Brothers in Blue

Three locations. Same sofa. 
Three brothers. One outfit.
Oh my, how the years go by.

Jacob, age 4 months. Arbors at WC apartment.

Ethan, age 2 months. Centennial Ridge apartment.

Calvin, age 4 months. Lockridge house.

Summer Fun, Summer Sun

This may be the hottest summer on record in Atlanta. I don't know, but for me, it has certainly felt like it! I've never had a summer baby before, but now I know that the complaints are justified. Last week, I spent time in two different air-conditioned buildings and was still incredibly hot.

However, we have found some ways to beat the heat and enjoy some time out-of-doors.

May wasn't so bad. We enjoyed racing in the driveway:

Finding bugs:

Eating ice cream with friends:

Discovering new ways to enjoy the baby pool:

Hanging out by the swimming pool at a friend's apartment:

June found us taking many trips to the local sprayground/splash park:

Practicing our mad bubble-blowing skillz:

The boys made a new game of racing toy cars down the slide into the pool:

And Ethan developed a fascination with his dump truck, bringing it from the sandbox to the pool:

Jacob also took swimming lessons the first week in June, and since then we've been spending at least one day a week at a friend's pool, but I always forget to take pictures there.

July came and went much more quickly than I expected, with little energy for photos. But I found one of those sprinkler spray beach balls on clearance a few weeks ago and it, too, has brought much joy:

I'm so behind on pictures, I barely have covered half of our summer. Some events and excursions that deserve their own post (hopefully soon):

May's inaugural field trip to the Botanical Gardens

Memorial Day weekend visit to Alabama to see DeeDee and Gaga

June day trip to the annual Moore family reunion, also in Alabama

The story of our new swagger wagon

Preparations for little brother's arrival

Stats

A little over two weeks ago I took the boys to the doctor's office (together) for their yearly well checks. I don't recommend doing this by yourself -- I'm thankful a friend went with me to help since Gaines had to work! (There were vaccinations and hearing tests and drawing blood and all sorts of things involved with the 4-year.)

Here are their current weight and height measurements, if you care about that sort of thing. Since I wrote them on a piece of paper torn off of the patient table, I need to record them before they disappear and so I won't forget. You see it already took me this long to record them!

Ethan, age 2:

24 and 3/4 lbs

32 and 3/4" tall

They were taking every quarter inch into consideration since he's such a little dude.

Jacob, age 4:

35 lbs

41 and 1/4" tall

He's upwards of 80 percentile in height. Must get it from his grandfather Lee, certainly not his parents! Both of the boys are on the slim side. Thankfully, that means I can just pass down pants from one to the next...

Healthwise, both boys are doing well, though Ethan had a mysterious ear infection (no symptoms that I noticed beforehand) which required antibiotics, so his shots had to wait until this week when we got the all-clear. After that long stretch this winter where we had antibiotics for 6 weeks in a row, I'm hoping we can stay away from them for a while. And so far, the boys don't seem to be allergy-prone...yet.

We're hoping to enjoy this glorious spring weather as much as we can!

Some Things I Don't Want to Forget

So, the boys have really been into knock-knock jokes lately. Jacob likes the "Orange you glad?" one but can't quite get it right. Still, we usually say them in the car to pass the time on short trips. One day last week the boys and I were on our way to a morning activity at church, and I hear them laughing at each other in the back seat. Jacob's been telling knock-knock jokes but apparently Ethan wants to get in on the action. This is what I overheard:
E: Knock-knock (while knocking on the window!)
J: Who's there?
E: Peachttthh. (I think he said something resembling "peach")
J: Peach who?
E: Knock-knock.
J:Who's there?
E: Peacthhh.
J: Peach who?
E: Peachttthhyoumumblegladmwahahahahahahaha.
J: HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA
[Apparently, Ethan enjoys laughing at his own punchlines.]

Sunday morning, the boys and I made it to the early service pretty much on time. It was a rare occasion for us, but we walked into the sanctuary just past 8:30 and they hadn't sung the first song yet. I think I missed some announcements, but at least we got to sing "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," which I've been singing to the boys since they were newborns. I think Jacob tried to sing along, but he was more interested in watching Daddy up front with his guitar. So was Ethan! The little guy was pretty good until the offering time, where he ran down the aisle to "help" me put our envelope in the plate. Plus, he started talking during the prayer, so I had to take him back to the nursery. Jacob sat during the rest of the service, alternating between Gaines and my lap, and only had a few loudly whispered questions. I do love having the boys with me in worship as much as possible. Another mom even asked me after the service, "Was the nursery worker not here this morning?" But I just smiled and told her they were right where they were supposed to be. Maybe we will try a family worship time at the 11am service in the near future.

