March Miscellaneous

Here are some of our latest happenings this month:

Reading with Daddy

Cody and Jaden absolutely LOVE spending time with their Daddy. The boys eagerly watch for him out our front window at the end of every workday. When Daddy comes in the door, they excitedly wave and give him hugs. Being with their Daddy is definitely a highlight of the boys' day. Here they are reading stories together.

Daddy even constructed a creative reading tent, which Jaden and Cody enjoy running through as much as they do reading in it! The book Daddy is reading happens to be one of the boys' favorites (The Belly Button Book, a gift from Uncle Andrew & Aunt Sarah). Notice Jaden enthusiastically pointing out his own belly button as they read together.

Indoor Play

Mommy finally purchased pom-poms for the boys to play sorting games with. These little fuzzballs are definitely a big hit! Sometimes, Mommy can encourage a color sorting activity or a gross-motor skill practice of placing the pom-poms in the ice cube trays.

Most of the time, however, the boys simply prefer to scatter the balls all around the room. Lately, we seem to be uncovering pom-poms everywhere. :) 

One of our most recent sale purchases for our boys was this plastic picnic table. We look forward to using it for many outdoor snacks, picnics, and crafts this summer! For now, though, Jaden and Cody are doing just fine breaking the table in by climbing on it, sliding off the benches, hiding underneath it, and occasionally doing normal things like coloring or eating snacks on it.

Unfortunately, we also found out that the table can be quite dangerous. When you slide off the bench head-first into the fireplace, the result is a sad, scary experience! Cody's cut was quite deep and, though not too terrible or stitches-worthy, was probably our bloodiest accident yet. (I know, I know, we are sure to have many more accidents to come with these active boys...) The funny thing was, Jaden probably cried just as much as Cody throughout this entire experience! We were just thankful the injury wasn't any higher on this poor little guy's head.

Outdoor Play

Hooray for nicer weather again! Finally, we are starting to get more consistent warm(er) temperatures and few snowfalls. (After just less than 100 inches this winter, we're ready to be DONE with snow!) Thankfully, this good weather means that we've been able to spend time outside almost daily again. We go on regular walks and often play with balls in the driveway.

By far, Jaden & Cody's favorite outdoor activity is pushing their mowers-- sometimes in the grass..

sometimes along the sidewalk...

...and down the long walkway next to our home.

Other times, our boys even go on a walk with Mommy and their mowers all the way along the sidewalk to our neighboring cul-de-sac. They particularly love when we fill the mowers with their bubble mixture. We definitely get a LOT of use out of these mowers!

A Visit with Ms. Doris

Just last week, we enjoyed a morning visit with our dear church friend, Ms. Doris. She has a perfect meeting room in her apartment complex that was ideal for toddler play (no knick-knacks!). Ms. Doris was well prepared for our arrival-- removing all the low planters on the tables, scouring her place for creative toys to entertain the boys, and setting out some yummy snacks both for the boys and for Mommy! What a thoughtful lady!

Ms. Doris also arranged for her neighbor to stop by with her pet dog, Sophie. Our little dog-loving boys were in heaven! I'm not sure they had ever spent time with such a small dog before. Little Sophie was quite jumpy and loved to lick our boys faces, eliciting LOTS of giggles from Jaden and Cody.

We had also brought along a bagful of toys and books, so Ms. Doris read the boys a favorite story towards the end of our time together.

Jaden & Cody sat still and listened to her read for an impressively long time. Ms. Doris definitely has the great-grandma touch!

Jaden also showed Ms. Doris one of his favorite flap books. (Uncle Matt & Aunt Kim sure know what books little boys like. Thanks for both of these book favorites we read with Ms. Doris!) Be sure to notice Ms. Doris' arms wrapped around both boys in this next picture. We always enjoy our time with this loving lady!

Fun Videos

Lately, for some reason the boys have enjoyed "talking" with the stairs as they climb upstairs. Often, they stop at each step and bend down to touch their head on each one. Mommy started the camera a bit late to catch the whole thing, but this video gives you an idea of the boys' silly antics.

And while we're on the topic of silly antics, please enjoy some twin head-banging. :)

Lately, we've posted quite a few pictures showing the boys' love for books. One thing we haven't mentioned, however, is that they've recently started "reading" the books, too (or at least making sounds with quite a bit of inflection). Mommy was having some focusing trouble with the video, but the sound should come through fairly clearly.

Of course, we love it when the boys "read" to us like this... at least at home. Not too long ago, Jaden pulled out one of the hymnals during the middle of a church service and started "reading" in this same excited manner. I guess if we're going to be a distraction during church, it might as well be in a positive way! These boys certainly give us a lot to smile about each day!