Do your boys fight?

 At least once a week, I get asked if the boys fight with each other, or if they are friends.  I usually answer "yes" to either question.

   

As you can see, the boys are friends....they love each other very much.  They hold each others hands, smile and laugh together.  They share their toys, and play together.  Most of the time at daycare, they are inseparable.

However, they also like to wrestle and rough house with each other too! Sometimes it is fighting over a toy, a sippy cup, or who gets to sit on mommy's lap. Other times, it's just to pick on their brother.

This picture captures what usually happens:  Jackson pins Lincoln.  Sometimes it is a strategy to take whatever Lincoln has, but I've also seen where Jackson is trying to hug Lincoln, so he holds onto his waist, and let's Lincoln drag him around for a while.

Oh, brotherly love....

Colors

The boys know their colors!

They have learned them at school, but we reinforce them everyday.

We have a book about colors, and the boys read it to me almost every night.  They tell me what color is on the page, and then they also tell me what else is on the page - there is a blue bird, a yellow butterfly, a red truck, etc.

The boys are constantly pointing out colors to us - usually telling us what color car/truck is driving by.  It's amazing how many white, black, yellow, and red cars are on the road!

They also know how to sign most of their colors - Mommy is still learning some of those!

We are so blessed to have 2 happy, smart little boys who love learning!

Memorial weekend fun

We had an amazing Memorial Day weekend.

Brian only worked a half day on Friday, and my work let us go 2 hours early.  With the extra time, we decided to pack up and head to Toledo early for the holiday weekend.

We were all packed up and on the road around 4:40.  Surprisingly, traffic wasn't too bad!

We were about an hour into our drive when Lincoln asked for a snack - a sign that he was getting hungry.  I told him we were going to stop for dinner soon, then I asked him what he would like for dinner.

Lincoln...."Ummmm....chicken nuggets!"
Jackson...."Mack and Cheese!"

Who can resist when they actually tell you what they want for dinner?

We stopped in Wapak just after 6:00 and had dinner at Bob Evans.  We ordered 2 kids meals - mac and cheese with green beans, and chicken strips with carrots.  These are kids meals for ages 12 and under - and my 2 boys ate everything but the carrots, and they also ate one of our dinner rolls!

After a quick diaper change, we were back in the car, heading north.  I asked the boys if they liked their dinner...Lincoln shook his head yes and smiled, but Jackson gave a bit more input - "I no like the carrot."

Silly boy.

The rest of the trip was uneventful, other than the boys stayed awake the entire trip.  When we got to Lyn and RJ's, we gave the boys a bath, they drank their milk, and finally at 10:00, they went to bed.

Saturday was a bit cloudy to begin with, but the sun finally came out.  We spent most of the day outside playing with Lylah, Knox and Nash.  The boys wore their new swim gear for the first time this year, and played in the pool with the kids.  We ate lunch on the patio, and just enjoyed the beautiful weather.

Saturday night, Lyn and RJ hosted their annual Euchre tournament to raise money for Relay for Life.  The boys were great - playing outside, riding bikes, and visiting with Barb and Pat.  The event raised $300 toward our event, and we had a great time visiting with friends both old and new.

Sunday was a hot day.  The kids were in the pool, then we ate lunch, and the boys took a 3 hour nap.  Yes - three hours (Mommy even got an hour nap!).  After naps, they were back in the pool.  Jackson was a bit braver on Sunday.  He was watching cousin Lylah jump up and sit down in the water - doing cannon balls!  He was having a blast when Brian came back from Fort Recovery.   He would jump up and yell "Cannon ball!" and splash down into the water (it only came up to his neck, but it would splash pretty good).  Lincoln was more tentative, but he still enjoyed playing in the water.

We made home made ice cream, and the boys loved it!

Sunday night we bathed the kids, ordered pizza, then watched a movie after the little ones went to sleep.

