Owen actually asked to have a birthday party this year for his 4th birthday. After barely surviving a wedding in February, he's been getting braver and braver. So, though we feared that he may wind up hiding in his room, we planned a party and invited some friends from school along with the usual suspects.Saturday turned out to be a scorcher- over 100 degrees. We set up tables in our backyard on the porch, in the shade, along with a sprinkler and beach umbrellas. We also cleaned up the play room and the train set for the kids to have some indoor cool down activities.
Owen asked for a pinata, but opted out of filling and smashing it. After some negotiation, he let me hang it up over the table for a decoration. He wanted and helped make dozens of cupcakes- specifying chocolate with chocolate frosting and sprinkles. He asked for no candles, and no party hats.
And we all had a great time! Owen was a good host, showing his friends how to use the train set and sharing his toys. Fourteen kids came. They flew airplanes, sent the stomp rockets into the trees, and ran through the sprinkler to cool down. We all ate lots of hot dogs and cupcakes and attempted to stay cool. Our little guy really has grown up!
On what would have been my mom's 65th birthday, we planted a cherry tree for her and Ben. Don't let the pictures fool you- Richard did the most of the work, digging a large hole through the rocks in our front yard, and shoveling most of the dirt. But Susie and I and the kids pitched in, mostly to get to play with the hose. It should stay at about 10 feet tall, and be covered in bright pink flowers in the spring. I think she would like it.
Ben turned six months old last week. He's well over 22 pounds- a big sturdy boy. He's sitting on his own now, and can reach for toys without falling over too often. On his belly, he'll ninja roll to get to things that were previously out of reach. He has his two bottom teeth in, and it seems like his two top ones will be here soon- he's sucking on his lower lip and biting anything he can get into his mouth. Ben started day care last week, moving up from 2 hours to 4 hours to 7. He was pretty happy there by Friday and seemed to be learning about bottles. They say he's their best napper, though I think they may be confused. Ben's very chatty and very smiley. And after a lot of effort, he DOES like to eat- applesauce, pears, prunes, blueberries, carrots, and sweet potatoes. He's not so fond of peas, but we'll keep working on it.
After a few busy days with the wedding and baptism, we were able to relax for the rest of our vacation. Roger and Ivonne graciously hosted us; both boys enjoyed playing with Kobe's toys and we enjoyed spending time with Roger and Ivonne. Kobe and Owen created some games and mostly got along. Both boys competed for Ryan's attention. We did a little swimming, some ice cream trips, strawberry picking, and a trip to the park. This was in between some rain and thunderstorms. Grandma Sally and her cousin Carmella spent lots of baby time, taking care of feeding Ben his food and cuddling with him. Ben got to look up to his cousin Robert for what things will be like in a year.
Last Sunday, Ben was baptized at St. Patrick's church in Cambridge, NY. Roger and Ivonne became his godparents, and all of Richard's family came for the service. Ben wore the Irish linen outfit Owen had worn (it was busting at the seams- good thing we didn't wait any longer!). Other folks took pictures of the service, so I will post those once I have them. The group shot here is from Carmella. Richard and I were focused on answering the questions correctly, and keeping Ben from screaming. He seemed genuinely interested in the parts that involved him, watching the priest and the 
