Erik was working late one night, so while I grilled up some bratwurst outside, I told they boys they could come out in their rain boots and play in the puddles.  Which was apparently very loosely interpreted to mean, "Come out in your rain boots, but then take them off, and don't forget to get nakey, too!"

Throw all the cushions onto the floor.  This time it was a Hobbit hole.  Play in the tunnel.  Put underwear on our heads.

You know.  Respectively.

A few evenings ago, the boys were playing nicely upstairs while Erik and I were down here.  After a while, I heard them laughing.  Both of them.  Hysterically.  Seriously, one of the best sounds ever.  But still worth some investigating.  This is how I found them . . . both boys playing dress up in their Daddy’s clothes.

Last night, pretty much the same story.  But this time when I came up to see what the giggling was about, Sam hid his face from me.  He knew this one wasn’t quite as harmless as Dad’s clothes.  So I saw Owen’s makeover first.  Sam confessed to being the makeup artist for both himself and little brother.

They think they’re so funny.

I think I’ve blogged about gymnastics a few times.  It runs in sessions, 2 each year.  Sam has been doing it since he was two.  This session, Owen was old enough to go to his own class!!  I had wanted to do Owen’s class during Sam’s school, and then O could just hang out during Sam’s Wednesday class.  Timing didn’t quite work out for that, so I ended up signing the boys up for back to back classes.  We will not do that again.  It is full on exhausting for me (and being sick this entire session was pretty dang rough) and it pushed up right against lunch and naptime.  So after almost 2 hours, O was usually done and I think we only made it to the end of his class twice.  Which is ok, because the first time he got a stamp on his hand, he FREAKED out and spent the next hour scraping at his hand trying to rub it off.

Regardless, the boys still LOVED it.  Samuel’s class is nice because I just to sit back and watch.  Owen is usually great about hanging out with me, and the teacher is great about O checking out the equipment when he gets restless, even if it isn’t his class yet.  Then during O’s class, Sam always packed some toys and a snack.  There were two other boys with younger sibs, so the three of them always had fun in the back during the “baby” class.

This time around, Samuel finally got really good at things that require arm strength, not his best area before.  This was this first session he was able to swing on the parallel bars with straight arms.  It was also the first time he did a handstand with his arms straight, and the first time I saw him do this . . .

{Which will be a video when I finally get it off my phone.}

On the very first day of class, when the moms and kids all sat on the mats and started stretching and doing the other activities, Owen just laughed and laughed.  He loved it.  I think this was the first time he and I did something so involved together, just the two of us, and it was great.  Owen likes to jump.  And jump and jump and jump.  Everyone was pretty taken back by the heights this little guy would jump off of all on his own.  And even when there were things that weren’t really for jumping, he’d still jump off.  He’s just our crazy jumper!  Owen was also super good at the balance beams.  He would full on run down the wider one.

{Again, more video on my phone.  One day.}

So the spring session always ends with a program.  Owen was not so excited about that part.  He prefered to watch Sam and then show Dad his tricks afterwards.  And at the very end, he did go with all the other kids to line up, take a bow, and get their medals.  It was a really cute little performance, and I felt like such a proud mama.  Seriously, I know, I’m such a cheeseball.  It’s also always really fun to let Erik see what we are to up during the day without him.

I’m still trying to decide what was most funny about this . . . Owen’s random fascination with and intense study of Samuel’s toes, the fact that Sam stared right past O and didn’t give any of it a second thought, or the puzzled expressions and stifled laughs that Erik and I kept exchanging over the whole thing.  Whatever it was, I don’t think I can explain the hilarity of this moment. 

Doctor couldn’t find the heartbeat right away, so he plugged in the old school ultrasound machine.  As he gelled up my tummy he assured me the past 5 weeks of constant nauseau and 6 pukes a day were a really good sign.  Sure enough, there was our tiny little kumquat bopping around.  The heart beat was still tricky to see, but we did catch a quick flicker and Doc said, “It looks good, we have confirmed Life.” 

