner, just us, at one of our favorite family spots, the Silver Diner.  Brooks was not about to let us get out of there without making sure our waitress knew it was their birthday.  And that they sang to them.  This was a first.  Mission accomplished.    

A few shots of them opening their gifts after dinner.

And, much to our dismay, they woke-up sassy and too-big-for-their-britches the next day.  Oye.

2.  They had their first 'big' birthday party complete with friends.  With the exception of their first birthday (you always gotta hit that one out of the park!), we've always done small, intimate affairs to celebrate.  And they've always been fine with that.  But all year they've asked to have their birthday party at Chuck E Cheese, so we acquiesced.  And, it was really fun!

I thoroughly enjoyed having someone else serve the food, pour the drinks and cut the cake.  Okay, maybe cutting the cake I missed.  Yet it was kind of nice sitting back and relaxing while someone else handled all those details.  At least for this once.  We'll see what next year brings.  

3.  They got bikes for their birthdays -- and, well, learned how to ride!  Okay, so Jackson's fully riding.  Brooks is...working on riding.  We skipped the training wheels and went straight for 20" bikes.  It was time.  They're six for goodness sakes.  

Priceless reactions!

Simply priceless.

James insisted on getting in on the action, too!  

Don't worry, buddy, we'll get a super-cool bike just for you one day!

4.  There are new gaps in their sweet little grins.  Meaning the tooth fairy has been here three times in the month of October.  :)

And I'm thrilled to report that our boys have begun to adjust to kindergarten.  They still complain in the mornings, but it's much better than it was.  We have no more tears, no more stomping, no more pouting.  Instead we have mostly-cooperative attitudes and happy boys as they head out the door.  And parent-teacher conferences next week.  I can't wait to hear what their teachers have to say.  :)