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These are pretty self-explanatory. Noah discovered the cabinet where we keep their blankets and sheets.

He showed me that he can open it.....

and unload it.

I now has a lock on it. :) If you look at the open shelves to the left of the pic, those were also full of blankets. Not anymore!

Our morning ritual

We start each day with a battle, a quiet one, but it's still war. Noah tries to decide what time we get up. Sometimes he chooses 7:00, sometimes 6:30. This morning he chose 5:30. Then mommy counters. I choose 8:00. Maybe when it is more light outside 7 won't seem so bad, but right now it is terrible. I put him back in bed and literally pray he goes back to sleep. I talk to God about it. This morning it worked, other mornings God listens to Noah more (maybe it's the name, I don't know) When we do get up, we change diapers, play for awhile, and then Noah get's cranky. That's how I know it's time for the morning ritual.

It starts by handing him a banana. That settles him down because he knows what comes next. We sit in the floor of their room and eat a banana. Ok, I chew, they eat. It's really a great diet tool, I feel like I've eaten the banana, without all of the silly calories.

When we started this, the boys would sit nicely in front of me while they alternated bites. Then Avery learned to sign 'more'. Now he tells me more after every bite. Noah copies him, but I don't think he knows what it means yet. Last night after bottle Avery told me he wanted 'eat' 'more'. I laughed and told him "No, all done". He seemed happy that at least he asked. On the day pictured, Avery decided he wasn't content to sit in front of me anymore and crawled in my lap. Now he eats a few bites and then is on the move. Noah doesn't mind, it means more bites for him. Avery crawls around, comes back for a bite, and then leaves again. This morning, he stood against my shoulder and ate. He cracks me up.

Eventually I have to tell them all done, which doesn't usually go over well. They finally know that the peel isn't to eat and I'm not holding out on them. My little monkeys!

Mama's boy

Here is my funny little Noah. He has become my stalker! Ha! He knows were I am at all times, I am always on his radar. I sneak around now, just so I don't start him on one of his pre-crying windups. Rich was in the living room with them tonight, and when I stepped out of the kitchen to break for the bathroom, he saw and started to race for the gate to let me know he wasn't pleased. He is strong, and pulls up with his little arms, and he is brave and will climb on things to get higher, all in the quest for Mama.

As you can hear, he also has quite alot to say. It's usually loud and sounds like he is really voicing his opinion. He just smiles and talks (I know, with his parents, where did that come from?) The funniest is when Avery is across the room and they do call and response.

I will hug him and squeeze him...

The boys love the cat, and the cat doesn't seem to mind. In fact, he lays there and lets them pull out handfulls of hair. We have to watch them because they stalk the cat, but he jumps into the "pit" so it is his own fault.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

The boys are beginning to enter the "Hey, I can do that, too" phase. Rich made some "horns" out of little stacking toys that we have and showed them how to use them. Now it sounds like I live in a small viking village, or the Swiss alps. I frequently hear the sound of little voices blowing through their horns.

Wow, I love these two!

I don't think I really need to say anything. :)

Look what I can do!

Not to long ago, I had gone out for the evening (shocker, I know. Sometimes it happens) and Rich stayed home with the boys. When I got back, Avery was sitting in front of his dinosaur. He had been fascinated with it for about a week, pushing his hand into the holes, pushing the buttons to make it light up. On this evening, he picked up the balls and began dropping them into the holes like he'd done it his entire life. I was so excited. Rich was blase. He said "Oh, Yeah. He started doing that earlier this evening. I forgot to tell you." And there is one of the differences between us. LOL

When the boys hit a milestone for mommy, she writes it on the calander, takes a picture, takes a video if it can be done, calls the grandparents, and blogs about it.

Dad says, "Oh, I forgot to tell you." But I'm glad he was there for it, because most of the time it's "Guess what Noah/Avery did today?"

Peek-a-boo!

I have a backlog of videos, so I thought I would post a few. I think I have talked before about the boys and "under". They love it. Here we have Noah under the jump-a-roo, playing with dad.

Say Cheese!

My little Noah has decided he want's to smile for the camera now. I know it seems Avery has done this since birth, but Noah has always been the hard sell. I have to work for the smiles I get on film.

This week, he decided to give a few up. How cute is the smile behind the pacifier?

Look mom, I can smile pretty!

Here we are trying just a little to hard. It's even funnier when you zoom in and it's just his little face.

Who wouldn't fall in love with this little guy? I'm sold!

Avery-Bug's first haircut!

I know what you are thinking. "How can a boy with no hair need a haircut?" Well, here is little Benjamin Franklin's before picture. Our own little baby founding father. We only did the back, so I guess it's really a half-haircut. Keep in mind, Noah's was cut in July, and his second crop needs a trim again.

We broke out the mustache trimmer again, got a handful of puffs, and set to work. I was camera crew and distraction. He did really well.

The little old man hair is coming off! Yes, I did save some and tape it in the baby book. :)

A little finish work....

And the Avery-Bug is gorgeous! Look at that handsome haircut.

Sigh, parents.

What Mom did......



















What Dad did. How did we get stuck with these people??

Christmas Day

OK, I know it's a week late. Our Christmas was slow and relaxed. We attended Christmas eve service at 5pm so we could get the boys home and in bed on time. That was amusing. It was first service and packed with families with small children, so there were many "additions" to the service. Some of the teens kept offering us candles and we just kept politely declining :)

Noah woke up at 3:30, and I thought, how does he know? I was worried, because he had been waking again an hour after he ate, ready to play, but he did sleep until 7. Whew! Our morning was all about the paper. They loved it, rolled in it, crinkled it, ate it. Noah is laying on the huge pile of new clothes they received.

Confession. We didn't buy anything for the boys for Christmas. We had picked up a few toys earlier in the week and knew from the pile of presents under the tree NOT for us, that it wouldn't be necessary. They boys didn't even seem to mind.

This puzzle is so cool. 6 doors, each with a different kind of latch. Thanks Grammy Lynn for teaching them how to escape any situation. *wink*

Here they are in their super cool matching "Rugby" outfits from Grandma. Super comfy, perfect for playing. We made a small Christmas dinner, went through the boys clothes and weeded out the old so there was room for the new, and played the day away. As a first, it went pretty well!