Kicky and Jumpy: A tale of twins

Some More Pix from Dec 2011

2012-01-15T15:36:00.005-05:00

2011 - December

2012-01-15T15:22:00.008-05:00

December was another busy month. Everyone was still sick. I get sick maybe every 5 years or so, so I guess I was due as I really took it on the chin. I should've spent Christmas day and the next in bed, but did I, nooooo. Joe had lots of projects and stress at his work as did I. Despite all that we managed to sneak in some fun holiday things with the boys. It seemed as if this year more people decorated for the holidays. Asa result, we really enjoyed driving around and viewing the Christmas decorations. We visited the holiday exhibit at the Big Bass Pro shops. Always something, I tell ya.

We had a lovely Christmas Eve with Joe's family and Rob's Uncle Dave. The kids had a blast and the day flew by too fast. Christmas was fun. Kevin has entered the "rip all the paper off and tear through the gifts" phase. Jason still opens one gift at a time and savors playing with it. We had a lovely slow start with cinnamon rolls and breakfast and then eased into gifts. A light Christmas luncheon was followed by an afternoon nap.

We opened more gifts, as Jason still had many to open, while Kevin played with all his gifts (all opened in his morning frenzy) and then we had a lovely Christmas dinner and relaxed together. All in all, a nice holiday.

2011 - November

2012-01-15T15:09:00.004-05:00

As evidenced by the following 2 pictures, November was a busy month. Here's Kevin sacked out on the sofa and later Jason fell asleep sitting upright.

November was a tough month. Everyone was sick. We had all been sick since before October and were sick of being sick. These photos are all mostly from around Thanksgiving weekend where we had a few days off. We decorated the house for Christmas. The boys decorated the tree and made a star to put on top. The boys got to sneak a peek at a Harry Potter movie and you can see Jason pretending to be Harry Potter in one of the pictures below. Jason has always been fascinated by my Harry Potter book covers. When he discovered that there is a movie, well, wasn't he thrilled!

Both boys started really working with scissors and having a great time cutting lots of itsy, bitsy, teeny, weeny pieces of paper. On the big news front, the boys had a few Fridays off from playgroup so we started potty training. We had run out of diapers and I told the boys on Friday the 11th that we were not buying anymore. We put them in underwear on Saturday AM and by Sunday afternoon, they were had figured it out. Joe and I had read roughly 6 potty training books with all kinds of advice and approaches. Dr T. Berry Brazelton is right. When the kid is ready, it'll be a breeze. The boys did great. We put them in Mickey Mouse and Star Wars underwear and light gray sweatpants so they could see/feel wetness. For rewards, we started with stickers and then advanced to M&Ms for pee and lollipops for poo. After a few days, the kids were pretty tired of candy. (Nice side effect!) So Sue started using raisins, apples and gummy fruits for rewards. When Christmas got near, we started using gold coins. Kevin still asks for coins but we've pretty much phased out rewards.

More Pix

2012-01-15T15:04:00.009-05:00

Some Cute PIx from the Fall

2012-01-15T14:54:00.005-05:00

2011 - October

2012-01-15T14:36:00.011-05:00

In October we celebrated Sue's third anniversary as our nanny. Nanny doesn't even begin to capture everything that Sue does and how much she means to us all. We are very blessed to have Sue as a part of our family. Here's a pic of our celebration of Sue.

We also celebrated Cindi's and my birthday on Columbus Day weekend. We picked apples and had a lovely time with the whole family.

October was a funny month. Kevin invented a new way to use utensils.

The boys, notorious for disliking hair cuts, behaved very well during a Saturday AM haircutting session with Mama and so were rewarded with crazy, big all-day suckers.

On Columbus Day it was in the mid to high 70s and yet, the month ended with a freak snowstorm. The boys had a great time. Kevin and I built a snowman and Jason ate snow.

Halloween was a lot fun. The boys were fire fighters. We started off with a quick visit to our neighbors the Howards and the O'Briens. The boys weren't especially into Halloween.....initially. After the first few rounds of Trick or Treaters, Joe asked the boys if they'd like to go out for more candy and OH BOY WERE THEY! Off they went! Up and down the street to every house they could. I could see 2 sets of reflective yellow stripes walking next to Joe. The boys had finally figured out the true meaning of Halloween. CANDY!

2011 - September

2012-01-15T14:25:00.008-05:00

September was a big month. The boys started attending preschool. As they attend one day a week, we call it "playgroup" or "playschool". It's been an interesting situation. They have fun there but both boys miss being home and playing with Sue, Mom and Dad so they are a bit sad when Joe drops them off.

My birthday was fun. Sue and the boys made brownies and we celebrated by singing and lighting the candles a few times. We celebrated for a week. Ice cream cake on Monday, brownies on Tuesday, dinner at Solea on Wednesday and then more cake and brownies the rest of the week! Lots of fun!

And then there was Hurrican Irene. We prepared for the worst but were very lucky in that we didn't lose power and sustained on a teeny bit of damage. The top of a tree came down in back and took down our fence. Here's Joe showing that tree who's boss.

Happy New Years!

2012-01-15T14:17:00.004-05:00

Belated New Year's tidings to all. I've been remiss in posting so I'll start with today and then move backward to the 2011 wrap up. The boys and I have been wanting to bake cookies since before Christmas and yet each weekend came/went and no cookies. We woke up today committed to the effort and here are some pictures of Baker Kevin and Baker Jason and their first batch of cookies. Kevin was a big help blending the eggs and sugar and helping to make the dough. Both boys were naturals when it came to cutting out the shapes. They made Snoopy cookies, Darth Vader, Yoda, Boba Fett, Storm Trooper cookies, hearts, trees, and stars. I hope you enjoy the pix as much as they enjoyed making and eating them.

Love,
Kathy

August

2011-11-08T21:55:00.006-05:00

Summer went by too quickly. In July, the boys and I visited Canobie Lake Park in NH where the boys' dislike of rides was fully confirmed. We had fun watching everyone else ride the rides and it was a lovely day.
In August, we celebrated Mimi's birthday at Southwick Zoo. A great day, beautiful weather, yummy cake and much fun.

Summer wound down with lots of playground fun, ice cream, trips to CJ's for ice cream, trips to Dairy Queen for ice cream, Friendly's ice cream (are you seeing a pattern?).

Summer was completely wrapped up by Hurricane Irene. We had power until 3 days later. Go figure. We lost the top of a tree at the back of the property. All in all, we fared very well. So long Summer, we barely knew ye.

Newest Member of the family

2011-09-17T22:42:00.003-04:00

Roughly a month ago,we increased our family by 1. He's small, ginger and ornery. For a day and a half he was called "Pencil". That was later replaced with "Corn on the Cob". A week later his name was amended to "O'Toodles". Half of our house called him Corn on the Cob and the other half called him "O'Toodles". He's been to the vet and he's officially "Corn on the Cob O'Toodles".

DTV

2011-09-17T22:35:00.003-04:00

DTV like MTV but better. Enjoy!

It's the Doherty band version of "Funkytown".

First Day of School

2011-09-13T23:41:00.003-04:00

September 2nd, 2011
Jason and Kevin attended their first day of preschool. As they attend just one day a week, we call it playgroup or playschool. Day 1 - Kevin jumps right in while Jason cries off and on for 3 hours. At the end of the day, he's loving it.

I met the boys at the car at home and when I asked the boys how they liked their first day of playgroup, Jason answered, "It was great. I cried." Kevin said, "I liked it." They each had an after school snack: a chocolate chunk cookie and milk. Kevin's comment, "This is the best cookie I've ever had."

Here are some pictures of the boys with their Mario backpacks and Mario lunch boxes. Jason has Mario vines while Kevin has Go-Kart Mario. Below, Jason is playing on the school slide while Kevin drives Roary the race car.

Happy Grandparents Day!

2011-09-11T22:18:00.002-04:00

Happy Grandparents Day!

Kicky and Jumpy hope Oma, Mimi, Papa and Opa had a nice Grandparents day.

Love to all,

K + J

July

2011-08-06T22:48:00.006-04:00

We kicked off the long July weekend with the Kickster and Jumpster spending the day with Mimi and Papa while Mom and Dad had an afternoon luncheon and a nice day of wandering around the House of Seven Gables and Ye Olde Pepper Company candy store. A lovely day for everyone.

The next day we visited the Franklin 4th of July festivities which were much fun. There was a children's parade, rides (Kevin rode, Jason cheered him on), food, slushies, and an afternoon of fun with their good buddy, Drew. Drew, Beve (Drew's grandma) , Kicky, Jumpy, Mom and Dad all went for ice cream at the really yummy, Rick's ice cream shop. The boys had a great time. Kicky and Jumpy jus tlove Drew to piece and haven't hit it off with anyone else the way they have with him.

The boys fell asleep on the way home and good thing too as the night brought no rest thank to neighbor's fireworks. Pretty to Mom and Dad, fearsome and scary to Kickster and Jumpster. Poor wee guys - they do NOT like fireworks. Odd given their parents love of them, but there it is.

On Sunday we drove to the Buzzard's Bay 4th of July parade where we saw Kicky and Jumpy's Uncle Barry take home yet another trophy for his amazing Pirate Ship float. The boys were beat from teh drive and the heat and weren't their sparkling selves but later insisted that they had a great time. The actually did have a great time playing on Uncle Barry's pirate ship that he has in his side yard. Later we caught the end of an old fashioned baseball game with the Mudhens and then home for more colorful yet stressful fireworks from the neighbors. Teh boys watched some of the Boston Pops and enjoyed the music and watching the musicians.

July has been a hot one. Really hot. So there's been a lot of ice cream, popsicles, and eating out at various family friendly restaurants tha thave kid's nights. We have a pretty solid list and know what works for the boys.

We've been amping up the boys' adventures in order to help with some of their shyness and reluctance to try new things. We attended the Barnstable County Fair. What a great day. Lots of animals - blue ribbion winning rabbits, llamas, hogs, horses, lambs, cows, etc. The petting zoo had all kinds of interesting and exotic animals.

We watched a puppet show, the rides, met Ronald McDonald, at ice cream and fried dough. Kevin watched a very neat train set for 45 minutes. Yes, 45 minutes. Jason and Joe bailed after 15.

Hope ya'll are staying cool!

Love,

Kathy

May (still catching up)

2011-08-06T22:36:00.006-04:00

Oma, Opa and Auntie Diane came for a visit in May and played with the boys, taking them on numerous adventures and planting an herb garden. Everyone had a great time.

June kicked off with an early Father's Day and birthday celebration for Opa. We visited the zoo a few times and did some fun day trips and visits to the library. There was an aborted attempt at potty traning where I was more motivated than the 2 people that it required the most involvement from. Oh well. The month was rounded out by Joe starting his new job. Again, the boys have adapted amazingly well to an evolving schedule at our house. June flew by and before we knew it...JULY!

April and then May

2011-07-18T22:07:00.006-04:00

So, April ended with a bang. That banging noise was the sound of the other shoe dropping as I got layed off. Joe was now doing the job of 13 people instead of the jobs of 4 people.

(Kevin sums up Mom's opinion of being layed off.)

We knew things were bad. We both felt that the new parent company was bad news so it wasn't unexpected. But it was sudden.

Not a great way to end April but you can't have the highs (our anniversary, my Mom's birthday, my brother and sister-in-law's anniversary) without the lows.

In fairly short order I found new employment. It's a different schedule and a longer commute but everyone has adapted.

And, from the photos you see here, you see that we all survived, sense of humor intact. Between jobs I had a little down time playing the Wii with the boys and lots of cuddle time and all was right with the world. May came in like a newly employed lamb bringing along with it a visit from Oma, Opa and Auntie Diane. That story I will save for the next post as it's late and I must to sleep.

G'nite

April and Easter

2011-07-17T22:51:00.004-04:00

Shame on me. No posts since April and yet so much going on.
Tsk tsk tsk.

Here we are at the Haggerty's on Easter. Cindi, Rob, Joey and Molly hosted us this Easter with a lovely meal. They organized a fantastic Easter egg hunt for the boys. Kevin found the golden egg which meant an extra special goodie basket.

Here is Kevin waving the golden egg high above his head - a big victory wave.

Here are the boys using the binoculars that the Easter bunny gave them.

Cool dude Jumpy

Big smile from the Kickster

Spring

2011-04-22T13:02:00.006-04:00

At the beginning of the month we visited Castle Island so that we could watch the planes land. It turned out to be a beautiful Spring day. Both boys enjoyed the airplanes. Kevin made friends with a little boy at the playground while Jason enjoyed his time throwing rocks into the ocean and yelling, "It's a beautiful day!"

Enjoy!

Kevin gazing out to sea.

Jason throwing rocks. Look carefully and you can see the rock sailing through the air.

Kevin, annoyed by me taking his picture.

Joyful Jason at the beach.

Belated March Post

2011-04-22T12:55:00.002-04:00

Just a quick post with some photos from March. Jason is showing us his cool dude look in Calvin Klein sunglasses. Below that Jason is clearly expressing his love for ice cream. Kevin gives Mom a big hug. One of his new "things" is to say "I'm a boy. You're my Mom and I love you." Then he gives me a great big hug and throws his head back laughing loudly. I love this game.

If he were to ask me for a pony afterwards, I'd probably say yes.

Mr. Peanut

2011-03-13T17:38:00.003-04:00

Jason was given a doctor's kit for Christmas. The stethoscope serves as more than a piece of medical equipment. It's also a tuba, a trombone and a monocle. When Jason isn't busy being a baseball player, a football player or Shaun White, he likes to pretend to be Mr. Peanut. Here's a quick clip of Mr. Peanut. That's a cane in his left hand and his "monocle" in his right hand.

Post by Jason

2011-03-13T16:10:00.009-04:00

In a cleaning mood, I moved all the photos that Joe and I have taken lately to an external drive. Those photos are currently inaccessible so today's post will be brought to you by Jason. He's been a busy boy with his camera. Enjoy!

