Silas Benjamin - Age 11

Today is your golden birthday! You have been reminding us of this for approximately one whole year! In the last couple months you have been laying it on pretty thick, as in, "Soooo, just checking in... you guys do have something planned for my golden birthday right?" "You know my golden birthday is coming in 2 weeks. Do you have a plan?" Basically you made it very clear that you were expecting something epic for your "golden" birthday. I hope that we were able to deliver. We surprised you with a trip to St. Louis with just us and Mary Alice, no babies...thank you, Oma! 

Oh my, it was an absolute sauna outside and my lens kept fogging up while it was raining on us... so every picture is blurry but you would likely have refused to redo them and so here we are, blurry and all.

We stayed two nights in a hotel, with a pool. We did the Science Center, the City Museum, the Arch, a double feature drive-in (which brought us through East St. Louis at 1:00 am... thumbs down Siri, major thumbs down!), lights and fire show, Union Station and ended with an ice cream sundae that required ALL of our attentions! By the time we made it home you were begging for fruit and regular food! HA... I think we did alright on this golden birthday experience. 

The whole time we were gone you were simultaneously thankful we were not carting the babies with us and also describing the things about the babies you were missing and talking about how much they will love whatever we were doing when they get older. Silas, you are the greatest big brother to our babies. They adore you. They think you are the most fun and seek you out whenever you are close by. You love them fiercely and it is a joy to watch you with them. 

You continue to be adventurous and fun and wicked funny. Though over the course of this year you have also made some noticeable shifts in maturity. You seek the "shock value" less often and we are all okay with this change. 

"Stand up straight."

Reading has become more of a first alternate to screens and this warms my literary heart! Thank you Fablehaven! We do need to continue working on your summary skills... this is be a cross-curricular growth area. Whenever you are explaining a story, Minecraft ANYTHING, Lego structure, etc. you suddenly have an unlimited quantity of words and sounds and time. Eleven seems like a solid year to tighten up on these explanatory narratives. Just a thought...

You had to have a picture with the ever growing wasp nest.

Is there any other way to get down... nope!

Silas, when I say you are funny, I mean like really funny! You have us out-loud laughing all the time and often at unexpected moments. I love sneak-attack funny! It does however, appear as though you are also entering into the inevitable learning curve of those who are funny, where they have to beat their heads against the Appropriate/Inappropriate Wall... this wall encompasses: subject matters, timing, location, audiences... You will walk into this wall, you will run into the wall, you will jump head first into this wall, but you will learn. Best of luck to you son, you're gonna need it!

This was your suggestion of portrait locations.

Always in motion!

I love you so very much! My sweet, fun, smart, loving Sy-Boy! I honestly enjoy being your mom and am looking forward to more interesting fun with you!

Rosie Kate - Age 3

"It's my birthday!" You went around all day today announcing to family, friends, and strangers that today was your birthday.  Also, making yell-introductions of "My's a Rosies Kate!" You are an enthusiastic-friendly little elf. Speaking of, the Elfen Nation should be calling you home soon for the scheduled Age 3 furlough we have requested for you... 

Today you entered my most feared age... THREE. I know many believe two is too much, but around here we Kunzes like to save a little something special for 3. Baby girl, you already teeter past "too much" on the daily so... we pray for the strength that only the sweet baby Jesus has to offer. 

I both jest and speak the God's honest truth, but you are truly a delight to us and those around you. You live life to its max and make no apologies for it. You are life's biggest fan!

For your birthday today, you wanted "treats" and "walks in the park" and to "throw things in water." Are you not Silas 2.0!?!  (Though, you are a bigger stickler for rules than he has ever been). 

We obliged your whims and you took approximately 0.36 of a nap today. You know, because your "muffin-cakes were in the oven" and therefore sleep just could not be had. 

Your imagination is growing daily and we are laughing and having a great time watching your sweet little self have a blast everyday. This is not to say that we are not also tired, exhausted, and/or runned-out-of-steam by 7:00pm... because we are.

Rosies Kate, you are a force. You are a beautiful, spirited, wicked-smart, all-things-fun, determined, and most of all, our sweet-honey force. 

Happy 3rd Birthday Rosalie! We love you x infinity!

Saul Benjamin - Age 2

Last night I put you, my last one-year-old, down to sleep for the last time as a one-year-old. This, my son, I count as a major life accomplishment. We survived, all of us, another year of all these children existing in the same spaces for all the minutes of all the days. I am tired. I am more tired remembering. I am utterly exhausted thinking about the future of more space existing but whateves I'll be over it by the time the future happens. 

However, you little guy, are actually one of the two we asked for (wink-wink). Hence your name, Saul - asked for, prayed for. That is you, buddy, asked for and prayed for. I knew that I could not satisfy Rosie's needs for a playmate and BFF (nor did I have any desire or intention for such nonsense) so I needed you and you are exactly the right fit for us. Bonus: you are still the only one that prefers me! It only took me four tries, but seeing as I thought it an impossibility... just adds to your dreaminess. 

Sully B. you are our snuggliest, smiliest, sweet-as-pie-est, easy-going-est... until you are not and then you are VERY not! (apparently this is somewhere in the combination of genes we pass along because, like, ALL OF YOU have this... this part is not our best work... sorry, we clearly do not know how to fix it.) 

Here is a series of pictures depicting the "not having it" attitude referenced above. 

You have made it to the point where you LOVE to sit on our laps and read books. This is heavenly, and I love it, and please never stop this. Though, you can lay off the color books, they are D-U-M-B and I'm done, but you're clearly not, so we read them... everyday, all the live-long-day. Also, just to document you are saying so many words, your vocabulary has finally started to take off and we are all ooos and ahhs over here, but the one word that refuses to budge is "gee-gee" which obviously is "book." What-the-what, child!? It make zero sense, but whateves, we have ALL started calling books gee-gees. We all threw our towels in at this one. Point for Saul. 

In related documentary news: babybug = ladybug, roar = dog, hall-lough (in the most melodramatic baritone) = hello (you are our Salutation Saul), row-see = Rosie, cocomater = CocoMelon...

Speaking of CocoMelon, you L.O.V.E. this show (or sing-along or whatever it is). Though the songs now reside in my head and soul, it is a good clean fun and I'll allow it. You also LOVE being outside and start begging to go out directly after breakfast. You seem to believe that putting your rain boots on makes you invincible and therefore you "jump" in or on everything with a pride that exceeds the actual accomplishment. I love it, you are so fun!

You are starting to come into your own. You still mostly just follow Rose around and do whatever she does or tells you to do. But those days are numbered. I know, I watched this same event happen with your older siblings and you may be ahead of Silas in the push-backs. 

Also Daddy apparently lets 2 y/olds drink coffee...

We are trying our hardest to relish all of your firsts because we "believe" them to be our lasts. Our last baby, our last walker and talker...etc. You get the drill. We are trying to relish, but we are tired and old and we could probably do better and try not to rush these phases. But you are already TWO! I love it and I love you and I would ask for you infinity times! You are a prize, my baby, and we are the winners!

Ma's manicotti for birthday dinner!