Guess that makes it pretty official.

My camera has been missing for a while.  It turned up on top of the fridge.  Which surprisingly, is where I keep it.  I guess I should’ve thought to check there.  Anyway, a few old pictures I thought I’d blog for the sake of memory.  My memory.  Which is SHOT!  What is wrong with me?  I have no brain.  I sat for like a full minute yesterday trying to think of what the stupid toy in front of me was called.  DOG.  A big dumb fuzzy stuffed dog.  I was looking for the word DOG.  Sigh.  I digress . . .

December 7, 2010

Evening with Santa.  We were invited to a special event with fun games, donuts, prizes, and a meeting with Santa.  This was Samuel’s first time to meet Santa.  He was through the roof giddy.  With about 3 people in front of us left, he started bouncing.  When it was finally his turn, he literally jumped the whole way to Santa’s lap.  Samuel told him he was a very good boy and when asked, replied he wanted EVERYTHING for Christmas!  Then it was Owen’s turn.  We very specifically planned for Erik to do the hand off.  O definitely didn’t scream or cry.  But he still wasn’t very excited about it.  Afterwards, he had no problem smiling and waving to Santa.  And when we left, Owen had learned a new word.  “Bye bye Danta!!” 

December 15, 2010 

When gymnastics ended, we started going to the library with our friends on those mornings instead.  We would go for a 30 minute music time, then check out some books and read for 30 minutes, and then have 30 minute story time.  On the last day before the Christmas Break, I figured it was time to bring my camera.  (Mediocre point and shoot + Awful awful flourescent lighting = These pictures.)  We had been promised the week before there would be a special visitor from the North Pole, but it wasn’t Santa.  I’m going to be honest, the whole thing was a bit lame.  Sam was bored with it.  But he still wanted to wait in line for his candy cane.  Then he went back and got one for O.

Sometimes I let my child dress himself.  I usually regret it later.  Like when I look at pictures.

Buddies Gavin and Nathan.

December 22, 2010

Owen has started throwing some awesome tantrums.  He had a particularly nasty one that for some reason he felt needed to happen under the table.  I figured I could sit there and pull my hair out.  Or I could get out the camera.

December 26, 2010

Just helping himself to some cheese and crackers.  Funny kid.

On our almost two hour drive home from Thanksgiving dinner, I let Owen hold my camera in hopes of keeping him quiet and happy for a few minutes.  What I didn’t realize, was that he has somehow changed the setting to shoot in just 3 megapixels.  I went a few days taking pictures like that before I noticed.  I was bummed.  These pictures could be way cuter if they looked decent.   But you get the idea, I guess.

Samuel showed Owen how to eat oranges . . . and make an orange rind smile.

Owen thought that was pretty funny.

So he tried it, too.

These two fight tease and push each others buttons for fun.  They are also best buddies and love each other dearly.  This was the cutest.  We had made a sofa cushion mountain.  After some serious mountain scaling and repelling, they took a few quiet minutes.  I watched them both work together to get the blankets and pillows just right.  Then they snuggled in for some Dinosaur Train on tv.  A few minutes later when I checked in, I saw them like this.

Sam was just sitting there rubbing Owen’s sweet little head.  He did this for a while as they both watched their show.  When he stopped, Owen turned around, patted his own head and told Sam “More!”

In case you didn’t know, one of them is the big brother.  The other is the little brother.  This is my attempt at getting a picture.  Sure does tell a story, doesn’t it??

Man alive, these boys.  It’s a good thing they’re so cute and loveable!

This very well may be the longest I’ve ever been away from my bloggity blog.  13 days.  Wowza.  I have a bajillion things to catch up on and post, including the homecoming of Elder Whitby and Sam’s 4th birthday!  Yikes.  I’ve got to get moving.  But in the meantime, enjoy the cuteness of these two little boys, who couldn’t possibly eat their apples and watch Curious George any other place than smushed up right next to each other on the huge sectional.