The new baby Alex???

Today Ben found a yellow bouncy ball with a smiley face on it. Then he took half of one of those plastic eggs and put it on top of the bouncy ball and said, "It looks like Alex with his little hat. A hat to keep him warm." So he started calling the ball the "New Baby Alex." Now he is caring for it as though it is his own little baby. In fact, as I was writing just now, he kissed it. And earlier he wanted me to feed it some carrots. Here are some photos of Ben's new "Baby."

Do you see the resemblance?? :-)

Riding Around in Our Little "Red Wagon"

At Kindermusik, the kids would get pulled around in laundry baskets and sing the little red wagon song. So tonight Ben and Alex did their own version. Note in the photos how Alex is reaching for the latch on the belt. He reaches for everything these days!!

The Latest...

So I'm sitting here on a frigid February day and thought I'd send out a little update...

Alex is now crazy about rolling. He rolls all over the place. While I type this he is on the floor making adorable noises, rolling around with those rings that link together. He also has cut two teeth already. I'm not looking forward to the top ones coming in... Could make nursing him interesting!

Ben is Ben. Fabulous and amusing, but showing his three year old rebelliousness from time to time. Potty training is the story of the day with him, and although he certainly isn't there yet, we're making some progress. He knows he's on a deadline -- school starts this fall and he can't wait! I can hardly believe he'll be four in less than 6 months. It just seems unreal. It seems like just yesterday he was the one laying on the floor playing with the same rings Alex is now chewing on, but it's been three entire years. How time flies...

Andy's arthroscopic knee surgery was a success. They went in and basically cleaned things out, removing some cartilage that was out of place (I say in my completely non-technical way). That was nearly two weeks ago, and he's getting around fine. He was able to walk on it that same day, though gingerly, which was a huge relief to both of us! He goes back to work this week, and is a little stir crazy, so this is really a good thing!

Our friends Dan and Lois had their second son this week, Luke Alexander (we definitely approve of that middle name!), and we are so excited for them! We can't wait to meet the latest little boy to join our circle of friends. Congratulations McNaughton clan!!!

So much love...

Uh-oh...

So, I decided to go in to work for a little bit today and neaten up my room. Because Andy just had knee surgery, I took Alex with me so he would only have one boy to contend with. Foolishly, I thought I would take him without a back-up outfit. Alas, this is how he came home...


Yeah... That would be my tee shirt from Winter Week, which I thankfully left in the classroom over break. He had an outrageous blowout (through onesie and completely down one leg), so they only things he came home in of his own were his hat and socks! Absurd. Every mommy knows that you're supposed to bring a back-up outfit! Thank goodness I had the diaper bag at least! I'm not leaving the house again without a back-up outfit in that thing. Well, it made for an amusing outing... A brief one, though. Alex decided hanging out in a gigantic tee shirt in Mommy's classroom was not his idea of a good time. I still have a pile of things to take care of! Oh well. :)

Ben the light-holder, can he hold it? Yes he can!

I went out to do a few things in the garage the other night, and Ben asked if he could come along. One of my tasks was checking the air pressure and inflating the tires on my Jeep. Since it is dark at this latitude in February at 7-ish in the evening, I needed light - enter Ben.

It seems that everyone remembers holding the light for their father. Being the light-holder has a complicated set of phases attached to it. According to my research, they are:

1. There's the good feeling of helping out.
2. The desire to have the more glamorous job.
3. The humble feeling of failing to hold the light in the right place.
4. Then trying to figure out how a light gets so heavy over time.
5. Then having your own child hold the light for you.

If I have left any out - let me know...

I think Ben was mostly in phase one, but may have flirted with phase two. He held the light in the right place, thus avoiding phase three. And, it was quick enough, so no phase four. Clearly, it will be a while before he can enter phase five.

Afterwords, we just hung in the garage and went "cruising" in the Chevy, and "worked" on it. Here are some pics to enjoy!

Going for a "ride."

Drivin'

"Where are we going, Ben?"

Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey...

"What's under here, Daddy?"

"I think I know why it isn't running, Daddy...

Alex Rolls Over!

Well, Alex has discovered that he can role over in both directions. Ben didn't role from his back to his belly until he was nine months (Andy and I remember -- we were in our hotel room at a car show in Hershey, PA)! He is really mastering it -- he spent over a half an hour on the floor tonight rolling back and forth in both directions. Alex's first tooth has also broken the surface. Quite the exciting weekend.

Who talks like that??

Andy was getting Ben's boots on this evening before Ben's first trip out to help Daddy in the garage (more on that later), and this is what Ben told Andy:

"When my boots get too small, I'll have to do without this winter."

"Do without?" I don't think my 8th graders would say that!!!