Jason captures Mom and Kevin making a robot.

Still making the robot.

Here's the robot (a lego one).

Different day, different toy. Toy airplane

Mimi and Papa on TV last weekend.

Dad took this one today. No NASCAR race so we played with Kevin's slot car race track and held our own race, the Doherty 200.

Jason captures Mom baking cookies last weekend.

Dad, up close and personal.

Dad waves hi to Jason.

2011-02-08T23:35:00.010-05:00

Happy Birthday Kicky and Jumpy!

The big T-H-R-E-E!

Kicky and Jumpy turned 3 today. A big day! The boys started off the day with the standard play and "let's stay in our pajamas" routine. We eventually made our way downstairs to find a bevy of balloons. Dad came through with loads of Lightning McQueen balloons. Jason started off the day in style by asking for cupcakes and candles. I like the way he thinks. But, no, that was not on the menu for breakfast.

So, breakfast and then Mom and Dad were off to work. The boys had a great day playing with Sue and being the Birthday Duo.

Birthday dinner consisted of pizza and cupcakes with Mater and Lightning McQueen. Then presents! Trucks, cars, trains, books, toys, fun, fun, fun!

I'll let the images do the talking.

Happy Birthday Boys!

Sick, then well, then Oh well

2011-01-12T21:53:00.002-05:00

Hi - Yes 4 posts, one after the other, bang bang bang. Well, I've got a bit of time and am still able to keep my eyes open so I'll post one last thing. Everyone here except for me has had the stomach flu for the past week or 2. We're all beat, some of us more than others. The boys have basically recuperated enough that last night's pizza stayed in/down. They both are tired and tempers do flare however.

At the end of Monday's nap, Jason was rocking and singing very loudly. This went on for quite some time. Then I heard a loud thwack and then a thump followed by Jason saying,'Oww. Kevin. That was my back. Owww."

Silence. Then, more singing and rocking. Then, another thwack and a thump. Another "Oww. Kevin. That was my back. Oww." This statement was repeated 2 more times. Now, when I say that Jason is rocking and singing. We're not talking some cutsey, sweet baby-like stuff. No, we're talking hard-core, banging on the crib slats and singing like a Saturday sinner at Sunday mass....good and loud. So, I think to myself, "Jason, I don't blame him. Kevin puts up a with a lot from you. Get the hint."

Well, I'd given each boy 3 books at nap so you know where this is going, right? More singing and rocking followed by a third thwack and a third thump. After Kevin ran out of ammo, they started to talk and laugh and things improved. Until, I heard Jason shrieking. Apparently, he reached out to Kevin (for forgiveness perhaps? I'll never know). I ran upstairs to find Jason in tears, his finger with a large tooth shaped indent and Kevin lying in his crib quietly but not repentantly.

So, like I said, tempers have flared.

More Pictures

2011-01-12T21:38:00.008-05:00

Long time no post, eh? My bad. All work and no play makes for a dull blog but thanks for hanging in there. This one is mostly pictures of Christmas Eve. There are a few stories to be posted and I'll save those for another day. Let's just say that some people are able to vocalize their feelings very well while others choose to express themselves by biting and throwing books. No names to protect the innocent. Enjoy the pictures and no, Kevin has not grown a mustache. That is smudged M&Ms.

I corral Kevin long enough to give him a Christmas AM kiss.

Mommy and Kevin watch Jason open presents with Daddy

Jason and his new PC

Jason playing with puzzle on Christmas Eve

Kevin and his new mustache

Mommy and Kevin in his Got Youklis? tshirt.

Jason handsome in red

Jason looking at Oswald DVD

New Cameras For All and For All A Good Night

2011-01-12T21:32:00.003-05:00

The title pretty much says it all. Joe and I got a new camera (see earlier post) and the boys each got a digital camera for Christmas. The rest of this post pretty much speaks for itself through the pictures.

Jason's pic of Spongebob Squarepants

Jason's feet. We have lots of these pictures. And lots of Mommy with no head or different body parts. But then there are a few like the one of Jason taking his own picture in the mirror, pretty neat.

Merry Christmas to All

2011-01-12T21:10:00.002-05:00

Well the holidays came and went and it's all a bit of a blur. I hope your Christmas was a good one filled with lots of joy and baked goodies. The boys had a very busy holiday season filled with visits with family and friends, several late nights viewing Christmas lights, and a few trips through the McDonald's drive-through (a new Christmas tradition if Kevin has his way).

We decorated on the weekend after Thanksgiving by putting up a small tabletop tree that the boys then decorated with teddy bear ornaments and other crocheted ornaments (safe for boys of all ages). We decorated the rest of the house and then the 24x7 Christmas music channel was placed on a permanent cycle and all the Christmas books were brought out. The boys already knew Frosty and Jingle Bells so we really just needed to explain Santa. We kept it light avoiding any details about a complete stranger coming into your house while you sleep.

We visited the mall and watched Santa in action. Joe and I agreed that the Natick Collection Santa was excellent...just like the real guy. The boys "big mall holiday adventure" included watching the Brookstone remote control mini-helicopter fly around the mall, lunch at California Pizza Kitchen, playing at the kids playland, walking around the glow-in-the-dark mini golf place, etc. etc. Much toddler fun.

Viewing Christmas lights at night became a popular holiday activity. At first we viewed neighborhood lights and came home to hot cocoa with mini-marshmallows. During our vacation, the post-lights treat escalated to ice cream sundaes from McDonalds. Both boys call McDonalds "the Big M" or "the yellow M". Whatever you call it, Kevin now keeps an eye out for yellow M's and counts them as we drive around. He counted several on the way to my brothers. He kept reminding us that they had ice cream and that he wanted to stop.

Back to the Christmas decorations....snowglobes were very popular, as was Santa on a motorcycle, and the numero uno favorite was a palm tree and a pig with wings. Jason laughed heartily and requested repeat visits. We even added that address to our GPS.

We had a lovely Christmas eve with family friends and Christmas day was much fun. It took the entire day to open just half of the presents. At this age, the boys want to play with each item they open. So it was touching to see them rip the paper and be so excited and then enjoy playing with the gift. Trucks and trains continue to be favorites.

Both boys liked their digital cameras and I've included their photos that capture our day so well.

Oh FLASH!

2010-11-18T22:04:00.005-05:00

When we had a camera with an operating lens, the boys loved it when we took a picture with the flash. They would wait for the flash to pop and then cover their eyes and yell "OHHHHH!" Here are Jumpy, Kicky and Mama reenacting the game for your viewing pleasure.

See What Develops - well, not anymore

2010-11-18T21:55:00.005-05:00

See What Develops.

Polaroid's tagline from another decade, not this one.

This blog title has many meanings.

One, Joe is a former Polaroid employee. (He's only a little bitter.) Two, it's always fun to take shots and see what you end up with. The best shots tend to be just dumb luck shots. The "everyone pose and say cheese" shots tend to not be our best ones. They are typically pretty funny however. Three, our camera probably is not going to be developing or doing anything anymore.

Chalk it up to poor parental judgement and gravity.

Yes, you can see where this is going. Child takes camera, parent thinks it's cute, second parent thinks it's cute. Neither parent has common sense to take camera away. A few snaps and then crash, bang, oh s@#t, and a bent lens. Well, in our house it's "you get what you get and you don't get upset". So, we didn't.

Kevin's artsy photo #1

Posted here are 3 photos from one of the boys' favorite games "OH The Flash is too bright!" A game we'll play no more, alas.

Also posted are some of wee Kevin's creative artsy photos. Followed by the last known photo taken by the camera.

Note: the next few posts will contain older photos or no photos.

Sorry.

Kevin's artsy photo #2

Last known photo

Labor Day

2010-09-08T20:51:00.002-04:00

Joe and I took a couple of days off from work and had a nice long Labor Day weekend. On Friday we took the boys to the library to get new books and to play. Given the hot and sticky weather, the library provided a nice escape. The weather turned bad and the rest of the day was spent inside playing and napping. Yay napping!

Saturday we played at the playground in the AM and then napped. Mimi and Papa came for a visit and a BBQ and a nice time was had by all. On Sunday we went to "Bessie's House" aka the Acton Discovery Museum. The boys had a great time. They played on Thomas the tank engine for an hour. They eventually did make it into the ball room and the bubble room. They also found their way to the color room and the kitchen/diner where we suspect they caught their now fully fledged head colds.

Monday was a recovery day spent relaxing, napping and playing at home. Then Monday was another big adventure day. We headed into Boston to the Children's Museum. The day was filled with fun and laughter despite both boys having the start of terrible colds and a drive that included driving through 2 tunnels, definitely a bad thing for Kevin. The first time we drove through a tunnel, it resulted in tears and panicky behavior. This time Kevin said quietly, "Kevin doesn't like tunnels. Kevin doesn't like tunnels at all." I suggested that he close his eyes and I'd tell him when he could open them. I turned and saw Jason with his eyes closed tight so I assume that neither boy likes tunnels.

We survived all that and arrived at the museum which we called The Bubble Room as it seemed easier to say and to remember then "The Boston Children's Museum". The boys loved the place. Kevin spent an hour in the bubble room. Jason spent that same hour in the ball room. They seemed to naturally find any exhibit that had water. "Peep's World" was fun, especially the water (water water everywhere, believe you me) and the computer. Kevin enjoyed the train table and climbing on a play structure. Jason loved driving the school bus and race car. We finally left when Kevin had me lift him up and he rested his head on shoulder and said "Go home now." Poor little guy. So tired and yet he enough energy to chase pigeons in front of the Hood milk bottle. They were both asleep before we got to Post Office Square. We drove up and down the Mass Pike in order to let them rest. Luckily Kevin woke up right as we drove by a construction site that had 6 super dumper trucks and 2 bulldozers. We pulled over and watched the fun. It was pretty neat watching these huge dump trucks. I didn't realize that they put the dumper down as they drive. A bit of a scary thing as these guys were driving very fast. It was like a construction ballet the way all the dozers and dumpers were speeding around and avoiding creaming each other.

Joe snapped some pictures and I'll post them tomorrow. 'Night

True Story II

2010-08-23T12:54:00.003-04:00

Early to bed for the Party Boys last night (8 pm). At 9 pm, I hear Jason through the baby monitor sing

"Who put the bomp

In the bomp bah bomp bah bomp

Who put the ram

In the rama lama ding dong?"

This was even funnier than my 3 am wake-up call to "We will, we will rock you!"

Photo of Jason wearing his "bike helmet" and driving his "motorcycle".

True Story

2010-08-23T12:52:00.000-04:00

Saturday AM the boys dillydally and have fun playing on their way to breakfast. Meandering down the stairs, they reach the living room and make a dash for the couch and their toys. Jason starts dancing around the living room and Kevin starts spinning. I can see that they are in no hurry for Oh's or bacon and I sit down on the couch to watch the floor show. Joe is in kitchen promoting breakfast. He calls out, "Jason! Come on in. It's time for Oh's."

Jason's response, "No. I doing a little dance, makin' little love, get down tonight."

Tumorning

2010-08-10T10:28:00.002-04:00

Kevin has invented a new word.

"Tumorning"

Proper use would be as follows:

"Good night, see you tumorning."

Or,

"We are going to the zoo tumorning."

("tomorrow" + "morning" = "tumorning")

2.5

2010-08-06T15:24:00.002-04:00

The boys had their 2 1/2 yr exam. It was a bit of a cry-fest as both boys were tired (they should've been asleep instead of fooling around until 10:30 at night). They wanted to watch the fish in the tank in the lobby and weren't happy about being torn away from that. So tears, whining and sniffling. That's how we kicked off this exam.

Anyway, here are the stats:

Jason: 38" tall and 33 lbs 2 oz

Kevin: 38" tall and 30 lbs 8 oz

Both boys are in the 93rd percentile for height. Kevin is in the 63rd percentile for weight and Jason is in the 65th or 92nd or something like that. It was difficult to hear over the crying. The doctor also threw out some other stats, something about comparing them to other boys their height or whatever. The numbers were slightly different putting Kevin in the 25th percentile for weight. Let me tell you, when it's the end of the day and I'm carrying Kevin, it does NOT feel like he's in the 25th percentile for weight.

They are happy and healthy kids. Feed them, water them, try to get them to rest and run around a bit and they seem to be doing everything else just fine. Great job boys!

Makes Me Laugh Outloud

2010-08-04T13:18:00.003-04:00

So many things about this video make me laugh outloud.

Kevin right up in the camera saying "Cheeseburgers" which is our version of "Cheese!"

Kevin dancing is adorable. I love when he tells Joe to stop and then goes on dancing to his own little beat or whatever rhythm he has in mind. And then there's that funny little smile he does at 1:00.

Funny boy

Camera! Lights! Action! Part Deux

2010-08-04T12:47:00.002-04:00

Camera! Lights! Action!

2010-08-04T12:41:00.002-04:00

Playing Garbage Man

2010-08-02T14:31:00.005-04:00

The boys like to play "Garbage Man". There are a couple of versions of this game. In one version, Jason "climbs" the rocking chair and yells out, "Hold on tight, Jason and Kevin" and "Don't fall off" and "Be careful, Jason and Kevin". Other versions have the boys filling a laundry basket with books or toys or alphabet letters and then they toss the contents out or toss them in. Whatever works. Enjoy the show!

3:18

2010-08-02T14:17:00.003-04:00

I've told several of you about how Jumpy is a night owl. He wakes up at 1:30 AM, 2:30 AM, 3:30AM or at the exact moment that I am having my deepest, best sleep and he belts out tunes or laughs or talks to himself. While I do miss my sleep, it's actually pretty funny and pretty cute and definitely worth being awakened for. I've been trying to capture our little Neil Diamond but he's been on to me and has been clamming up. I finally caught our wee little lounge singer last week. Enjoy!

