Baby Basket Bingo

These boys think everything is a toy! Nothing is sacred. Laundry baskets are so much fun, especially when Daddy is willing to push the boys all through the house in them. Gavin usually won't get out or falls over trying to get in again. They both just cackle and think it's a hysterical ride. Gabe will go and get a basket out of the laundry room and get in it....and then off they go.... fighting over whose turn it is before it's all over. You should see the two of them! I just love that Gavin is getting older and independent enough for them to play together and enjoy it more. He can make Gabe cry in a minute too! :)

Wheeeeee!

See, didn't I tell you? Look at Gavin's hair blowing back from the speed of Daddy running up the hallway! Gav's an 'adrenaline junkie' just like Gabriel!

Paging Dr. Gavin

Gavin was playing around this morning and put Gabe's toy stethoscope around his neck. He took it off and put it back on a couple of times and then proceeded to start playing with the toy phone. He held it up to his ear and looked so serious, I just had to snap a pic.

Basketball Champ

We recently upgraded our toys to some older varieties so that the boys will have more things to do and we can rotate some of the "played out" toys. It was exciting for all of us to pick out new things and we are having a great time assembling them and teaching the boys how to play with all of the new things. Gabe is enjoying the sit and spin, the hippity hop, and his new magnetic blocks. Gavin has taken over the basketball goal! He finds that child sized basketball, bends down and picks it up, toddles right up to the side of the hoop, and pushes it up over his head and into the net. He's so proud of himself.

He and Gabe are having a great time chasing that ball around. Gabe is all confused because he just got the hang of soccer, where you only use your feet and now we're on to basketball where you can't use your feet at all. He's so funny kicking it away from the basket after it rebounds so Gavin can't get to the ball. Gavin loves it. We've had our share of "jump balls" these past few days as well. Stay tuned for more sports updates.

Make Some, Make Some

Gabe got a new kitchen playset including a chef's hat, an apron, oven mitts, and wooden spoon and he couldn't have been happier with it. He likes to help out in the kitchen when I am baking or when Daddy is prepping food for the grill...so this was right up his alley.

He likes to "make some, make some" which is what he calls stirring anything in a bowl or cup. He is into pouring at the sink too and likes all sorts of measuring cups, funnels, bowls, large cups, etc. He just fills them with water and dumps them into others. I let him help me bake a cake a couple of weeks ago.... thinking he'd like to help measure things and pour them into the mixer, but now he just wants to crack eggs. Big mistake, Mommy!

Maybe he'll end up a famous chef with his own restaurant or something like Gordon Ramsay or Wolfgang Puck? Wouldn't that be great?!?

Hey, Sit your butt down!

Standing up in the high chair seat is how Gavin is choosing to eat these days. It scares the life out of me, but he can wriggle his way out of the belts no matter HOW TIGHT we tighten them. He's a little Houdini.

He just twists his waist around and wriggles himself free and then stands up, giggles, and starts picking up his food and eating it. He even stands or sits up on the tray at times. No matter how much we tell him "no" he still thinks this is cute. (and I guess truthfully it is...) I'm just scared he's going to go over the side and land on his head. He refuses to sit down. Think it might be time for the booster seat?

By the way, I've been told that when I was much younger, and a bossy little lady, I might add, there was one particular phrase that I favored at times which I find myself saying over and over again as an adult......"Sit your butt down". I've repeated it so often, that now Gabe is saying it too. We are desperate to get Gavin to sit his butt down!

Obsessed with Elmo

Today, we took the boys to see Sesame Street LIVE. It was wonderful and the boys loved seeing the singing & dancing UP CLOSE. All of the familiar characters were there and they sang many of the songs we hear and sing along with daily (the same ones from all the Sesame Street shows since the 60's). Gabe and Gavin really behaved well even though the show kept them out way passed nap time.

Gavin loves Elmo, and so does Gabe... but Gavin is totally obsessed. He was determined to walk right up onto the stage with those life-sized characters and wasn't timid about heading for the stairs from our front row seats....every chance he got!!! He just wriggled out of my lap and took off. Eyes fixed....entranced by Elmo.... He wobbled his little self right up there....Mommy and Daddy took turns stopping him and bringing him back to sit and watch. This only made him frustrated, tearful and he tried even harder to get down again so he could join in the fun.

Parenting Lesson # 22,645: Guess we know for next time, maybe second row would have been better so we could keep the kids contained a bit more behind the seats in front of us?!


















"MUST....REACH....ELMO....NOW!" "Hey, Big Bird, Come to GAVIN!"

While the Cat's Away, the Mice will Play

So, this is what Gavin and Mommy do while Gabe is at school and Daddy's at work....we hang out at Starbux and talk on our cell phones, wearing our dark shades so no one will recognize us. It's perfect!

Well, that's what we did last week....this week we have plenty of errands to keep us busy. Still fun with just the 2 of us. :)

Gavin loves Mommy's cell phone and glasses. He actually reaches for the glasses and tries to put them on himself. He even keeps the shades on and looks at me through them and grins. Cute.

ROAAAAAAAAR!!!!

We went to see real dinousaurs and it was awesome! Even the "smaller" species of dinosaurs were larger than life in this cool new stage show from the BBC that we were fortunate enough to see. We were in the 8th row and Gabe was so brave. He just did his best dinosaur roar and kept saying "Do you see that big dinosaur, Daddy?" "Mommy, do you see those big dinosaurs?" They really were big....seriously....life-sized, robotic, a real spectacle!

The show IS pretty impressive. If it comes to an arena near you, it's a must see. Check out the official website for details {www.dinosaurlive.com} Or see our video snip-it. Gabe got a souvenir t-shirt and these totally cool dinosaur-feet slippers. Wish they came in my size!!!

Look at him go

Gavin is determined to use a utensil just like the rest of us. He is so funny chewing on his fork or spoon and stabbing around crazily on his highchair tray to try and pick up anything edible. Ha! He's got the hang of it and can pick up food and actually get it into his mouth, so no complaints here. He's such a big boy, walking and feeding himself. Whew! Can't believe it! What's next?

2nd day, not so thrilled....

Gabe went to school without issue on Tuesday and got a good report.....However, by Thursday, he wasn't looking so forward to it and it had been a long week.

He cried for a minute and was standing at the gate crying for me when I left, but his very sweet teachers reassured me that he was fine shortly after. When I came back to pick him up, he was playing in the sandbox and having a great time. We'll see how next week goes when we start the carpool style drop-off where Mommy and Gavin don't go in with him.....fingers crossed!

Preschool Tote Bag

Merma Di helped Mommy get this special monogrammed tote bag for Gabe to carry his things in and he is quite proud of it. He helped me pack the bag and he carried it all by himself. Thanks Merma! Stay tuned for more about preschool happenings this year.

First Day of Preschool

Gabe started his very first day of preschool today and he was so enthusiastic! He ran right into the building yelling, "My school! My school!" He hardly looked back once we got inside and he never shed a tear. I was thrilled about that.

He has taken to the pretend kitchen area that they have in his classroom and likes to make tea for everyone. He held his own little tea social while all of the other children were arriving. He's really into cooking and helping in the kitchen lately....maybe he should be a chef for Halloween?

It was tough for Daddy to get a good pic' of Gabe looking at the camera and smiling about starting preschool, because every time he asked Gabe to "say cheese", he just yelled "No, make Rosy Tea!" (that's from his favorite show the Wiggles) Of course, Gabe also loves to color, paint, sing, etc. so this preschool experience should be right up his alley.

His best friend goes there as well and is in the same class. He especially likes that part. I think it's going to be a great year!