Weekend Update

We went to a park over the weekend and let the boys run wild all over the toddler-friendly areas. They are getting much better about running along the various paths and bridges but still don't make Mommy & Daddy feel comfortable enough for us to not chase them the whole time. They really like climbing up stairs and whatever other plastic platforms that exist. Drew actually walked across some separated lily-pad looking steps that were each at a different level. He held Daddy's hand and walked across all the steps. He seemed so proud when he was done. Drew also saw many mirrors and said "Jake" each time.. which was hilarious. We are working on getting him to say his own name, but for now we are happy that they both have learned to say "Jake" very clearly. And Jake just ran like a wild man from one place to another on the playground. He really likes to try to get away from whoever is in charge of him at the moment. The first photo was the only one we were able to get of both boys (can you tell who is who?). Just too much chasing and not enough moment-capturing.

We love ice cream & Granny & Pops!

Granny & Pops were in town and came for a visit. The boys enjoyed hanging out with them and we decided to take another photo of Pops holding both boys while sitting in the recliner. It didn't last nearly as long as it did almost a year ago... and what a difference a year makes! Take a look at the photo from this year AND last-->

Also, Nana found these new "mini" ice cream cones and we gave them to the boys for dessert. They absolutely loved them... and ate them like they were pros. I think I'll have to find them in our grocery store... or maybe go the cheapy route and make my own at home! :)

Funny Things

There have been so many things that the boys are getting into lately. Both boys enjoy climbing onto any and all tables by any means necessary, playing with plugs that luckily are no where near an outlet, chasing the dogs with all the ride-on toys. Drew has climbed into the tub while it was filling up with all his clothes on, likes to kick the dogs, and is talking up a storm. While Jake throws tantrums on the floor, climbs up on to shelves, and pushes chairs around the room to wherever it is he wants to climb up to. It has become a house rule that you can not turn your back on them for long AT ALL. But in addition to having eyes in the back of our heads, there are little things like what is in these videos that just make us crack up on a regular basis.



Never a dull moment around here!

Zoo!

We took the boys to the zoo for about the 3rd time but this was the first time with Daddy! It was a lot of fun and the boys even got the sort of feed the giraffes. They loved the chimps and the elephants. If it wasn't so hot, I'm sure they would have loved lots of other animals too.... we'll have to try again later in the season.

Fourth of July

What a difference a year makes! Here is a photo of the boys this July 4th at Fort Meade. We decided to go to the same place we went last year but the boys were much more of a handful since they were running all over the place! We didn't make it long enough to see the fireworks, but luckily we had some extra help (thank you Nana & Poppy) to chase the boys during the picnic!



Check out last year's photo... same ride, very different kiddos! ha ha!

Words Words Words

The boys are really saying A LOT of words nowadays. And for many of their words, they either know the real sign for it as well... or their own version of the sign. This makes our job much easier to figure out what they are saying. They are also mastering animal noises thanks to our animal books and MANY little people toys with animals. We have both the zoo and the farm, so we spend a big part of our day imitating the noises coming from those toys.
For some odd reason, they both scream and point up to the sky for the word "plane"... not sure why except that we are so close the airport.
Here is a video of Jake making his elephant noise and Drew doing his plan scream.



We also finally found some flip flops for the boys to wear. They need to wear wide-width size and there is no such thing as wide-width flip flops (I have searched EVERYWHERE) but I finally found some big enough for their chunky feet. I am happy to report that they even like to wear them. I was afraid the piece between their toes would really bother them, but lucky for us, they like them just fine. Now their feet don't get so hot in all the other sandals we have bought for them. :)

Kings Dominion!

We went to Kings Dominion yesterday with Nana, Aunt Carrie, and cousins Trevor, Lilly, & Ryan! They had so much fun on all the kiddie rides. They were very excited to see the rides and even more excited once we put them on the rides. When they first started moving, I think they were both a little surprised. But lucky for us, it was a HAPPY surprise!

Unfortunately we didn't get any photos in the pool area. They sort of melted after lunch and had no interest in getting wet. However, once they both took a little cat-nap, they were super happy all over again and enjoyed the toddler water area. We'll have to remember to get photos next time since we were too busy chasing them around this time!

Here is a video of the last ride we put them on. They were a little small for the ride, but it was a strap-them-in sort of ride and we knew they would more than likely enjoy it just like all the other rides. I sort of wonder, though, if they could really even see anything. They were probably just happily playing with the seat belt the whole time. ha ha.