My Friend Austin

Well life is actually pretty calm right now, finally!! We are getting ready to go to our family reunion this weekend so we are busy washing and packing. I thought that I would write a little bit about what Austin has been up to this summer. Austin turned 9 in May and has decided that he is a grown up now. We like to go play at the park and Austin says that is for little kids, which he no longer is. So I tell him to bring a book and sit and read while the "kids" play. Well, that would be torture to read while everyone else is playing so he says "I will play if I have to." That's what I thought. Austin has also been my biggest helper this summer with Logan. It is so nice to have an extra pair of hands around for this baby who loves to be held. Austin will get him up in the morning, change his diaper, and bring him upstairs to Mom. Austin really is very sweet. A few weeks ago I got a little stomach bug one day and was feeling pretty miserable. Logan and I just hung out on the couch all day. I was surprised how good the boys were that day, with limited supervision. Austin took care of getting everyone lunch, and even made cookies and wrote Mom a nice little note hoping that I would feel better. Austin's favorite thing to do in our backyard right now is to cook ants. We have railroad ties in our backyard and Austin has found a spot of oil on one of the ties that gets very hot when the sun shines on it. So all the little boys collect from our endless supply of ants and spend hours cooking them. I know, it is disgusting, but it keeps Austin and his brothers occupied and not fighting. Austin has also decided to boycott the camera so any picture I take of him has to from at least 50 yards away. Austin takes his job as big brother very seriously. Where ever we go play if anyone picks on one of the brothers Austin is the first one there to tell them to leave his brothers alone. Austin really is a good boy most of the time, he can get a little mouthy sometimes but it is fun to watch him grow up and become more aware of the world around him.