Sunday afternoon the sky was blue and sunny and we thought this perfect for baseball. Mostly, Jacob and I took turns pitching and hitting, while Ethan was off in his own little world, mowing the lawn, toddling off toward the fence and back. He was good about finding stray balls and bringing them back to us. Jacob had some good hits and "ran the bases" around the three trees and back to "home plate." Somehow I never could quite get him out!

Sunday night we were all pretty tired and Gaines seemed to be fighting off some sickness so we stayed in and enjoyed our football sandwiches all to ourselves. We had a little picnic in front of the TV for the first quarter. Ethan just kept jumping up and down and yelling "Football!" whenever they began playing. They both LOVED seeing the "Robot!" that appeared after each commercial break. Jacob kept getting excited whenever they threw a flag. And right away (maybe in defiance of who we were cheering on) he decided he liked Green Bay the best and began rooting for them. I guess he just knows how to pick winners. (Sorry Pastor John. We tried. We really did.)

Monday morning, while I'm getting dressed, I hear Jacob and Ethan playing in their room. The conversation goes something like this:
J: I've got the remote. Let's turn on the "TV" and watch, Ethan. (Pretend TV)
E: Yay!
J: It's the biggest game of the year. It must be....the Superbowl!
E: (begins to leave the room after a minute or so)
J: No, come back, Ethan! It takes longer than that! I want to watch the WHOLE THING!

So, I go over to his door and ask him what they are doing.
J: We're watching the Superbowl on our pretend TV, Mommy.
Me: Who is playing in the game?
J: Pastor John's favorite team and my favorite team, the Green Bay Packers.
Me: So who is winning?
J: (in all seriousness, said with his head down) Pastor John's favorite team. :(
Me: But Daddy told me that Green Bay won the game.
J: (lights up) Yeah! The Green Bay Packers are my favorite team. And I like the Bulldogs, too.
[Uh-oh! I think we have some re-education ahead of us!]

A few minutes later:
Me: What about the Atlanta Falcons, Jacob? Don't you like them? Do you think they might play in the Superbowl next year?
J: I don't know! Let me ask them! I'm going to call them on my pretend phone!
(uses his hand like a pretend phone)
Hi! Atlanta Falcons? Yeah. Uh-huh. How are you? Oh good. Are you going to the Superbowl? Yeah. Okay. Bye.
J: (running up to me) Mommy! Mommy! The Atlanta Falcons told me they are going to the Superbowl! Yay!

[Can someone pass that on to them from us? Okay, thanks!]

Later that day, we're in the car coming back from the gym or the store and Jacob asks me: "Mommy, have you heard the rhyme about Petey Piper?"
Me: "Why no, Jacob, I don't think I have. Can you tell it to me, please?"
J: Petey Piper sat on a hill
eating a snack.
A big spider came and ate it.
And he ran away.
Me: That's great, Jacob! Did you make that up all by yourself?
J: Yes.
[I'm still wondering if the spider or Petey ran away.]

Milestones

Yesterday, Ethan went to the potty all by himself without any prompting. We hadn't even been considering potty training, really. We'd just put the little blue potty in the bathroom because he asked for it one day. He's been sitting on it sometimes, usually clothed but sometimes without a diaper, though so far there had been no success. So when I had to change him after lunch yesterday, he just sat himself down on the little seat naked as a jaybird and went tee-tee all on his own. We clapped and cheered and did the potty dance and I think he was as shocked as we were! Nineteen months old, I tell you! I love the thought of having NO kids in diapers...

This morning, as we were getting into the car, Jacob climbed in by himself as always and buckled the top part of his 5-point harness. He's been doing that for a while now and just hadn't been able to manage the two parts of the buckle at his waist. Well, I ran back inside the house to grab a sippy cup and when I came out he said, "Mommy, Mommy! I buckled myself in ALL THE WAY!" And sure enough, I checked it and he had! We are raising some independent kids, I tell you. Three and a half years old. At least he can't UNbuckle himself from his carseat yet. I imagine that could be dangerous right now until he learns a bit more restraint.

Still, I have to admit I am proud of my boys!

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First Day

Wednesday morning was our first day back at Community Bible Study.
This is about the closest we're going to get to a first day of "school" for Jacob anytime soon, so I thought a quick photo would be a good idea.



