Overdue Update

Both boys are taking naps now (hooray!), so I have a few spare minutes to post some new pictures and an update of what's been going on here lately. We're all doing very well ... things seem to be finally calming down a little since Easter. David and I are trying to cut back a little on some of the stuff we've been doing at church so we have more time for the family, but it's still a work in progress. I'm also trying to organize my time and energy a little more efficiently so I have more free time during the evenings with David, but most days I feel like there just aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done that needs doing. I suppose I need to work on figuring out what really "needs" doing versus what can be done later or can be done to lower standards :).

But I am very grateful that time management is the worst of my worries right now! We're all healthy and happy, and the house is doing well and David had a good job. Jack and Thomas are almost 3 and 1 now, and I can hardly believe how fast the time is passing.

Jack is becoming more and more articulate, and he is developing a love for music and books. He absolutely loves going to the library to pick out new children's books, music, and DVDs. And Thomas gets so excited about seeing the rows of neatly stacked books that he must think were put there just so he can dishevel them :). I love the fact that we can check out tons of "new to us" stuff each week absolutely free!

Jack is still getting his 2-year molars in. He has 1 of them in and has 3 more to go. I think David and I need to celebrate when he gets his last tooth in ... it's been a long road! And teething has not been kind to Jack -- it makes him so crabby and temperamental, so unlike himself, that he's hard to deal with.

Speaking of teething, Thomas has 1 bottom tooth and seems to be working on the one next to it. He was a little bothered by it, but nothing too bad yet. Thomas is pulling up to stand now and he loves the new vantage point. He also loves getting into whatever toys Jack has put up on the coffee table or couch to keep Thomas away from it. Now, except for the dining room table, there aren't really any safe places for Jack to set up his train tracks or other toys. Thomas literally follows Jack around the room to purposefully "help" him play with whatever Jack was playing with. It won't be too long before they're playing together, but right now this all irks Jack to no end. Thomas (aka "The Disheveler") is great at destroying carefully aligned train tracks, cars, etc. with a few swats of his meaty little hands. It's funny to watch, but my heart also goes out to Jack because this is a tough lesson for him (albeit a necessary and unavoidable one!). I do need to make sure that I give Jack some special time while Thomas is napping so that he can set up his trains or play with Play-Dough or do other "big kid" stuff without little brother interference.

Thomas is also clapping his hands and trying to wave. Sometimes we can even get him to throw his hands up high in the air when we ask "How big is Thomas?" and then say "Sooo big!". He gets a kick out of making us laugh. A few weeks ago we were all having dinner together and we were eating "Dude Ranch Biscuits" from a recipe I had found online. David and I were joking around and saying "Duuuuude!" (like a surfer) whenever we took a biscuit, and Jack and Thomas thought it was really funny. Out of the blue, Thomas clenched his little fists together and scrunched up his face and belted out a loud "Ooooooou!" (like the "u" in dude) to get in on the action, and we all laughed hysterically (Jack especially!). Thomas loved our reaction and kept doing it! I think that's the first time Thomas really made a baby joke :).

Other than that, we're gearing up for a little birthday party for the boys at a nearby park next month. We're looking forward to it, and I'm excited that Jack will have candles to blow out and maybe even a few balloons -- stuff that he goes on and on about whenever he hears the word "birthday".