In case you can't make out the tune. It's the chorus from "I've Been Working on the Railroad". He' singing "Dinah".

Ta,

Kathy

First Visit to a Dentist

2010-07-30T14:57:00.002-04:00

It had to be done. They both have a mouth full of choppers and are NOT afraid to use them. On Wednesday, Kicky and Jumpy made their way to Dr. Donley's office in Sudbury.

The Jumpster went right in, launching himself at the big toy in the lobby. The Kickster was a bit reluctant to go in the door or into the office or into the lobby. We've had a recent personality swap a la Freaky Friday. The Jumpster has become outgoing and

adventurous while Kicky has started to hold back and be more cautious and shy. I'm sure it's just a phase but it's funny to watch.

Back to the visit.....

Dr. Donley was great with the boys. Of course, this is what she does for a living and she definitely has thing that works for her. Jumpy let her view his teeth, brush them, polish them and do a fluoride treatment. Flossing? Not so much. But Jumpy was so very sweet about the whole thing. Dr. D asked him if he knew what "this" is. J answers "String!"

Dr D: Can I put this on your teeth?

J: No thank you

Dr D: Hmm, how about I try this..(opens those small plastic floss thingies that are the size of crayons)

J: No thank you.

Then he says "No thank you" four times in a row and turns away. All said very sweetly.

In the end, she gave up. I told Jason that it was ok and that I appreciated him using his manners and being polite. We could try floss another time.

Then, it was the Kickster's turn. "No" he didn't want to come see Dr D's office. "No" he didn't want to check out her other toys. "No" he didn't care if Jason got his teeth cleaned and got a neat surprise. So I picked him up and carried him in. He knelt the whole time. No, he didn't want her to count his teeth but he finally said "AHHHH" and let her peek. He tried to grab her tools, he tried to brush his own teeth. He refused to be polished. He barely let the fluoride happen. And, she wisely did not go down floss lane.

But, in the end, it really did go well. Each boy has 20 lovely teeth, a neat new bouncy ball and a new tooth brush.

The moral of the story: eat candy that melts and avoid sticky, chewy stuff.

Have a nice weekend

Doherty Dance Party

2010-07-20T22:26:00.002-04:00

We hold a dance party every now and then. During the cold months it helps the boys burn off excess energy and it helps Mommy burn off ben and jerry's. This one is Kevin and Mommy dancing to Annette's "Pineapple Princess" (one of Jumpy's favorite tunes). Jumpy is keeping time in the rocking chair while Kicky and Mom burn up the rug.

Enjoy!

Why We Can't Have Nice Things

2010-07-20T22:16:00.001-04:00

Slapstick

2010-07-20T11:28:00.004-04:00

I like the Three Stooges. One Saturday AM, Joe generously did the AM shift with the boys and I stayed in bed enjoying a few Stooges' shorts. I had not done that since I was pregnant. I do not share my appreciation for the Stooges with my sons. Definitely not age appropriate. That being said, perhaps television viewing can cross through the placental barrier as I watched Jumpy do something yesterday that was funny and a teeny tiny bit disturbing and definitely 3 Stoogish.

As Sue and I sat in the backyard not talking about this miserably sticky, hot, horribly humid, nasty, take-me-away-Calgon summer weather, I watched over Sue's shoulder as my son did a real Larry-Moe-Curly. He ramped up his speed and went barreling towards our fence. Smacking straight into the fence, he then fell backwards onto the moss laughing hysterically. He repeated this performance. Sometimes he added, "KABOOM!" or "BOINK!"**

Funny kid. Made me laugh. I asked him what he was doing and he answered me with a big smile and a laugh.

Sue said, "Didn't you know he did that?"

Me: "No. Did you?"

Sue: "No, today was the first time. I thought it was something that you knew he did or he did it over the weekend."

Me: "Nope. First time I ever saw it. No idea where he got the idea from. No sense making a big deal about it."

Funny kid. He would be a better stooge than Benicio Del Toro or Sean Penn. He might be the right age by the time they finally get around to making that movie.

** Disclaimer: Our fence is a soft landscaping fence so no children were hurt, disabled or maimed during the making of this performance or this blog.

Pix from Joe's cell

2010-07-14T16:27:00.009-04:00

Kicky commandeers a police car!

Kicky and Jumpy relaxing in their stroller

Kicky and Jumpy at Southwick Zoo

Kevin behind the wheel of a police car

Jason dining at Joan and Ed's deli

Wee Kevin on his pony

Jason helps Mom pick out decorations for Daddy's 40th birthday. See the Star Wars packaging? I think Jason approves.

Who is the cutest?

Kevin exits "Thomas" at the Action Discovery Museum

Jason draws on the chalkboard at the Discovery Museum

Farmer Jason trying out tractors

This one will do

Jason looking at the sky

Wee lads having lunch ( an older pic )

Concert on the Common

2010-07-14T16:22:00.003-04:00

We kicked off the 4th of July weekend by attending the Friday night "Concert on the Common" in our town. A fun rock and roll kind of band was playing so we took our picnic blanket and copped a squat so to speak. The boys had a lot of fun listening to the music and watching the crowd.

Kevin was on the go from the minute he got there. Check out his adventures. He commandeered a police cruiser and spied a race car sippy cup that looked like his so naturally it must be his. Fortunately, Joe stopped him before he ran off with it. Jason took awhile to warm up but after awhile had a lot of fun.

Saturday Morning

2010-07-14T16:22:00.001-04:00

Each morning I bring milk upstairs to the boys. They wake up. Have a cup of milk and ease into the day. On this day Jason decides to have milk in bed. He takes a big drink and says to me, "MMMM, refreshing. Tastes like bacon." I laugh, "Really? Can I taste it?" "No." Then a another big swig and he says, "MMM, tastes like toast. Tastes like chocolate."

Funny boy

Friday Night

2010-07-14T13:35:00.008-04:00

As dinner wrapped up, the boys were their antsy 2 yr old selves asking to get down and play. Joe was clearing the table and I was hurriedly finishing my meal. I asked Jason to sing God Bless America hoping to stall everyone long enough to finish. Joe stood behind me at the sink having a drink of water as he watched Jumpy belt out his tune.

As our wee Neil Diamond sang, I saw him watching Joe with a concerned expression. Suddenly, mid-song, Jason stops and says, "Daddy be careful. You'll choke." And so he did. With laughter. It was a good thing that Joe was standing by the sink as most of the water in his mouth ended up in said sink. Joe and I both burst into peals of laughter. Jason thought that was funny and he joined in laughing.

Jason, good singer and a thoughtful son.

Lots of Posts

2010-07-08T00:22:00.003-04:00

I've posted all the news from oldest to newest so you'll have to read all the way down to get the latest news. Enjoy!

A taste of July to keep you reading!

The myth, the legend, the Pearl

May

2010-07-08T00:05:00.003-04:00

New Shoes

It had to be done. We purchased new shoes for the boys. They've been going in and out of growth spurts and mostly going barefoot so we didn't need to address footwear until nicer weather came and a somewhat stationary point was achieved on the growth chart. Jason is size 9 double width. Kevin is a 7.5/8 double width. Yeow. Pix below this post.

Memorial Day

We attended the Wayland Memorial Day parade. 2 marching bands, marching girl scouts, brownies, cub scouts, eagle scouts, veterans, police, old cars, a pinebox derby car, cyclists, etc. Quite a fun time. We attended the ceremony at the cemetery. Kevin decided to comment (loudly) on all the flags, the mini-bus, etc. etc. so he and I enjoyed the ceremony from far, far away. Jason and Joe enjoyed the ceremony up close and the footage below if of our patriotic, flag loving and flag waving son. Check out the footage from our crack family videographer, Daddy.

Spring Pix

2010-07-07T23:58:00.005-04:00

Kevin 1, Pudding 0

Brothers

Jason sings of his love for pudding

Kevin shows us his sandbox

New Shoes!

Jason does his dramatic "Oh No NOT the Flash!" pose

Jason and his buddy Chewy

June

2010-07-07T23:57:00.001-04:00

Flag Day

Flag day was lovely. Bright, beautiful and sunny. Our flag was waving proudly in the breeze. The boys had the flags that they were given on Memorial Day and played with them all day.

Of Late

Kevin has learned several new words. Millipede, centipede, accident. No connection between these words so don't let your imaginations run wild. Both boys are quite chatty and say very funny things. One or both will tell me or Joe stories that are made up of things we've done and things that Oswald has done. So, it's not unusual for Kevin to tell me that he went on a picnic (true) and that he then went to the beach and built a sandcastle (a fiction and an Oswald episode). Or Jason will tell me about waving his flag at the parade (true) and that Steve Tree brought his radio (Oswald episode). That story in of itself is also a fiction but I'm trying to illustrate a point.

Favorites

I haven't done a list of favorites in a long time so here goes:

Kevin loves:

Fred (Dirty Fred, Clean Fred doesn't matter. But he knows we have more than 1 Fred so that cat (or dog as it were) is out of the bag)

Oswald the octopus (in books or on tv)

Kipper the dog (on tv)

Thomas the Tank Engine (the toys and in books, tv not so much...tooooo scary. Darn that crabby Gordon)

James the Tank Engine (the toys and in books)

Bob the Bus driver (who is really the Little People bus driver Carlos) little plastic 2" tall fellow who can drive a bus, fly a helicopter, fly a plane, and has several other talents and is a close personal friend of Handy Manny, 3" tall fellow who wears gloves and a hat

Woody the Little People train driver little plastic 2" tall fellow, excellent train conductor

Nemo (stuffed and in books, never seen the movie)

Lightening McQueen (in books, never seen the movie)

Trucks, Diggers, Dozers, Cranes, any construction trucks (toys or real ones)

Trains (toys or real ones)

Rides in the car

Pasta especially wagon wheels Rotini, mostly Rotini in fact

Popsicles

Ice cream - vanilla mostly

the color Orange

second favorite color, Red

Flags

Running

Walking and holding hands

Motorcycles (real ones) (there is a motorcycle class conducted at the school behind our house, we walk over and watch)

Reading

Sweets, anything sweet

Jason loves:

Chewy his bear (and he also knows that we have more than 1)

Singing (he does daily performances of his own compositions and some mashups of his favorites)

Music all types, genres

Oswald

Kipper

Bear, his other bear that is not Chewy

Construction trucks

Meat - ham, chicken, beef, you name it

Happy crackers (Kashi crackers)

Chocolate ice cream

Flags most kinds but mostly American flags

Playing guitar, drums, horn, kazoo, harmonica, piano

Wagon rides

Reading, reading, reading, books books books

Watching our neighbors mow and wack weeds

Golf (he has an amazing swing and terrific follow through, even goes up on his toe)

Baseball - great right pitching arm and can switch hit

rocking in our flowered rocking chair

climbing

July

2010-07-07T22:57:00.010-04:00

Can it be that long ago that I updated the blog? Wow. Slacker might be what you're thinking but we've been busybusybusy. Work is nuts with the company being shortstaffed (a national trend from what I read) and Joe and I have been doing more things out and about with the boys as we're trying to expand their horizons. They seemed to have reaached a point where they are ready to do more, go more places, etc. etc. We've seen a maturity in both boys and an increase in general comfort when it comes to new experiences and new people. So hither and yon.

The sunset caused by the Toronto forest fires.

Most trips have been fun/successful. A trip to Jordan's furniture in Reading - fiasco, but more the exception than the rule. Jason's big takeaway "Too loud, Mommy". And yes, it was very loud. However, our recent non-stop Fourth of July celebration weekend was fun and festive. Joe and I took a few days off and we did a series of daytrips and adventures. On Friday we hung out and swam at home and had a great time. Mimi and Papa came by for a BBQ and hung out with Kicky and Jumpy et al. On Saturday we attended the Franklin Children's day festivities where the boys saw Elmo, Batman, Big Bird, and a juggling clown. They got flag tattoos and had ice cream. Mom and Dad had fried dough (mmmm) and caramel apples. We missed out on seeing our friends Beve and her grandson Drew as our paths nearly crossed but did not intersect at the fair. Beve graciously invited the Doherty whirlwind into her home. Kicky and Jumpy took an instant liking to Drew. They ran around and squealed and had so much fun. Jason talked about Drew the whole way home. I'm sure Kevin would've if he hadn't dozed off immediately after getting into the car.

On Sunday we trekked down to the Cape where we attended the Wareham 4th of July parade. Uncle Barry's Pirate ship won 1st place! Kudos to him and the crew o' pirates that are his crew. We got to see Auntie Chris, cousins Danielle, Aric, Xavier, Ron and the newest member of the family, Dorian! The parade was even longer and better than last year. Antique cars, lots of floats. bands, a couple of bagpipe and drum bands, clowns, costumed performers, you name it!

It was mighty hot even on the Cape, so we headed to a quiet beach that had a great breeze and refreshing water. We had the beach to ourselves and the boys had a great time. What's not to love about having a giant wind farm on one side to watch and the ocean on the other? Jumpy took the water immediately and Kicky refused to go in ("Nope, nope").

Monday was a recovery day. Jason started sneezing and coughing so all of this party-party-party was taking a toll. We ran through the sprinkler and swam and napped and had a lovely summer day. Just what the doctor ordered.

Tuesday was another activity day. We visited the Discovery Museum in Acton. We'd visited the last weekend in June as a test case and the boys had a blast. Nearly 1 and a half hours spent playing in the train. This time, the boys spent the bulk of their time on the first floor but spread their time between the trains, the water room, the wall chalkboard and the ball habitrail room. I managed to get Jason upstairs and Joe also got him upstairs but Kevin was content to stay on the first floor and play with the trains.