Monday morning, we packed all our stuff up, and went to visit the Wagners.  We gave Miss Ashley her birthday presents, played on the swing set, and blew bubbles.  The boys didn't want to leave!  We stopped back at Lyn and RJ's for a quick lunch, then hit the road for home.

Jackson slept most of the way home, while Lincoln only slept for about an hour. 

It was a great weekend - and exactly what I needed.  Very relaxing, and wonderful to spend time with my parents and my sister and her family.

Hope everyone else enjoyed their three day weekend too, and thanks to all the men and women in the military who protect our freedoms!

Handsome boys...

After the boys got their hair cut last week, I told them they were handsome.  Mommy loves her handsome boys.  The rest of the night, the boys just kept smiling at me and saying "Handome boys".  Then they would giggle.

They really do look quite handsome with their new hair cuts.  Jackson looks more like his daddy now than ever.  Lincoln reminds me of my nephew - and he's just as awnery as my nephew was at this age!

Things my boys say that crack me up!

Everyday, the boys say something that just cracks me up.  Sometimes it's because I can't believe they remember something, or I have NO IDEA where they came up with it.  Here are a few things I've heard the past few days:

• Jackson - "Go see Dr. Korn.  Look. At. Ears."
• Lincoln - "School bus! Go get it Daddy!"
• Jackson (when we were getting ready to check out at Sam's Club last night) - "Get a pretzel, Mommy?"  - He remembered the day I took him shopping and we got a pretzel and shared it.
• Lincoln - "I want candy!  I want candy" (in response to going pee-pee in the potty this morning, and I told him we'd find him a treat for being a good boy)

Last night, we picked the boys up from daycare a bit early to get Jackson's ears checked again (thankfully, they are better, so no trip to the specialist for now).  I've really been conscious of trying to engage the boys in conversations - not just asking yes/no questions.  Here is how our conversation went yesterday.

Mommy - What did you boys have for lunch today?
Jackson - carrots.  applesauce.  Sandwhich
(their paper confirmed it was a Ham and Cheese Sandwich)
Mommy - Did you have your afternoon snack before we picked you up?
Jackson - yes Mommy.  We had snack.
Mommy - what did you have?
Jackson - cookies and the pineapples.  No like the pineapples.
Mommy - Does Lincoln like the pineapples?
Lincoln - No.  I no like the pineapples Mommy.

I was totally cracking up listening to them tell me about their lunch and snack.  It is so cute, and so rewarding to hear them actually answering my questions, and adding their own snippets as well.  conversations with 2 year olds are fun!

Excitement

The innocence of a child continues to amaze me, even after being a mom for over 2 years.

Our boys take the most mundane, uninteresting, everyday chores and turn them into something that the whole family looks forward to.  Isn't that crazy?

Everyone looks forward to Friday's.  Most people can't wait for the work week to be over, and to enjoy the weekend.  We look forward to Friday because it is trash day.

Yes, that's right.  Trash day.  TGI Trash day. 

I don't know how it started.  Probably a random comment about Daddy needing to gather the trash and take it to the curb.  Then, Jackson was probably insistent on helping, because he loves to help.  And from there, it turned into a magical occasion, where the boys get to help daddy take the trash out to the curb. 

Today is Trash Day.

The boys were muddling through their breakfast this morning, dragging their feet like usual.  Then, the spark appeared.  Did Daddy say he needed to take the trash out?  Yes, he did.  Oh...we need to eat our breakfast fast!  So, the boys ate up their yogurt, very patiently let us change their diapers and get them dressed.  Then, as soon as their shoes were on their feet, they were eagerly waiting at the door to the garage.  I even got a "Come on Mommy.  Put your shoes on. Take the trash out!"  Because yes, it is a family activity now. 

Thankfully, we had a lot of trash this week since Brian has been trimming bushes and pulling weeds.

We found a bag of trash for Jackson to take to the curb, but most of the bags were too heavy for Lincoln.  So, he helped me carry the recycling bin to the curb as Jackson drug his bag out.  Daddy brought the other bags of trash.

