Some Days You Gotta Laugh

We are less than 9 weeks away from our due date (HOORAY!).  I have this funny mix of feeling like we've been prepared for our little guy's arrival for a long time and feeling like there is so much to do before he comes.  I've been answering the question of, "When are you due?" with "Oh, not until August."  Once June 1 rolled around, it hit me that my standard answer wasn't going to work because summer was here and this kid is a summer kid.  Wow, as slow as some of this pregnancy has seemed to go (mostly that whole period of feeling gross and exhausted), time sure is speeding up, especially since we are so busy with end-of-school stuff, soccer, starting swim lessons, counting down to a family reunion, attempting to get our house in order, etc, etc, etc.  We're so excited to meet our little guy!

My other kids have been doing things to keep me laughing and I just have to document them.  Sam, in particular, seems to always be in the middle of the antics.  Have I mentioned how I often feel like my brothers or my dad might be living at our house when Sam does certain things?  Whenever Sam does one of those Freebairn things, Roy is sure to point out it came from our side.  Since most of the time, I have tears and can't stop laughing, I'll have to agree...some people are just naturally funny.

• Last week, I sent Abby and Sam out to get the mail.  We have one of those big mailboxes with slots for 12 or so neighbors.  Our box is close to the top and only Abby can reach it.  In an attempt to be helpful or involved or funny (or all three), I saw Sam grab Abby by the legs, lift her up higher and precariously balance her as she unlocked the box and pulled out ads and letters.
• We turned Lydia's carseat to be forward-facing recently and I have had so many more car conversations, back-seat driver moments, and screams of joy as we go up and down hills.  Her favorite thing is to say, "Watch out!  There's a bear!" and then point to the danger area where the bear is located.
• Last week, we went to our favorite Nature Center and Park.  Ahead of us on the path there was a grandfather pushing his twin infant grandsons in a double stroller.  Lydia was in rare form that day and yelled, "Watch out!  There's a bear!  RUN!"  Well, this poor gentleman must not have detected that it was 2-year-old yelling and took off as fast as he could.  (Don't worry, after I caught my breath from laughing, I did yell to him that it was my 2-year-old's very active imagination and not a real bear.)
• Continuing the theme, today Sam, Lydia, and I were playing upstairs in the kid's room (all three big kids have their beds in one room, which means that the vast majority of the time they love each other and love being together, but when they don't, they really don't).  Sam randomly yells, "Look!  A bear!"  Lydia dropped everything and flew into her bed, hiding her special baby, her Lilo and Stitch, and herself under her "beep" (blanket).
• Sam is wearing a pair of shorts today that are a little too big.  He just discovered that if he wiggles just right and then bends over, his shorts will slouch and we can see a few inches of his underwear.  Guess what he keeps doing this afternoon?
• Roy recently introduced the kids to movie bloopers.  When saying good night one night, Lydia sweetly requested to watch, "One booper?"
• We've been trying to give the kids more opportunities to help around the house.  They clear and wipe off the table after meals, clean their room each morning, bring in the empty garbage and recycling bings, etc.  When Abby was bringing in the garbage can the other day, she made the mistake of sticking her nose inside and sniffing.  The whole neighborhood probably heard her shriek, "EWWW!  It's as stinky as Dad's toots!"
• As we walked past the buses at school today, one of them kept making this funny noise.  Lydia kept laughing and yelling, "Bus tooting!"