By Tuesday afternoon it was apparent that Jason and Mommy had the same cold. Sure enough, today, Wednesday, Kevin is even more miserable than Jason and Mommy as it turns out....Kevin has a molar pushing on through. Poor little guy. If that isn't enough, it's as hot as the sun here. Yes, I exaggerate and I know you are hot wherever you are too. We've been trying to keep the guys cool and in the house. Not an easy task as they want to run outside and play but 100 degrees and 78% humidity really suck the fun out of running and playing. We ate at Kelly's tonight.

While I try to not take the boys out when they are sick, it's a million degrees and I'm sick. I wasn't up to making dinner and cleaning up after. Plus it's "Kids Night" so I thought we'd see the fish, get a balloon and drive the boys around in a mini-taxi. It went mostly to plan. If by "plan" I mean...Kevin was miserable and was spewing mucous or crying and ended the meal by barfing on me (just a teeny bit and he couldn't help it). Actually, the boys did have a great time watching the giant fish tank and talking about Nemo and Dory and the big pufferfish. Jason had a great dinner and a great time driving his taxi around the showroom floor. Kevin's favorite moment = seeing and touching the giant cherry picker in the parking lot. Several times he said, "That's the biggest crane I ever saw." Which struck me as so cute, I had him repeat it to Joe and to Sue several times.

So, home again home again jiggety jig. I hope you're staying cool wherever you are.

Kathy and Aric

Kevin squatting in water

Kevin pointing to seaweed

Kevin and Jason looking for shells

Jason throwing rocks into the water

Watching the parade

Auntie Chris and Dorian

Pirate Xavier

He ain't scary, he's Uncle Barry

The back of the Pearl

Aric and the Pearl

The side of the Pearl

Antique car in parade

Open Wide

2010-05-14T11:47:00.002-04:00

The boys went with me to the dentist yesterday. There was a build up to this visit. Books about visiting the dentist were read. There were chats about what dentists do and what would happen. The boys did as well as could be expected. Jason wanted to be held and whimpered but eventually became comfortable. Kevin was bored and wanted to do somersaults on the floor. They stayed for a long enough time (10 mins? Maybe it just felt like 10 mins?) and then Sue took them for a walk. Overall, they did great. Better than I expected.

We are currently shopping for a pedi dentist. I have several names and will stop in and visit some offices. No pictures of the boys and their teeth but I'll see what I can do about that this weekend.

May 11

2010-05-11T23:50:00.004-04:00

Today was a good day. For Jason, it was a great day. Jason has been obsessed with mowing. He mows his carpet in his room with a laundry basket pushing it back and forth. He mows the lawn with his Fisher-Price popper. He mows the kitchen linoleum with a broom. Well, you've got the idea. On Monday, another twin mom was selling 2 push tricycles, similar to big wheels but with handles so Mom/Dad can push a non-pedaling toddler. Anyway, in finalizing the deal on the 2 trikes, I asked the woman if she had a mower she'd like to part with. And, she did.

Tonight we brought home the push trikes and the mower. The trikes were promptly ignored and the mower became the focus of a big-time tussle. Jason grabbed the mower and off he went. What a happy little boy! Kevin grabbed the mower handle and a tussle ensued.

Eventually, Kevin and I went inside and played a game together while Jason and Joe mowed the lawn. For Kevin, out of sight is truly out of mind. What a blessing as Jason never forgets a thing. He still talks about the fireworks that he saw on New Year's Eve. He talks about the decorations from Christmas. He tells me stories from tv shows that he's seen one time, a long time ago. Kevin had a grand time inside playing with me while Jason was living the dream outside with Daddy.

No pix of the trikes or mower today. Check back again later and check out these photos of us "gardening".

On a non-Kicky or Jumpy note, we're thinking of you Poppy.

G'nite,

Kathy

Quick Tidbit

2010-05-11T23:45:00.003-04:00

Saturday night the boys ate ice cream dots.

The last of the ice cream dots. Kevin smacked his lips and yelled, "MORE ICE CREAM, PLEEEEEEEASE!" I replied,"That's it. There is no more ice cream." Kevin's response,"Mommy, Daddy go buy more!"

May 9

2010-05-11T23:28:00.005-04:00

Happy Mother's Day

It was a lovely day. Not only a holiday to honor Mothers but also the day of my grandmother's birthday. Grandma, you're in our thoughts. A day to reminisce, enjoy, and appreciate all the women who've touched my life.

We had a lazy, relaxing day. Up at the normal time, sadly no sleeping in but fortunately no breakfast in bed. At age 2, I can only guess at what breakfast in bed might be.

We had a fun day. Lots of trains, trucks, puzzles, parades around the kitchen table - parades are always a good time! I baked orange cupcakes with orange icing.

I had a lovely late afternoon nap while the Doherty men went for a wagonride around the neighborhood.

Enjoy the video of the 2nd Annual Doherty Mother's Day Parade

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

2010-04-20T22:25:00.002-04:00

If you viewed the last post then you see Jason is a big-time crooner. He has a few favorite songs that he burst into each day. He typically sings first thing in the morning and then again during or after dinner. Here he sings "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Enjoy!

Better Late Than...

2010-04-20T21:58:00.002-04:00

Here is the video post I'd hoped to do the other day. It doesn't need much explanation other than this: the boys love the cartoon "Oswald". Jason is quite taken with and heavily influenced musically by the character Sammy Starfish. Sammy is a Dean Martin/Frank Sinatra kind of character voiced by Tony Orlando. Enjoy!

I Looooooooooove (fill in the blank)

2010-04-15T13:12:00.002-04:00

Well, I had a very different post in mind but forgot to bring the video camera with me so, I'm posting another little tidbit. This one is about Jason. Last night the boys had popsicles for dessert. Halfway through his purple pop, Jason turns his head from side to side (looking left to right) and closes his eyes and then says,"I llllllllllllllllove popsicles!"

Joe and I burst out laughing. Then Jason proceeded to state his love of popsicles several more times. Later in the living room, he stated his love for Chewy, Mommy, Daddy and several books and toys.

Here Jason reads to Kevin. He's showing Kevin how the Red Sox hit home runs. Jason loves baseball too!

Apy Berf Day

2010-04-14T15:08:00.002-04:00

Or "Happy Birthday" to my Mom

The boys left a garbled message with some portions somewhat clear and others, well, when Kevin said, "Fred" he was clearly referring to his dog. I'm not sure how that tied into our birthday message but Kevin probably had a plan. Jason was quick with his words but much clearer delivering a great "I love you!" Well done boys.

Mom, I hope your day was great!

Today's Bauble

2010-04-14T14:56:00.001-04:00

Or last night's actually. Kevin was not a big fan of last night's chicken and bean cassoulet. He drank the broth and picked out the beans and flat out refused the chicken. After picking at various other food items he finally turned to me and said, "Ritz crackers pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease." I laughed and said,"This is your dinner. No Ritz." Kevin fixed his eyes on me and said, "Manners matter." This is my 2 year old throwing my words right back at me.

Yes, he did say please. Kevin learned at Christmas that the word "please" is a magic key that opens the door to treats both salty and sweet. So, I'm at a crossroads AND I'm having a life experience.

Crossroads...he DID say please and he DID use his manners. I want to reward this behavior. However, Ritz crackers every night for dinner is a really bad idea. As for the life experience.....at 2 he's throwing my words in my face. Nice, eh?

Vignettes

2010-04-12T14:46:00.005-04:00

Leaves

Near the end of dinner last Wednesday, Jason looks at my plate and says, "Mommy eat leaves." He follows this with a great big laugh. Joe also bursts out laughing. I look at Jason and say, "Mommy is eating lettuce. It's called 'salad'." Jason throws his head back and says loudly,"Salad!" Then he laughs a great big belly laugh. Followed by, "Mommy eats salad." This went on for a good 5 minutes. The laughing and the "Salad!" comments. Yes it was funny. We all laughed. But I also thought the boys would be somewhere around age 5 before they started to mock me. 2 seems a bit early.

Duh

Last night, Jason went to the corner behind his crib and started to pick up and move the small rocking chair that sits there. He was having difficulty and I said,"Wait and Mommy will move the rocking chair for you." So I take it from him and say, "Tell me where you want me to put it." Jason replies,"On the floor."

Joe starts laughing and says to me,"You know, we know he's smart but does he have to rub it in? On the floor, Mommy. Duh."

Kevin and a frog

Greetings

Kevin is a terrific greeter. Yesterday we took the boys for a spin around the block in their new wagon. We head out and Joe is going to catch up with us. As we walk along, I turn and see Joe headed toward us. I say,"Hey! Who is coming?" The boys turn around and see Joe. Kevin shouts,"DADDYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! YAAAAAAAAAAAY!" The funny thing is that Kevin does this every time he greets someone. Very effusive. Very cute.

Jason and his horn

Changes

We took the boys to the playground on Saturday. They had a great time. Jason showed us that he's really maturing. He took off at a full run towards the school and was more than half a football field away from me before he turned around. I waved at him and he continued running around. He didn't seem concerned at all about the distance betweeen us or that he'd gone so far and I had not followed. He ran back and forth between me and the school 2 more times and seemed to gain confidence with each trip.

Both boys climbed on all of the playground equipment. They both went down the big slides (a major accomplishment as they are reluctant to go down our "big" slide at home).

Dinner

We eat dinner together every night at 6:30. On Friday night I made spaghetti, meatballs and garlic bread. Jason ate a few bites of meatball and pushed the rest away. Actually, he picked up each individual piece and handed it back to me. When I passed him his bowl of spaghetti, he shook his head and said,"No." I offered him some of the other items on the table. He shook his head no to each offer. He pointed to the cabinet and said,"Hot dogs." I replied,"No. We're having spaghetti and meatballs." He whined a bit and started a tantrum. I replied, "No whining. This is our dinner. I'm not making you another meal." He waited a minute and then sweetly said, "Mommy, make me a meal." So very adorable, but I didn't make him another meal.

On the weekends, we eat dinner at 6. The boys are typically hungrier earlier as we spend a lot of time outside running around and they build up a big appetite. Last night, Kevin came in doing his jogging in place dance and started saying "chair chair ready ready". Interpret that as, "I'm hungry woman. Feed me!" He danced/jogged in and out of the kitchen several times. I'd gotten a late start on the enchiladas so Sunday night dinner was at 6:30 and Kevin was barely able to make it. When we finally sat, Kevin was first in his chair and already had a handful of chicken in his mouth. He saw his bowl of rice and started yelling, "Rice! Rice! Rice!" I responded,"Not until you finish your chicken." Suddenly he grabbed fistfuls of chicken and started shoving the chicken into his mouth. Afterwards, he wiped his hands across his tray and yelled, "All finsh. All finish. Clean clean clean. Rice rice rice." Translation: "The chicken is gone. Clean my tray and bring on the rice!" He ate 2 bowls of rice (a personal best). He also ate a cup of strawberries, some corn, some green peppers and 6 Ritz crackers. That was after he said, "Ritz crackers please." I thought he said rice crackers. He corrected me with, "RITZ CRACKERS!!! PLEEEEEASE!" Funny guy. Where did he put all that food?

Requests

Over the past 3 weeks both boys have requested: cupcakes, Oswald cupcakes, Thomas cupcakes, pudding, ice cream cones, dip(ketchup), dip dip(pancake syrup), ice cups(italian ice), tacos, peppers, strawberries, apple, pear and a variety of cereals. They do have a varied palate. Weird things that they eat: Kevin: tomatoes, ice (if he can get his hands on any) Jason: meat - any kind of.

The Thomas Cupcake Story

One night just before bedtime, Kevin and I are cuddling, rocking and reading a Thomas the Tank Engine book. Having finished the story, I close the book. We sit looking at the cover just sharing a quiet moment. Kevin quietly says,"Cupcakes. Oswald cupcakes" I say, "Yes, Mommy made Oswald cupcakes for your birthday." Then he looks up at me, "Thomas cupcakes." Get it? Got it. Good.

Oh, I forgot to mention, that in between fistfuls of chicken during last night's dinner, Kevin kept saying "yummy yummy yummy". After the initial loud outbursts, he settled down and then in between handfuls of rice, he quietly said "yummy yummy yummy" You could see his lips moving but just barely hear him.

Belated Easter Tidings

2010-04-06T22:50:00.004-04:00

Happy Easter Ya'll

The boys had a great Easter weekend. We visited the Roger Williams Zoo on Saturday where there was an Easter egg hunt. The boys were fascinated by all the kids running around but were not interested in the egg hunt. Jason was happy to find a blue egg and a green egg but simply because he likes blue and green. Kevin was content running up and down a small hill. They enjoyed the animals and had a great time.

Here are some pix of our Easter Sunday. The boys slept in and then had a lovely breakfast followed by Easter baskets. We talked about how every state has an Easter Bunny. The Florida Easter bunny left some goodies for them and Mimi and Papa sent those goodies to our house. The Texas Easter Bunny also had some goodies for the boys and Oma and Opa mailed those goodies. We also discussed how nice Auntie Diane was to forward the goodies that the Arizona Easter Bunny had for the boys.

So much excitement! The boys loved everything and had a great time. So many goodies, books, candy, toothbrushes, bunnies, bubbles, diggers, fire trucks and stickers. Oh boy!

Here are several pix from the day.

The boys played inside for a bit and then we went outside to search for Easter Eggs. Jason was very sweet and pointed out the eggs but did not pick any up.

Kevin ran around the yard and skipped the egg hunt altogether until he was made aware that the eggs contained FOOD!
The MA Easter Bunny left goldfish, raisins, vanilla wafers and gummy tractors. Here are pix of the boys having their egg hunt. Jason preferred playing on the slide. Kevin truly enjoyed the eating of goldfish.

A huge Thank You to all of our family, the regional Easter Bunnies and their support teams. The boys had a great time and are still enjoying their goodies!

Love,

Kathy

A Trip to Zoo

2010-03-09T14:53:00.002-05:00

We had a taste of Spring over the weekend. The boys had been housebound for 2 weeks while they recovered from a particularly nasty cold virus so the time was right to get out and run around.