There was a wonderfully sweet woman driving down our road watching the whole scene unfold.  As she neared our house, she pulled to a stop, rolled her window down, and made a comment about "it's nice to have helpers, isn't it?  oh - you all are so cute!"  I think we made her day.

So, you know what the Hart's say?  The family who takes the trash out together, stays together.  And we love it!

Mr. Herb again...

Last night, Brian was trimming bushes and working on more yard work.  Dinner was ready, so the boys and I went out to let Brian know.  Mr. Herb was just coming outside to tinker around, and he came across the road to share some pointers with Brian.  When Jackson saw him cross the road, he took off running for him!  I was actually a bit afraid that Jackson would knock Mr. Herb down!  But no, he just went running right into his arms, and let Mr. Herb pick him.  He gave him a BIG hug! 

The boys were actually sad when Mr. Herb headed back home - they kept telling him goodbye, over and over.

It just melts my heart to see the boys take to Mr. Herb, who is genuinely one of the kindest souls I've ever met.

We (Lincoln and Jackson) love....

The boys are showing more personality everyday!

Recently, I've been noticing that they express their feelings!  It started out with them saying "I like..." and it has now turned into "I love...".  It's amazing all the things that they love!  Check it out....

teddy bears (their "My first teddy bear" that they sleep with)
icees
watermelon
milk shakes
bubbles
picnics
cookies
mommy
daddy
green beans

Lincoln
jackson
fishies and lobsters
slide
outside
patio
animal crackers
milk


The list goes on and on.  It just cracks me up some days!

Very proud mama!

Wednesday night, we took the boys for haircuts.

Haircuts aren't the most fun things for us.  Brian and I usually end up covered in hair as we try to hold the boys down.  It's more like a wrestling match.  Miss Shauna is amazing - she is fast, and works well with moving objects.  She has 4 kids of her own, and she completely understands. 

We tried (like always) to prepare the boys.  They love Miss Shauna - until it comes to getting in that chair.  They seemed excited about getting their hair cut, but when we got there...Lincoln hunkered down in the chair next to where he needed to sit with his sucker, and Jackson kept saying "Lincoln go first".

Somehow, we ended up doing Jackson first.  I sat in the chair with the cape on (trying to avoid being covered in hair), and put Jackson on my lap.  He would sit, stand, jump, turn around - do everything but hold still.  He cried and screamed....loudly - the whole entire time.  The cape came off part way through so I still ended up covered in hair, and exhausted.  I think wrestling a pig in mud would be easier.

I know...right about now, you are wondering why is this titled "Very proud mama", aren't you?

Well, Lincoln was second.  :-)

Brian got him to sit in the chair, and they put the cape on him.  They gave him 2 suckers - one for each hand (on top of the one he ate in the chair during Jackson's hair cut).  He wimpered a bit throughout his haircut, but he stayed right there in his chair, and didn't move.  I was so proud of how he behaved - this was a huge step!  We made a big deal about how Lincoln was being a big boy and being so good sitting in his chair all by himself, but I don't think Jackson caught the drift.

As a reward for being such a good boy, I took Lincoln to see the "fishies and lobsters" again last night.  That's what he wanted when we asked him what treat he would like.  Man...it's so easy to make that little man happy.

So, I am so proud of my little guy for being so good for his haircut.  I hope the next time goes even better!

Watermelon...

The official sign of summertime!

We bought our first watermelon of the year a few weeks ago.  Needless to say, it won't be our last.

I think Lincoln would have eaten it at every meal if we would have let him.  All we had to do was mention it and his little eyes lit up, then he would ask for it in his little 2 year old voice. 

The biggest challenge was keeping him from eating it all at one sitting! 

It's all gone now....but it's on the grocery list!

"My Baby"

It's been going on for a while now, but I keep forgetting to write about it!

The boys definitely have their favorite parents - Lincoln constantly says "daddy do it" and Jackson just says "mommy!  mommy!".  Often times to avoid meltdown we fall into our natural pairs.  Bath time seems to be one of those times.

