Winter birthdays are a cause to celebrate

This is the time of the year when almost all of our family celebrates a birthday. Since I don't like winter I suppose God figured I should birth all my children in winter to remind me to celebrate during this cold cold drab time of year. Luckily, I was born in August, my favorite month, so I can sit out in the sun, with a margarita or some such drink, and be thrilled.  Back to these winter birthdays.

Meg starts us off at the end of January with her birthday. Here is the low down on Meg. She likes to do the naked dance. The naked dance is done during diaper change, bath time, and sometimes being naked isn't required just shirt off will do it. She shakes her booty and says Nae Nae Nae. This leads to the next thing about Meg, her favorite song is Whip Nae Nae. She loves this song and we have to listen to it on repeat multiple times. She thinks she is as big as her brothers and tries to do everything they do, she is thrilled when she feels like she has. She is amassing a large army of stuffed animals in her bed, and they need to come with her everywhere, but she cannot carry them all in her arms so she has a small backpack they get stuffed in when we are on the go. She pretty much rules this house. She is loud, stubborn, and throws a huge fit when things aren't going her way. Pete says she gets this from me. I wish I could deny this, but I fear it is true.

Her backpack holds all her guys and she looks like her brothers too

Next on the winter birthday train is Luke. He helps us say goodbye to February. Luke is learning to read. Something recently clicked for him and now when I am reading the Ramona books to him he will point out the words he knows. He is very excited because he really wanted to learn how to read but had been struggling. He likes to draw and color pictures. He draws pictures for his friends and family all the time. He likes sharks and all underwater sea creatures really, but sharks are his favorite. He likes to dress up and look nice. He even asked for real ties for his birthday, not clip-on ties. I am sad to say I didn't get him ties. Instead he got BB-8 shirts because he loved the new Star Wars movie. Luke picked out the morning music on his birthday and it was The Imperial March. In our house Luke is the quietest, the peace-maker, the one who will just walk up and give you a hug. He senses when you are sad and he will sit by you and ask how you are. He cares so much about everyone.

Luke discovered these books and reads them out loud to us- he loves them!!

Jack and Robert are next. They are tied with ringing in March. Jack is the oldest so let's talk about Jack. Jack is a voracious reader. I am amazed by the number of books that child goes through. He reads all day. He asks for books for every holiday and birthday. In his backpack now there are 3 or 4 different books that he is reading. At night he still likes for me to read to him. He is a good big brother and looks out for and plays with the babies all the time. He and Thomas are currently in a constant and never ending fight, or so it seems, but when he heard how well Thomas did at the Run- A -Thon Jack stopped right then and gave Thomas a big hug and said he was proud of him. This is pretty much Jack in a nutshell. He will drive you crazy all day but then he shows you that he has this great big heart and love of family. Sometimes, and not often enough, when I feel like I am failing Jack I ask him to sit with me and pray the rosary, and he rolls his eyes, sighs, and at first says the prayers super fast or incorrectly, but by the end of it we have it down and when we have finished he always gives me a hug and says thanks mom I needed that. His favorite shows at the moment are Flash and Arrow. He likes that they are older shows, there is fighting, the good guy wins, and that he can hang out with daddy while watching them.

Poor guy broke a bone in his foot. No more recess or basketball for awhile. 

Robert has just recently started to act like more than just a baby. I guess being the youngest I haven't been all that eager to let go of his baby stage, and he has acquiesced. He still nurses, and I am not so sure when he will stop because he uses it to fall asleep for naps and bedtime. He will nurse longer than his siblings I know that. They were all weaned around 11.5 -12.5 months. He still sleeps in our bed most of the time. Again, none of his siblings were in our bed this long. He wasn't talking or really even trying at all until recently. Now he hears you say something and he says it too. Words like- hi, boo, what, and cat. He is pulling up and not standing solo, though this week he started testing the waters and may have done it for a few seconds. Last night he took my phone, held it to his ear and said hi. Pete taught him how to play Where's Robert. Last night he played it with Jack. It was super cute. Robert laughed so hard that Jack started cracking up.

still has crazy hair and is learning how to get into trouble

Those are the winter birthdays. They keep us celebrating and force us to leave the house when we would much rather be hibernating. We went to the Shedd Aquarium in January, the Museum of Science and Industry in February, and if the weather is good we plan on going to the Brookfield Zoo in March.