Around the Breakfast Table

Sunday morning I decided we all needed a little excitement. So I broke out the spoons. While Kevin was snoozing away, I filled bowls with yogurt, dropped a spoon in it, and set it in front of the boys. Ryan looked at me like it was a trick. Connor looked at Ryan to see what he was going to do with it. Within seconds they both had ahold of their spoons. What happened next is hard to say. But you can be assured that there was lots of laughing and quite a mess. I should however compliment Ryan on his spoon skills. After he quit trying to dump his yogurt off the spoon before he put it in his mouth he did really well. Connor on the other hand needs a bit more practice. I totally understand how the boys can come home looking they were in a serious food fight every day given that it sounds like school gives them utensils and turns them loose on a regular basis. I often wonder if they have heard of bibs, and if they have totally lost their minds. But now I understand how mashed potatoes can end up in ones hair, and how applesauce can end up all over a shirt even with a bib firmly in place. Oh boys, you never cease to amaze me.

Not too shabby! Great job Ryan!

A little to the right. Lower, lower... Ummm... Maybe you still need a little practice? :)

Mmm... Yummy!

You know not everything was meant to be eaten with a spoon. But I will hold onto it just in case...

I can do it, too!

And LOOK!! I can eat with BOTH hands!

You never know when you might need a spoon, too.

And our favorite breakfast food - bananas!

Aren't those the cutest little chipmunk cheeks? I am pretty sure he has 1/4 of a banana in there...

Everyday moments

We've been terrible at taking photos lately, but there are so many little things that happen that just crack me up. Like Saturday when we were playing outside. The boys were running around in the culdesac. Ryan, as usual, zeroed in on trouble immediately. This time in the form of some really nasty green sludge coming out of one of the neighbors pool drains. Yuck. So not only was the street edge just a little wet - primo attraction for a kid in dry, clean clothes, but then there was that nice, squishy green stuff that mommy and daddy kept saying not to play in. Yeah, right. Like there was any chance he was going to stay out of it.

He did a great feint heading in the opposite direction, then started slowly back down the edge of the street headed right for it. We saw him. We both called his name. Kevin slowly started heading to intercept him. Ryan, realizing the pursuit started picking up speed. Kevin, countered with some speed of his own. Ryan squealed and turned on the gas. Kevin started running, too. Kevin caught him just feet from the sludge. I laughed out loud. It was just so funny.

Connor provides just as much amusement. I am not sure exactly how it happened but the red toy tub was filled with balls from the ball pit at one point. It might have something to do with the fact that one of Ryan's new favorite past times is to dive head first into the ball pit them sit up and proceed to throw every last ball out of the pit. But I digress... the tub was filled, the boys were playing, and when I turned back around deep belly laughs were emanating from the tub. Connor's head was peaking out but otherwise was pretty much buried. As he wigged around trying to sit up balls went flying out of the tub in waves, followed by laughter and squeals from both of them. Eventually Connor sat up then stood up, and then reminiscent of Kevin in his first snow Connor fell straight back into the balls. The resulting crash sending balls out of the pit in every direction.

Where's she going with my food!?!?

For eat out Wednesday we went to Chili's tonight. I ordered their sliders and was going to share some with the boys even though we ordered something else for them, too. However, as I cut into one I noticed it was really pink inside (think medium) so I sent them back. When the waitress picked up the food and started walking off Connor got REALLY upset - real tears and everything. It was actually kinda funny given that it was my plate and my food, not his, but you would have thought that she ripped it out of his fingers and told him he was going to bed without supper the way he was carrying on. He calmed down when we offered him something else to eat, but it was really funny how upset he was over my plate disapparing. Poor kid.

Out on the lake

The boys got to go out on a boat for the first time on Lake Houston this weekend. We met Uncle Randy, Aunt Diana and Kevin's parents at Cedar Landing on Lake Houston for an early dinner. Unfortunately the a/c went out and it was a bit warm on the lower deck. After dinner uncle Randy was nice enough to take the boys out for a boat ride. They really loved it. It was a little choppy out on the main part of the lake, but Connor LOVED it when we would hit a wave and he would get a little spray.





Afterwards Kevin and Randy stayed to do some fishing while we went home well past our bedtime. I think the fishing trip was a bit of a bust. Apparently the fish weren't biting. Between the two of them they didn't catch a single fish. :) Maybe they will have better luck next time.

Energizer Bunnies

The energizer bunnies were at it again Friday night. :) We took the boys to Chuck E. Cheese for dinner. They were too young for the vast majority of the rides and games, but it was still nice to be able to just let them run around in such a large place and let them explore. They hopped, they danced, and they ran until we were exhausted. And by we I mean Kevin and I. :) I am pretty sure the boys could have kept it up all night. They loved watching the other kids playing, and all the bright lights, noises, and action.

Ryan Tales

Every day we get a letter

Gotta make the problem better

Do you like my yellow sweater

Ryan Tales

It seems like every day when I go to pick the boys up we get another letter. Ryan was bitten by one of his friends after Ryan took his toy. Ryan fell and bumped his head while trying to take a toy from one of his friends. Ryan got a scratch from one of his friends while fighting over a toy.