We start with putting the boys on the potty, then they go in the tub.  Brian and I both give the boys baths if we are home, mostly to maximize the time that we get to spend with them each evening.  But as I said, Brian usually gives Lincoln a bath, and I give Jackson a bath. 

Probaby a few months ago, I scooped Jackson out of the tub and wrapped him up in his towel.  Then, I cradled him in my arms, and rocked him back and forth a bit and called him my baby.  He giggled.  I told him he was my baby...and no matter what, he would always be my baby.

Now, almost everynight after bath time when I wrap him in his towel and pick him up, he lays down in my arms, giggles and says "Myyyyy baby!"

I love my boys SO MUCH!

Planting flowers

We originally hoped to plant flowers with the boys as a special Mother's day activity.  However, we didn't prepare and buy flowers ahead of time, and the rain quickly ended that idea.
So, this weekend, with all the sunshine, planting flowers was a must.

We picked up some flowers for our window boxes on Saturday.  The boys helped pick them out, and Lincoln was very excited about planting them.  We were hoping to do it after the boys nap on Saturday afternoon, but they took a three hour long nap and it was too late to get them done once they woke up.

Yesterday, Lincoln wanted to plant the flowers.  He looked at me and told me "No nap mommy.  Plant flowers!"  I told him we would plant the flowers after his nap, and he said "in the beds!"  I think Brian had told him we were going to plant the flowers in the flower beds...and Lincoln thought we were planting the flowers in their beds!

Anyway...he went down pretty easy for his nap, but they only slept for about an hour.  When they woke up, we lathered them up with sunscreen and their hats, and outside we went.  The boys were great helpers breaking up the dirt in the window boxes, and helping me dig holes to plant the flowers.  Then, they helped daddy water the flowers with the bucket. 

I took the boys for a walk to the end of the street and back to give Brian some time to cut down some tall grass that was overtaking our rose bushes.  I'm not sure which of us worked harder during that 15 minutes - it's not easy keeping two 2 year olds and a wagon under control!

After we finished up the yard work, we took the boys to Dairy Queen for a special ice cream treat.  We got each of the boys their own small vanilla soft serve treat in a cup (Brian wanted to do cones...but later realized the wisdom I had in suggesting cups).  Lincoln dove right into it while Jackson was more fascinated with my peanut butter shake (I had to cut him off or he would have drank all of it!).  Lincoln finished his ice cream off using my straw, and Jackson eventually drank his out of his cup - insisting it was milk - not ice cream!

We ended up with 2 sticky boys, and an afternoon to remember. 

Flags...

School buses have been our focus for the past month or so on our way to and from daycare.  This has mostly been a fascination for Jackson, although Lincoln get's super excited when he sees them now too.

We've been a bit concerned about what it going to happen when school gets out, and we don't see any school buses!  However, that uneasiness is starting to subside.  Lincoln has now become or resident flag spotter.  He points them out in the car, and even on our wagon rides!  With flag day, and independence day around the corner, there are LOTS of flags out right now.  I hope this gets us through the summer until the school buses return!

Mother's day

We enjoyed a quiet Mother's Day last weekend. 

Brian went to church at 7:30, and I went at 9:00.  While I was at church, the boys made me cards.  They did a really good job, with a little help from daddy.

They were hoping to celebrate the day with a picnic in the park, but the weather just didn't cooperate.  Instead, we had our picnic on the floor in our family room.  The boys were so cute and excited that they didn't have to eat at the table!  It was a lot of fun watching them experience their first "pic-in-nic". 

After lunch, the boys went down for their nap, and mommy got a nap too!  It was so nice!

After our nap, we spent the afternoon putting the boys play set together.  We were in the garage because of the rain, but they are loving it being outside now! 

I made myself (and Brian) a special mother's day dinner - lobster tail!  It was my first attempt, but it was delicious.  Definitely something to consider for future special occasions!

