The boy of many names

Back on May 6th I mentioned that I should update on each child, mostly as a journal to myself, but also to try to keep in mind that they grow so fast and change so much. So this post is dedicated to my little Ian.....he truly makes me laugh everyday.

He is a bundle of energy from sun up to sun down. A bit of an outlaw in his own right.

He LOVES seafood, cooked most any way, for any meal. If I ask him what I should cook for dinner, he always responds with "crab, shrimp, fish or lobster." His plate from the Luxor buffet above is full of crab legs and a piece of baked fish. He is truly his Momma's son and can even handle spicier foods than I can.

He is also a fish; loves the pool and loves the ocean. He is getting more brave with boogie boarding in water beyond his thighs (lol!) and sends me into fits of laughter as I watch him attempt to skim board. If Sean is interested in doing it, so is he. He thinks his big brother walks on water!

Ian is a typical little boy and loves all things military. He is intrigued by it and was especially thrilled recently when we had a chance to explore some military vehicles and equipment at the Great Park Anniversary Celebration. Here he is in an AAV.

And he was all grins after experiencing the F-16 flight simulator. The chance to see and touch the gear along with talking to the Marines was an unforgettable experience for him.

THIS picture is just so Ian. It was all I could do to get him to put the guns and ammunition down and move on. He thinks military guys are cool and his favorite Marine is Chad Muhlenbruck (a great friend who just retired last month!).

He also loves sports (just like his big brother). He loves Angels baseball (I refuse to call them that stupid long LA name) and Saints football; he can't wait for the Olympics after watching some of the trials. He just finished All Star baseball and all-too-soon he will be venturing into the world of tackle football. BUT look at this little string bean.......he's long and lean and I hope he finds some MEAN because living off of peanut butter spoons isn't getting him very far.

On any given day, he will answer to Ian, George, Dane, Fadoops, Peen, Poots, Poonie. I'm sure I've forgotten at least one.  He's a sucker for a back massage and loves to laugh. But most of all he has a kind soul so when he got an award for Empathy at the end of the year it meant to world to him (and us). He has eyes that pierce my soul; he's a keeper!

Oatmeal!

Shopping at Costco is always an adventure. An adventure I try not to be a part of very often because it is always painful on the wallet. Even if I manage to go alone, I end up with 'extra' stuff because I was likely hungry while I was shopping and/or the sample lady found a sucker in me.

Today was another adventure with me and three kids. I was armed with a list and limited funds so we quickly meandered our way through only going down aisles where we needed something thus avoiding half of the store. It was going great until I was busy with a teriyaki chicken sample and the kids had time to peruse the cereal selection. That's when Sean found it......the oatmeal!

"Mom, you know I love oatmeal. If you get this oatmeal for me I will eat it everyday. It is so good for you. Can we please get this?"

I was quite overwhelmed with his randomness. "Um, ok, sure!" Amanda chose Frosted Flakes so she clearly had an understanding of what Maggie meant when she wrote cereal on the list.

The trip went quickly and I avoided making eye contact with any more sample ladies. We checked out and when they all parked their butts in the car leaving me with a cart full of food I laughed and said "you've got to be kidding, get your butts out here and load this car." Sean grabbed the oatmeal first.

The unloading at home went smoothly and I did the breakdown of surplus to the garage while they put assorted things away. Then came the oatmeal. I grabbed one of the two bags and poured it into one of the Snapware containers. Well, I should say I ATTEMPTED to pour because half of the bag remained after the container was full. 110 Servings advertised - they AREN'T kidding. Amanda's response to my bugged-out eyes "we are gonna have enough oatmeal for life!" I should have been more quick-witted and responded with 'and Sean's going to eat it all' but instead my brain started thinking about recipes.

So now we have..............Butter Pecan Granola

 and Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip cookies.

And I'm sure after Sean has his oatmeal for breakfast we will have made it through about four of the 110 servings. Oatmeal, anyone?

Jumping into Summer

The hustle and bustle that the end of the school year brings has ended. Here is a taste of our last few weeks as we roll into summer. We really enjoyed our mini-vacation to Las Vegas and now we look forward to finishing All Star baseball, VBS with Good Shepherd, and lots of time at the pool and the beach. All too soon it will be time to shop for school supplies, new shoes, and bedtime at a reasonable hour. For now, I'll treasure sleeping in and quiet mornings.

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