Ashlyn likes Mickey Mouse and friends a lot. She also likes to jump on the trampoline and mess up her hair. So she looks like a little ragamuffin. A cute one. (I just typed ragamuffin, I feel old. I am pretty sure only old people say that)
Jace does stuff like decide it is his current life's ambition to be featured in the LEGO club magazine. You have to build your own creation and send your picture in. The day he decided that was something he wanted to be a part of, he built approximately one million original LEGO things. And had me photograph each. and every. one. Don't tell him I haven't submitted any of the photos yet.
Braxton decided it was also his life's ambition because if it is good enough for Jace, it is good enough for him. And he pretty much likes to do whatever Jace is doing. 
Isn't summer great? I love the days it is hot enough to play in the water and so do my kids.
The slip n' slide was a favorite this year. Jace was a pro and could get all the way to the end. I remember when I was a kid (probably about Jace's age, maybe a little younger) I couldn't get to the end of our slip n' slide so I would lay on it on my back and my dad would pull me to the end by my arm. I loved it. Thanks dad. I am sure that was tiring.
Ashlyn was never brave enough to actually get on the slide when the boys were using it, but she loved to stand in the spray. And cheer for them when she thought they did good. She is their biggest fan, until they treat her like a little sister. Then she lets them know who is boss. (and it is her.)
It rained really hard the other day and Jace was at school and I was feeling lazy, so I sat on the front steps and let the two little ones run through the rain. They thought I was the best mom ever. (Braxton's exact words) And I thought, I am too busy and I should let them do stuff like this more often. So we played all day. Then the next morning Jace had nothing clean to wear, and I remembered why we don't play all day. The end.
Jace started first grade about six weeks ago. It was much harder for me than him. Just an FYI for moms with younger kids than mine, kindergarten is awesome. First grade is the worst. Jace has really liked it, but I miss him. It is a long day and he still seems too little to be gone for seven hours at a time. Braxton has gone through withdrawals too, the first week he asked me when it was time to get Jace at least once an hour. Jace has done great though. He even got a note home the other day from his teacher saying how impressed she was with what a good student he is and how kind he has been to one of the new kids in their class. I read it when he acts like a punk at home. : )
Since Jace is in school all day, Brax spends alot of his time with me and Ashlyn. We are domesticating him. He helped me bake a HUGE batch of zucchini bread the other day. And he liked it. 
Ashlyn likes to paint and color me pictures. Lots of them. She averages like 25 pictures a day. She is always coming up to me and saying " Wets paint mom" (She can't say her l's or r's, its cute) It makes her really happy. She wants them all displayed too. We have compromised on one masterpiece per child at a time on the fridge. 
This is what happens when Ashlyn finds scissors. She decides to destroy her brothers' game. She is such a good little sister.
This is what happens when the boys wrestling gets crazy and they bang into a wall. Then the picture on that wall falls off and cracks the baseboard. Then they both look at you with very guilty faces.
This is Ashlyn's current favorite hobby. Coloring on our walls. With the boys, I would make them scrub it off themselves and they hated it and usually never did it again. Ashlyn loves cleaning it off. I don't know which part she likes more, the writing or the cleaning. So I started putting her in time out when she does it. She just can't help herself though. Last time she colored on the wall she came and climbed in our time out spot herself after, without me even saying anything. I am not sure what to do with her.Aren't kids great? Tim and I sure think so. Which is why we are having another one. It is another GIRL and she will be here at the beginning of January. We are excited for another one. We all thought it was a boy, except for Ashlyn. She was SURE it was a girl and would take on the boys when they told her they didn't think so. She was right. It has done nothing to help hold her little diva ego in check. : ) I am excited we get to even things out. I love all my little ones and can't wait to see how this new little one will fit in!