We hope everyone enjoyed a blessed Mother's day!

Dinner on the patio

The weather has been so nice, it's been hard to stay inside and do all our normal evening activities. 
A few weeks ago, I just couldn't resist, and decided we were having dinner on the patio!

I thought being outside would be good - the boys love being outside, and sometimes getting them to go inside for dinner is a challenge.  Unfortunately, dinner on the patio brought it's own challenges - mostly, the boys were distracted by everything!  The clean-up was much easier though!

The best part of dinner however is captured below....

Jackson loves being a helper, so he was helping mommy by feeding Lincoln his vegetables!  The bigger surprise was that Lincoln let him feed him!

This was one of those nights were the bond between our boys was so evident.  I hope that their special relationship continues to grow and that they are always each other's best friend.

Since this night, Lincoln has tried a few times to take his plate out on the patio for dinner.  Guess we need to try it again - maybe it will go better the next time!

Round 3

We took Jackson back to the doctor this week for his second follow-up for his ear infection.

Unfortunately, the 2nd antibiotic didn't help, so we are now trying a third antibiotic.  We go back to see Dr. Korn on the 29th...if things aren't improving by then, he will refer us to a speciality.

Please say a few prayers for healing so that we do not have to have tubes put in!

Lincoln change Jackson

Sorry for the writing hiatis - we've been way too busy!  Trying to get back into the swing of blogging...

One day late last week, we woke the boys up to get them ready for daycare.  When we have to wake them up, it's a bit of a struggle getting them into gear.  Jackson crawls in our bed and curls up under the blankets.  Lincoln squirms all over the place and giggles. 

I believe it was Thursday morning and we were going through our normal song and dance trying to get the boys diapers changed so we could go eat breakfast.  Lincoln wanted daddy to change his pants, and he was actually pretty good about it.  Jackson didn't want to budge from the bed.  We asked if he wanted daddy or mommy to change his diaper - his response - Lincoln! 

So, Lincoln stood in front of daddy and laughed while Brian changed Jackson's diaper.

I thought it was a fluke, but the next morning, Jackson made the same request...

Maybe I can somehow use this for potty training???

It's all about Mommy right now...

...and Daddy isn't liking it very well!

Last night, we needed to get a few things from Sam's Club, so we picked the boys up from daycare, and went to the store.  We put the boys in the cart, and were heading into the store when Jackson spoke up - "No Daddy.  Mommy push."  If you know Jackson, he was very insistent that Mommy push the cart, so I took over driving duties. 

When we finished in the store, I put Lincoln in the van while Brian loaded our purchases in the back.  Brian went to put Jackson in his seat, and again, Jackson was very insistent that Mommy buckle him up.  As I was buckling Jackson in, Brian started to get into the drivers seat - but was quickly cut off.  Again, Jackson says "No Daddy.  Mommy Drive.  Daddy sit over there" (and he pointed to the passenger seat).

I know that we cannot let Jackson dictate what we do, but sometimes, it's not worth the fallout that comes from defying him.  Last night was one of those nights...so I drove home.

The rest of the evening was pretty typical - dinner, baths, milk, books and then it was bedtime.

Bedtime pushed Daddy over the edge...just a bit.

I was working on getting the boys headed up the stairs, and Brian was trying to help.  Suddenly, Lincoln looks at Brian and says "No No Daddy!  Stay here!"  He did not want Brian to take him upstairs.  He wanted Mommy to take him, and rock him to sleep.  He didn't want Daddy anywhere around.

Unfortunately, Daddy grumbled a little bit, and Lincoln wasn't sure what to do.  He then tried to ask Daddy to rock him to sleep, but by then, Daddy was very frustrated with not being needed.

Thankfully, everything was all good this morning - Lincoln was back to his usual "Daddy do that!", so all hurt feelings are gone now! Daddy needs to learn it's all just a stage - sometimes they want Mommy, sometimes they want Daddy...and we always need to be patient!

