Boys are found everywhere....

on top of, underneath, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around or jumping to...A boy is Truth with dirt on its face, Beauty with a cut on its finger, Wisdom with bubble gum in its hair, and the Hope of the future with a frog in its pocket.

--Alan Marshall Beck--

Baseball 2010

Hmmmm...

I love this picture. I always have. 

This is Evan and Eli....it is June 2008. That makes Eli 8 months old here. Zeke is wearing the same shorts today. Zeke is 32 days old.  They are 3-6 mth shorts. Eli was so skinny and tiny! 

Happy 8 years, Evan James

One last dirt pile...

We have one last dirt pile in our yard. Whenever we can't find Eli...this is the first place we look. He is always on the dirt...it just draws him in.

Big Boy Toy

Evan got a bow and arrow for his birthday .... I don't know who was more excited...Evan or Dad!



Ben made Evan a target to shoot at.

Do you think he likes the Star Wars ship we got him?

BROTHERS

May 27th

I am not really sure where the past 8 years went. I think I told Evan last year that he needed to stop growing up so fast...apparently he didn't listen. He was so excited to go to bed tonight, because tomorrow he is an 8 year old! We were looking at old pictures tonight and I started looking through birthday pictures. Really, not sure how these 8 years have gone so fast. I have a feeling it is going to keep flying. I wish I could just pause time and keep things how they are now...

May 27th 2002
Evan James Kalainoff
9 lbs 14 oz.
21 1/2 inches long

1st Birthday

2nd Birthday

3rd Birthday

4th Birthday

5th Birthday

6th Birthday

7th Birthday

4 weeks

Sometimes when I am bored, instead of doing the laundry like I should, I like to take pictures. I have a crazy obsession with pictures...I keep taking them until I get the "perfect pictures" It really isn't hard to do with such beautiful subjects!

I'm bored today...and the laundry is still piled up. Oh well. It will be there tomorrow too :)

Look at the size of that hand!

The days are long but the years fly by.


I read this today and it made me think of the past eight years.....


Eight years ago I was on bedrest due to high blood pressure. My due date with Evan was approaching and I had no idea how Ben and My lives were about to change. We were about to become parents...the most important role we were ever given.


I can't believe that Evan is going to be 8 and Isaac is going to be 6 in the next week. 


There are days that are tough. There are frustrating days. There are days that Ben and I don't know what we are doing and we fear we are messing things up. But everyday we get to look at our 4 sons with pride and amazement....they are ours and they are so special. They are growing up so fast....


They are the best four boys a mom and dad could ask for. They are all so different....but they are very similar too. They learn from each other and they learn from us. We are doing the best we can with them and we love them so much. 


So even on the most trying, most frustrating days...we remind ourselves:


The days are long, but the years fly by. 

Funny, but not really.....

Isaac has been in prime form lately. Not sure if it is from the lack of sleep now that the weather is nicer and we are outside more or what, but he has really pulled some quick ones on us...

Today I walked around the house to the front and on the side of the house, on the siding in permanent Sharpie...someone had written "Evan" in two different places. I automatically knew it was Isaac who had done it...Actually, I didn't even question Evan. My instinct was right. Isaac admitted it right away.

I guess he learned from this experience that if you are going to do something naughty, make sure you set it up so they think it's someone else...

I learned tonight that rubbing alcohol takes Sharpie marker off of the siding. Isaac scrubbed and scrubbed until it was off. Ben and I went to the garage and had to remind ourselves that he is just a kid, and it was kind of funny that he used someone else's name instead of his own!

4 Weeks old

I am having a hard time believing that Zeke is 4 weeks old tomorrow. Four weeks without a solid night's sleep...now that I can believe.

Splish-Splash

85 degrees and extremely humid....
Nothing better than having some grass to use the slip and slide this year!

When Little Boys are Left Unattended

I went in to put Eli down for a nap...this is what I saw from the window. Apparently this is what happens when little boys are left unattended. Tucker is the only one who looks half-way innocent here.