We visited the Stone Zoo in Stoneham. The first critter we ran into was the eagle. Jason couldn't get enough of the eagle. We returned to the eagle over and over and over. Repeat visits to the eagle meant that our party of 4 got separated early on. Joe and Kevin trotted off (quite literally for Kevin). Jason and I returned to the eagle. I did manage to get Jason to visit an owl and a lynx. As it was mid-day, most of the animals were napping. Jason wandered up to each cage/animal and yelled "Wake UP!"

The red fox was not amused. Neither was the owl, the lynx. Interestingly, the otters didn't mind.

The funny (meaning humorous AND odd) thing is what the boys spent the most time doing and enjoying at the zoo. Jason was fascinated by the cars driving by the zoo. He commented on most of them. Describing the colors, sizes, and/or types. He wanted to play in the dirt and leaves mostly. He tried to splash in puddles and eat 2 month old snow. After meeting up with Joe and Kevin, I learned that Kevin was the same way. Puddles, snow, cars. Oh, and the backhoe and the bulldozer in the parking lot.

Jason had a particularly cute moment. As I tried to lure him to any spot without snow, I said, "Let's go find the wolfs." Jason responded, "Wooolfie, where are youuuu?" Cutey.

He also pinched his nose when we approached the yak. And yes, the yak was P.U. smelly.

Achooey!

2010-02-24T10:23:00.004-05:00

Kicky is icky and Jumpy is yucky. The boys have colds. The Kickster, aka Sniffster, is at the tail end wrapping up a nearly 10 day nasty cold. Jumpy's symptoms appeared on Monday night. What do parents who use daycare do when their kids are sick? Most daycares won't let sick children attend. If not for Sue, Joe and I would have to use our vacation time to be home with wee Kicky and Jumpy so you parents out there who do daycare...what do you do? Big thanks to Sue for her patience while the boys have been gooey, ooey, and ouchie. Her lightning quick response time with a tissue will earn her an entry in the Guinness World Book of Records.

Here are some pix of the guys spending their downtime watching Thomas the Tank Engine and Oswald.

Poor wee fellas. We're thinking of doing a celebrity benefit to help us raise money for tissues. "We need more Kleenex, We need more Puffs. We need a world free of germs and bugs." Sung to the tune of "We are the World"... pretty catchy, don't you think?

Here are some other photos of the guys taken when before the bug hit. Enjoy!

Kaboomey

2010-02-18T10:06:00.000-05:00

Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-BOOM-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Is a game the boys play at our house. It consists of putting all the pillows on the floor and the boys bounce and jump around on the pillows. They've been playing this since they could walk and it is a great way to get them to burn up pent up energy.

We haven't played in a few weeks so last night, after a few days of being stuck in the house, I said,"Who wants to play KABOOMEY!" Both boys ran over to the pillow corner and started dragging the pillows out.

The pix try to capture the excitement of Kaboomey.

Birthday Aftermath

2010-02-18T09:52:00.002-05:00

Joe's Birthday Part 2

Joe had a great birthday. I think his favorite gift was me shoveling/snowblowing the driveway before he got home so that he didn't have too. We had Joe's favorite dinner - Pizza and Boston Cream Pie.

Here are some pix from the party.

Jason says, "NO WAY, you're how old?"

Kevin sings Happy Birthday to You

Jason sings Happy Birthday to You

The Birthday Boy

Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker fight over the Boston Cream Pie

Happy Birthday to Joe

2010-02-16T10:57:00.003-05:00

Kicky and Jumpy wish Daddy a very very very Happy Birthday!
Here's hoping the year ahead is filled with wishes and dreams that come true!

May all your pop tarts be brown sugar cinnamon

May all your bagels be egg

May the light in your eyes always twinkle

Muah,

Jumpy, Kicky and Mommy

The Stats for 2

2010-02-09T23:03:00.002-05:00

The day after the birthday #2. The boys went for their 24 month checkup (that's the "2 year" checkup for parents like us who don't count age by months).

Here's how it shook out:

Kevin:

36" tall - putting him in the 90th percentile for height

27 lbs 4 oz - putting him in the 40th percentile for weight

Jason:

36" tall - putting him in the 90th percentile for height

29 lbs 8 oz - putting him in the 50th percentile for weight

So, the funny part is when Dr. Garber says, "Try to make sure that Kevin eats more and gains a bit of weight." The funny part of that is the fact that Kevin is a terrifically ferocious eater. But he's my marathoner, so he burns every bit of fuel he puts into his body as he runs around the kitchen table, the living room, his bedroom, the backyard, Heartbreak Hill, etc. etc.

After showing us Jason's chart, Dr. Garber says, "He's a perfect specimen." Or something along those lines. Duh. Both boys are perfect specimens.

Actually, they are 2 very different boys who are shaped differently. We did find a way to get Jason to run though. His last birthday present arrived today. A nerf-like Snoopy baseball bat, mitt and ball. Kevin kept saying "turn. turn" - Kevin-speak for "It's my turn Jason." And he kept trying to take the baseball bat. Until today and the arrival of Snoopy bat, Kevin never cared a whit about baseball and baseball bats. Jason spent the afternoon running away from Kevin and trying to keep his baseball bat from Kevin. So, like I said, we found a way to get Jason to run and get some exercise. Oh well.

More Bday Photos

2010-02-09T22:38:00.004-05:00

2

2010-02-09T21:33:00.006-05:00

Wow. Kicky and Jumpy are 2. It's been a fast and fun 2 years. I'll cover the bases on their birthday and then backtrack through the holidays in a later post.

The boys started celebrating on Thursday because all birthdays should be celebrated through the weekend and up until the big day and then (sometimes) a few days past. As gifts arrived from family, the boys opened them. No sense in waiting as things like anticipation and building excitement are lost on toddlers. The boys received some very cool and lovely things from their Aunt Diane (frequently called Annie Dianie). Thursday was a day of sticker fun!

More boxes came on Thursday and also on Friday. Saturday was a great day. The boys opened lots of great presents from Oma and Opa. The boys were very excited over a light that projects the moon and stars on the ceiling. Every day the boys ask to see the moon and every night they look outside their bedroom windows for the moon. This light will solve our cycles of the moon issues. There was a big tussle over the light.

They had a terrific time playing in the tissue and wrapping paper that accompanied the gifts. The boys enjoyed playing with trucks and reading books.

A fast lunch and a quick nap were followed by wonderful presents from Mimi and Papa. By now the boys had honed their unwrapping skills and had a great time opening gifts. They loved playing with their new dump truck and bulldozer. Both boys enjoyed reading books and playing with their new cell phones. There were several cute shirts and 2 birthday boy outfits that were immediately put to good use :)

The evening was topped off by pizza and Oswald cupcakes! A boys' dream come true, well, the boys in our house at least.

Sunday was another big day of fun, playing, opening some gifts from Mom and Dad and more CUPCAKES!

Monday - THE BIG DAY!

The boys wore "Birthday Boy" outfits from Mimi and Papa and looked very cute. With their new haircuts, they look like little boys and all the baby-like qualities are gone.

The boys played all day bopping from trucks to trains to books to blocks to puzzles to farm to airplane to you name it. They had spaghetti and meatballs for their birthday dinner followed by a 2 rounds of "Happy Birthday to you" - one for each boy. Then the boys had cupcakes with flameless candles. As Jason ate his cupcake he sang "Happy Birthday" to Kevin and then Kevin said "happy happy" to Jason.

They each had 2 cupcakes followed by vanilla ice cream. The sugar was flowing at our house! After cupcakes, there were PRESENTS! Sue gave the boys cool Little People magnadoodles. The boys were fascinated with them and knew what to do, drawing and swiping the eraser across w/dexterity.

Then the boys opened more gifts from Mommy and Daddy. Thomas and James push-n-go trains were a big hit as were Biscuit and Oswald books. The party continued on until after the typical bedtime.

The boys loved all their presents and thank everyone for their generosity and thoughtfulness!

wee Tom Ford?

2009-12-11T14:41:00.003-05:00

Tom Ford? If you're scratching your head wondering who he is, he's a leading fashion designer. I type "Tom Ford?" not to discuss the actual person but because of my experience with wee Kicky this AM. Today was the first day/time that he indicated any interest in his outfit. I'd dressed him and realized afterwards that his shirt was too small. Not tight enough to prevent him from breathing, not "Simon Cowell" tight but clearly....not going to cut it.

So, I strip the shirt off. He scowls and runs to the other side of the room. I say "C'mon, I have a new shirt. It's even better than the striped one. Look, it has pirate monkeys on it." Now, pirate monkeys are pretty cool, right? It was black and red and I thought any little boy would be ok with it. But nooooo. Kicky continues to scowl and looks at the shirt and then says "no monk". Hmm.

So plan B. "Ok, no pirate monkeys. How about......Cookie monster?" Big smile and he runs over to me with his arms raised over his head. So, there it is.

I'm not complaining. Please don't interpret this post as such. Most days it's a huge struggle to get Mr. I like to run around in my diaper Kickster into any clothing. He hates having his diaper or his clothes changed. You have to be prepared with an assortment of distractions and silly songs. I cannot even begin to imagine his teen years.

This parenting is real work, I tell ya.

Little Energizer Bunnies

2009-12-09T20:58:00.005-05:00

The boys are now 22 months old. When people ask. We say 1 and half. We don't do months around here. When people give them an eyeful and say "wow...big for 1 and a half". It's a bit obvious that they think the boys are 18 months. But we nod and say "yes". The boys have descended from 2 tall tribes.

They've grown in just the past 2 weeks. No lie. Seriously. Pants that had to be cuffed 2 weeks ago now fit perfectly. All the 18 mo clothing....forgetaboutit.

So, now that they are at such a ripe age....I'll update their likes and dislikes.

Kevin:

Likes:

Taking toys/books from Jason

Trying to get Jason to chase him

Riding on his airplane

Fred

Munch the Moose

Oswald (the cartoon Octopus) and his dog Weenie

Thomas the Tank Engine

School buses

Construction trucks especially diggers, bulldozers and dump trucks

Popsicles

Any and all fruit

Most vegetables

Reading

Ernie, Bert, Elmo and Cookie Monster

When Oscar sings "I love trash"

Dancing

Playing the kazoo (we discovered this tonight)

Playing the drums

Splashing in the bath

The word "Tiddliwinks" He bursts out in giggles

The words "Whirly bird" ditto

Being wet, getting wet, anything water related

Sweeping with his broom/riding it like a horse

Noodles (as in pasta)

Ketchup

Dislikes:

Meat

Not getting his way

Having to share

The cold

The snow

Being out in the cold and in the snow

Tight clothing

Anything around his neck

Socks and shoes

What's changed for our wee Kicky? Well, when not annoying brother or having a tantrum, he is mostly likely to be found chasing the cats. His new hobby is to grab their tails and not let go. He no longer sighs when he sees Abby Cadabby. I suppose it had to end sometime. His molars are driving him nuts. We'll all be relieved when this teething thing is OV-ER! He still has the cutest little giggle. It's infectious. He has a fake laugh that he does now. It's pretty funny too as it sounds like "ha ha ha" and you can tell it isn't his genuine laugh. His imagination is really kicking into high gear. At breakfast he sits holding his bacon and puts it to his mouth and smacks his lips and says "yummy yummy yummy" and "mmm mmm mmm". But then he doesn't it eat. He just pretends to eat it. Sometimes he feeds Fred the bacon.

Jason

Likes:

Reading

Music

Playing drums

Playing piano

Playing clarinet (we discovered this tonight)

Ernie, Bert, Cookie Monster

World music

1940's music

Three Blind Mice

Building blocks

Coloring

Calling Oma, Opa, Mimi and Papa on the phone

Watching his reflection in the oven door

Sweeping with his broom/riding it like a horse

Oswald (the cartoon Octopus) and his dog Weenie

Thomas the Tank Engine

School buses

Construction trucks especially bulldozers and dump trucks

Popsicles

Noodles (as in pasta)

Ketchup

Dislikes:

His brother but just sometimes, when he's annoying

Most fruits

That he can't watch more TV, he asks for it daily

Being told "no" or any form/derivative of "no"

And what has changed for our Jumpy? He's become more extroverted. He frequently climbs on his step stool and makes speeches. Loud ones. Emphatic ones. He is intensely interested in every book he picks up. He yanks all the pillows off of his favorite rocking chair and then climbs up into it with a book. He'll sit there for a half hour just studying his book and ignoring everyone else. At dinner he likes to make phone calls. He is very chatty but then when he's done...that's it. Conversation over. Jason's imagination, like his brother's, is very evident. As is his sense of humor. His new favorite thing is to pull his hand into his sleeve and then say "OH NOO" and wave his arm around. Then after you say "Oh No! Where's Jason's hand?!" He'll push his hand out and do a little "Ta-DAH!" kind of thing with his arms and burst out laughing.

Sadly (mostly for me as a woman and a mom), both boys find passing wind out of either end, to be hilarious. They are boys through and through.

Well, that's the view of the world from ToddlerTown, USA at 22 months and 9:33 pm on a Wednesday night.

Night,

Kathy

2009-12-08T00:29:00.007-05:00

Belated Thanksgiving wishes to all. I hope your day was filled with all good things. If turkey is your thing, then hopefully you got your fill of bird. If it's tacos, well you know what the Taco Bell dog used to say Yo Queiro Taco Bell.

The boys had a great holiday aside from a cold. The day started off nicely. Beautiful weather. Oddly warm for so late in the year. The week had been a sad one as Brian Swanson, Joe's cousin, passed away on Friday the 20th. Brian courageously fought his cancers and was an amazing example of grace, love and strength. It was heart warming and bittersweet to see the turnout at his wakes. So many people whose lives he touched and such a huge hole he's left in the world by his absence.

