Busy Busy

It feels like we've been running a mile-a-minute around here lately, and I haven't had much free time for posting, but here are a few quick updates and a bunch of photos.

Jack -- we started a reading program with him this week! It's Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons and so far he seems to be very excited about the first few lessons.

Thomas -- is entertaining all of us with his 2-year old antics and excitement. One his favorite new phrases is "I'd better hurry!!" which he shouts when running after Jack (which is hilarious in and of itself because everything wiggles when he runs). He also was reliving my trip to "Dr. Dado" (Dr. Delgado's), the hospital, and having Peter come out of my tummy. He asked "Amember that, Mom?" as if I'd forgotten all about it :).

Peter -- weighs a 12lb 8oz and is 24" long. He's about 75th percentile for weight and height, and is doing well! He loves to "talk" with anyone who is willing to listen to his excited coos and goos.

My blue-eyed boys.

Where have all the eyebrows gone? :). Two plus months out, and still no real eyebrows! However, his head hair has some definite style. It's still sticking straight up, except for the little fine baby hairs that lay down at the top of his forehead. For some reason, this combination reminds me of the '80s hairdo with the Aqua Net bang wall going up and back :).

Right on, right on.

A great shot .... except for those darn fingers in Thomas's nose :).

Poppi and Peter at the baptism celebration. Poppi is a pro at the Peter Shuffle!

Baptism Cake!

Grandpa and Peter!*

Jack loves iced lattes (don't worry, these are a very rare treat!)

Cousins, godbrothers, and brothers in Christ!**

* My apologies for not having more family photos (like with Grammy and Grandmom). If anyone has good shots, especially from the baptism, I'd love it if you would e-mail them to me!

** I think I finally understand why "cousin" and "brother" are the same word in ancient Biblical texts (is it Aramaic?). When asked how many brothers he has, Jack usually says "Three!", because he automatically includes baby Michael as one of his brothers :). And now all the boys *truly* are brothers in Christ!!

Home security

By the grace of God, we closed our loan yesterday and are now settled into a 30-year fixed mortgage. Hooray! This is a huge relief, since we really stretched ourselves to buy this house 4 years ago and at that point could only manage an interest-only loan. Basically, it felt like we were renting our house for the past 4 years because we were never able to throw much money at the principal. On top of that, we had an adjustable rate mortgage that was due to reset in 2 years. Our original plan was to sell this house and buy another one here in Ramona and then get settled into a fixed mortgage, but last year we realized that it was not a seller's market whatsoever, and that plan wasn't viable anymore. So, we were looking at an adjustable rate, interest only mortgage on a house whose value was free-falling, and we realized that we had to find a way to refinance this house NOW or else risk becoming another foreclosure story in 2 years. (On a side note, I did breathe a small sigh of relief when I realized I wouldn't have to get this house show ready with little kids running around).

I've done my fair share of complaining about this house since we bought it, especially our crazy hill of a backyard. I am even guilty of thinking "If only we had a backyard that the boys could just run out and play in while I watched them from the kitchen window, then I'd be happy". After going through this crazy refinance process and realizing how real the danger of foreclosure was, I am just thankful to have this house. The backyard is crazy, but the boys don't know anything different. They like going on adventures back there. No, I won't be able to let them go down there by themselves for quite some time, which means I don't have the luxury of sending them outside while I do chores inside, but I shouldn't complain about that, either. Do I really have to do anything so important inside that I can't afford to take the time to take the boys to the backyard? In my best Rex Kwan Do voice, "I don't think so."

We have a LOT of foreclosed homes around our neighborhood and in Ramona, and it's so sad to think how scared and frustrated the owners must have been while they tried to make their mortgage payments and realized it wasn't going to happen. I have a new appreciation for their situation now, because there isn't too much that separates them from us. I do know that this housing market is very good for people who are trying to buy a home, so I hope that amidst all the foreclosures and heartache out there, that there might be lots of young couples and families that can afford good homes.

For my part, I can now say that I would be happy even if this is the only house we ever own, and even if we have a bunch more kids and we're squished for space. I'm just grateful for everything we do have here, and for having a place to call home.

Campbell family representative

The last several times we've taken the boys to the park, I've had had a rather new and poignant experience: watching Jack interact with complete strangers as his own, independent little person.

