Sorry, another very long post!!

I have been thinking about my kids ALOT lately and what kind of parents Tyler, and I are. The world today absolultely scares me, and the challenges that our kids are going to have to face. I can't believe that next year Philip will be in middle school and one more year after that Ellie is right behind him. I talk to my neices about their social lives and the struggles they are having during this phase in their lives and I can't help but wonder if my kids will be strong enough to handle the challenges that they will be facing.

Philip always has to be a leader in our home not only because he is the oldest but he is the only boy. Tyler is always telling him that the girls watch everything he does, so he needs to think about his actions. Wow, what pressure it is to be the oldest! I love to sit back and watch him with his sisters and see how protective he is. Lucy is usually glued to his hip. If I can't find her I know she is either over at Karols, or she is down in Philips room hanging out. Whenever a problem arrises and Tyler and I need to discuss things with Philip, we will notice him giving "the look" to Ellie telling her she better not say anything and let him do the talking. A lot of times, Tyler and I have to talk to the girls privately to find out what Philip is keeping from us, and it is usually stuff that Philip doesn't want us to worry about. He thinks he is old enough to handle his own problems. One the other hand, Philip is also very very sensitive. I feel bad just because of the fact that Philip is the oldest, he is the child that everything gets tested out on, but he handles it well. I have heard from my kids's friends, or other parents that are at the school in the mornings, that Philip hugs both Ellie and Maggee before they head off to their different classes. Maybe I am just worried that Philip isn't going to be in the same school as them next year to protect them.

Lucy.......um......Lucy is just stubborn and strong willed. We will find out if that is good or bad in the near future. She is definitely our "different" child, but every family has to have one and we love her for that. She has to find out things on her own. For example, the whole time I have been typing this Lucy has been playing. All of a sudden she starts screaming hysterically. I ask her what is wrong and she says, "I stuck the key in the plug and now I hurt!!!" I ask her if I have told her numerous times not to stick her fingers in the plugs and she says yes. So I ask her why she did it and she says,"Because I just wanted to!" oh yeah for the teenage years with this one.

I can't tell you how many pictures I have of this same pose with Ellie and Maggee, just in different settings. But of course, like any normal siblings, they can be at each other's throats for the tinniest things. Ellie is the shy one of the fam. Last year we had a major breakthrough with her shyness , but this year we seem to have taken a step backwards. Ellie is very frightened to talk to her teacher at school. We keep telling her that that is what her teacher is there for. She gets soo upset she winds up in tears. Many days she will come home and say she didn't play at lunch because she sat in the sky room making lists of things she needs to get done for the day or week or whatever. Tyler gets mad at me because I tell Ellie that she needs to play. Tyler says to let her do what she wants, but of course being a mom, I don't want her to be left out. Ellie will tell me that she plays when she wants, and she sits and makes lists wen she wants. I think that is the hardest part about being a mom is having to sit back and let your kids be kids. It is just Ellies nature to be quiet. She is also very very organized. She better be with all the lists she makes.

Maggee is my "not so shy" one. I was worried that her teacher would be able to handle her energy this year. Come to find out, her teacher has had ADD her whole life, so her classroom is filled with fun and excitement and they don't sit at their desks for more than ten min. at a time. Wow! we sure lucked out with the perfect teacher for our Maggee. Maggee collects EVERYTHING!! Weekly I fill up a garbage bag full of stuff from her room that gets thrown away. Everything is a "special treasure." Every rock she owns is a "special" rock. She has already gotten in trouble for kissing boys on the bus. She literally cannot sit still for more than five minutes. She is what fills our family with energy!!

In the end my family is just that, MY Family!! I am so greatful for each and everyone of them and the different personality each one adds to us. I am greatful for what I believe the family unit is and hope that my kids will always stay strong and true to the gospel. Now I guess I better go and see if the smell has gone away from Lucy's hand from being shocked by the light plug. Life is definitely never boring around here.