By the time Thanksgiving arrived, everyone was grateful to be together and hugs were tighter and eyes were moister.

Joey, Joe's nephew, read a heartwarming Thanksgiving speech. Hid dad, Rob, read a funny and touching speech as well. Molly, Joe's neice, rounded out the speeches with her own special touch. Prayers and then the feast.

It was a fun day and it was sad to see it end. I was grateful for so much and on a light-hearted note, I was especially relieved and thankful that we made it to and from Mimi and Papa's without anyone getting carsick. Phew and yay.

The boys have been doing great. New words and new concepts being grasped on a daily basis. I asked Jason to take a bite of his chicken nugget, he did and then he said "bock bock". "Yes, that is the sound a chicken makes." Apparently he has no issue with eating chickens. Kevin tends to bypass meat and favors fruit and veggies. He loveslovesloves Pomegranate seeds.
Kevin unfortunately contracted the words "fire" and "truck" last Friday. I kindly spelled out the words for him and encouraged him to use both words. Oddly enough, nearly every word that starts with "f" rhymes more with "truck" than what it should sound like. Funny Kevin.
The boys are continuing to develop along separate paths. Tonight at dinner we had a difference of opinion of the group sing song. Jumpy wanted "Three Blind Mice" and Kicky wanted 'Do Re Mi". Whenever I'd start Do Re Mi, Jumpy would chant "mice mice mice mice mice mice". If I started to sing "Three Blind Mice" then Kicky would chante "do do do do do". Guess you can't make everyone happy.

Jason is very into Thomas the Tank Engine and every day points at the TV and says "choo choo Thomas". Kevin doesn't seem to havea preference and frequently says "Oso" or "elmo" but he doesn't really ask for TV. If it's on, great, if not, that's fine too.
Kevin prefers the Little People playsets that we have. And, taking toys away from Jason.

The Little People Nativity is a B-I-G hit. Kevin likes to place Jesus on top of the stable where the angel should go. He has also taken a shine to Asian King. Jason likes to tell me that the camel has a boo-boo. The camel is fine.

The house is decorated for the holidays. I did it while the boys watched so that there would be no surprises. The tree is not impressive to them but they do love one decoration that is an old fashioned Santa sitting on a half moon. They also like a light up snowman.

Speaking of snow. Today we went out and played in the snow. It was their first time in the white stuff. The initial responses: Kicky - got to the bottom of the stoop and turned right around to go back into the house. I convinced him to go to the end of the walk. Then he turned around and headed back toward the steps. He made a pitstop at the pumpkins, now covered with snow and ate some snow. Then headed for the stairs. Oh well.

Jason marched around the yard and seemed fine with everything. Both boys swung, played in their playset and then chased balls around. It took more time to get them buncled up then to do all that stuff but they did seem to enjoy themselves.

Not much other news. Take care.

Wicked Smaht

2009-11-11T12:57:00.004-05:00

One day last week as I sang the "ABC song" Jason joined in at the end singing "now I know my ABCs". I was surprised. I knew he was familiar with the song but didn't know that he knew the lyrics well enough to jump in. Yay Jason!

I'm redecorating the boys room. Or more accurately, I'm decorating the boys' room. When the boys were born, we did not decorate the nursery other than hanging a clock, a photo of the boys' baptism and a few other objects. I thought it made more sense to decorate when we knew what they liked. We had John Singer Sargeant (The Orchestra at the Winter Circus) and Van Gogh (Starry Night) posters hanging in their room. When Van Gogh fell down, I removed it. Over the weekend, Sargeant fell down. Both boys have done much pointing and grunting and reminding/nagging me about the poster being down so....I'm taking this opportunity to decorate properly.

Because both boys seem to like nearly everything....trucks, cars, animals, books, planes, rocketships and planets we're lucky in that we're not limited to one theme but then I don't want to do multiple themes either. I've opted to go with a typography theme...letters and numbers in different sizes and colors.

The decorating is something that I do while they are in the room as Jason doesn't like change and if he notices something different or missing, he gets upset and insists on having things returned to their earlier state. I know this sounds a bit unbelieveable, but trust me, it's true. Last weekend I took down Halloween. You'd think I was torturing him. He whined and grimaced and did a bit of fake crying. He didn't want to see the decorations go. I gave him a tombstone to carry around and that assuaged him for a bit.
While the boys napped I finished decorating the mantle, moving things around and hanging new items. When I brought Jason downstairs after his nap, the first words out of his mouth were, "STAR!" and he pointed to where I hung a star on the wall. Then he pointed to the mantle and said "Mama". I hung our wedding portrait over the fireplace. So he quickly pointed out the different things and gave me the grimace face. I opted for the time-tested solution of "How about some milk?!"

So, I decorate with them in the room so that they are part of the process and so that nothing is sprung on them catching them offguard. So far, so good. The number cards I hung yesterday well received. Today I put up some alphabet letters - again...big hit.

Jason enjoys the alphabet border. Joe or I will say "Can you find the O?" and he'll point and say "OHHHHHHHHHHHHH". Joe got Jason to say most of the end of the alphabet from L to V.

We paid a visit to Joe's sister and her family over the weekend. The boys had a great time and are completely enamored of their cousins. Kicky and Jumpy had a great time running around and playing with Molly and Joey.

Jason likes the phone. Real phones, play phones, doesn't matter. I'll catch him sitting and talking on his play phone and I'll ask him "Who are you talking to?" Sometimes he'll answer sometimes he gives me a look that says "Hey, I'm talking here...."

A few times at dinner or when we're playing he has said "phone phone phone". I'll ask "Who do you want to phone?" One evening at dinner he said "Oma" so we called Oma and he chatted away. One afternoon he said "Meem" - his way of saying Mimi. So we called Mimi and he chatted away. He's definitely not phone shy. He talks away and answers questions - sometimes by only nodding but still he listens and answers.

Kevin likes to jump into the conversation too but he doesn't seem to be as good a conversationalist. He'll talk and then walk away so the other party isn't heard or answered. Oh well.

More new words. Home, green bean, ham, sit, sofa, stuck, Oswald, Oso (as in Special Agent Oso), choo choo, oink, honk, Bob the bus driver which sounds like "Bob bus drive", "No more monkey" as in "no more monkeys jumping on the bed", phone, please and thank you sound more like please and thank you and less like peas and tanku.

The guys are perfecting their stair climbing and descending. Today when I showed Kevin his cup of milk, he turned and put his lego block on the bookshelf and then came over to get his milk. As opposed to chucking the block onto the floor. Nice cleaning up Kevin! Both boys love to sweep and have boy-size brooms. After meals, they sweep the kitchen floor and the hallway. Sometimes they have a light saber duel but they mostly keep the bristles on the floor.

The pix in this post are from KetchupFest 2009.

Have a good one.

A funny video

2009-11-03T10:16:00.005-05:00

This video is a good example of many things.

1. Kevin and his new favorite food (ketchup)

2. Why dinner is always entertaining at our house

3. There is more than one way to do anything

4. Why art imitates life, life is always funnier

5. You don't have to be rich to enjoy life, ketchup and a digital camera = priceless

This video is a bit shaky because I am laughing so hard while filming.

2009-11-01T20:48:00.002-05:00

Happy Halloween ya'll.

The boys had a fun Halloween.

They were both Spiderman.

Shockingly, Joe opted for these

instead of Yoda, Luke Skywalker,

and Thing 1 and 2.

We set out at dusk and paid

visits to several of our

neighbors who know the boys.

They boys seemed to enjoy

themselves. We didn't collect

candy as the boys aren't that

into sweets.

As dark fell, we headed home and had

a nice pasta dinner while Dr. Daddy

handed out candy. After dinner, the boys helped Dad hand out treats.There were lots of trick or treaters this

year. Loads of great costumes. The kid

who was a fridge, the baby who was a

lobster. All adorable.

Here's a picture of Dr. Daddy with Spiderman Jason.

Below that is a picture of me with the boys.

Next up...Thanksgiving!

Some pix, some words, a story and some news

2009-10-29T10:38:00.003-04:00

The bath post had no pix so here are a few.

Over the past 2 days the lexicon has grown to include:

clown

trick or treat

phone

bus driver (well, something close to that)

seeds (as in pomegranate seeds)

dip dip (aka pancake syrup)

The story:

Last night during dinner, Jason says "phone". I acknowledge the new word, "Wow. Phone." But he keeps on "Phone. Phone. Phone."

So, I ask, "Who would you like to phone?" No answer. "Daddy?" I ask. A great big smile and a nod. Yesterday was Comics Wednesday, so Joe was out visiting with IANO and Joe O. I grab the phone and we call Daddy.

The conversation was hilarious. Jason was very chatty and told his Dad about his day and about playing and dinner and on and on. Kevin piped up and added some chatter. Thank you Alexander Graham Bell. Little did you know all those years ago how important your invention would be and what good would come of it. Then we wrapped up the conversation. Kisses, goodbyes and then back to dinner. All pretty funny.

And now the news. Joe's cousin Brian is not doing well. Not at all. We were told he would probably make it through the holidays and into the new year. However this morning we learned that he might have just days. His cancer has spread to his stomach and things just couldn't be worse. If you are a prayer, please offer one up for Brian, Kathy and Merry. If you aren't, any positive thoughts you can offer are appreciated too.

Then, hug your loved ones and tell them you love them.

New words and reaching milestones

2009-10-27T12:55:00.002-04:00

The boys are learning new words every day as mentioned before. Their recognition of words, phrases and concepts continually amazes me. Over the weekend, Jason picked up a stuffed Stitch (from Disney's Lilo & Stitch) and started naming his facial features. Very cute and astute. But then this kind of thing can get weird...for example...during Saturday night's bath as we wash all his body parts, Jason starts touching and poking himself, specifically his penis. We call it a penis. No cutesy names or nicknames. It is what it is. Well, despite an inability to say the word they obviously know what the word means because after I acknowledged Jason's actions by saying, "Yes, we washed your penis." Kevin grabs his own and then reaches over and grabs Jason's. Ye-OW. Jason pushed his hand away and stood saying loudly, " UP!" Bathtime was OV-ERRR for Jason. I don't blame him.

Children's development books say that by 20 months kids should be able to name 6 body parts. Well, we've got that covered.

FYI: No cute pix of the boys naked in the bath. Didn't you hear about the people who lost custody of their kids because Walmart thought their bathtime photos were porn?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32904451/

So silly but

2009-10-23T15:26:00.003-04:00

No big news today but lots of little things. The boys are changing daily. Not the way they did when they were infants but in so many different ways. It seems as if they look a bit more mature each day and they are starting to mimic Joe's and/or my mannerisms and facial expressions. I know where Jason gets that scowly eyebrow look and it's not from Bert. They are showing and telling us that they are becoming individuals as they display interest in new things or different things.

Reading continues to be a big deal at our house. No surprise given Joe's and my love of books and reading. Of course, the boys won't be allowed anywhere near Joe's collection of horror and suspense tomes for many years to come but in the meantime the boys are enjoying their own expanding library. In the pic above you see us enjoying Curious George Visits the Zoo. They are able to sit through longer stories now.

Other developments...The nighttime cup of milk is gone, having been replaced by one-on-one reading and cuddle time. Before bedtime, the four of us read together with me reading a book or 2 and then Joe reading a story or 2. Then it's prayers and we part with each parent taking a boy and going off to cuddle and read stories and (formerly) giving each boy his milk. The no-more-milk transition was gradual and the boys did great. The one-on-one mom/dad reading time seems to be an acceptable milk-substitute for the boys.

The boys are purdy smart. Each night after the family reads, I'll say, "Ok, time for prayers" and roughly half the time that is the cue for the boys to jump up and run to a toy and start playing acting as if they didn't hear me.

Both boys have learned how to use small ride-on toys. Here is a pic of Jason on an airplane. Kevin tends to stand over his ride and walk. A pretty funny visual.

Here's a cute pic taken by my folks. Jason is flying around the kitchen while Kevin is doing "happy feet" something akin to tap dancing.

Last night we had a traffic jam in the kitchen table rotary followed by a driver meltdown. Once we got all traffic going clockwise, calm was restored.

More cute kid tricks: Jason knows what certain animals say. So if you ask him "What does the cow/dog/cat/pig/duck/goose say?" He'll answer correctly. When I say, "What does Mommy say?" Sometimes he'll respond, "No." ha. ha. ha. Thanks.

Jason caught mid-flight.

It's difficult to tell what's going on in this one, eh? It's a snap of Kevin upside down on the changing bureau. He has Fred's ear in his mouth and trying to shimmy off the table while Joe valiantly tries to hold on to him AND change his diaper. Good luck with that Joe.

Kevin has finally found some favorite songs after months of not seeming to enjoy Jason's dinner music choices. Oscar the Grouch's "I love trash" and Ernie's "I Don't Want to Live on the Moon" are the big favorites as of last night when I found the missing Sesame Street CD and popped it in. Given his love for Cookie Monster I thought "C is for Cookie" would've been a hit but nope.

I made a new CD for the dinner hour and Jason has picked a couple of new favorites. This is a relief as we're all bit tired of "Popeye the Sailor Man". And, while Chickory Chick is still enjoyed, it's a big relief that Jason's taste has branched out to include the Bay City Rollers' "Saturday Night" and "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow". I'm still holding out hope that he'll start to enjoy "I Like Bananas, Because They Don't Have Bones" a cute song from the 30's/40's.

Well, that's it for now ladies, gentlemen and ships at sea. Bundle up, it's going to a wet and chilly night.

Love,

Kathy

Finally! An update!

2009-10-21T16:23:00.008-04:00

Wow...

finally

blog

update.

Belated Autumnal equinox wishes and

early Happy Halloween wishes.

The Autumn has been a busy and brutal one so the blog has been neglected.

The boys have been growing and changing minute by minute.

