Oh, to be a little bit taller!!

This morning, when D.R. and I went to pick-up the boys from our church nursery, we found a very patient woman trying desperately to keep Dex and Jax from climbing EVERYTHING in the room! There seemed to be nothing they didn't want to climb... chairs, tables, shelves... she said she was momentarily able to bribe them to halt their climbing endeavors with animal crackers, but by the time we arrived, they were definitely losing their appeal!
Now, the question is, how do we curb this zeal for climbing which seems to be at the very core of their being? If it is their nature to climb, are all of our efforts futile? As I've previously posted, our kitchen chairs are semi-permanently kept either on top of the table, where they are (for the time being) too high to reach, or slid far under the table, where they are no fun to climb. The kitchen pot-rack is blocked off by our kitchen table (which even makes it hard for Mama to reach the pots and pans!), the piano bench is slid far under the piano... and we are getting far-too-used to intercepting a climbing boy from his high-summit destination. What more can we do? Will they forever want to scale the walls? How is it that I have friends whose children have never even dared create a todller-built staircase to the ceiling when it seems to be the primary objective of my little Dex and Jax? Seriously, the other day, I found that they had arranged their toys from small to large, to form a rickety trail to the very top of our upright piano. Imagine my horror, as I try to stop two little boys from falling five-feet down!

Anyway, it certainly adds excitement and adventure to our days! In the meantime, I'm trying to create safe climbing opportunities for them. They LOVE standing on kitchen chairs to help me cook. In the top photo, they're assisting Auntie T prepare for an afternoon of krumkake-baking... Jax with the whisk, Dex with the bowl. They also enjoy using their rocking horse as a means to reach the light-switch. In the smaller photos, Dex demonstrates this fun game.

Fun with Great Grandpa

We were able to make it home during the month of December for a dear friend's wedding. An added bonus? Getting to play with Great Grandpa the next day!!! The boys may be wigglers, but they LOVE sitting on Great Grandpa's lap! Dex is on the left, Jax is on the right.

Two Boys in a Box

Boxes continue to be a source of pleasure for the rascals. The bigger the box, the more likely it is that they'll try to squish into it together. However, no box is too small for these boys! This morning, they each tried fitting into a tiny little 6" x 10" box. They tried OVER and OVER again, until Dex finally got his foot stuck inside!! I hope they always keep me this entertained! In both photos, Jax is on the left and Dex is on the right.

My Dapper Duo

I am WEEKS behind in my posting! We are home, at last, after a week of visiting family. I have so many stories to share, photos to post... and I will do my best to play catch-up in the next few days. In the midst of all the wonderful visits and Christmas celebrations we shared, the boys also experienced one trip to the ER, two double ear infections, an asthmatic attack, accordian and hammered dulcimer lessons, baking, first-walks in the snow, first haircuts, and their parents' five-year wedding anniversary.

Somehow, the boys picked up on the fact that this time of year is a special one for us. They adore being with their extended families and love the group joy that's present at any celebration. Luckily, they also enjoy getting all dappered up for these family affairs!! These are photos of my handsome little boys with all their adorable baby curls still present!! I'll post photos of their new hairstyles shortly.

Jax is on the left, Dex on the right, in the topmost photo. In the second photo and in the last two, Dex is on the left and Jax is on the right.

Ollie!!

Finally!! Photos of my handsome new nephew! I should have had these up much sooner!! As you can see, he's absolutely gorgeous... and I miss him so much already! I am in such awe of all that my sister is balancing, right now. Graduate school (finals, papers, studying, etc.) and a new little baby. She's doing a fabulous job and will deserve all the rest she can possibly get over the holidays. A sleepy little Ollie with his mama. Oh, so peaceful... Daddy has the honor of doing the first fingernail trimming... (such pressure!) What a cute little family! Ollie's first outing! (And guess who knit his sweater and booties?) Only two days old... Sarah and Chris call this Ollie's "thinker" pose... apparently, one of his favorites... Taking a look around...

So cuddly with Uncle Seth...

Special time with Mimi Sleeping in Granddaddy's arms

And since I have no photos of myself with Ollie (since I'm always the person BEHIND the camera!), I thought I'd show how handsome Ollie looks in the hat and booties I knit for him!

My Little Cookie Monster

Both boys have been saying "uh-oh" for ages. There has been much debate in our home as to whether or not this counts as a first word. I would argue that it does count as a first word, since it's used in appropriate contexts: ie. sippy cup is dropped to the floor..."uh oh."

Jax, however, has officially learned his first "real" word and is using it as frequently as he possibly can. What is this magnificent word? Is it "Mama"? No. Is it "Dada"? No. It's "COOKIE." For a few days, we were wondering if he could really be saying it, as sometimes it sounds like, "Kee," and other times, it sounds like, "Goo-gee." But, this afternoon, it became official. After giving each of the boys an animal cookie after lunch, I put the box into the cupboard. Jax came running over to the kitchen, pointing to the cupboard and shouting, "Kee!! Kee!! Goo-gee, goo-gee, goo-gee!!" When I reached for the box again, he clapped his hands and, once again, squealed, "Kee!" Is that communicating, or what? Now, if they could just say, "Mama," my world would be complete!

Not to be outdone, Dex got his first molar this week-end. Score one point for Jax in the word department and one point for Dex in the teeth department. Of course, Dex also chipped one of his front teeth this week-end... but he handled it like a pro, so we won't subtract any points for that one!

The Zoo Times Two

The boys enjoyed a day out with their girls next door, again! This time, it was an exciting trip to the zoo. It turned out to be the ideal trip for energetic toddlers. The zoo is basically empty this time of year, so we could let the children run wild and not worry about losing them in the nonexistant crowds.

By the time we left, the boys were completely drenched from all their splashing in the tidal pool. Next time, I am definitely going to need to bring a spare pair of clothes! You try to get four toddlers to turn and look at a camera with a million more interesting things to look at!!This photo just makes me smile... :)

After an afternoon with the girls, the boys were so inspired they just had to express themselves musically. (Jax-left, Dex-right)

Bathtime was extra splashy that evening, as we remembered how fun the tidal pools were at the zoo! (Dex-left, Jax-right)

Thanksgiving

I returned home from the most fantastic visit with my sister, her husband and their new baby boy, only to realize that I have a million things to do before Christmas!! There's shopping, projects to be completed (or started?!), wrapping, decorating, baking, traveling... and blog posting! Yikes!!

Anyway, I have a series of photos from our Thanksgiving celebrations with both sides of the family. The boys had a blast playing with aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and a great grandpa, too! They love all the attention they receive in big family gatherings and they can't seem to get enough of their cousins!





Great Grandpa has such a fun yard for running and exploring. The boys adored collecting leaves and stones, playing tag with Grandpa and investigating pine cones with Great Aunt Lou ... Dex even thought it would be a good idea to make a bed of stones.



Jax loved walking outside with Great Aunt Lou and eating Sonja's popsicle!


"Uh oh! Looks like we've been caught...."

The boys had so much fun exploring Great Grandpa's house!! There were so many fun things for them to look at! Mostly, I think they loved all the attention their uncle Jonathan and cousin Sonja gave them. With a house full of people, it's nice to know they're always with someone who loves them!

Jax and Gramma, hiking back home after a walk down the hill.

Playing in Grandpa's candy drawer was a huge hit.

Hooray for sippy cups!! D.R. gets a good cuddle with Reese, Jax and Dex...
Enjoying the sunset with Gramma (holding Jax) and Daddy (holding Dex).