Dancing your way to bed.

You're so helpful, and you can't stand seeing a door left open. It is your mission to close them and keep us all safe.

The thing is, you are such a sweet, agreeable person 90% of the time. But when you are sick...well, let's just say you are something else. And right now you are sick. And I think of your future wife, and want to tell her...yeah, I'm sorry. It's just something you've got to deal with to get to the sweetness the rest of the time. Worth it, right?

"I love you"
"I know."

The flu is hitting us hard. Sick days occasionally even mean cartoons on weekdays.

When you were littler, you stayed in your carseat the whole time we waited for your sisters at school. Sometime last year you stopped doing that. Now you're unbuckled the instant we stop moving, and you almost always insist on sitting in the front with me. You make noise, and a mess, and you make your brother want out of his seat. And I really liked having you strapped into that seat in the back while I read quietly to myself, to be honest. But also, man am I going to miss you next year when Liam and I are waiting for you, too.

You guys are the cutest. :)

"Perhaps just one more Oreo cookie?..."

Waiting for Fiona to play soccer. It's hard being a supportive sibling sometimes.

Rowan humored us pretty good-naturedly about being dragged to dinner with college friends, even though she was getting sick and would spend most of the rest of the weekend in bed.

Every day this week, Rowan has held "biking school" after she and Saoirse get home. You, Fiona are the only pupil. There is a reading portion (part of a Spiderman comic today), a snack time, and some instruction. Every morning she reminds you at breakfast, "Don't forget, we have biking classes this afternoon." She even lets Saoirse be her assistant sometimes.

His sweetness is becoming more evident as his personality gets clearer. I love it.

Stacking and books, two of his favorite things.

At least someone thought to bring snacks to keep the kids occupied while watching Daddy play basketball. (And it wasn't me)

My beautiful girl, in beautiful light.

If anything deserves to be documented, my girl, this does. Because if I didn't record your love for "Turkey Tom," and your ability to eat that whole thing, that detail would surely be lost. You can eat this whole sandwich! Where do you put it?

I took Saoirse out to see a movie downtown (on a school night, no less), just the two of us. We saw Song of the Sea, an Irish animated film whose protagonist was a little girl named Saoirse. She was thrilled. Her first words when we got home, "Dad, they said "Saoirse" like a hundred times!" Also, she humored me for a minute when I just couldn't get over that parking garage light.

Well, while you guys argue, don't mind me....

Peek-a-boo! Yes, you're a very clever boy.

If I absolutely have to take four kids to the grocery store (and I try to avoid it whenever I can)...this is what I have to take as my consolation. The adorable little fan club around a sweet boy, and him hamming it up to make them laugh. There are worse things.

Book club meeting.

Rowan's first time sitting at the bar. Dinner at the Melting Pot, just the two of us.

Look! There's sunlight coming in the window in the morning!

No meal is complete with a little group of friends to chat with, play with, and share with around here.

If bedtime were run my way, it would be all quiet, and dark, and there would be reading and soft voices. Maybe back rubs and relaxation. All of you kids are glad that I am not really in charge of bedtime. I put the baby to bed, whoever is the current baby. Other than that, it's Daddy's show. And there's nothing quiet about Daddy's show.

We got to the Hands On Museum a bit early today. You were pretty happy to hang out in this cool rainbow themed coatroom, though. Honestly, it doesn't take much to thrill a kid.

Not one person was feeling the drive home from Grandma and Grandpa's this afternoon.