see any similarities?

the checklist

cray, unkempt, fuzzy, long hair...check

messy face and even messier pjs...check

small bucket to sit in...check

cars...check

a happy James...check!

yet another cabin trip

This weekend was spent at the cabin. We had a few friends join us on Friday. We took pictures, played in the creek, had a great dinner (it was a little late because of the power going out for 1 1/2 hours), and played games until we crashed. We had blackberry pancakes for breakfast on Saturday and then did more of the same. I picked enough blackberries to make my second batch of blackberry jam for the week, and Ty got me a bunch of apples so I could can some apple pie filling.

Thatcher's obession of the weekend was bugs. We saw a bunch of caterpillars, two of which were crazy huge, and spent a good part of our time finding roly poly bugs, making friends with snails (Thatcher named one 'Big Thatcher' and let him crawl all over him), and finding anything else that was crawling in the dirt.

James's obsession of the weekend was his wagon. He carried it and pushed it (not pulled it) everywhere. He gave his pig rides and used it to help him go down hills super fast.

photo shoot

This weekend at the cabin I attempted to take some pictures of the boys. Pictures where they were fully clothed and had clean faces (no small feat these days). I don't know how to us my camera at all, I don't understand aperture, ISO, shutter speed, and good lighting, I only used my mac's editing stuff and not adobe photoshop, and I was working with a very tired James and two runny noses...but I think there are still some good ones. I love my beautiful boys. The first picture is obviously a joke, and I think the last picture is my favorite.

my boys

James is talking a ton. He is getting better at holding my hand, but if there is a ramp of any kind nearby he will bolt for it and run up and down it until he is taken (kicking and screaming) away from it. James has been working on his backward-walking skills...pretty funny. He is getting better at sitting and listening to books being read and he loves the stories his dad tells. Gives the sweetest kisses. Always tells me to 'shhhh' and puts his finger up to his mouth whenever he sees someone sleeping.

James has rediscovered a leap frog stuffed animal that Josh gave to Thatcher a while ago. It sings songs and James is in love with it. Every time it plays a song, James moves his hands to do actions (Itsy Bitsy Spider and Twinkle Little Star look the same, but If You're Happy and You Know It has different actions). This morning I found James on the stairs making the frog's hands clap to If You're Happy and You Know It.

So...despite the fact that James tried to bite SIX different kids on Sunday and I am still healing from a bite that happened over a week ago. And despite the fact that every time I pick him up from day care the ladies inform me that James has a problem with throwing toys at other kids. And despite the fact that James will go up to any kid of any size and either push or hit them...I love him so much and think he is wonderful. We have a few things to work on, but he really is the best.

Thatcher is very protective of James. Today I was trying to get some serious knots out of James's hair and Thatcher kept taking the combs away from me and yelling at me to stop because I was hurting his brother. They come up with the craziest things together too. Yesterday they were surfing and sledding off the couch. Thatcher would balance a cutting board on the arm rest of the couch and balance on it for a second before diving to the side. James thought that was pretty cool so he decided to get out a cookie sheet, carry it up with him to the top of the couch, sit on it, and sled down. The little daredevils. Thatcher has started to get gutsier with bars and hanging from things and as usual, James follows suit. I am encouraging it now because it is so cute. I just hope they don't end up with multiple broken limbs because they are doing flips off the monkey bars.

Thatcher has shown an interest in cooking with me lately and he will always pull up his stool when he sees that I am starting something. He is really good at listening to what we are doing and likes to be a part of the whole process. I love it.

Thatcher held up his hand and tried to tell a huge truck to 'stop' today because he thought it was getting a little too close to him in the parking lot.

Last weekend we went to the Flagstaff Children's Art Festival where Thatcher got his face painted to look like a pirate, he got a dog balloon, he made a puppet, and he got a sucker, a spider toy, and a snow cone. He was in heaven. He was so happy. I love having a little boy who makes a big deal out of everything.

Thatcher's first day of preschool. I think it is going to be more of a transition for him than I initially thought it would be. He is just so sensitive that if he gets corrected (which I think he did a few times) he falls apart. He is also very obedient and very smart and very good at paying attention, so hopefully those qualities will help him to not get corrected very often and save him from the emotional trauma. I am not worried about him learning, I just want him to have a fun and positive experience this first year at preschool.

I love my boys so much. I love just watching them. I love seeing James figure things out. I love seeing Thatcher's creativity and his focus. I love seeing them together. They are the best things in my life.

silly quotes from silly boys

Do they get any cuter? The straight-faced picture was the first one I took. They are just too funny and make me laugh all the time. Here are some things that have made me laugh lately:

Thatcher: Mom, what is that present?

Me: It is a present for a baby girl.

Thatcher: Oh, can I turn into a baby girl and then open it?

Thatcher: "Dad you are so strong you can lift our whole house."

Ty: "Is mom strong too?"

Thatcher: "No, mom isn't strong, she is a girl and she doesn't have a pee pee."

I have no idea where he gets this stuff. We have never made any comments about girls not being strong. Maybe once I said we needed to wait for dad to get home to do something because he is strong, but that is it.

The boys have started to find potty humor funny, so I have told Thatcher that "toot" and "poop" and other such words are not funny. Now Thatcher will say, "I just went poop, and that's not funny."

Thatcher has started to quote movies...especially Cars. When we were in St. George he found a car of Redding's that we do not have and he said, "mom, look it's the car when Sally says, 'customers, customers everyone!'". Then yesterday Thatcher quoted Mater saying, "Mater, like tuh-mater, but without the tuh." I thought it was so cute...and maybe a sign that we have seen 'Cars' a few too many times.

Thatcher loves making friends and has been super friendly to ladies at the pool. He is still shy (especially when I want him to be friendly), but when it is on his own terms he is extremely outgoing.

James has added, I want that, walk, blocks, I want water, tractor, thank you, and so many more phrases to his vocabulary. I can't think of any right now, but he is really starting to put words together to form sentences. When you ask James to ask in a nice voice or to be polite he will say please. He is also very good about showing his muscles when you ask him to. He grunts and puts his hands in a fist...it is pretty cute.

Yesterday James walked past a sunbather while we are at the pool and when he saw she was laying down with her eyes closed, he put his finger to his mouth and "shhhhh-ed" me.

These two just never stop playing. Yesterday James quietly stacked blocks for the longest time. We had friends over for dinner and the adults sat at the table and talked while all four kids played quietly and perfectly with each other. I was in shock. James would build his tower of blocks until it got high and knocked over, then he would start again. I didn't know he was capable of so much concentration.

The other night James stuck a penne noodle in a water bottle along with some spaghetti sauce and a little bit of remaining backwashed water...then the next morning he found it in the garbage, somehow got the noodle out, and ate it. Gross.

Last night the boys were being naughty outside (i.e. Thatcher went to the bathroom on the back deck and James decided that he and the pig would play in it), so right when dinner was about to begin the boys were in the tub. We decided to let them be so we set up the video monitor and Ty, Logan and I ate our meal in peace while James and Thatcher had a crazy, fun, unsupervised bath.

preschool

Thatcher's first day of preschool was last week. His teacher is Miss Amber (confusing for now because Miss Amber is also Sister Black, his nursery leader). He is excited about going to school even though the first day was a little rough. Thatcher is such a sensitive kid that it is sometimes hard for him to be corrected. He did much better his second day though, and is excited to go back.