Big Boys

Who are these big boys and what have they done with my babies?!

Swinging

We have been so lucky (or not, depending on your future outlook) to have many many beautiful days to get out and play. Today we walked to a fun little park near our house and met our friends Kristin and Dominic. Zachary has been on the swings before, but this was the first documented occasion. He loves to kick his feet and giggle and today he lasted longer than Alex did. Of course, Alex wanted to get off the swings so that he could rummage through our lunch sack for a treat. Once the snacks appeared, Alex and Dominic had little interest in playing and just wanted to sample each others food. But it was still nice to just get out for a while.

Alex's day

Phil and I don't get to spend much time with just one boy. It is fun to play with the two of them together, but sometimes we miss the one on one time. Today Zachary went with Phil to help him run errands and visit the library. Alex and I stayed home and decided to go for a walk along the shore. It was so nice out today (the calm before the storm it turns out). Alex had a lot of fun running along the trail and pushing his car off of each and every bench. He didn't want to sit for a picture, but I managed to sneak in the one above. I tried to do a self portrait of the two of us, and a lady walking by took pity on me and took this one:
We don't have any pictures from Zachary and Phil's adventure, but I hear that Zachary charmed Daddy's friends at the coffee house!

Happy Valentine's Day

Zachary's 1st Valentine. It was very low key. Alex had a special muffin for breakfast and both boys received a furry valentine friend to go along with their balloons. My boys sure do enjoy balloons!

Moving, moving, moving

Originally, we thought that having 3-4 weeks to move was a good idea. Then, Phil ended up in DC for 2 weeks right in the middle of the plan. The boys and I did the best we could, and Gma came down for a weekend to help out, but I really think a quick turn-around is the way to go next time. Alex had fun helping pack, and unpack. And his new favorite song has become "New House, new house, new house". Followed by "Old House, old house, old house". Here's a bunch of photos from different parts of the move.

Alex trying out his new ride in the empty dining room

On our first night, Alex played hide and seek
while Zachary enjoyed the plethora of floor space.

Once we found Alex, he joined Zachary in rolling around!






After we, well, really Phil, since he did a majority of the work, finished moving everything, cleaning and filling nail holes at the old house, we all went over for the final inspection.
As we were leaving, I told the boys to say goodbye to the old house. Alex looked around and said "bye bye". It was a sweet and slightly sad moment. We brought both boys home from the hospital to that house and it was so conveniently located. We just outgrew it. I know we'll have great memories from there, and many more to come in our "new house, new house!"

Rough housing

I can't believe the boys are wrestling already. But at least they were both having fun. They would start out sitting up, then Alex would wrap his arms around Zachary's neck and fall backward. I wasn't too sure about the neck hold part, but Zachary didn't complain.

Day tripping

While Phil was in DC for work the last two weeks, the boys and I kept busy. Today we went into the City to meet up with my cousin, Chelsea who was visiting from Minneapolis. It was a cloudy and wet day which kept the crowds away. And you know us, a little, or even a lot, of rain doesn't stop us. Chelsea thought it was downright warm and didn't mind the rain either. Alex had been wanting a donut hole before we left home, but I told him we were going to get yummy mini donuts in the City. We did, or rather Alex did. I got a dozen fresh, perfect mini donuts and Alex devoured them...all. Aside from my donut envy, we had a nice visit and a fun outing!

Sand buddies

Well, our rainy season only stuck around for a couple of days. I hear it is on the way back again....we'll see. But, we had the chance to enjoy a day at the park with our friends. The nights have been getting chilly so the sand was dewy and I didn't think Zachary's diaper should be tested so early in the day, so I put out a towel for him to sit on. This was Zachary's first adventure in the sand, and even though he wasn't technically in the sand, he enjoyed himself. Sand was spilled from shovels and shoes onto his towel and he reached beyond the edges to grab some himself. Happily the sand did not make it to his mouth! A birthday gift Alex doesn't know about yet is a sandbox from Gma and Grandpa F. I'm glad both boys will enjoy playing in it.

Someone is 2

Happy Birthday Alexander!

Alex had a little birthday celebration with Gma, Zachary, and Mommy today. Sadly, Daddy was away for work for the week leading up to and following Alex's birthday. But we are planning another little celebration when he gets home. So, for his actual birthday, there were balloons and cupcakes with super bowl rings on top and of course a big "2" candle.
Alex enjoyed wearing his crown and had a lot of fun with the hand clapper noise maker. Imagine that, a toddler enjoying making noise!

We decided to open some presents and save some for later. One of the presents he opened was from his friends Mae and Ben. Mr. Potato Head and his Spud Buds. What fun! Thank you Mae and Ben. After a little bit of help, Alex was off and creating new and mutant Buds. Check it out!