There's No Turning Back

I know I have been falling down on the job lately, but, rest assured, I'm not falling down as much as our baby. (I guess he's not a baby anymore, though. The kid is 16 months old now!) To his credit, Michael falls down and bravely picks himself back up. No complaints. And, though at times, he looks a little like some sort of marionette, he's moving fast enough to make us proud. And tired. There is no turning back. Our boy is walking and won't be stopped!





As for Jason, his walking and running are doing just fine. Now it's his mouth that is picking up speed. Miss Michelle says he is talking her ear off. That is unusual. But, he really does have a lot to say. For example, tonight at dinner:

Jason: Those men getting out of the car were stupid, Mommy. I saw that on the news.
Me: What did you say?
Jason: They were stupid, Mommy. Daddy said so. He said they were stupid.

Uh-oh. Busted. It was after this conversation that we went into the lesson on words we don't repeat, even when Daddy says them.

What has been most amazing is the development of Jason's sense of humor. And, we will do almost anything so we can hear him laugh. We realized that jokes are not lost on Jason just a few weeks ago. Doug was sharing two of his favorite knee-slappers. To our surprise, he started giggling uncontrollably. While adults may not fall down laughing at these offerings, Jason does.

You may have been treated to these before, but, when you see Jason, try these out. They will get guaranteed laughs.

"What did the farmer say when he lost his tractor? Where's my tractor."
"What do you get when you cross an elephant with a rhino? Elefino!"

Yes, simple and very effective.

As I mentioned before, it has been an extremely busy week for my little social butterfly. He and his three pre-school friends are the cutest things ever. They are all perched on the guest room bed. Doug had just spent about half an hour reading to a rapt audience!

Looking Back

Can you believe how MUCH they've grown? Michael was just a week old here.



We're looking forward to plenty of gatherings over the next few days. Jason's preschool buddies are planning to stop by, and so is our old friend, Erika, with her two girls. Can't wait to get together with everyone and catch up.

Riding High

The video quality really is not good. That's my next project--to make it better, but, you can still tell that blurry figure is Jason, doing so well on his bike. To think he's only been riding it for a few weeks. Tonight, he cleared the "big hill" as he calls it. Our driveway.







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cZAzG6KZsc

Youtube Generation

The boys and I are now a part of this latest video craze. The following link, which you can copy and paste into your browser window, will take you to youtube, the video sharing website that is being talked about everywhere! The clip isn't great, sorry about that. I was just trying to see if I could figure out how to download our video clip on the site in the first place. It's from our day at the beach a few Saturdays ago. Jason was trying to bury Doug in the sand. Michael, well, Michael was just trying to enjoy his snack in peace.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2EX_5Qlun0

Fun in the Sun

What a busy weekend! It started with a simple, yet very enjoyable company picnic. The kids had a blast. Jason tried something he's never done before. He rode a pony, and enjoyed it wholeheartedly. Michael refused to participate. He acted as if we were trying to feed him broccoli or something. But, he forgot his anger moments later when we handed him some tasty chicken.






The fun didn't stop for these little ones. The next day we visited the pool, and joined by Michelle, Craig, and Baby Kaylie. The spray park kept all the little ones busy and smiling!

Clean-cut Couple

The boys are shaggy no more, that's for sure. Both did extremely well in the hair stylist's chair, as always. And, we did get some help with Michael's 'do from our friend, Walter. Though the cuts give both a fresh, new look, some things never change. Sometimes it's just too hard not to hang onto your favorite sibling.

Crafty Kids

The boys really don't enjoy wearing hats, or anything on their heads, for that matter. But this Jason creation must have really made an impact. He wore it the entire day after he put it together at pre-school summer camp. He's excited to have it on his head, really he is.
















Jason is one cool cat, while Michael is like a bug, forever trying to get away. He's still not fully walking, but he's figured out how to crawl up and down the stairs. That look you see is the one we constantly get treated to, as we run all over the house trying to catch him.

A Day at the Beach

We haven't had the chance to visit the beach too much this summer, but our recent lounge session on the sand made us realize we need to do this more often. Jason jumped in the waves with Doug. He couldn't get enough of them. And Michael did what he does best. Eat. Those are goldfish crumbs around his mouth. I guess the beach blanket and umbrella help make a tastier snack even tastier.

What did we do?

My good-natured baby does have his moments. Michael started wailing the minute we all said cheese. We gave him water a moment later, and he just was fine.

Jason's Five Finger Discount

Yes, we're proud. Doug got to see this one through. Over the weekend, the two went to 7-11 to gas up the car and pick up some milk. The trip went off without a hitch, or so Doug thought.

While buckling up Jason, he asked Doug, "Daddy, was I good inside the store?"

Doug told him he was.

That's when Jason, with a huge smile, pulled a lollipop out of his pocket.

Doug: "Where did you get that, Jason?"
Jason: "From my pocket."

The two marched back into the store, returned the lollipop, and Jason, duly subdued, now tells us he doesn't like that store anymore.

And, yes, that is Michael trying to get away from big brother Jason.