Friday, April 30, 2010

Bubbles...

My cousin Kimberlee stopped by with her two amazingly cute and great kids today.  I watched them for a little while so that she could run a few errands.  The boys had lots of fun with them.  They were kind enough to bring the boys an early birthday present.

Since the boys are so into Handy Manny, Kim found these two bubble blowers that are in the shape of Pat The Hammer.  The boys were so excited.  They loved playing with the hammer and making bubbles.  They just didn't seem to know where to focus their attention... the hammer while it was making the bubbles or the bubbles that were blowing away in the wind!  We went through an entire bottle of bubbles this afternoon!  Here are a few pictures...

Zachary:

Nicolas:

Chasing the bubbles:

Monday, April 26, 2010

The tractor...

Our neighbors and good friends are having some massive work done on their property.  They have a crew in to do all the work and they brought with them a "tractor" (It's not really a tractor but that's what the boys are calling it).  So, needless to say the boys want to either be in the window watching or outside watching the tractor.  So yesterday, I decided to take a picture of the boys with their "tractor".

Monday, April 19, 2010

Trains, trains, trains...

Nana and Papa bought the boys a train set for Christmas this year but the boys were a little to young and rough for it.  On top of that, they was no real place to put it, so we stored it in their closet until they were more ready for it or we could find a more permanent solution to storing it.

Grandma and Grandpa just brought the boys an early birthday present.  It is the train table for the set that Nana and Papa bought them.  Along with the train table came a huge, elaborate train set-up that we decided was best to put away for now.  The boys are a little too rough with the elevated rails and were constantly knocking them over and getting frustrated.  So, we set up a simple round track with a bunch of trains/cars and they love it!  Grandpa also had lots of extra tracks and cars that he brought up to enhance what we had here.  He set them up with a pretty cool track and they have been playing with it non-stop.  It's great when gifts come together and make for a really cool and useful new toy.

Here are a few pictures of the boys with their new train table and set:

Monday, April 12, 2010

Apple Juice...

I took a cute video this afternoon of the boys saying "apple juice" and I thought I would share...

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Biking...

Today we got a stroller-like thing that attaches to the back of a bike to be able to pull the boys around with us.  We decided to take it for a test drive with them today.  We were worried that they would get bored and not like it.  But, they loved it!  We gave them a few books to look at (which weren't necessary) and some juice.  They sat there smiling almost the entire time.  I snapped a few pictures...



The cart is not easy to pull considering the fact that the boys weighed over 50 pounds combined.  It was a windy day and when the wind was blowing straight at us, it sure was hard to pedal!  But it will be a great addition to our workout.  I am hoping to use it regularly with the boys.  Considering they asked for another ride as soon as we got home, I think it shouldn't be hard.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Big Milestones...

My boys are definitely growing up... there is no doubt about it.  I have been in some form of denial for a while but as their second birthday approaches, I cannot keep my head in the sand much longer.

They have both been talking more and more.  New words are learned every day and some of the old words are now unmistakable to outsiders.  They are also stringing more than one word together.  When Nicolas woke up from his nap today, he asked for some "apple juice".  I knew that he could say both words very clearly, but now he knows that when put together, they take on a whole new meaning.  Zachary's face lit up when Nicolas said that and he responded with, "ya, apple juice!"

Both boys have also learned the word "my".  They use it when they want to do something for themselves or if they are trying to say "mine".  The latest use of the word "my" is when they want to go downstairs.  If I extend my hand out to help them, they very clearly say "my" and make their way down the stairs on their own.  They are obviously holding on to a railing but it is still real scary!  Thankfully so far they have both been very careful and slow when walking down the stairs.

That's all the really big news in our neck of the woods.... my boys are no longer babies!

Friday, April 9, 2010

Just one of those days...

The boys had a great night's sleep that got cut off a little too soon.  They were up at 6:00 this morning which is at least an hour earlier than they usually wake up.  So, they have been a little bit cranky.  I did my best to keep them busy this morning despite the cold and wet weather.  We drove over to the Caterpillar building and looked at the tractors on the lot.  This was a huge hit, since they are obsessed with tractors these days.  We then walked around the mall.  The fountains tend to provide some excitement as well as all the passersby that point out how cute they are.

We made it to nap time with some difficulty but it was manageable.  They slept a little over two hours and Nicolas obviously woke up on the wrong side of the crib.  He is very irritable and cries at the drop of a hat. It's going to be a long few hours before Daddy gets home from work.  Hopefully his mood will brighten and our evening won't be quite as bad.

I just keep reminding myself that they are entitled to having bad days too...

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Old Navy

Since the weather was all but wonderful today, the boys and I headed over to the mall this morning.  THey love to watch the water in the fountains and it's a good place for them to walk around.  We popped into Old Navy because I wanted to see what they had.  The boys were quite pleased with the music playing in the store since all they did the entire time they were in the store was dance.  Every member of the staff stopped to watch since it was so funny.  I wish I had my camera with me... maybe the next time I'll have to carry it along...

Monday, April 5, 2010

Easter Egg Hunt

The boys experienced their very first Easter egg hunt today.  They were lucky enough to have a lot of their cousins here with them and I think that helped in making the experience even more fun.  They had so much fun that I had to hide the eggs two more times because they kept wanting to find them again.  Here are some pictures...

And the Egg Hunt begins:

Zachary finding some eggs on his own:

Nicolas finding some eggs on his own:

 All of the cousins checking out their haul:

My little Easter Egg Hunters:

The boys counting their eggs and discovering the chocolate inside:

Saturday, April 3, 2010

The Ecomuseum...

We have a wonderful nature park just a few minutes from our house that we took the boys to this morning.  We decided to support the park by getting a family yearly membership.  What a wise move!  The boys loved it!  Zachary couldn't get to the next animal fast enough.  The weather was simply wonderful and it was a great walk.  The boys walked almost the entire time.  This will easily be something I can and will do on a regular basis with them.

Some of the animals:

Zachary and Nicolas walking with Grandpa:
The boys walking with Daddy and Grandma:


Zachary and Nicolas looking at the Carribou:

Zachary:

Nicolas:

The boys got to share their first Ecomuseum visit with their cousin Alexandra:

Friday, April 2, 2010

Passport Photos - Completed!

We went to a drug store and got the passport pictures taken for the boys.  They were brought to the passport office and approved.  So, in 3 weeks we will have their passports.  Then the planning for our summer vacation...  where to go???  The possibilities are endless!