Until I tried to get Ethan to look at the camera, too. This is the best I could do.



This is our second year as part of our local CBS, thanks to a persistent friend who asked me three years in a row until I finally decided to try it out. I'm so glad I did. Last year, though, I had a baby and a toddler so was not quite self-aware enough to take a picture. I was just lost and running late. This year, however, felt wonderful. I knew where to go and what to expect and was even (almost) on time.

I love our Community Bible Study. I get to venture into the Word with a group of women from various churches (we're study a collection of NT epistles, starting with James) and the boys get to be loved on and taught by Christian ladies. One of Jacob's teachers this year is a good friend of mine so it was great that he already knew someone. I think he knows some of his classmates from last year, as well. He definitely remembers the songs, because he was singing them for me before we even got to the car.

"Where do we go on Wednesday morning? Where do we go on Wednesday morning? Where do we go on Wednesday morning? We go to CBS, yes!

What do we do at CBS? What do we do at CBS? What do we do at CBS?
We learn about Jesus Christ!"

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Brothers

Both of my boys are hilarious. I love that they are close enough together to be friends and playmates. It's so funny to see their personalities as they run around and interact with each other.

Ethan likes to try new things and is never hesitant to dive into an unfamiliar situation (unless it is a strange dog who wants to be petted.) He frequently wanders off the driveway, off the sidewalk at the park toward the woods, and will quickly get away from me in public places. (This is not always a desired trait.) He is not shy, that one. At the same age Jacob was making sure all the cabinet doors were closed when we left the kitchen, Ethan is opening them up to climb inside. He laughs constantly at his older brother's antics and will eat almost anything we put in front of him, except sandwiches. He is not quite verbal yet, but he points and grunts and signs to make his will known. And he usually gets what he wants. Mostly shoes and bananas. And he has started putting his hands together when we pray or say a blessing before meals!

Jacob, unlike his brother, has a unique way of staying in the lines. He has a routine and a practiced way of doing things. Everything must be done the RIGHT way (which really just means his way). At the park, when Ethan and I will walk across the grass in the most direct route to the swings, Jacob will run "as fast as he can" on the sidewalk, following it as it curves around the playground, taking him a further distance to get to his destination. We have to get him to STOP pressing the blinking light on his toothbrush or he would still be there now, brushing away, just because he likes to brush his teeth. And wash his hands. Repeatedly. He also likes the clean a little too much, so we can't use it as punishment. Somehow, though, all these little rituals translate into an abundant imagination and creativity. At the water park, the joy and abandon he showed when he started playing was delightful! He was literally dancing and skipping through the water and making up his own games. He told me afterward that he was pretending to be a racecar in the water. And at dinner tonight, he brought along his buddies "Maff" and "Daff" (a California raisin and a miniature sock monkey) who we had not met in the flesh until this evening -- I'd always assumed they were purely inivisible friends!

Though my little guys have their moments (that whole learning to share thing is difficult right now), they can be the sweetest boys at times. When Ethan leans in to give Jacob a big kiss goodnight, or Jacob brings Ethan a diaper or a lost sippy cup or a missing toy, I just want to snatch them both up forever into a giant hug. Two of my favorite brother moments were caught by the camera the last two months, and I wanted to share them here.

Ethan's first popsicle break one hot afternoon in May:



Jacob teaching Ethan how to slide at the park on Friday afternoon:



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Not-so-mundane moments in May

May was mostly wet, with splashes of sunshine and a hot day or two reminding us that summer is near. We enjoyed our attic fan. We read stacks of books. Sometimes we went without TV for a day. Gaines finished another semester of graduate school. Hooray! And every now and then I remembered to grab the camera. As you can see, life around here is anything but boring.

Enjoying breakfast casserole with Mr. Eric Peters. Our Captain Adorable is his biggest fan in the preschool crowd.

Meeting Clifford "The Big Red Dog" at storytime. (Two celebrities in one month! He's going to be star-struck!)

Jacob's favorite rainy-day attire. He chose this ensemble himself, right down to the "lellow" boots that matched his "lellow" shirt.

While comparing prices for VBS crafts at Michael's, I suddenly discovered a swamp thing in my aisle.

Making a wish in the fountain at the Forum on a drizzly day. I hope it came true.

Ethan enjoying his first taste of pork ribs. One of our friends from church made some of THE BEST ribs we've ever eaten. Mmmmm. Carnivorous.

Jacob being a tiger. WROAR!

