Sweet Dreams

It didn't take long for Calvin to find a reason to cozy in on the top bunk. As it turns out, a faulty sippy cup propelled him upward.

When the leaking cap left his bed sopping wet just minutes into nap time we were both happy for an alternative literally steps away. Cal climbed up the ladder, settled in with Pooh, and closed his eyes.

Still, a two-hour nap is different than a twelve-hour night. He was allowed to nap up there (but sleep down below) for a week before we were confident that he would stay put.

Isn't he adorable? A sleeping child restores all gushy, lovey-dovey feelings that might have waned slightly during the three hour-long "why?" game, or the forty-five minute "but I don't want to pick up my toys" stand-off.

Sleep, child, sleep.

Now Taking The Stage ...

With Cousin Ava in the same town as Cal's grandparents -- in the same house one day each week -- he often finds himself happily in her company.

We took advantage of one of her (and Ingrid's) days in Grammy's care to arrange a play date.

Before walking to a nearby park for the morning, we took the first pictures of the four Anderson grand kids together. Calvin and Ava arrived at the unplanned 'photo shoot' with coordinated outfits and coordinated ideas: band practice. Though it appears they just had trumpet and lead vocals on hand.

Cousins United

Calvin's cousins, Chloe and Ava, are five days apart in age but (live) miles apart geographically. So it was a special treat to have them together in the same house at the same time!

Cal would gladly jump in any pool at any time, but it's especially fun on a hot day at the Petersen's.

Uncle Kurt guarded the splashy kids in the pool until dinnertime when they changed into their PJs and enjoyed some pizza by the pool.

Ingrid crashed just before dinner, but the rest of the grand kids on both sides were all around one table. A first.

A Boy and His Wagon

It's a lovely walk from Grandma's house to the downtown area, about a mile away. With equally lovely weather for the week, we put the stroller, the wagon, and the baby carrier to good use and walked.

We figured that the kids would enjoy the ride, but they often got out to walk alongside, even to pull the wagon!

Calvin could hardly resist. After tanking up on a morning snack, he pulled the wagon behind him nearly the entire way home!

Chloe and Storey

With a thousand miles between our homes, we hope for but don't expect frequent visits with Calvin's cousins, Chloe and Storey. We were thrilled, then, to learn that we would have another in 2008.

This makes three for this calendar year, two of them this summer!

The girls spent a week at Grandma's house while their parents were overseas for a wedding. Calvin, Nora, and I joined them there.

Calvin and Chloe picked up where they left off, playing and singing; same antics, different venue. We explored the Children's Museum, ran around the Morton Arboretum, swam at The Beach, and climbed at the neighborhood park. Grandma's encouragement to enjoy the simple things all around us led us to the Riverwalk. We walked along the river on our way to feed the ducks. And none of us were surprised when we all ended up wading in the water. Good old fashioned fun.

Especially when visits are few and far between, it's wonderful to see these relationships strengthened.

Ahoy Matey!

Julie and I found ourselves without husbands for the weekend so we decided to get together at my place. Somehow two adults with four kids sounds better than one adult with two kids. I'm not sure the union resulted in any less work, but it's always fun to see each other.

We don't need outings to make our visits adventurous. After fighting construction traffic coming around the lake, Wil emerged from the car in pirate mode, ready to conquer the world. He and Calvin ran immediately to his new room, mounted the bunk beds (aka their pirate ship) and made every pirate noise they knew. Aarrrrggghhhh!

We did pack a picnic lunch and head to Royal Oaks Farm. The boys climbed around the playground equipment before spotting the carousel and saddling up on the horse of their choice.

Calvin and Wil were unstoppable, as usual, but they both slowed down every now and then to acknowledge their younger siblings. They even let us snap a photo of the fantastic four.