First haircut in a salon

The boys needed a haircut and their usual stylist, Corey, was incredibly busy so we decided to give Shear Classic a chance.  The boys did so good.  They sat in the chairs, played with My Little Ponies, had their first lollipops and tolerated the clippers.  It was so much easier than being in our basement trying to convince them to sit still.  We appreciate everything that Corey was doing for us but I think that we will be switching to a salon.

Connor's favorite part besides the Cinderella book was definitely the lollipop.

That's what HE said

"Come on dad."

(heard repeatedly when Michael gets home from work)

"Here Con, you take it."

(he is so sweet, very generous and willing to be a good big/older brother once he hears Connor crying and throwing a temper tantrum over whatever happens to be upsetting him at the moment)

"George is next."

(he's got the PBS morning schedule down)

Adding randoms to our good night list. Choo Choo Tracks, Milk Cups.

(we generally say good night to family but Jackson has started to include random items that he must be thinking about)

"There it is."

(heard numerous times a day when finds whatever it is that I've either asked him to find or he locates on his own)

Singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in is entirety.

 


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Connor to Mama : "I reading books."
Mama to Connor : "Connor, that's all you do all day long."
Connor's response : "That's okay."

"No" to wearing new shoes, bathing suits or trying the potty.

(almost every question is getting a response of no)

"I tripped AGAIN!"

(he is super clutzy and this was a total classic)

"Oh yeah, that's a good one."

(in response to  a song off of their Music Together CD)

"Michael -- go back."

(said repeatedly after I mentioned it in the car when we spotted a horse. we are now hearing it at random times with a huge smile on his face.  he gets that he is being funny.)

Singing the Happy Birthday song while watching their Numbers dvd.

(so so cute and he started it all on his own after realizing the tune during number 2. he sings Happy Birthday to Connor and Jackson and some of his friends)

New friends: Chocolate Chip and Hershey Kiss

The boys (well more so Connor) have been asking non-stop to see the pictures from Hershey Park.  When he asks, he asks for pictures of the Chocolate Chip, a/k/a the Hershey Bar.

They were super excited when they saw the Kiss especially his shoes and gave him/her several High Fives.

Hershey Park Happy

Upon entering the park, neither boy had any real idea of what to expect nor did Michael and I but it was by far the most favorite day we have had with them. There were ups and downs, which is to be expected with toddlers but it was nothing short of AMAZING to see their faces and listen to their giggles of excitement while on the rides.  The concept of waiting was a no go for either of them but they are toddlers and we are all learning to figure things out.

After we arrived at the park, we were ready to start the rides. 

 First up was the helicopter and both of the boys really liked it but that was not going to last...

The kids ride that are immediately located upon entering the park are near some rather large and noisy roller coasters, which were not very "Connor-friendly."  He didn't like the noise or was concerned that they were going to get too close to him.  After the helicopter, we moved on to the dinosaur, which I thought would be perfect BUT our Connor wasn't having it.   Jackson was ready to go and it was a touch and go with Connor's reaction on whether or not we would be able to stay (yes, after the 1st ride).

During the meltdown, Jackson got his turn in on the Space Age.

I even tried the Traffic Jam with him as part of the issue with the dinosaur was he wanted me to get in and it was still a no-go.  Every time he sees these pictures, he tell me "I was crying."  Yes, Connor, yes you were.

Connor spent some time with Michael and Uncle Tony and Aunt Gina arrived and apparently were the "key" to convincing Connor to get on the rides again.  Here is on take 2 of the dinosaur as he was adamant that he was not going to be happy on the first attempt.  He's cheering for himself and laid back as if the melt down that occurred the first time didn't even happen.

While he was on the dinosaur, Jackson tried out the idea of of waiting in line for mini-himalaya and even though Michael and he were next to get on, Jackson couldn't handle the line waiting any longer. Lucky for us, Connor had just finished the dinosaur so we did a toddler swap.

We maneuvered out of the Founder's Circle as it was getting WAY to crowded and headed to Music Box Way for the Lady Bugs, Bizzy Bees, Monorail and Swings.

But not to be overshadowed by his brother, Jackson laid it all out (literally) over not being able to get on the pirate ship.  We felt so bad for him!!!

We headed toward Mine Town and stopped off at the Red Baron, Convoy and Kissing Tower.

 

They picked the red truck.