He went a little overboard with his tiger "costume". I had too many art supplies out in reach this month...

Ethan mows the driveway regularly.

One of our many tricycle excursions.

Front porch sitting is good for the soul. We like to greet EVERYONE who walks by. "Hello! My name is Jacob. I'm three years old!" At least our neigbors are friendly.



See you real soon! More memorable highlights coming up shortly. Plus, an elusive "book review" post or two are in the works!

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The Bringer of Shoes and the Face Maker

Sometimes I get discouraged in this motherhood. I sleep very little. Sickness sets in. The television stays on too long. The simple task of sitting at a table together and eating a meal becomes nigh impossible. Afternoon naps? What are those? Cleaning up potty "accidents" becomes tiresome. The laundry overflows. I get on the computer to do something important but can't for the life of me remember what it was. I regret my tone of voice.

And yet, despite all those things (which all happen to be ongoing at this moment), my boys are growing up around me. And there are little signs of grace. Those moments that make you laugh or realize that God is working in their lives in unexpected ways.

On Sunday morning, after Jacob woke me up to this quip: "Mommy, your breath smells. Come see the card I made you! In the kitchen!" He returned with only an open glue stick. Uh-oh. I bolted for the den. There was a card his dad had helped him make the day before. He is his mother's child because IT WASN'T QUITE FINISHED. Not yet. It wasn't perfect. He needed to "add some more shapes." So, I helped him. At a bleary 6:30 a.m. on Mother's Day I supervised the gluing of pieces of yellow construction paper to my very own card. There. All done! And we proudly displayed it next to a vase full of roses and daisies. Some of the shapes were too big and weren't glued down so we folded them. "A pop-up card!"

Before we left for church, Ethan brought me a pair of sandals. This is his latest gift, the shoe-bringing. He understands simple and some complex commands for a fifteen-month old, but this part of the getting-out-the-door process doesn't need one. At all times of day he will surprise me with offerings of my discarded footwear or Jacob's rain boots or Gaines' tennis shoes. When someone even whispers the word "outside," there goes Ethan toddling through the house, returning with his little white loafers. He sits, obediently, with a large grin and a giggle waiting for you to put them on. He claps, expectantly. And as soon as you fasten the straps, he bolts for the door. More than just the shoes themselves, they are his key to exploring the world outside. If only I could learn from his pleasure in small things. I love that boy.

At the restaurant on Mother's Day, we came prepared with a backpack full of playthings, including a small wallet for Jacob that I picked up at an outlet last month. We filled it with pretend cards decorated with stickers and one lone American Express fake card received with the junk mail. He found it while we were waiting to be seated and decided that HE was going to pay for dinner. He called it his "honey-dollar bill." (Where has he heard about a $100 bill? Oh, wait, TV.) He proudly showed it to the hostess, asking her to take it. We told him to wait until after the meal, and thought he had forgotten. He didn't. He was crestfallen when the waitress took Daddy's Visa instead and when the card holder returned, he put his card inside. "When is she coming back?" he asked. My little gentleman, so chivalrous. Don't worry. One day, dear boy, you will be old enough to buy my lunch. Just not yet.

Tonight, as I was putting Jacob to bed, bringing him a cup of water despite our previous forbidding of a nighttime drink, I was hoping to find him asleep. He's been cranky and sick and desperately needs the rest since naps are non-existent right now. Some nights it is so easy and other times he stalls. He often wants me to lie down with him. "Sleep with me! Not somebody small, like Ethan. I want somebody big!" Neither imaginary friends not stuffed animals will do. When I entered his room tonight, I discovered him drawing on a MagnaDoodle. "Look, Mommy!" And he had created the most amazing collection of circles and dots and lines. "They are faces!" (They really were wonderful faces. I took a picture of it before it got erased. To be uploaded...eventually.) And then the kicker, after handing me his drawing: "One of them is sad because he misses his Momma." Oh, my. I love that boy.

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Something New

A new season. A new dress. A new family picture. A new blog post.



I promised myself I wouldn't go to bed tonight without posting "something." So, here's a little something for you.

Early this morning, about 2am, I awoke to find a little boy pattering into the room. Jacob laid his tousled head on the bed and said he wanted to lie down next to me. He was whimpering. I asked him if he had a dream, and he said "Yes." Then he began describing it to me. This is a first, since I have often asked but never received an answer to the question: "What did you dream about?"

