August birthdays

August is a big celebration month in the Healy house, with Ryan and Brendan both celebrating birthdays. This year, we also had a family party planned for Grandpa Healy, who turned 70 the day after Ryan turned 6.

Ryan, who started first grade last week, has matured much in the past few months. I see it mostly in his handsome face. I also see it in the way he stands up to his brother more often.

Brendan, now in fourth grade, is getting taller and enjoys engaging us in "adult" conversations. (He'll greet Ken after work, asking, "So Dad, how was your day at work today?") His maturity is showing, too, as he eagerly takes on more responsibility around the house. His favorite this summer has been mowing the yard occasionally.

So, Ryan at 6:

• He stands tall and remains skinny. You can see his muscles quite well, courtesy of swimming.


• He has not lost a tooth yet, but his two front bottom teeth are in. Hopefully, he'll lose his stubborn baby teeth soon.


• His favorite foods: pizza, hot dogs, BBQ, watermelon, strawberries, bananas, peanut butter sandwiches, ice cream, carrots. He tends to be a tad picky right now. I'm hoping he'll grow out of this phase soon.


• Ryan loves sports. Right now, he's swimming and playing soccer. When he's at home, he's acting out football games with his toys. Future play-by-play broadcaster, perhaps?


• Ryan is a motivated, determined little guy.


• Ryan also has a big heart. He is particularly sweet and sensitive with his little sister.


• He loves Star Wars, is getting into Legos, enjoys Pirates of the Carribean, but remains loyal to his cars.


• Ryan is collecting Pokemon and football cards.


• Ryan is fiercely competitive. I know this will serve him well in many situations, but on family game night, it can be a bit much.


• Ryan competed in his first triathlon a few days before his birthday. He was a bit nervous, but loved it.


• Ryan is beginning to read more and more. I expect first grade will be a BIG year for him!

Brendan at 9:

• He's tall -- 48.5 inches -- and weighs 72 pounds.


• He's grown to love his long, curly hair, but still hates it when I brush it.


• Brendan enjoyed swimming year-round this past year and playing soccer. He'll keep swimming, but he's going to give baseball a try this fall.


• Brendan is also a sports guy and enjoys watching any games on TV with us.


• Brendan is an avid reader. This summer, he re-read the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series, just for fun. He continues to amaze me with the details he can recall from these stories, his comprehension, and his appetite for wanting to read more.


• He continues to love his Legos. His latest challenge: choose a Lego creation from his Lego Star Wars or Lego Harry Potter books, and attempt to build it on his own.


• He was an all A student in his first year to receive grades (in third grade).


• Brendan still misses Michigan. Yesterday, he said, "I'm still not fully settled in."


• Brendan would eat pizza every day if he could. He loves it, along with his newfound love for cheeseburgers. He also loves peaches, nectarines, strawberries, pears, cinnamon rolls, ice cream, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and tacos made like Grammy's.

I could go on and on, but these are some of the highlights of my sweet boys.

Kelsey is 4

My sweet baby girl is 4. She shared her birthday with Easter on Sunday. Kelsey had a small party with some of her preschool friends last Saturday, and this Saturday we celebrated with our family. What a special day to have the entire Wade clan together!


So, Miss Kelsey at 4 ...

• She is girlie. She loves pink and purple, ruffles and dresses, sparkles and glitter, crowns and wands.


• She is tough. Kelsey doesn't hesitate to fight back when one of her big brothers picks on her.


• Kelsey literally bounces wherever she goes. Rarely does she just walk, but rather skip, jump or run.


• Kelsey loves to do crafts and color. She is just beginning to take more care with her pictures and color within the lines.


• She's eager to begin playing soccer or swimming on the swim team, just like her big brothers.


• Kelsey is taking gymnastics, and she loves it. No surprise, she bounces through the entire lesson.


• She is confident.


• Kelsey takes her "purple gankie" just about everywhere we'll let her take it. And you can tell by its tattered state.


• She is best friends with her big brother, Ryan. They play endless hours together, and she often looks to him for help.


• When Kelsey is being difficult, it's often her big brother Brendan who saves the day. He can reason with and calm her.


• Kelsey loves dogs. So much so, that when I tell her we're going to lunch with Grammy and Papa, she immediately wonders aloud whether their two daschunds will be with them.


• She is in a wonderful preschool class, where she is learning to write Ks, Ms and other letters, to identify patterns, colors and shapes, and recognize opposites. She loves it!


• Picky? No. Sweet tooth? Yes. Kelsey will eat many more foods than either of her brothers, but she is also more likely to eat sweets all day long if we let her. Lunch is typically her biggest meal, as she will eat anything on the table (my plate included).


• She is sweet and lovable! Kelsey loves to snuggle with me and showers me with hugs and kisses.


• You never need a radio in the car with Kelsey. She will sing her original songs without commercial interruptions.

Moving forward

I don't suppose there's any point in trying to catch up. It's been more than a year since I updated this blog. Blame Facebook, hubby being gone for five months, selling the house, buying a house and moving back "home." At least, those are excuses for 2010.

Now it's time to move forward.

In two days, my baby turns 4. I've never had a four year old who didn't come with a baby sibling. We're entering unchartered territory for the Healy family.

I can feel the days getting a little easier as the children grow up. Some days, Brendan needs nudging to get his homework done or brush his teeth, but he'll do it and help his sister along the way. Ryan may have his occasional five-year-old meltdown and refuse my request, but most days he's helpful and happy to anticipate what I need. Kelsey is bubbly and sweet and will fight back if you let her, but she is also eager to dress herself, brush her own teeth, and even help herself to as many fruit snacks as she can find in the pantry.

In short, I no longer have to do everything.

And yet, there is still so much that must be done. Freelance work, laundry, cleaning, playing with the kids, helping with homework, reviewing assignments, paying the bills, doing taxes, shopping, cleaning out drawers and closets, finding a favorite toy or blankie, making snacks for class parties, volunteering at the kids' schools, taking Kelsey to preschool and gymnastics, taking the boys to swim practices, soccer practices and soccer games.

Thankfully, it's this never-ending list that has made jumping into a normal routine in our new city much easier. When we moved to Michigan eight years ago, I had a newborn. There wasn't much in life we had to do except make our well-baby visits at the pediatrician's office, go to the grocery store, and occasionally buy gas.

Now there are few days we have nothing to do. So far, that's OK.