Luke 44 Months

HELLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOO,

It's me Luke. Or you can call me Benny (from the Sandlot, duh). I used to go by Ruffio (from Hook, come on) but now I am all Benny all the time. I dress like Benny- PF Flyers (I wear Chucks), undershirt, open collar shirt and jeans. I wear a hat when I can. But, I won't say what Benny says when he goes over the fence to take on the Beast, I won't say "OH SH?T" ... oops. I won't say it again. If I'm not talking about Benny, I'm talking Toy Story or about my birthday party (in July). Right now I am thinking, costume party at the museum but not sure which museum.

I'm a joker and even asked Daddy for a whoopie cushion. I'm spending more time in time out as I take on my brother, talk back, and scream. I continue to learn my letters but can make all the sounds. I can finally recount a full day at school. I even called school "terrific" the other day. I'm getting better and better at Church and have even learned some of the prayers. I love driving my Gator at Mimi and Buddy's and going on lawn mover trailer rides.

I've been practicing my easter egg hunting and I'm devloping mad skills. I just got my first Big Wheel and I'm already super fast. I love playing outside in the evenings now that it is light out longer. Mommy signed me up for soccer and lots of summer camps. I'm psyched.

I don't know it yet but I'm getting my tonsils out next week. Mommy and Daddy haven't told me because last time I thought I was getting them out I was pretty stressed. I was stuttering and whining in anticipation. That surgery was cancelled because I had a virus. Hope this one is reset too (even though I don't know about it). Be thinking of me and ice cream next week. Talk soon.

LFB

Davis- 22 months

Here I am internet. Check me out. I'm big and bad. I'm beyond talkative. I chit chat with strangers and family. I break out in song when the mood hits me. My favorites lately are Pop Goes the Weasel and Wheels on the Bus. I even whisper to myself. I can tell you my name and brothers name. Our whole names. I beat to my own drummer in terms of obeying and listening to my parents. (See post immediately below) I love electronics like Mommy's ipod and kindle and Daddy's laptop. So far, I've only crashed one computer (Daddy's new netbook- oops). I'm still getting up every morning at 4 a.m. and screaming for mommy and/or daddy to come get me. They mostly do, suckers. Brother and I wrestle and play together by ourselves. We play outside. We play on the bean bag chairs. We love riding our gator and skateboarding. We enjoy dessert and chocolate. I can be super sweet in the mornings when I wake up (in Mommy's bed). I can politely ask for chocolate milk and to rest with Mommy. OR, I can be a holy terror. I enjoy going to the nursery at church and making friends there while brother sits in church with our parents. I loved, loved, loved the rodeo. I am still talking about how the cowboys fell of the bulls, how they use the ropes and how the sheep run around. I'm starting to talk about my birthday party (maybe a pirate theme??). Looking forward to spring and more time outside. Talk soon,

DMB

TIME OUT!

So, I've been getting closer and closer to those terrible two's. So close that Mommy started time- out's a little early with me. I'm a pretty rough guy. "They" call me the linebacker. I'm not denying it. I often threaten in a super sweet whisper that I'm going to hit you, throw something at you, or spit. How I got to be this rough and tough, no one knows. Believe it or not, I stay in time out almost the whole time (2 minutes) with my head deep into the corner just like this. Let's see how long this lasts.

While we were out

Our updates are coming. We know we have been slacking on the blog. We can't even blame it on Mommy's work. This time around, Daddy is really busy, but he doesn't blog so we can't blame it on that either. Maybe a sample of a recent evening's schedule will explain.

6:30- Mommy home. Davis instantly demands use of her IPOD. And earwax (he means ear phones). It goes like this. "Mommy Ipod"..."Mommy I NEEEEEDDD your ipod"..."IPPPOOODDD" (repeat 11 times).

6:33- Mommy won't give up the Ipod but she does give Davis her old digital camera. He quickly snaps 40 pictures of the fan and Lady's ears, tail and nose and the memory card is full and battery is dead. He's not happy so he again demands the IPOD.

6:35- Mimi tries to exit the house for the day but Davis and I accost her for kisses, hugs and demands for information on where she is going and when she will return.

6:40-I ask Mommy at least 14 times to turn on "kids shows" in her bedroom so I can get away from Davis. Sometime around 6:50 after she recharges the camera and hands Davis some food, she makes her way in to her room to turn on kids shows. I immediately demand lights on or off, pillow, blanket, milk, etc.

