Outdoor Play Time...FINALLY!

One thing I've discovered the last month, especially since I went away for two weekends and let the boys have some bonding time to themselves, is that the 8 hours each week the boys are in daycare isn't as glamorous as I once thought it would be. It mostly involves errands, and cleaning the house. Apparently it's not as easy to update the blog weekly as I thought it would be :)

Andrew and Patrick do really well now with me just handing them a snack, or their breakfast (if it's pancakes as seen in the pics) and eating it themselves. That helped us a ton on an impromptu trip to Virginia to see their grandparents and a few friends a few weeks ago. The drive was so much easier than it's ever been. It also helped that the last 3 hours were after their bed time so they actually slept and left us in peace to drive. It was a great trip!

Back at home the last few weeks, we have finally been blessed with some nice weather and with it the opportunity to finally play outside with our little men. Usually the first thing Andrew and Patrick do each morning is point down the stairs to our basement where their jackets and shoes are and then out the window. Apparently, they love getting to spend time outside just as much as Dave and I do!

We finally bought them some toys to be able to play with we are outside, and we also borrowed an awesome wagon from their cousin Alice to pull them around our yard/street in. We also got them a miniature version of that wagon to be able to pull their toys around the yard in. I've even tried to start to teach them soccer, even if I have a feeling that sports like basketball are going to win out with them down the road.

Also, we got some baby chicks! The boys got to play with some at daycare the other day, and we had been talking about getting our own for awhile, so it sparked us going and buying them and getting our barn turned into a chicken coup. We can't wait to have fresh eggs this fall/winter if all goes well and for the boys to get to go visit the barn and see them every day!

Andrew

Patrick

Andrew pushing the lawn mower

Patrick

Apparently Andrew thinks he fits in this wagon too

Or that they both do! :)

Nothing is Safe Anymore!

It all started a few weeks ago, when I had to run into the dining room to see what Patrick was up to, only to walk back into the living room to find Andrew on all fours on our side table. My little monkey had figured out how to climb onto a large basket we were using to block off the floor lamp, and then up onto the table. A terrifyingly hilarious moment. He was so proud of himself too!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Clearly this isn't safe, so I started spending my time perched on the edge of the side table to keep him from climbing it. However, Andrew then figured out how to climb onto the Bose subwoofer that sits next to our entertainment center. Thus began my days of going back and forth between the two, trying to teach my children (because obviously Patrick followed Andrew's lead) not to climb those things. 

Andrew

We rearranged some furniture, and while I still have had to spend a large part of my days using the subwoofer as a seat, they move on to other things much more quickly, and are starting to actually listen when I tell them to get down rather than just laugh in my face. Well, at least they did until a few days ago.

Patrick

Andrew and Patrick can now consistently climb onto the coffee table, which of course is their new favorite thing to do. By the time I get the second one down off the coffee table, the first is already back up there smiling away. The only relief is that in all the chaos, my boys have started to figure out how to also get down off the table safely! It's no longer quite as scary when they are up there, even if my heart is jumping out of my chest when they do it. I have a feeling the couches and the chairs are only a few days away. Nothing is safe!

What mom? We're not doing anything! (Patrick, left; Andrew, right)

Here's what happened the rest of the week at a glance. Dave's parents were in town for a few days, including St. Patrick's Day and it is so fun to see how much Andrew and Patrick love them. Dave and I were even able to go out to lunch on our own for once! I'm so grateful to have them around to be part of their lives. Also, we spent the first day of spring outside playing in the snow. That pretty much sums it up.

Smiling up at MeMaw (Andrew, left; Patrick, right)

On a more serious note, I could not reflect on this past week without saying something about the marathon I'm running and why I'm doing it. Last Saturday marked 13 years since I lost my mother. I am running the Chicago Marathon not only because I'm competitive and crazy, but because I am trying to raise money for the Huntington's Disease Society of America in memory of my mother and in hopes that my brother won't have to suffer as she did. If you have a moment, please visit my fundraising website for more info. Every dollar counts, and I appreciate it more than you could ever know.

Finally, GO HARVARD!!!!!!!!!!!! 

YAY HARVARD!

Patrick

Andrew

Running around!

Yoga Success!!!

Today has been such a great day that I had to get online and make a post immediately! To be honest, I started out this morning with a bit of a headache, and super nervous for trying our yoga class again. However, boosted by the fact that I witnessed Andrew and Patrick actually allow another child to hug them yesterday, and the fact Patrick even went up to another kid and gave him a kiss, off I went to class.

Andrew

In the beginning, it was a little rough. They definitely were much more willing to move from their original spot, but the second I actually started practicing any yoga, it made them upset. I decided in those moments that my goal for this class was just to get them accustomed to the space so that maybe next week I could do more yoga. Then something amazing happened. We stopped to do a few songs as a group, and then after that the boys were finally brave enough to start running around and playing! I was able to get about 15 minutes of actual yoga in at the end!

When did my boys get so tall???

The best part was hearing them laugh and knowing that next week will be even better! They became completely fascinated with the mirror. We all wondered at the end if they think they see their brother when they look in the mirror. Sage told me that at one moment they were on opposite ends of the mirror, and as they got closer together, Patrick looked from the mirror to his brother, and then got very upset as if he wasn't expecting it. I just wish I had a video of the way they played in the mirror. Absolutely adorably hilarious! Patrick kept picking a spot where two mirrors met at the seam and leaned back and forth across it as if he was trying to play peekaboo with himself. Andrew was more into running around pushing the massive exercise balls around before sprinting up to himself in the mirror and laughing.

Patrick just hanging out in the entryway

 Such a good time, and so good for my soul! I can't wait for next week! I also can't wait to find more activities!