Raising his hands in the ayer

Whenever I have food in a spoon that requires my help during meal time, Connor raises his hand in the "ayer" to let me know he is ready for his turn. It is super cute and I thought nothing of it until I let other people know that he did this and the normal response is to laugh and indicate how cute it must be.

And, it is (that is until Connor doesn't get what he assumes to be his turn or Jackson is taking too long)...

18 Months

1 1/2 years old. I can't believe that I am writing this post (note: I didn't write it until mid-October because I'm still in denial as to how fast this time has gone by). We are having so much fun with the boys and they are learning so much and are so proud to show how much that they can do.

In honor of their 1/2 birthday, we took them to Red Robin for the first time and it was an experience. They loved the fries and Connor tasted his first hamburger. Jackson was a little too occupied by the balloons and Robin to eat but I foresee many more trips here in our future.

At 18 months, both boys:

- can whisper shhhh in response to Goodnight Moon's quiet old lady
- are becoming experts at peek-a-boo
- are big helps when it comes to changing clothes but still not so thrilled with diaper changes
- can open the trash can, which is not the best since I spend too much time searching for toys in the trash that I can not find at the end of the night
- L-O-V-E pineapple. it may be their favorite fruit. sorry strawberries :(
- have finally realized where the snacks are and that the door is locked
- are obsessed with shoes
- enjoy Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. most specifically, the Dwarfs when they sing Heigh Ho and Dig Dig Dig. (can not tell you how happy this makes their mom because the 1st movie that I ever saw in the movies was Snow White and I can still remember how excited I was when the dwarfs came across that log for the first time)
- are following small commands to retrieve items or put things away (nothing like child labor, rather BIG helpers)


And, just Jackson:

- is opening doors
- very interested in using forks and spoons like a big boy
- may have perfected hiding (seriously -- there are times that I can't find him)
- can climb on the couch
- turns the tv on and off
- scaled the entire book case/toy shelf combo
- can go down the steps
- tries to push on your back or get you stand up when he wants something




And, coincidentally Connor:

- is walking backwards
- lets us give his penguins hugs and kisses
- will not allow any other plush in the crib besides his penguin
- shares food
- can take off his velcro bibs :(
- fake crys when he is ready to get out of the crib and hasn't seen us open the door
- wants to try ALL food he sees, which can result in multiple mini-dinners

And, down the steps he goes

Jackson had previously tackled the carpeted steps from our kitchen to the basement and I have talked to him a lot about trying to do the steps from the bedrooms to the main floor. He would dangle one foot down or get to the landing and regroup and either step up or crawl back to the hallway as if it was a no go. A couple days prior to this, Jackson had crawled upstairs following Michael as he got changed while I was getting the wagon ready for our evening walk. Without hesitation and with his frog blanket and his plush Rex from Toy Story proceeded to go down the steps by himself. So, this wasn't the first time but I had to catch him in the act.

Cruising around in our Radio Flyer

It was the last vehicle to be put together and probably the boys' favorite. They love being able to see everything that they are strolling by. We had been seeing a lot of resistance when it came time to get in the stroller for our walks and several attempts to wiggle out of the stroller (and not just Jackson).

It has been too warm/humid/sunny in the morning for the wagon as both boys are resistant to hats and we do not have the canopy. So, it is our designated vehicle of choice for evening walks.



We know now that it is probably not a good idea to bring the penguin but it did make for some interesting photos and let Michael step in as referee as I so often have to do.

Hoppin Tots

We signed the boys up for Hoppin Tots and are looking forward to a lot of jumping fun. Jackson was very excited about the jumping and Connor seemed to fit in quite well too. It required a lot of parental support for encouragement to do tucks and crawl through tunnels and balance and both Michael and I were sweating by the end. The camera was more of a distraction and will probably not return unless we have an extra set of hands so we will just have to remember how much fun that it is.

CZY COUP

Immediately upon the Cozy Coupe being put together, Jackson figured out how to open the door and get in and close it fast enough to elude Connor. He loves getting in and out of it and it was super amazing to watch how quickly he figured it out. Hopefully, his legs will get longer so that he can reach the ground since it is rather noisy to push around on the sidewalks and alleys.

Toddlers in Speedos

We filled up the pool and let the boys have fun. The pictures say it all. I know that blogging is supposed to include some narration but there is nothing that I can write that can explain these pictures any better.

Congratulations Andrew and Kim

Riderwood Park

Michael decided to stay home on the day of Andrew and Kim's wedding and we took the boys to Riderwood Park for some fun. It has a lot more shade than the Tot Lot, no sand (yeah for me in terms of clean-up) and doesn't get as crowded. There was no wait to get on a swing and only a handful of people there. The boys are still trying to figure things out at the park and when it is too crowded -- I tend to keep them away from things that they can probably do out of concern that they will be in someone's way. This is definitely a place that we will explore again and again.