Finley is walking at 10 1/2 months!

The End of 2010

It has been a year of growth and discovery for team Ashley. Finley joined the chaos in February. Jack E. turned 15 in May. Campbell & Cooper turned 2 in October and Alex will be 17 on December 30th.

February 8th, 2010 we welcomed Finley James Ashley into our lives. He has been the best baby ever. We really expected a little monster but he is an angel. Jack always says that Finley is made of sugar and that is what makes him so sweet. He thinks he is a triplet and is determined to catch up to the twins developmentally. He has four teeth (two on top and two on bottom). December 23rd he started walking and he started BIG! 17 steps! Seriously. One second he was crawling and the next he was walking across the room. He has gotten very vocal lately. He says "Dada", "Mama", "hey", "kitty Kitty", and "ball". He tries to repeat everything. I especially love it when he tries to say "disgusting". You would be surprised to hear how close he is to actually saying it. He has become "Ninley" thanks to the twins. I'm sure it's a name he will love when he gets older!

Jack E. is still playing baseball any chance he gets. The day after Christmas he played on a Nicaraguan team in Houston. There were 40 yr old men playing with him who have played baseball all of their lives. Jack C. says it is a good way for him to gain experience. Jan Jan and Gramps signed him up for driver's education for Christmas! He is really excited. We are really scared! The idea of having just one teenager on the road was enough for me. Now instead of taking turns sitting in the front seat, we will have to take turns driving??? It just seems so strange!

Cooper  is such a loving little boy. I can always get a hug, kiss, and snuggle out of him! His vocabulary grows everyday and he speaks in full sentences now which catches me completely off guard. I will be standing in the kitchen doing dishes or some other chore and he will walk in and say "What are you doing Mommy?" clear as a bell. He is sensitive and is always concerned when someone gets a booboo. He is always quick to volunteer a kiss to make it better. Cooper is his Daddy's mini-me. He looks so much like Jack. His blonde hair has gotten really curly and I refuse to cut it! He is stubborn. All of our boys are. He has started demanding to do things for himself. A few days ago I was going to help him into his chair to eat and he pulled a Stewart (from SNL). He put his arm up and said "Let my (yes my...not me) do it!" Moments like that are when I wish I had cameras running in every room so I could watch and share them over and over.

Campbell is sure to be an athlete. Give him a ball and he knows what to do with it (yes I know there are jokes here but I'm keeping it clean). He can throw a baseball for sure. We recently went to Chuck E Cheese for a birthday party and there was a pitching game for bigger kids. I stood him up on the machine so he could reach and let him pitch. He was accurate at least 1 out of every 3 pitches. Not bad for a 2 year old. Campbell is loud. It doesn't matter if he is happy, sad, sleepy, or mad. He is just loud. He expresses himself at top volume at all times. I guess this will come in handy when playing sports? I tell him in a whisper to use his inside voice and he yells "OK MOMMY" in his outside voice. His favorite word now is "No".

Me: "Campbell do you want to go potty like a big boy?"

Campbell "No."

Me: "Do you want to eat lunch?"

Campbell: "No."

Me: "Do you want to eat ice cream?"

Campbell: "No."

Me: "Do you want to play outside?"

Campbell: "I go outside."

It's a game we play. I keep asking questions to see what will make him say yes!

Alex will be getting his truck this week! So, Hide your wife, hide your kids, hide your husbands because he will be running the roads! Kidding!! He is a very cautious driver so far. Sometimes too cautious. He will be a great driver once he gets some more driving time in. We took him to look at the truck on Christmas day and he was excited. It's a 2003 Ford F150.  It's a nice truck and I am so happy for him!  He turns 17 in a few days so he is ready to hit the roads.  He will be happy to have some freedom I'm sure!  I'm just glad that we have technology on our side with him driving.  The cell phone must have been invented for parents with teenage drivers!

Jack and I are constantly busy. There is always something to be done. Sometimes I get to the end of the day and I can't remember if I ate or took a potty break all day! I guess it works out! No water or food = fewer trips to the potty! :) I love our boys and the chaos that comes with having five kids. Sometimes I wonder if I look like a mad woman to the people around me. I try to maintain my composure and I feel like I do most of the time. I crack up on occasion but I think that is to be expected right? I know that having 5 kids is life's way of teaching me to relinquish control at least a little.  I used to vacuum and sweep my floors every day.  Now I try to mop at least once a week.  I was once organized and on time.  Now I am cluttered and late!  I had no idea 5 years ago that my life would be so full and busy.  I think if I spent a day in my old life now I would probably be bored out of my skull!  I love my boys and my life. There is never a dull moment!  I expect next year to be just as full as 2010 and I look forward to every second I get to spend with my family!

Happy New Year!

Campbell Counting