Prior to lunch, we took a trip on the antique cars.  Jackson was so happy with himself and the idea that he was driving us around.

After lunch, we headed over to the Midway for more fun....Granny Bugs, Mini Train Ride and Pony Parade.

This may have been their FAVORITE ride of the day..LOVE Jackson's determination when ringing the bell.

Not the best pic of Connor but added it because it was his first of hopefully many, many, many more ferris wheel rides.

On our way out, we were all able to take a ride on the Dry Gulch Railroad and the boys indulged in the Mini-Scrambler and ended the day with the Balloon Flite.

And, we left and I was contemplating the next time that we could get them back for more fun.

Driving around like Fred Flinstone

The boys have a slight obsession with their Cozy Coupe and it has been hard to play with it since it is generally parked on our front porch.  We have a flat on the Tot Rod and it is hard to push them in the Cozy Coupe and keep them on track so I decided to bring it out back and let it get some action.




Jackson ends up getting double time as Connor struggled with getting his feet moving. In time, he will figure it out but I will miss the big S  T  R  E  T  C  H...



The only problem is that Connor's feet are getting stuck and his legs are bending back (ouch).  We need to work on his ability to walk like Fred but I know that Jackson is always willing to play the big brother role.   


Despite the tears from Connor, both really did enjoy playing with the Coupe.



And, that was a wrap as Connor couldn't handle waiting for his turn and the head smacking is the definitive sign that we are heading to negative town on an express train.  But, we will be back out with another ride-on.

Batter UP

As the weather has been starting to warm up and in an effort to keep the boys entertained outside, I thought it was time to pull out their baseball tee and bat and cross my fingers that neither would be used as a weapon.  

Connor's technique leaves much to be desired as his thought of getting a hit is using the skinny portion of the bat that you use to hold the bat and knock the ball off the tee.   It's a work in progress and who am I to judge.....  Good thing is that we have several years before it is time to sign up for tee ball.

Recognizing their numbers

As previously reported, both boys can count from one to ten but we are working on recognition. I can not sing the praises enough of the Preschool Prep DVDs as both of the boys can identify their numbers. We were taking a walk last night and the boys were looking for numbers on the houses and besides some mix ups with the number 6 and 9, they were spot on. They are finding them in books and are noticing them anywhere and everywhere. Some of these places include speed limit postings and elevators at the mall. It is truly a joy to watch them identify their numbers. It keeps getting better and better.

Who is this kid we call Connor??

Connor has started to really show some more of his personality as of late and not just the cuddling side. He has been having a lot of problems with sharing and throwing very emotional tantrums, which end up in him being very physical with Jackson. Lately, he has starting answering all questions with a no and just appears to be more defiant than sweet. His hoarding tendencies are out of control and he is so lucky that his brother is so sweet and willing to share. We are hoping that this is only a phase as we want our sweet Connor back as soon as possible.

Easter with the family

Joe invited us to his house for Easter.  Sophia and Michael had hid eggs for the boys to find and were so excited for the egg hunt to start.  Before the egg hunt, the boys had dinner (well Connor did) and checked out their baskets from their aunts and uncles. 

Jackson was all over the peeps for at least a couple of bites, that is, and was a regular camera ham with the bunny ears. 

Connor was mostly interested in Phoebe, as usual.  But, he has a love/hate relationship with her so that is sometimes not the easiest feat to handle for a couple of hours. 

It was a great day with our family.

Easter Morning

It was all about Toy Story for the boys' Easter baskets.  They have been watching the movies with their dad often and they even know when the movie starts if they are going to see Jessie and Bullseye.   Jackson and Connor are definitely more infatuated with Toy Story 2 because of the horse and the cow girl.  Jackson starts shaking when he knows that Jessie and Bullseye along with Stinky Peak are going to make an appearance.

The baskets..





Connor found the books and Jakckson is fascinated by the additional Bullseyes and Hamm.





A Woody that can be posed and a kicking action Bullseye led to many a fights.  We had to do a lot of redirecting and making sure that each boy got a turn.  I'm on the search for another so each boy can have one. Yes, it's that big of a deal.



Slinky Dog getting in the mix.



Shake N Go Racers.  Buzz can really move!!!



Mr. Potato Head is out of the box and the perfect place for his tongue is on the slot for his hat, right?!?



I'd say that they are loving their new Toy Story pals.