7-Year Well-Child Visit and More

 A few weeks back Brooklyn went in for her annual check-up at the doctors, and my mind was reeling with the reality of how quickly time flies!  My three children, all at their different ages reminded me of the different phases I've walked through with Brooklyn.  It seemed like just yesterday when I brought her in for her very first doctor visit which included a few shots.  I cried with her when she was poked and felt so helpless that there was nothing I could do to ease the pain and comfort her outside of nursing her as soon as I got a moment alone!  Now here we were and, Jack, my youngest, had passed that initial doctor-visit milestone over a year ago!  What an awesome vantage point we have as parents, to sit front row seating, and watch our children grow and develop!  It also helped me to reminisce and just savor these moments because for whatever reason, my children were amazingly, even perhaps unusually angelic during this visit.  They cooperated and followed directions from the medical assistants and just overall enjoyed the medical attention they received and the technology that surrounded them.  What a joy!  In the picture above, Brooklyn is doing her eye exam while Jack is cruising the hallway.  He loves to get around on those quick feet of his! I just love that wobbly toddler walk!

 Here we see Ian mimicking Brooklyn's raised hand during a hearing test.  Notice that he has a Hotwheels car in each hand!  (I didn't see this until much later!)

 Then as Brooklyn layed down on the table, Ian was just chatting it up with the CNA or medical assistant...don't remember the correct title.

 Then as she gets the blood-pressure monitor wrapped around her arm which will give her arm, "just a little hug," Ian matter-of-factly states, "Oh I hate that thing."

 Later Jack found pure delight in the crackling sound of the paper covering the padded table.  He just layed on it and kicked his feet up and down, up and down.

 And the big news of the day?  Brooklyn is in good health and has finally, officially, outgrown a booster carseat!  Hooray!!

 My pajama boys basking in the lazy morning sunlight.

 We used the sturdy-old wooden wagon that papa made to pick up Brooklyn from school one day.  It took a little persuasion to keep Jack's bottom planted.

 The kids loved it....I got a little more of a work out than I would have with our typical jogging-stroller pick-up.

 When dad arrived home from a long day of work after the rest of us had already eaten dinner, Ian was ready to keep him in good company.  The other day he kept asking me what "padre" meant.  After telling him a few times that it meant "parent" or "father," he said "So Dad's my padre and my BFF too."  You got it, Buddy.  I love to see how kids assimilate things in their little minds. 

 St. Patty's Day cupcakes

Ian just being himself.

 Kids doing dishes. (Heavenly music in the background!)

 Brotherly love

 Ian's Tae Kwon Do class

 The Easter-Egg Hunt party at the church

 Lilly holds a lizard!

 What a brave girl!  This is the perfect camouflaged hiding place!  Do you see the lizard in the picture below?

 Brave little Ian holds the lizard while wearing his jersey with his stand-out button of choice.  (He wouldn't let me use a matching navy one to replace the one that fell off!)