It's the oddest feeling to watch him run out onto the playground and announce (to whatever random, strange kids might be within earshot), "Hi guys! I'm Jack! This is my brother Thomas. And that over there is Peter .... he's a baby". That's one of his first orders of business -- introducing other kids to his brothers. And then, depending on his mood, Jack will toss in other bits of information, like "I'm a Dodger. You have to be careful" (he says this in all seriousness and with true reverence, as if being a Dodger is a superpower (which I'm sure David or Michael probably would not argue with!).

It struck me that Jack is starting to go out into the world and translate whatever knowledge and experience he has been steeped in at home into his own conversations and relationships with others. I felt so strongly that here was a little piece of me, in the literal physical and biological sense, but also in the ethical, religious, cultural sense of our family -- part of me, but completely independent from me, out and about in the world.

He didn't need me to be close to him (he's certainly not shy around strangers, and he doesn't need help on the playground equipment) so I sat on a bench and watched him interact with the other kids. It felt like a little piece of my heart was out there on its own, with him, blowing in the wind. I couldn't control what he said or what other kids said to him, but I definitely felt the impact. I felt proud and happy when he played well with other kids and tried to include Thomas in the fun, who despite toddling as fast as he could on his stubby little legs, always seemed to be 25 steps behind the bigger kids. I also felt that little piece of my heart ache when a little boy was being mean to Jack.

I know! This is just barely the beginning -- we haven't even entered the school years yet, with friendships and loss of friendships and all that kid politics stuff. But for some reason it hit me for the first time that he has become his own *rational* little person, capable of reasoning with others and entering the complex web of social relationships without me holding his hand through it all. It's exciting, and I trust that we are raising Jack to be a great representative of the Campbell family and everything we stand for, but it's also bittersweet to see my first baby growing up and ever-so-slowly away.

Snapshots from our week

Jack engineered this tow rig all by himself -- the "trailer" is a folding chair that Jack hooked onto the back of Thomas's trike. He was actually towing his big trike around the deck, until Thomas caught wind of the project and wanted in on it, too. Lots of "Mine!" and "NO! Mine!!" followed, so I put the chair away :).

Four of the pumpkins we harvested from our garden! We have 4 more growing down there -- these four I cooked for use in pumpkin butters, breads, pies, etc. and some of the others I'll definitely let the boys carve (or help carve).

Jack was very happy to help take the seeds out of the pumpkins this year (I wasn't too sure since a couple of years ago when Aunt Wheetah carved a pumpkin with him, he wasn't too thrilled about diving in to the messy pumpkin pulp. In fact, I distincly remember him begging for a baby wipe to clean off one of his cars that had gotten some stray pumpkin strings on it). Thomas got bored pretty quickly and wandered around the deck while Jack and I worked, but that was actually OK because I fully expected him to be covered in pumpkin goo from head to toe by the time we finished.

I made roasted pumpkin seeds today and let the boys have some for a snack, which they loved! I'm glad, because the seeds are a healthy, protein-rich snack especially since they can't have nuts, and usually Jack turns his nose up at seed-like stuff (sunflower seeds, Sunbutter, roasted soybeans, etc.).

"Mom! Mom! I found a scorpion! ..."

certainly wasn't what I expected (or wanted!) to hear first thing this morning.

I thought perhaps that Jack had mistaken some other icky bug for a scorpion (since I know he's never seen one in real life before). But no, he was right! It was a medium-sized scorpion that looked a bit like this:
And he was hiding behind some of the boys' toys in the front room.

Both Jack and Thomas were SO excited about this little houseguest -- not one bit scared. I told them that I needed to get rid of it because scorpions can give you a bad sting, but he kept protesting "But he's a nice scorpion!". I know Jack would have been tickled to keep him as a pet if I'd let him. Ay ay ay.

At least I'm proud to say that I'm not raising girly-men! And in a couple of years I look forward to the boys being old enough to take over my bug disposal duty. :)

First Haircut!

Before: After!:

He looks like a different baby to me! And his Whoopi Goldberg eyebrowlessness is a little more noticeable, I'd say :).

It's been a crazy week, but we're supposed to be signing our refinance loan papers tonight -- hooray! If all goes well, the loan will be closed by next Monday and we'll be set.