Busy Babies

First day of July and we are just cruising right along with this summer. We started the week off with a visit to the OB. With kids in tow, I was grateful for the shorter wait this time, and it seems baby bump number three's growth is progressing nicely.

Good growing baby, my OB said as she ran the measuring tape up my ever-growing belly. Suddenly her hand furiously jerked in response to the growth-cooperative baby's kicks. Busy baby, she added. You always have busy babies, don't you? she mused, while Heath monologued a one act play about the Osteoporotic bone sculpture display engaged in fistacuffs with a T-Rex (played by his left hand), and Stella took a stirrup's blood pressure.

Meanwhile, Stella is loving, and I do mean loving, her Tuesday morning ballet class at the local Y. When I tell her it's time to get ready for dance, she eagerly scampers off to her room, returning with her shiny purple leotard, pink tights, and beloved pink slippers.

Stella's first first position. The picture is too blurry, but Beanky is on the barre beside her.

Beanky also joined Stella for the orange scarf dance. Shortly after this shot, Stella brought her trusty lovey to me and asked, Can you hold dis?, and while the soft sage blanket has accompanied us in the car and is carried into the dance studio the last two classes, I have since been charged with holding it while Stella dances her heart out.

It's also Heath's first venture into the art (or pain) of waiting for his sister while she engages in an activity that has nothing to do with him. He has made a co-waiter friend, an older brother of one of Stella's dance mates. They pass the time by playing with Lego Star Wars figures, obsessively checking out the soda machine in the waiting area, and watching the teenaged camp attendees come in from their outdoor activities. And when the fun of these pastimes is exhausted, Heath resorts to the old How much longer? I wanna go home stand-by.

Most recently, our dear Cali boys left after a two week adventure of pooling, playing, celebrating multiple birthdays, catching Cars 2 on opening day, and of course, mountaineering.

Checking out their carefully crafted beaver rock dam.

With Scruffy the Mountain Dog.

Early morning hike.

A little trail running.

Learning to play Lacrosse. Stella quickly mastered hitting people with her stick.

Crawfishin'.

Their reunion with Scruffy caught on film. We also met Scruffy's owners. Scruffy's real name? Scruffy. Scruffy.

And while Heath patiently waits for his sister on Tuesday mornings, as of this week Stella finds herself in a familiar predicament while Heath has his soccer practice on Tuesday afternoon. Sure, she has more practice in watching Heath have all the fun, but she has grown less passive in the process. I was only able to take a few pictures of his first practice at a local park, because most of my time was spent keeping Stella out of the mix. Eventually she took solace in repeatedly racing across a neighboring baseball field.

Heath enjoyed the running, dribbling, and kicking drills, and even managed to keep an opponent from scoring in a very friendly first Lemon Team against Strawberry team scrimmage. Heath was a lemon. And if you ask him, the lemons won. Because they're better than the strawberries. And faster. And stronger. And did he mention better?

I encouraged some good sportsmanship by yammering on about always congratulating your opponent on a good game and the importance of recognizing their athletic abilities.

Yeah, he said, nodding his head enthusiastically, while I was feeling quite certain I had impressed upon him some excellent sense of being a good sport. And I kicked that ball right out from that strawberry and won the game.

Okay. Maybe a little gloating in the privacy of your own family's car is permissable.