6:55- Obviously forgetting that I am watching Phineas and Ferb for the 21st time that day, Mommy calls us to dinner (that Mimi made before Mommy got home). We are having something with noodles. I not so gently remind her that I do NOT like noodles so she cooks me a hot dog. Then Davis wants a hot dog too. Duh, like you didn't know that was going to happen mom. But Davis eats the noodles and the hot dog, and watermelon, and grapes, and peas and a roll. I eat 1/18th of a bite of hot dog and ask what we are having for dessert- cake ball? candy? ice cream? donuts? what? what are we having for dessert?

7:15- Mommy realizes she still doesn't have a plate of food but we are done. She hopes for some later. Time to play army men. There is no time for food. We head back to Mommy's room. I line the men up. Davis knocks them down. I bodyslam Davis. Davis beats me on the head with his cup. Mommy sighs loudly. Time for bath.

7:35-I strip down in 5.5 seconds. Davis takes a little longer. We both potty on the potties. We jump in the water. Complain that is too hot and beg to not wash our hair. We lose that argument. We spray each other and toot and laugh. Davis gets out first and begs to be covered in a towel shell. Once he lays on the ground, Mommy covers him up and then he tinkles on the floor (every single night). I stay in the bath, go under water a few times, let the water out and then get in my towel shell too. I've even fallen asleep in my shell. We get dressed in pjs and head off to brush teeth. Davis likes teeth brushing. I hate it. I beg not to do it and even use my nose spray first. Then Davis heads to his room for books and if Daddy isn't home yet I am off to the play room for a few minutes until Davis is asleep.

8:15- Mommy leaves Davis room and he is screaming for more rocking chair, more books and more Mommy. She is unimpressed and I contemplate whether she can actually hear him or me at this point in the night. She corrals me into my room. We read three books, say prayers and then I mutter off all of my early morning demands including chocolate milk, life cereal and kids shows. When she opens my door at about 8:35 I still hear Davis. He is now hysterically begging her to come get him so he can sleep in her room, or the guest room. Again, she might be situationally deaf because she just goes down stairs.

2:00 and 4:15 a.m., Davis starts the screaming logical requests for removal from his crib. He says thing like, Mommy I need you. Mommy, I need to sleep in the guest room. Mommy I want out of my crib. Then he switches the demands to Daddy's name. I may or may not wake up too. The deafness continues and so does the yelling. It is always a mystery- who will win the bed battle tonight. Lately, mommy and daddy are prevailing. Davis is not giving up.

5:40- Davis is up. Demands chocolate milk and to take a shower. Dumps over everything in Mommy's closet and then refuses to pick it up. Goes to torture Lady and remembers the digital camera. Asks if it has been charged yet and then demands it every 7 seconds. Soon, he will give up on that and demand the Ipod. All while drinking milk, sucking on his paci and watching Special Agent Oso.

6:40- I am up. Demanding my milk and kids shows. What Phineas and Ferb is not on at this hour? I don't believe it. Can I have breakfast now. WAIT, why did you give me breakfast? I'm not ready to eat. Do I have to go to school? I think I am sick. My tonsils kept me up. So did Davis. I need a nap. Where is Dad? When is he coming home? When is Mimi getting here? Is she bringing Starbucks? I think I will hide from her. Where should I hide? Mommy, why are you drying your hair for so long? Can't you hear me asking all these questions. Mommy, are you speaking English...(door chime beeps)...Yay, Mimi's here. See ya Mommy.

So you can see where it is hard to get things done around here. We will aim to be better. Both at blogging and night time rituals. Stay tuned.

(Mommy here. After reading a friend's blog about the loss of her newborn son many years ago, I realize how silly and trivial this entry is. I appreciate every last second of each night with my boys and would not change anything that happens each day, except maybe that screaming from the crib at 2:15! I'm keeping the entry here so that one day I can look back, like my friend recently did, and rejoice in the life and energy that Luke and Davis bring to every day).

I can see clearly now the rain is gone...

I don't know about where you live but Houston has been soggy, gray, wet and cold for about 4 months. There have been so few sunny days that you really notice when one comes along. Last Saturday, tired of waiting around for good weather, Mommy, Luke, me, Sue Sue and Tim headed to the Museum of Natural Science to see dinosaurs and other stuff. I was in a particularly fiesty mood so I did not make it into many of the pictures.. And for the record, I also did not stay in my stroller much or listen and obey Mommy much either. Just saying. Above is a picture of look with a triceratops. He loves dinosaurs right now and really liked looking at the bones. But he looked fast. Very fast. We could hardly keep up with his curiosity.

I actually stood still with brother for one pictures. We are standing on an atom. Can't you see? Proton, Neutron and Electron? Duh. Otherwise, this is an uneventful pic but there are so few of me Mommy felt compelled to add it.

