My Tucker…

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is cuter than your Tucker!

Sorry, with a face like this, I just couldn't resist. No offense if you happen to have your own Tucker at home. I'm sure he's very handsome as well!

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My  Tucker is 5 and a half years old. Brown eyed and chipped-toothed.

He's wild and crazy as ever.

Eager to learn (his daily chant is: one two three four I like math let's do some more!)

He's left handed. He's developed a mole in above his lip in the exact spot Jubilee has one.

He hates spaghetti sauce.

I am currently reading The Austere Academy out loud to him.

It's book five in A Series of Unfortunate Events.

He still speaks with the cutest little lisp you ever did here.

He is learning to read.

He has a little journal and he will spend an hour at a time copying books into it.

He has copied Hop on Pop and Fox in Socks….all with no spaces between the words which makes for interesting reading!

And best of all? He is a mama's boy!

ZOOB

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I've talk a lot here about how Chuck and I favor a few quality toys over tons of cheap toys.  Or tons of quality toys, for that matter. We have fewer toys in our whole house than most families with one or two children that I've met. That's by design, not accident. So when I see the latest "toy" being offered, I'm rarely tempted. But occasionally one comes along that gets my attention and that deserves a little praise. ZOOB is one of those toys. 

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It's plastic (ack!), in bright tacky colors…and has a million pieces! Usually that would be three strikes agains a toy. But like LEGO (look TonyM, I'm using proper LEGO etiquette because of you…I actually looked up the terminology after the comment you left) and wedgits, the creative possibilities are endless. There are only a few different shapes (plus wheels!) and they fit together like joints. My children have made: bicycles, hats, shields, swords, guns, teepees,  cars…

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This "jet pack" Mordecai made even had handles for him to control his flight with (sorry, no pics of that). This is one of those toys that everyone loves…from Apollo on up to Judah and Boaz. A few pieces have been broken from misuse, but since there are a couple of hundred nearly identical pieces, it hasn't affected  the creative play. 

This toy gets the stamp of approval in our little homeschool.

Mealtimes With Apollo

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Always look like this…

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…and this…

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…and this.

I have no idea why my baby boy cries at meals day after day. I've never had a baby do this before. He acts hungry, we sit him down to feed him, and within minutes he's screaming and crying. He's always been difficult to nurse (he was tongue tied and had a frenulectomy at age two and a half weeks). The procedure made nursing 99% easier on both of us, but he's always been a "poor" nurser. On and off the breast….frequent night waking (still at nine months). Then he gained no weight from age 4 months to 7 months…

I am happy to say he has put on two and a half pounds in the last two months! But every nursing and every bite of food feel like a struggle. For me, and him too apparently. He rarely seems satisfied after nursing, despite there being plenty of milk…nor does he seem satisfied after eating. It makes me sad to see him like this day after day…

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But when he's not eating or nursing or tired or grumpy, he's the cutest baby you ever did see! Sweet and serious with just  a hint of mischief 

That Face

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Oh my. I know, I know, he's my son…my baby, so I'm a bit partial. But seriously? Just look at that face. Good thing he's having a new brother or sister soon because he's very attached to his mommy. And since he's my baby I don't mind a bit. Being a big brother will be good for him.

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Oh, and sometimes its a really good thing he's this cute…like yesterday, when he said, "Mama, you're tummy feels just like bread dough!"

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Here's to Tucker, the baby we called Pooper-Burper-Tucker-Grump for good reason his entire first year. Now he's a charming, artistic, handsome little man coming into his own.
 
 

A Beautiful Girl on a Beautiful Day

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 Avi, age 4

Ah, spring it seems has finally arrived! Yesterday I sat out on my deck for an hour before it got too cold and had to come in. 

Thank you so much for the leads on diaper bags! I knew you guys would come through :) I have a handful bookmarked on my computer. I got a kick out of the commenter who said she had given up on diaper bags and just used her van instead :)  

The birds are chirping and the children awakening…Happy Friday!