A rough paraphrase from what I hazily remember:

Me and you were walking in the woods and we were so far away from our new house we couldn't find our way back to the house. [Were you scared?] Yes. We found a car in the woods and I had to push it so you could put both hands on the wheel and drive us back home. Next time, Mommy you need to find someone else to turn the car. You need to put both hands on the wheel and go home faster.

I wish I had written it down exactly as he said it. It was so funny how he went from describing this strange dream in a scared little-boy voice to bossily telling me exactly what I should do the next time I show up in his dreams!

And then we both went back to sleep. Gaines later woke up and tried to return him to his bed, only to have him protest groggily and end up sleeping at our feet.

In other news, Ethan now has two new teeth, with more on the way. (He's up to 10, currently. He just might sleep through the night again soon. He made it from 7:30p.m. to 5 a.m. last night. Fingers crossed for more of the same.

Update: I woke up this morning just before 7am (around here, that's sleeping in) without a peep from either boy since bedtime last night. That hasn't happened in ages. I am rejoicing! And I hope it happens again!

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Friday Funnies

Jacob made this up in the car the other day, completely out of the blue, to the tune of big bad wolf: "Who's afraid of the big bad crows, big bad crows? Who's afraid of the big bad crows? I AM."

I've told you how Jacob likes to hide, right? Last week we were trying to get ready to leave the house, but I couldn't find Jacob. Ethan was playing in their room and so I said "Ethan, do you know where Jacob is?" Ethan said something unintelligible and pointed to the closet. Sure enough, I opened the door and found Jacob hiding inside. Ethan totally gave him up.

Note: Gaines' parents have a dog named Zeke, who we see every few months. He apparently has a strong influence on our son. For example...

1. Jacob has a little plastic puppy pull-toy. As he was dragging it around the house, one day I asked, "What's your dog's name?
Jacob (even though it had been weeks since we'd seen him): "Zeke."

2. When Uncle Mike came to visit last weekend, Jacob pretended his tent was a dog house. Jacob, to his uncle: "I'm Zeke and you're Zoe. Woof. Woof." (Poor Mike. Zoe is a girl doggie.)

3. Jacob loves to play hide and seek, though he's not sure of the name just yet. Lately, whenever his dad gets home he usually yells out: "Let's play 'Hide and Zeke!'"

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Birthday Boys

We've celebrated two milestones around these parts in the past two months and I have been remiss not to post any pictures.

Our boys-- this was taken on a mild February day not long before the oldest brother decided to push his younger sibling off the wagon. Literally.



Ethan turned one year old on February 11th and we celebrated with a family party in Montgomery a few days later. The requested gift? Favorite childhood books. We received some wonderful titles, both treasured and new, that I know our family will enjoy reading for many years to come.

I took very few pictures, but here are some highlights. Aunt Amy, our official photographer, celebrates her birthday in February, too! Jacob loved helping her blow out candles.



The one-year old birthday boy pondering something tasty.



Did Jacob really turn three years old on March 9th?

We celebrated by having our first (really big) party in our new home the following Saturday. Friends from church and elsewhere collided in our little space. I loved it because everyone seemed to settle in different parts of the house -- the den, the living room, the porch, the kitchen-- and it never felt crowded. Chaos ensued, but it was comfortable. And fun! Many thanks to the parents who, after the cake had been served, had the bright idea to march them all out in the front yard to get the sugar rush out of their system.

My limited, last-minute attempt at themed decorations. Jacob said he wanted a "car party" with a "train cake." I give the people what they want.



With my beginner cake-decorating skills and some patch-up work after the birthday boy took a handful of cake for himself, this is the end result. I like to think of it as a locomotive logo cake. (Yeah, it's not just that I ran out of time to make more than one color of icing...) At least he appreciated it. I love this age!



The quintessential birthday photo -- blowing out candles surrounded by friends (or eager, sugar-hungry kids, whatever you decide.)



A picture of all four of us together at Jacob's party. It's a miracle!



Warning: tricycle is actually larger than it appears. (Thanks, DD and Gaga! We're hoping for some more sunny days soon.)



Jacob's new tent. (Thanks Nana and Papa!) He's sleeping in it tonight to protect him from the "pretend rain" that might fall inside the house.



After the party, Ethan decided he liked the trains so much he wanted to live with them. Or bite them.



I need a break from birthdays for a little while. Thank goodness the next one is mine.

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Wordsworth Would Be Glad

Our own "host of golden daffodills" is blooming! We took pictures yesterday as they fluttered and danced in the breeze.



Spring is drawing nigh. Thank goodness!

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