Here is Sue Sue hamming it up with a crystal in the hall of gems. There was some pretty stuff in there but Luke and I could have cared less. We liked the dinosaurs and the animals. And the gift store. The gems were boring and it was dark in there.

Waiting for the butterfly part to open we went to run in the park and found some cool sculptures to scale. You can't tell but I had just trhown an ginormous fit because I wanted to jump IN the fountain at the museum and Mommy would not let me. I finally chilled out when we found the cool stuff. Notice that the sun is out. We loved that.

Sue Sue and Tim had a good time playing with us. Tim ran Luke ragged on the big hill and the swing set. You can't tell but we are right behind them in this picture.

Luke had to take a little break. We were on a hike from one side of Herman Park to the other so that we could play on the swingset (and watch the bums cookout and stay warm with the bbq pits).

Luke and Tim played on the big swingset while I was swinging on the swings. Check out Tim's new hair cut. We like it.

I fell asleep on the way to look at the butterflies. Sue Sue stayed with me in the lobby and Mommy, Luke and Tim went to see the pretty creatures. Mommy only freaked out once when she thought that frogs might be roaming loose like hte butterflies. Once that fear was allayed she was much better. Be warned, it is hot and humid in the butterfly house. But there are some really pretty butterflies in there, or so I heard.

Luke is pointing to a bunch of butterflies. He matched some up to the guide sheet. Mommy wanted to get her money's worth so she made them go down and then back up to make sure they saw a sufficient amount of butterflies.

In between viewings they took an a/c break. There was a screen with lots of butterflies on it. Mommy took a picture and keeps laughing saying it looks like an Alfred Hitchock movie poster for The Birds. It was such a great day. We all had a blast. Next time, we are going to show Daddy around the museum (after we buy memberships because that place is EXPENSIVE!).

Rodeo, Here We Come...Yee Haw

Luke here. The title up there was my battle cry last weekend as we made our way to the rodeo. I actually got to go because my tonsil surgery was cancelled. We had a great time visiting the livestock show, carnival and rodeo. There are also some pics here from the trail rides that came through town the week before.

Davis would not cooperate in this pic with Mommy. That's how he rolls lately.

Pony rides at the livestock show. My horse was Dolly. I rode all by myself and even waved at Michael and Veronica for pictures. We waited a long time for this ride and I thought it was well worth it. But Davis, he LOVED it. He is still talking about riding on the pony.

Have you ever seen kangaroos at a petting zoo?

This goat was very fond of Michael. The same goat knocked Davis down and so Davis was not a fan. But he was better than the llama that was eye level with Mommy (and Davis while she held him).

Davis' first carnival ride. I've ridden some before. They are all fun. This one spun around in the air and you got to feel like you were driving. Right up our alley.

I'm BATMAN. In my humble batman opinion, the best part of the carnival is the facepaint.

Getting duded up for the trailride viewing. I flashed the "hook 'em" sign unsolicited. Mommy hates (ahem, excuse, I meant to say really dislikes, my teachers say you can't hate at school) when I do that.

In anticipation of the start of rodeo, Mimi and I had to get our hats steamed and shaped. Davis was stoked to see the cowboy on stilts. He talked about him for days after the visit. Davis was also able to pick up some brown ropers. Now he looks like a cowboy too.

Davis was not so sure about the up close look at the horses. I think he prefers to stay a safe distance back.

You ask, what is the best way for a cowboy to relax? In the back of his gator, jeans tucked in boots with a lollipop in your mouth, of course.

Davis' pony ride with Comanche. He was super psyched to get to ride, especially alone like a big boy. We were so proud of him. Both of us had so much fun at the rodeo that we both feel aslep standing up. Davis was standing in the back of the stroller as we rolled in and just feel into the seat, asleep. I waitied and laid my head on mommy later in the show and then my knees buckled and she picked me up. We both feel asleep standing up.

Steambusted

Mommy and Daddy took a quick vacay to Steamboat in mid-February. Daddy had a great time. Mommy brought home a broken tail bone.

Lucky for Daddy, Michael and his family were there. Daddy and Michael skiied together while Mommy sat in the hotel room watching movies and shopping around town. After one rough day on pain pills she cut back and actually had a pretty good time too. (or so we heard).

This was the area where she got smacked. Either by the ground on the outside of the lift chair. No one knows. But the xray clearly shows she got whacked hard by something.

Cade was there. Mommy and Daddy wanted to see how it would be to ski with a youngster. Cade was a great example. Mommy and Daddy say they are going to take us back next year. Mommy promises to try for no injuries next year.