Mr. Herb

We have the sweetest older couple that lives across the street from us - Herb and Marge. 

Herb has an amazing yard and landscaping, and he's given Brian and I advice, suggestions, and even some plants to add to our landscaping!  He's always noticing when we do something to the house, and gives us his "thumbs up" approval.

We've always talked and visited with Herb and Marge, but we've done more visiting with Herb this spring.  He is outside tending to his yard and flowers in the evenings, and the boys have loved checking out our flowers blooming this spring.  We tend to be outside about the same time a lot - so the boys have gotten to know "Mr. Herb" very well. 

In fact, the boys are constantly looking to see if he is outside working.  When we drive by his house in the morning (at 6:50 a.m.), I often hear comments like "Mr. Herb is sleeping" - because he isn't outside!  If he isn't outside when we get home from work, then he must be inside eating dinner. 

We love Herb and Marge.  They are just very kind and sweet people. 

A few weeks ago, they were both outside saying goodbye to their son and grandson when we got home from work.  The boys wanted to go for a wagon ride, and Brian thought Marge would enjoy seeing the boys.  So, we took them both over to see them.  Herb said something to Jackson, and Jackson marched right over to him, let Herb pick him up, and Jackson gave him a hug and a kiss!  My heart melted.  Then, Jackson went over to Marge, and he let her pick him up and he gave her a hug and a kiss too.  It was one of the sweetest things I've ever seen in my life.

It's amazing to have such wonderful people in our lives, and to see our boys embracing and building a relationship with them too.  We look forward to many more visits with "Mr. Herb" and Marge this summer!

Shopping!

"No toddlers Mommy.  Go shopping!"
"Go shopping Mommy?"
"Shopping!  Shopping!"

These are a few examples of words that have actually come out of my 2 year olds mouth. 

It started a week or so ago.  One morning, Lincoln asked if we could go shopping.  I told him no, that he was going to Toddlers and Mommy and Daddy were going to work.  He very firmly told me "No toddlers Mommy.  Go shopping!" - with a huge smile on his face.

It then continued later when we picked the boys up from daycare..."Shopping!  Shopping!  Go this way Mommy!" - and he pointed in the direction that we normally take when we run errands after work.

It's become a regular theme with Lincoln -  he requests to go shopping, or is very insistant that he is going shopping instead of going to daycare.

At first I was dumbfound - what 2 year old in their right mind WANTS to go shopping?
Then, I just worried that we were taking him shopping with us too much.
Finally, I figured out the truth.

Shopping for him is going to the grocery store.  If you take him to Sam's or Costco, when you are leaving, he still asks to go Shopping!

Is he going to be a Shop-a-holic?  No...its about seeing the Fishies and Lobsters!

A (nearly) perfect day

Saturday was one of the best days that we have had for a while.

We spent the WHOLE DAY together as a family - all 4 of us.

We participated in the Miami County Relay for Life event, in memory of Brian's mom.  Janice participated as a cancer survivor last year, and we wanted to be a part of this wonderful event to honor her fight against cancer.

We were outside most of the day - and the boys loved it!  We spent our time eating, talking with family, walking, and chasing the boys around.  The boys had a great time watching their cousins play in the bouncy house, and then walking and playing with their cousins, aunts and uncles. We had a hard time getting them to leave at ten o'clock that night!  The rain held off, and the supermoon was the perfect capper to the beautiful day. 

We thank God for bringing all of us together for this amazing event, and we know that Grandma Hart was very proud and happy to see almost all of her grandkids together, enjoying each other's company.

Sweet dreams

It really is true that the parents learn as much from their children as they teach them.
I have learned a lot about myself in the past few months, mostly in hearing what I say be said back to me.

Sweet dreams.

I didn't even realize I was saying it...that's the funny part.

For the past few weeks, the boys have insisted that Mommy rock them to sleep. So, we rock for a few moments, then into their cribs they go - while they are still awake.  I give the first one of them a kiss, lay them down on their pillow, cover them with their little blankets, rub their back, tell them I love them, and that I'll see them in the morning.  Then, I repeat the same process with the second one.

