My Bigs are 9!!

Can you believe it!? They're 9!! So big! So mature! Somethings I want to remember about them right now in this moment:

1. Lane Michael sneaks past our door in the morning to watch cartoons and have a little down time before the day begins. He makes himself breakfast, tests and then asks us how much insulin he needs for said breakfast. If Ryan and/or Lexi wake up he tries oh so hard to get them downstairs without waking us and make them breakfast. He has been successful a time or two.

2. Ethan and Ryan lay in bed together a few nights a week reading before lights out. They both enjoy this time together and then giggle until I finally have to use my firm voice to tell them to stop talking.

3. Lane Michael has such an 'old man' personality saying things like "Dad, could you turn the radio up a smidge?" or "have a safe journey home" Funny dude

4. Ethan's 2 front teeth are very large. Ethan has an itty bitty peanut head, his 2 front teeth are affectionately known as his "chicklets" (never to his face so not to feed into any insecurities).

5. Lane Michael hasn't melted down in weeks and weeks....not true. He has had 3 full blown melt downs since November 2nd....2 were within 12 hours of me feeding him a breaded cheese stick and one within hours of him eating a granola bar that contained gluten. Amazing difference in my dude!

6. Ethan and Lane Michael are quite the social butterflies! They're constantly going to parties and at their birthday sleepover they had lots of friends over (JohnJohn, Austin, Garren, Keith, Tyler, Jack, and Joey plus those who didn't sleep over - Tanner, Grant and Daron). They're really enjoying getting older

7. While they were 8 they played football and baseball - both were so much fun, we'll definitely be doing both again this year.

8. Ethan when having a hard day can still be found curled up in his Grandpa Lou's robe. nuff said.

9. They're becoming such big boys, they're able to do any chore asked of them, the other night, when we got home from the grocery, I started putting groceries away while they carried in the rest of the groceries and closed up the van. They can clean their own room, sweep floors, load and unload the dishwasher, clean the bathroom, the basement....about the only chores they can't do are laundry and mowing (which I'm just not ready to have them doing quite yet).

10. I want to remember how much fun they are right in this moment. They're good kids who make my life easier, make my smile and make me proud every moment. I enjoy being their mom and can't wait to see what the next 9 years offer them!