Here's some backstory and loads of pix to get everyone up to speed.

<- CHEESE!

<-- Cool white Bengal tiger at Southwick

Aunt Diane, Oma and Opa came to visit in May. They took the boys on many adventures that included visiting Joan and Ed's Deli - a family fave, the Christmas Tree Shop (a fave among the women in the family), a trip to the Southwick Zoo, and lots of fun running around the house, up and down the hall, and all over the backyard.

In July Oma and Opa visited again helping us out while Nanny Sue moved into her new cottage. Oma, Opa, Mimi and Papa took the boys to their favorite deli and then out shopping. Oma, Opa, the boys and I visited Southwick Zoo on possibly the hottest and muggiest day of the year. But what a great day and a fun time!

It was so much fun and I recommend the zoo to everyone as it's a great place to walk/exercise and see animals. One of the funnier stories from the day occurred when we were strolling through the deer park and stopped to sit on a bench next to a bog. Jason pinched his nose and said "pfft" which was his version of "P.U.". And yes, the bog did have an odor.

The boys have had daily adventures over the past few months such as meeting the new mail person and getting to see the mail truck up close (this is a really big deal to them), meeting Police Woman Kathy who gave them cool police badge stickers and a balsa wood airplane kit, seing a Ferrari drive up our street (ok, I was the one that found that to be cool), lots of fun walks with Sue, blowing bubbles in the backyard, learning how to go down the slide, swinging on the playground and so much more.

This was the second year that the boys participated in our annual apple picking adventure. They had a great time running in the field, picking apples and eating apples. They both had an apple in their hands or in their mouths throughout the whole afternoon. They laughed themselves silly watching their cousins Molly and Joey. Interestingly enough, as exciting as the apple picking was....the boys were fascinated and obsessed with all the airplanes that flew over the orchard. At the end of our adventure, Kevin spied a plane and then chased after it through the orchard. I tried to explain that the plane was going home and so were we.

The boys are both seriously tall. And, someone keeps feeding them rocks or putting rolls of quarters in their pockets, at least that is what my back tells me. The boys can climb the stairs and are starting to experiment with going down. The words are coming fast and furious with new words on a daily basis. A sampling: cheetah, up, down, pumpkin, street light, pirate (new today in fact), bus driver, no, more, mower, and noodle. Kevin is our daredevil, practicing jumping down from anything and everything. Jason loves to be spun in the swiveling, rocking chair. Both boys are adept at figuring out how things work. Kevin knows how to undo the buckle in the stroller. Jason knows how to undo the babygate at the nursery door...good thing he doesn't know how to pull back the safety latch.

<-- Joey, Jason, Kevin and Molly

They both enjoyed the snowfall on Sunday and spent a lot of time standing at the nursery windows watching the big fat flakes fall.

New favorite songs: "Summertime" (as in "sum-sum-sum summertime, sum-sum-sum summertime), "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Row row row your boat", "Oom pow pow", "I Don't Want to Live On the Moon", and "Twinkle Twinkle".

<-- Post apple picking exhaustion!

The still love to read. Kevin's love of cars increases daily. His favorite comic book is based on the movie "Cars". We attended the neighbors annual "party in the driveway" and Kevin spent the entire time hovering around another party goer's cherry red Mini Cooper. He was completely fascinated by it and I couldn't deter him.

Jason's love of music equals his brother's car passion. He typically picks our dinner music and will ask for music by making a funny clicking sound. Different clicks mean different songs. However, he asks for "Summertime" by saying "sum sum sum" and "Row Your Boat" is (obviously) "row row row". "Itsy Bitsy Spider" is "eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" and the accompanying hand motion of a climbing spider. He also loves "Peer Gynt Suite" but hasn't figured out how to ask for it or perhaps I'm not getting his hints?

He plays the drums and xylophone and when we visit Mimi and Papa's he plays their piano and organ. He created an impressive fugue on the organ 2 weeks ago. A bit dark but impressive.

Both boys need a haircut. But, they are so cute with that mod shaggy look...besides...a haircut is going to just make them look older and more like little boys. Speaking of, they've lost their baby-ish-ness. They are truly little boys. I noticed over the weekend that Kevin, who was clinging to his last bit of baby, was finally, really toddler. Those photos at the top of them in swings....don't their legs look a mile long? Cuties.

Take care!

2009-09-04T15:29:00.003-04:00

The boys had their 18 month checkup today. Yes, they are 19 months old but it's tough to get an appointment this time of year.

Here's a photo of us all pre-haircut. The 2 shaggies and mommy.

The appointment went well. The Dr. commented several times on their easy going manner and how well-behaved they were. For those of you without children or pediatrican visit experience....there is a back and forth QA. We ask questions i.e. is it normal for them to speak Russian as such a young age? And, then, he asks questions "Do they spend time with other children? Do they get along?" etc etc

The boys are on target for growth and development.

The general overview is as follows:

Jason is in the 90th percentile for height. Layman's terms: He's one tall toddler.
He is in the 50 to 75% bracket for weight. So, he's average weight for his age.

Kevin was in the 88th percentile or 88% for height. Also, a tall toddler.
Kevin was right in the middle of the pack for weight. 50% on the dot.

The actual numbers were as follows:

Jason is 34" tall and weighs 27 lbs and 2 oz.
Kevin is 33 3/4" tall and weighs 25lbs and 8 oz.

They got flu shots and HiB shots. Kevin cried and Jason did not. We had the full Doherty team there....mom, dad and Sue.

Not much else to report. They saw fish at the Dr's office. They got 2 new Clifford the big red dog books from the Dr. Then...back home we went. Play. Snack. Nap. Although, I can hear a lot of banging overhead so the nap hasn't started yet. In fact, it sounds like furniture is being either moved or thrown.

Here are some snaps of the boys reading in their new favorite sitting spot. They are reading their new books about cars and books. Good taste in topic matters!

Have a nice Labor Day!
Love,
Kathy

1 1/2

2009-08-17T14:18:00.011-04:00

Sorry for no post of late. Vacation, work overload and then the recent IE Service pack update have all kept me from being able to blog. Lots to tell ya'll but first .. a late milestone post.

The boys turned 1 1/2 on August 8th. Remember that we don't do months but for those of you still offering your age in months, the boys are 18 months old.

It's incredible to Joe and to me that the time has passed so quickly. The boys are really so amazing and we're having so much fun and perhaps that is why the time is fleeting. This post will be a brief one but I'll do a longer one detailing the past month and Oma's and Opa's visit.

Jason

27.2 lbs

3' tall (not a scientific measurement but complete guess)

Size 7 shoe

Wears 24 mo size clothing

curly hair

Jason likes:

Reading

Music

Figuring out how things work

Figuring out how things are built

Bubbles

Watching people

Playing the drums

Playing the maracas

Favorite songs: I Walk The Earth by King Biscuit Time, Chicory Chick by Sammy Kaye, Summer on the Animal Kingdom soundtrack, I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat by Mel Blanc

Favorite Sesame Character: Ernie, Bert, Cookie Monster

Favorite books: Little People Farm Flap book, The Little Engine That Could, Gallop, Fairytale book

Kevin

26.2 lbs

3' tall (again, a total guess)

Size 6 1/2 shoe

Wears 12-18 mo size clothing

wavy hair

Kevin likes:

Reading

Music

Running around the house

Climbing

Chasing/popping bubbles

Blowing bubbles in his milk

Favorite Sesame Character: Abby Cadabby, Oscar (pronounced Ok-ar)

Favorite books: Little People Search for Hippos, Elmo's Blanket, Zoom zoom, Baa Baa

Lots of new words from both lads: apple, Barry, Patriots, octopus, drive the bus (if you've read Mo Willems' "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" then this will make sense), upupup, spaceship (pretty close anyway), I see, ear, mouth, eyes, octopus, ball, bat, muah, Opa.

Jason is into making a fish face. The new issue of Animal Babies arrived and in it a little girl makes a fish face and on the opposite page is a fish face. Jason felt inspired enough to make his own fish face.

Kevin is into climbing everything. If left unattended, it's a certainty that upon return he'll be standing on something that he's climbed. He does a funny little dance shaking his booty after he's managed to climb up on something. It's something like a victory dance.

Speaking of dancing. Both boys like to. Kevin does a funny little thing that my parents called "happy feet" and that name has stuck. If you ask Kevin to show you his happy feet, he'll start dancing around. Cutey. Both boys like to dance and they are so darn cute when they do it.

Jason is big-time into music. We've heard King Biscuit Time's I Walk the Earth more times than anyone else on the Earth. I've been trying to expose him to more songs and Jason has expanded his special music list to include Mel Blanc and Sammy Kaye. Kevin is good natured about hearing the same song a zillion times and hasn't registered any complaints.

Must run. Ta!

Jumpy and Kicky's Big 4th of July Weekend Part I

2009-07-08T22:31:00.007-04:00

Belated wishes of independence to you all. I'll dispense with the build up and get right to the interesting tidbits. K + J had a big biG bIG BIG weekend. On Friday, the 3rd, they went to a real shoe store and got real big boy shoes. We actually cheesed out a bit and did not get tie shoes but ones with velcro. We figure these shoes will prob fit for a NY minute so why spend precious seconds (un)tying laces?

Jason got some nifty Teva like Stride Rites and Kevin got a sharp Stride Rite sandal, fisherman style. See the pix? Jason's are the brown, Kevin's the blue.

No, we won't make them wear socks. That was just for the breaking in period. The boys got gelatto after their shoe shopping experience. Kevin likes vanilla. Jason, chocolate. We sat enjoying our frosty treat while a massive thunder and lightning storm raged outside.

On Saturday we attended the Buzzards Bay 4th of July parade and there's more about that in the post below (see Part II). On Sunday, Mimi and Papa came to play and oh boy, what fun! The weather was terrific and they all went for a walk and played at the playground. The boys had a blast.

Below are some snaps of different things. The boys have more access to different parts of the house now that they can walk. They enjoy being in the kitchen. They like to take my OXO spatulas and play the drums on the trash can. If you are ever a dinner guest, do not worry, I put them in the dishwasher for a good sanitizing AND I wipe down the can each night with a Clorox wipe.

This is Kevin's "You are annoying me" face. I love it. I laugh every time. Sometimes he makes a little hissy/rattling/purring noise that further communicates his annoyance. Hilarious.

Kevin likes the light in the hallway. See the spatula?

Here are the boys at the parade. It was hot. They were hot. But they had much fun!

Mom, Kevin and Jason enjoy the parade. (Like the action pose?)

Jason does his Buddy Rich impression. He's quite the drummer!

Kicky + Jumpy's Big 4th of July Weekend Part II

2009-07-08T21:35:00.014-04:00

Kicky and Jumpy attended the Buzzards Bay 4th of July parade. They got to see their Uncle Barry and Aunt Chris in the parade. Barry and Chris and their scuba friends were (are?) pirates and had the winning float in this year's parade. The float was the Black Pearl and it was amazing. Below are some snaps that really do not do it justice. Here is a nice snap of Barry and Kevin sharing a moment.

My brother, the pirate.

K + J (and big K + J) had a great time and give big thanks to Barry and Chris and the other scalliwag pirates for showing us such a great time!

Capt Jumpy and First Mate Chris steer the ship into safe waters.

Kevin asks Uncle Barry, "What's grog?"

Barry offers Jason a ride on the Pearl.

Kevin asks Uncle Barry, "How'd you make that?"

Auntie Chris and Jason explore the Pearl.

Ahoy there Chris and Kevin!

Chris and Jason steer away from the shoals.

A Russian schooner was docked at the Mass. Maritime Academy. They befriended the Buzzards Bay Buccaneers and the Pirates returned the favor by kidnapping their Captain and forcing him to steer the Pearl (ah, he liked it). Here you see the cannons firing and the Russians cheering.

Here the Russians salute the Pearl and her crew.

The topmost mast and a crew member who didn't please the Captain.

A side shot of the Pearl. Impressive, isn't it? There's even a mermaid figure on the bow but you can't see her very well.

Here's a shot of her aft (is that correct?). She's as cool going as she is coming.

Barry and the Pearl. Terrific job, Barry!

Pictures

2009-06-30T23:01:00.008-04:00

"Words, words, words," Hamlet said. If he had Photoshop and a digital camera he could've caught his uncle in the act and wised his mother up to the situation. Alas, poor Hamlet, he knew not technology. I, on the other hand, have access to mucho technogadgets and software so I will entertain you with some photos of the wee lads. Enjoy!

Caught! Jason under the end table, part I. Jason under the end table, part II (acting all nonchalant).

Kevin wants in on the fun.

Kicky enjoying a quiet morning with a good book.

Our own Kicky plays his version of "The Wet Diaper Blues".

Mom, Kevin and Jason (all in a post-nap stupor) watch Sesame.

Kevin and his faithful steed head into town for a sasparilla.

Kevin enjoys the latest Grisham while Jason has some hair of the dog that bit him.

Jason and his mega-watt smile!

Jason models the latest in male PJs.

Another shy smile from Jumpy

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

2009-06-30T10:06:00.004-04:00

So, last night dinner is winding down and suddenly Jason starts talking in his cute soft bubbly way. And as he speaks he looks at me and then at Joe and then at Sue and continues to look around at each of us as he talks. So he's clearly relating a conversation and addressing each of us. Yes, he skipped Kevin but Kevin was engrossed in his rice pilaf and chicken. So, Jason continues his tale and when he pauses I say "Oh really?" and he nods and smiles. Sometimes, Sue says "That's amazing" or Joe says "Oh yeah?". So the conversation goes on for a bit and then Jason puts his hands together and starts doing a pantomine that is clearly (well, pretty clearly for those in know) the pantomine that accompanies "The Itsy Bitsy Spider".

So, there it was. Jason was telling us the story of the itsy bitsy spider. Turns out that Sue has been singing it to the boys. Jason, always a quick study, was in turn sharing the story with Mommy and Daddy over dinner. What a good boy.

