It's been awhile since I posted!

Last time on The Young and the Dramatic (cue soap opera music), Lily ate a crayon and learned that they "taste yucky," Lukas made rude jokes about the neighbors and farts, and Andrew said my haircut "looked weird."

So what is this strange cast of characters up to now? Let's tune in and see.

Shaun and I were discussing the latest (of many) sinkhole along the highway at dinner. We couldn't believe yet another had cropped up. How many would we get before our whole town sank into one big sinkhole?

"What's a sinkhole?" Andrew (9) asked.

I looked at him, shocked that, living where we do, he didn't know what a sinkhole was. They were all around us. How could he not know?

Apparently I wasn't the only surprised member of our family. Lukas looked at him like he was an idiot.

"You don't know what a sinkhole is?" Lukas (6) asked. He still had that "you're so dumb" look about him.

Andrew shook his head, looking between me, Shaun, and Lukas, waiting for an answer.

I was about to give him one when Lukas said impatiently, "You know the hole in the sink? A sink hole?"

Shaun and I looked at each other and burst out laughing. Andrew joined in, though I wonder if part of him thought Lukas was right.

"What?" Lukas said.

"That's not the kind of sinkhole we're talking about, buddy," Shaun said.

"We're talking about the kind that makes the ground soft and creates a hole," I added.

"Oh," Lukas said.

Poor Lukas.

And what about Lily? What has she been doing? She (and her brothers) has a new baby brother, Ian, whom I plan to use as my excuse for not keeping up with my blog. He's three months old now and she thinks he is wonderful.

It was bathtime for Ian. I filled his tub with warm water and laid him gently inside. The moment his buns hit the water and he saw the looks on Lukas and Lily's faces, he burst out laughing. Lukas and Lily joined in. I couldn't resist, I did it too. Soon all four of us were laughing. Lukas ran for Andrew, who was more interested in his video game than the laughing, so he didn't come up.

"Can I wash his belly?" Lily asked.

I nodded. "If you want."

"I want to wash his feet," Lukas said.

"No! I want to do his piggies too!" Lily whined.

"I asked first!" Lukas argued.

"Enough," I said and smiled at Ian whose lower lip stuck out too far. He was going to cry if they kept it up.

The arguing stopped, the bath continued. It was time to get Ian out of the tub. He hated this part. As I wrapped him in his towel, he burst into tears, crying loudly. Lukas took that as his cue to leave, but Lily stayed.

"My baby is so cute," she said over his cries.

Cute indeed.

And that reminds of something else that happened with Lily over the last year. It involves her beloved Bubba the lion. He's got significantly less hair than he started with.

Plop.

"Mommy!" Lily cried, panic in her voice.

I woke up, my heart pounding. What time was it? Did I just hear Lily? It wasn't even 6:30am according to the alarm clock. Too early for her to be out of bed right now, though I knew she was.

"Mommy!" she yelled again. This time I heard tears in her voice.

I jumped from the bed and ran to the bathroom, where I found Lily standing in front of the toilet looking down at a soggy Bubba. I grabbed him and looked at Lily.

"What is Bubba doing in the potty?" I asked, not fully awake.

"He fell," she said. Her lower lip pushed out and quivered. Her hands were going toward her mouth. She was going to cry. It would be nearly impossible to calm her if that happened since Bubba was involved. The two were nearly inseparable.

I looked at Bubba, now dripping, suspended above the toilet between two of my fingers. "Bubba," I scolded. "Why did you try to go swimming in the potty?"

It was just the right thing to say, for once. It's hit or miss with Lily, honestly. She laughed and joined in. "Yeah, why'd you try to swim in the potty?"

I smiled at her. "We're going to have to give Bubba a bath now."

"Can I push the buttons?" she asked, excited.

I nodded and motioned for her to follow me to the basement where the washer and dryer awaited Bubba. When he was inside and spinning, Lily pressed her nose against the window. "Have a good bath, Bubba!"