And evidently, somewhere in there, I tell them "Sweet Dreams", because it is now part of Jackson's nighttime (and naptime) routine.  First, he snuggles down in the corner of his crib.  Then I hear "I love you Mommy.  Sweet Dreams Mommy".

Sweet dreams indeed.  My boys are the best dreams come true ever!

Chicken...

Most nights, I feel like I'm raising a vegetarian.

Lincoln REFUSES to eat his meat.  Some nights, he won't even try it.  It's a constant struggle, and we try everything to get him to eat it - even the "if you take 2 bites of meat, then you can have some candy".  Not even candy works.

Earlier this week, I shared how the boys both loved the cod that I baked over the weekend.  Even Lincoln.  Some could argue that is seafood - not meat.  But last night...I tried a new recipe (very simple) for baking chicken breasts with lemon juice and paprika - Lincoln LOVED it!  I bet he ate close to a half a chicken breast!  He just kept asking for more...and I kept giving it to him.  Guess this new chicken will also be part of our usual meal rotation now!

Ear infection...

A few weeks ago, I was home with Jackson for a few days as he was running a fever.  We took him to the doctor, and found out he had an ear infection.  The doctor gave us an antibiotic, and asked us to come back in two weeks for a recheck.
We took little man back to the doctor yesterday - and they still look the same.  We had a feeling the infection wasn't gone, as the past few nights have been very rough.  Jackson has been waking up and crying/fussing most of the night between 12:30 and 4:00.  It's been a very rough few nights.

So, we are trying another antibiotic...please say a few prayers that this takes care of it!

He hears me...but doesn't listen...

Another story from Monday night with the boys alone...

Things went fairly well being on my own with the boys Monday night.  We had a few "patience challenges", but nothing major.

They were calling for storms around 7:00, so we quickly made tacos for dinner when we got home.  Boy did the boys love their tacos!  Lincoln even had seconds.  As soon as they finished dinner, I whisked them upstairs to finish baths before the storms hit.

We took our usual routine - we all go upstairs, pick out pajamas in their room, and then head into the bathroom to get out the towels, washcloths, etc.  The boys were chatting and playing, so I picked out their pajamas by myself (hoping to avoid the fight over who gets to wear which pajamas).  When I walked into the bedroom where the boys were playing, I heard Jackson say "Put the pajamas on the bed please!"

I cracked up laughing.  Each night when they pick out their pajamas, this is exactly what I say in an attempt to keep them focused on the task.  He doesn't always listen, and most nights I have to say this more than once.  Guess this just shows he knows our routine, and he does hear me - he just doesn't always do what he's told!

Splash!

I've mentioned in the past week how Jackson is always pointing out different things on our path to and from daycare - water, goose, school bus.  Lincoln is usually pretty quiet, so when he spoke up Monday night on the drive home, I was doubly shocked.  First - he was the one pointing things out, and second - what he said!

We were nearing the one little pond on our route home that has fountain in it.  You really can't see much of the pond, but you see the water coming up into the air.  Jackson has always called it water, and we confirm by saying yes, it's a water fountain. Well, Lincoln had a different take on it - "Splash!"

This made complete sense, but I have NO idea how he got there!  Someday, maybe I will understand what is going on inside their heads!

The little assistant

Brian left work early on Monday to head out of town for an engagement, so I got the whole evening with the boys by myself!
When I stopped to pick them up at daycare, the one caregiver was smiling ear to ear watching Jackson run into my arms.  She very proudly informed me that Jackson had been a great little helper for her all day long!  She's usually in the office, but helps out in the classrooms from time to time.  He loves "helping" (bossing the other kids around)!  She thought it was cute, and even wrote on his report card for the day "Thank you for being my assistant!"

He really should have been our first born.  Brian's theory - he went in first, so that actually makes him our oldest!

Happy Wednesday!