After his story, we all clapped, so did Jason. Kevin suddenly looked up and started beaming. Naturally he assumed we were applauding him. Funny Kevin.

Kevin is working on the word "spaceship". He said "parachute" on Saturday. He's been working on "Oscar" sounds like "ockar" and "Octopus" which sounds like "octpuh". He said "bless you" on Sunday after I sneezed.

So, you get a well rounded picture of the lads......Jason has started picking up objects and throwing them AT people. He had a small timeout yesterday after Sue caught him pelting Kevin. A "we don't hit or throw things at people" conversation ensued. Jason spent a small amount of time sitting on his stool during his timeout. According to Sue, Jason returned to his stool several times throughout the day. So much for punishment.

So much for plans: this AM I have a tippy sippy cup for Kevin that is meant to prevent spills, spitting, dumping, etc. I have a sippy cup for Jason that has a valve that's been removed as he's more adept with cups. Jason's cup says "Jason" on it in all bright colors. Kevin's cup is blue and see thru. I hand Jason his cup and he refuses it and reaches for the blue one. I hand Kevin his cup and he refuses it and reaches for Jason's. Oh well. I followed Kevin around with a burp cloth wiping up milk. So much for plans.

New Word Pantheon and News

2009-06-15T10:39:00.003-04:00

Kevin: gorilla (sounds like: gorah or gorla)
plane
hello

Jason is more of a concept guy. He grasps concepts. He knows that the whale noise in the Animal Adventure is a "toot toot" whistle sound. So if I say "Jason, which animal says 'toot toot'?" He finds the Animal Adventure book and points to the whale and/or pushes the whale button.

Big news: Jason ate and liked strawberries. This is a huge thing, trust me.

Both boys have taken a big interest in the Superman and Batman banners that hang in their room. Much pointing, much furrowing of brows. More pointing. Kevin trying to say "Batman".

Both boys ate/liked tacos (and so they should as I ate tacos 3 times a week while pregnant).

Kicky and Jumpy run. All the time. Everywhere.

Jumpy and Kicky hate shoes. Thank goodness it's summer but you wouldn't know that from our weather.

New Bon Mots

2009-06-11T10:16:00.002-04:00

Kevin pointing to toy "School Bus"

Me (shocked at two new words being spoken and I'm actually witnessing it and not hearing about it second hand): Yes. School bus.

He says it 2 more times. He probably won't say it again until he's 3. That's how this new word thing works, I'm finding.

Jumpy Speaks - New Word Alert

2009-06-10T09:50:00.001-04:00

"Bunny"

More Developments

2009-06-08T12:33:00.000-04:00

Without my cheat sheet (the daily sheet we keep on the boys, yes we still keep the sheet but we've found that's the best way to keep track of what they've eaten, drunk, done, etc), I might forget some things but hopefully I hit the highlights.

Jumpy has taken to carrying a hammer around. He "fixes" things. So far, he's fixed the window and the window sill in his room. He's fixed several books, some toys, and his brother's head (a couple of times). He has taken the hammer to bed several nights in a row. Chewy is still his best friend though.

Over the past couple of weeks, Kicky has said: Busy (at least, that's what I think it is and because we read "Bob's Busy Hammer, it seems to fit"), "Hammer", "better", "all better", "pretty", "happy", "goody-goody" (again, that is what it sounds like and when we repeat it back to him he smiles and laughs), "again" (sounds like "assez", "Oscar" as in the Grouch, "Bird", "airplane" and this morning "Fred".

Jumpy has said: "all better", "milk", "ball" and "balloon" and just this AM "Opa"

Even though it seems like Jumpy isn't as chatty as his brother, he's a better communicator in that he's able to say "yes" and "no" so he's better at communicating what he wants/needs. And, frankly, it's a challenge for Jumpy to get a word in edge-wise when Kicky is in full chat mode.

We spend as much time as we can outside as the weather has been spotty of late. Several trips to playgrounds so the boys can swing, time out in the backyard. The boys have a great time playing outside, or seem to. Allergies aside, Jason seems to be over whatever was making him miserable. I suspect the Oaks (shaking fist angrily at said oaks as they menace me as well).

Kevin is miserable with drool. I suspect his second set of molars are moving in. He drenches roughly 6 bibs a day. I can't believe that he doesn't drink more water. He's GOT to be dehydrated. Sadly, the fridge chew toys don't really reach back where he needs relief. The drool doesn't prevent him from trying to climb up on anything that will sustain his weight. Sue and I have caught him trying to climb up on his stool. He's tried to climb on top of several toys. He managed to climb into a rocking chair that had its cushions removed. He was very proud of that achievement.

Both boys climbed the stairs to the nursery on Saturday night. I tried to show Jason how to come down the stairs on his tush, but his legs aren't really long enough. So I'm going to wait and rethink the approach. Perhaps coming down backwards on all fours will the solution? I've been letting the boys explore the hallway and the kitchen. They are more confident in their walking abilities and seem eager to explore. 2 weeks ago, they wouldn't leave the living room if the gate was left open...that's all changed. Kevin is quick to slip through the gate. Jason will come out if asked to. Jason likes to play with the child safety lock. We surmise that he'll figure out how to bypass it in oh....3 days.

Kevin has been on a hunger strike. We blame his teeth but I suspect that 1) he wants control over his food and wants to feed himself and 2)he has an issue with the menu

Jason has become a powerhouse eater.

Growing like weeds. Both boys feel like they have rocks in their pockets and their clothes are snug. I keep thinking that their clothes are shrinking in the dryer but how can everything they own be shrinking? duh.

Jason has a terrific arm on him. He can toss a playground ball like no other 1 year old (yes, he's 16 months old today but we are refusing to join that club of parents who count their children's lives in months "Timmy is 84 months old and Guinevere is 24 months old." Timmy is 7 and Guinevere is 2. Say it. 7 and 2.). He can also toss a whiffle ball very well.

Mimi and Papa have returned from FLA and paid the wee lads a visit. The boys had a great time and really enjoyed seeing them. I suspect they were surprised at how much the boys have changed. They (the boys, that is) can feed themselves and are quite vocal at the end of every meal. It's a bit of a squeal-fest. Kevin typ starts the ball rolling and then Jason jumps in. I think Joe has some video of their shenanigans so I'll poke around for it and post it.

Sorry for the pix free post. I need to download the most recent photos and I'll do a pix only post.

Take care,
Kathy

Catching Up

2009-06-08T12:26:00.001-04:00

Big thanks and kudos to Joe for updating the blog. I'm just coming up for air now after a hectic May. Here's the post I meant for May 20th:

Kicky and Jumpy get a visit from Oma and Opa and Auntie Diane

It's been a verrry busy week at our house, scratch that...busy month! Oma and Opa visited in May, leving the hot and dusty state of 10 gallon hats, cults and former good ol' boy presidents to visit the liberal, overly taxed state of MA in order to play with and cuddle the Jumpster and the Kickster. Auntie Diane left her toasty home state and flew across two-thirds of our country to do the very same.

The boys loved their grandparents and their grandauntie. Jumpy thought Opa's lip-popping was hilarious. Kicky enjoyed telling everyone stories and cycling through his ever-expanding vocabulary impressing everyone. Oma and Auntie did a great job at feeding our picky eaters. They were up against two teething toddlers who were pretty certain that they didn't know all of the house rules.

Speaking of....Jason sure was surprised when Opa firmly stated house rule #22 "Feet on the floor" after the Jumpmeister was caught sliding along the second level bookshelf on is tummy, feet kicking in the air.

Big Developments
Today, Wed, Jason said "house". Kevin pointed to a lion in the "Noah" book and then pointed to a lion in a poster that is hung on the nursery wall. Notable because 1) he was pointing out a relationship between objects that are the same and 2) he noticed the contents of the poster at some point in time. Later, as we read "Goodnight Gorilla" he pointed to the lion in the book and then up at the poster again. You go Kicky!

My Mom asked me if I was impressed with all the words that the boys are saying. I certainly am but what really blows my mind are all the concepts that they boys are grasping. The lion thing mentioned above, the various house rules and the fact that Jason knowingly flouts some of them and when I catch him he screws up his face into a hilarious goofy grin as if that's going to get him off the hook. It's almost an "I'm too cute for rules" look.

Another amazing example: Joe came home from work and then had plans and left shortly after his arrival. The boys kept hanging around the babygate, looking upstairs and saying "Dada". Finally I said, "Dada isn't upstairs. He's out. He's outside. Just like us earlier today. We went out and now, Daddy is out." The boys moved away from the gate. Kevin said "outside" and Jason said "out" and then followed that up with "Dada out" and "outside". They didn't go back to the gate again and Oma, Opa and I put the wee lads to bed.

Kevin has been saying "I see" followed by him pointing at various things. He sometimes says words, sometimes he just points. On Monday as I changed Jason, Kevin stood at the window pointing and frantically saying "I see! I see! I see!". I wrapped things up, literally, and then went to the window to discover what he was seeing. It turned out that it was Mailman Paul's truck and Mailman Paul. That's a big deal at our house. The boys play mailman with our junk mail. They stick the mail under the cushion of the rocking chair. Pretty funny.

I'll add pix later to an all pix post.

It's been a while!

2009-06-04T12:34:00.005-04:00

Howdy do.

Tis me, Daddy Doherty here to regale you with tales about the boys from my relatively skewed perspective. I have to say that being a dad to these two boyz is nothing but an utter delight. From the mornings when I go in and they give me that smile to the evenings at dinner time when I hear giggles and squeels when I walk in the door. This is the best time I've had in my life, and I am just as happy as I can be these days.

Kathy does a terrific job of documenting the boyz and their daily activities. I can't add much more to her excellent descriptions. But I will share a few tidbits with you. The kids love music. Every morning they demand that the mp3 player be turned on so they can dance and sway to the Disney Animal Kingdom soundtrack. And they are picky. They like to hear this album in the morning, and complain when I put some other selection on.

On Tuesday, I was getting ready to take Kevin from his highchair and bring him into the living room. I said, "Ready, Kevin?". He said, as clear as a bell: "Up, up, Daddy!" Of course, he'll never say that again. But I swear it's true.

A more demonstrable cute thing is Jason's new way to talk to the kitty. Our cat, Ginger, who understands more English than most people I know, is relentless in the morning and evening when he wants to be fed. He will sit and meow annoyedly at you until you feed him and Mango. And he will do this constantly until you feed him. It is meant to annoy you and Ginger succeeds in this effort admirably. Sue often tells Ginger to, "Shhhhhhhhhhh". So the other day I was bringing Jason downstairs for breakfast and he saw a well-fed Ginger digesting on the sofa. Immediately, Jason pointed at the kitty, laughed, and started saying "SHHHH! SHHH! SHHHHHH!". Funny kid! The lesson here? Watch yer language.

So, no new photos for you all. But here's a video of the boyz & me on a Sunday morning. It's about 5 minutes long, so feel free to bail anytime. I just thought it was a cute snapshot of what a morning with the kids are like with their dad.

Enjoy,
Joe

First Haircut

2009-05-09T13:59:00.014-04:00

On Wednesday the boys had their first hair cuts. Joe went first to show the boys what a haircut is like. Yay Joe - being so brave and going first. Jason went second and then Kevin went. Yay for Jumpy and Kicky who were great.

Our big heartfelt thanks go out to Mei Ling who did a fantastic job at cleaning up our scruffy little boys and she also made them comfortable so that their first haircut was a pleasure. (Visit Mei Ling's salon Salon Entre Nous in Southborough! I can't rave enough about Mei Ling, her staff and her salon.) Thanks to Sue who was chief baby wrangler while I was chief photographer.

Because a picture = 1,000 words. I'll let the pix do all the talking.

BIG Day at Pokey Oaks

2009-05-05T23:37:00.004-04:00

Wow...today was a big day. First off, it's my brother's birthday. So big shout out and birthday wishes to Barry. Hope it was a good one!

Here's Jumpy, Mommy and Kicky making our "aren't we cute?" faces. Watch out World!

I came home to B-I-G news. Jason was walking, all by himself, all over the place. He was even pushing his little musical push along toy that you walk behind. He was smiling and quite confident of his new found skill. Yay Jason! You go go go!

Here's Jason's squishy smiley face aka Gameshow Host Smile.

Kevin was very supportive of his brother and followed along happily.

Here's a picture of all the Doherty boys.

Other funny things.

Yesterday AM while I was getting ready for work, I heard much giggling and general merriment. I peeked into the nursery and watched as Jason and Kevin were playing hide-n-seek with each other. Jason sat in the Aquarium tunnel while Kevin peered around one end and then crawled to the opposite end and peered into it. In the meantime, Jason was poking his head out the opposite end, giggling away. After Kevin peeked into the far end, Jason crawled out of the tunnel and then Kevin crawled in and they played another round, this time with Kevin in the tunnel and Jason on the outside. Adorable.

If you ask the boys "Who's cute?" they will cock their heads to the side and smile. Jason will even go "Awwww"... as in "awwww ain't I cute?" It's pretty funny. Of course I will bet big money that when my parents are visiting, should I say "Who's cute?" that boy boys will stare at me blankly. Here's hoping that the cat doesn't make me out to be a liar.

Things the boys have eaten lately:

cat fur (we try to stop them)

chic (soy) nuggets

yogurt

american chop suey/johnny marzetti

macaroni and cheese

peas

pears

books

quiche

tortilla chip (just 1 a piece)

Annie's crackers (the bunny ones)

Life

Matzoh Ball soup (b-i-g hit)

animal crackers

Tomorrow: carrot quiche and macaroni and cheese with peas. Tune in tomorrow for the details on how it went.

Chatty Charlies

2009-05-05T09:29:00.001-04:00

More new words:

Oh boy

Oh dear

Baby

What's that

Yuck

Yum