I am beginning to wonder about Ryan and his choice of friends.

On the run

I really want to know where they get all this energy! Oh, wait, it must be the unbelievable amounts of food that they consume. I swear every time we turn around it's time to feed them again.

We had swim lessons as usual this morning though I think we only have a few more left. Connor is being such a stinker. He doesn't try to kick, or move his arms, or even try to crawl out of the pool anymore. He is perfectly contently just to let you hold him and float him around the pool. No need for him to exert himself. Ryan on the other hand is doing a great job kicking. Though that probably shouldn't surprise anyone. That kid just doesn't ever stop moving. Those little legs go non stop all the time.

We took the boys to a Chinese restaurant for lunch though we didn't feed them anything more exotic than wonton noodles and sweet and sour sauce. The restaurant had a pretty big fish tank with bright colorful fish. Ryan really enjoyed watching the fish.

It was so unbelievably hot today, as usual. So after lunch we stopped by McDonalds to grab a coke and let the boys run around in the play area for a little while before their naps. I had been meaning to try a different McDonalds for awhile now, so we checked out one a little further from us. It had a neat play area where the boys could go up a couple stairs, crawl through a tunnel, go through some rope barriers and then slide down the slide. They made the circuit at least a dozen times each. They were also super cute at one point when one of the ended up on one side of some mesh netting and the other was on the other side. They put their hands up touching each other and were just talking away and giggling.

After a nap we joined some friends for dinner to celebrate their son's 18th birthday. The boys entertained everyone after dinner running up and down an aisle giggling all the way.

Sometimes

Sometimes you guys make me so proud. Like today - when you picked up all the animals. Every single animal. There must have been at least 30. While all the other kids stood around and watched you guys picked them up. All by yourselves. Just because I asked you to. Other parents gawked. I beamed. :) It was ridiculously cute.

But don't think that makes up for this morning....

This morning Ryan hit Connor out of the blue. So I picked Ryan up and carried him with me to the bedroom and dropped him off in the crib while I finished getting ready. Only Ryan didn't mind at all, and Connor bawled like he was being tortured because I had disappeared behind the closed door carrying Ryan so he must be getting rewarded or something right? Wrong. After a minute or so I kicked them both out and finished getting ready. It couldn't have been more than a minute later when I headed back out the door on Kevin's heels. I could hear the boys. And I knew. I just knew. Kevin looked around for them for a minute, then realized that I was talking to the closed powder bath door and asked incredulously if I had locked them in the bathroom. To which I replied, no. They did that all themselves.

Have I mentioned that while lever door handles are truly beautiful, stylish, and functional that they are totally not practical with children. It's very hard to find door locks to fit lever handles that 1) allow you to open the door from the opposite side of the lock (and please manufacturers what kind of door do you think you only ever need to open from one side??? The front door? Ummm... No. The bedroom door... Again... No. Bathroom? Nope. So other than maybe a pantry or closet I just don't get those. And still - we are talking children right? You don't think a child might accidentally lock you in the closet?) but I digress.... Where was I? Oh yeah, 2) don't require permanent damage to the door and 3) stay put and 4) actually keep the children out...

So if I were guessing what happened I would guess that Ryan opened door (as he is known to be the culprit in most door opening instances and his most recent favorite thing to do when I bring him in first is to open the door immediately after I go back out and shut it, and stand in the door way with the door open just wide enough for him hanging halfway out and grinning waiting for Connor and I to come around the corner. ) and then both he and Connor toddled inside looking to make mischief, when one of Ryan's compulsions kicked in - the one where everything that opens must be closed (doors, cabinets, gates, etc.) - and he manged to lock them both in the powder bath. In the dark. To which they were most definitely not thrilled, and apparently lacked the common sense or ability to see well enough to enable them to get back out. So they cried. Piteously. Until I let them out. Not that I think this incident as traumatic as it sounds will in any way deter them from trying the like tomorrow, or the day after for that matter.

Ketchup

You guys have learned another new word. Ketchup. Though the pronunciation isn't exactly how we could say it your meaning is definately clear. You guys will eat just about anything with ketchup on it. You particularly like it on chicken. One of the first times that I let you have some I asked you to pick a piece of chicken that you wanted ketchup on and hand it to me. I took the piece dipped it in ketchup and fed it to you. Without being asked you picked up another piece and held it out for me. You ate all your chicken like that. One piece at a time. With ketchup.

You did it for daddy today, too. He thought it was funny when you held the piece up for him and said "ketchup."

Ready, Set, Go!

Oh how I wish we had a video camera rolling 24/7 sometimes. This morning I woke up to the sound of chatter over the monitor. When I looked over the boys were starting their normal morning shenanigans - reaching into each others cribs and giggling. Then over the monitor I swear I heard "Ready, Set, Go!!!" followed by them racing blankets in hand to the other end of their cribs.

Then just before we left for lunch the boys were playing in playland when out of the blue Connor walked up to Ryan with one of the big inflatable balls and handed it to Ryan knocking him over. Ryan landed on the edge of the ball pit and flipped over backwards into the balls. He looked so stunned like he had no idea how he ended up catapulted into the balls. It was just too funny.