More about Elijah, and a photo dump

Our summer is winding down. It has been a memorable one in many ways, most obviously because it kicked off with our family growing by a whole new amazing person.

I am so delighted by Elijah. He just strikes me as a child who really knows he is loved. 

A friend of mind once said that about Anna, and I took it as a very high compliment, 

until I realized it's not entirely a reflection on me, but on our whole family structure: there are just so many extra people who clamber to hold the youngest ones.

And he is an amazing little sweetheart. Who could blame them?

{I like how this picture demonstrates Isaiah's self-inflicted haircut. 

It's since been remedied by our local barber.}

The kids like to dress him up.

(Anna suffered a similar fate at around this age.) 

After all, he's their "best baby bro."

 His face is pure sweetness and he has a temperament to match.

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Our summer has gone well. We've had impromptu ice cream parlour visits, camping trips for the boys, a beautiful weeklong vacation at Nazareth family camp, trips to the beach. Summery goodness.

This photo of these two delights me. They have a wonderful relationship and play beautifully together. (Until they bicker. Because, well, kids do that.)

We took the kids last weekend to Peterborough for the Folk Festival. Patrick fit right in amongst the hippies with his ring sling.

The reason we went was to see Fred Penner. I have loved him since I was Anna's age or so, and he did not disappoint. The kids had fun, he performed beautifully, the weather was gorgeous, it was a great day. I was especially touched when Fred Penner told the crowd that the reason he decided to become a musician was inspired by his sister, Suzie, who had Down Syndrome. She loved music and according to him, she taught him more than anyone else what it means to be a human person. It turns out he was also the Chair of the National Conference on Down Syndrome. 

I knew he was a wonderful man.

Here he is performing "The Cat Came Back."

Of course we couldn't drive for two hours just to watch a one-hour show. So we went to the (free!) Peterborough zoo. I love this picture of them running down the massive hill. They look like sweet kids, just playing and happy to be alive.

 Obligatory zoo picture. 

The boys' expressions are just as they looked even three years ago. Yet here they are, about to embark on Senior Kindergarten and grade 2. Not so much my "babies" anymore.

And next September, each of these kids will be in school.

And then I will feel like a fish out of water with just one baby at home.

Noah took this photo and it makes me so happy. Elijah's little face is as cute as can be, and it will remind me of the sweet morning that my dear oldest child asked if he could do a photo shoot with his siblings so we could have some nice pictures for Elijah's baby scrapbook.

 Many sweet and slightly amusing pictures were taken. 

He complained that HE couldn't be in any of the pictures, until Isaiah said "just take a selfie!" 

Kids of 2016. What amusing things they say.