Landscaper BT

Daddy is very anxious for Brian to get old enough to be able to mow the lawn! To help build his anticipation for this "life skill", we encourage Brian to use his training mower whenever possible. He appears to be a real natural at it so..........if you would like Brian to come mow your lawn, let us know and we will add you to his Wait List that he is putting together!

Who's Driving This Buggy?

Brian, Spencer and Mommy went to the grocery store today. Normally when we go, Brian drives the race car shopping cart and Spencer sits in the seat facing Mommy. Since it was raining when we got to the store, Mommy put both boys in the car and they had a blast riding in it together! Brian is doing an amazing job of matching his words up with their real time objects. For example, as we wheeled through the produce department he pointed to the correct items as he said "apple" and "nana" (he isn't able to wrap his mouth around the full word of banana quite yet.) As we worked our way across the store Brian pointed and said "puppy!" Mommy was curious as to what he was talking about but when she saw that he was pointing to a big dog food display that had a picture of a dog on the bag - she knew!

Tool of the Day!

There are a few tools that Brian refers to as his "go to tools".....these are the tools that you just HAVE to have in your shop because you will find yourself using them very frequently. An example of one of those go to tools would be the Makita BPX22 Cordless 12 volt impact driver. Brian used his just last weekend when he installed some new screen doors at Grandma and Grandpa's house! If you don't have one, Brian highly recommends that you add one to your shop soon!

Jembo the Cat AND I'm 21 Months Old!

We haven't talked too much about Brian's growing vocabulary but it is really coming along! He started out with "bye", "Daddy" and "Mommy". He still says his words one at a time (IE: "bye" and "Daddy" instead of "bye Daddy") but he says more and more words each day. Some words you have to kind of concentrate to understand but the following are a few that he has completely mastered and that come out as clear as can be! Jembo, Walter, Grandma, Grandpa, water, car, blue, purple, apple, sauce, juice, cheese, peas, peace, cow, camel and puppy. He prefers to just make the animal noises of "baa", "neigh" and "ssssss" instead of saying sheep, horse and snake. He definitely knows and says the word "no" (after all, he does hear is quite often) but oddly, enough he walks around constantly saying "yeah" instead of "no"!

The Quest

Yesterday Brian took Mommy, Daddy and baby Spencer on a tour of some area parks. We went looking for some additional fun spots so we don't get bored going to the same one all the time. So far of the four parks we have been to, only one of them have been put on Brian's "favorite park" list - which is where this picture was taken.

And.....don't put away those birthday candles yet because Brian sends out very very happy birthday wishes to our wonderful friend Diane!

A Serious Message From Brian

As you can see by the look on his face, Brian has something very serious and important to tell you. First of all, to all the brave men and women who have or are still fighting so that we can live in this great country - on this Memorial Day we want to say thank you. And also.....break out the ice cream scoop again because we have more birthday cake! Brian is very happy to announce that today is his Aunt June's birthday!

Pool Safety Tip

Brian's Grandma and Grandpa have an above ground pool and they were finishing getting it set for the summer pool season today. So, as you may have guessed, Brian needed to be there to supervise that the work was being done correctly. Safety is very important when you are working around water - especially if you haven't had any officially swimming lessons yet. Ever the efficient boy though, Brian managed to find a way to kill two birds with one stone though. By keeping this "floaty" around his middle, he was about to take care of his supervisory duties while still managing to assure his parents that he was being safe.

Danger Boy Slides Again!

Brian went to the park again today which is quickly becoming one of his most favorite things to do! He rode swings for awhile and then he played in the sand for awhile and then he ran around in the grassy field for awhile. After that, it was time to do some serious sliding!

This slide appeared to be his favorite, maybe because he could do this one all by himself. He didn't even need Daddy to stand at the bottom to catch him when he went down this slide!

Ol' Blue Eyes!

Question: What has 4 arms, 4 legs, 4 beautiful blue eyes and 2 adorable belly laughs?





Answer: Brian and his little brother Spencer!

Tool of the Day!

Ahhhhhh springtime, a time when little boys thoughts turn to fancy like, you know.....pouring concrete! If you have been thinking of doing some concrete work, now is a great time to do it! Some people are apprehensive about doing this themselves, but with the right tools - its a snap! The key to pouring concrete is getting it mixed well. Brian's suggestion for this is to use the Big Cat Model 2702 Type B Portable 1.5 Cubic Yard 115 Volt Cement Mixer. Big enough to get the job done but compact enough to easily store in your shop. Brian has decided not to go into all of the details of pouring the concrete today. If you have questions, please feel free to contact him because he is more than happy to walk you through the steps.

Now THAT"S a Tower!

Brian (and Daddy too for that matter) enjoys playing with the Mega Blocks! Daddy helped with the design of this architectural wonder but moments after this picture was taken, Brian played Godzilla and destroyed it all by himself! Good times!

Your Attention Please!

Brian would like to take a moment to....well, blow his own horn and make a very important announcement. Brian's Great Grandma Dorothy is celebrating a birthday today!!!!!!! Since we can't be there in person to join in on the party, how about if we continue the celebration the next time we see you by having a big slab of cake together!

Dancin' With Brian!

While Brian watched tonight's episode of Dancing with the Stars with Mommy and Daddy he couldn't stop himself.......he had to join in and dance too! He seems to favor the Latin dances but whatever dance he does he manages to score a perfect 10 from his parent judges!

And.........VERY happy birthday wishs go out to my Aunt Karyn today! I hope you saved me a piece of cake!

Lets Go To The Park!

Yesterday, Daddy and Brian went on an outing to a neighborhood park. This particular park had a much larger slide than he is used to being on so Daddy was curious to see what our little Danger Boy would be up to. Once Brian had climbed up and was seated at the top of the slide, Daddy told him to wait while he got into "catching" position at the bottom. He took his direction well and as soon as he got the all clear from Daddy, Brian pushed off and slid down. About half way down, he had a slightly apprehensive look in his face but by the time he got to got to the bottom he was all smiles and couldn't wait to do it again. After countless more trips down the slide, they moved onto........

.......the swings! This was a first for Brian and he absolutely loved it! Since he doesn't have a complete understanding of why it's very important to hold onto the chains with both hands, we liked that this parks swings have the bucket seats that he sits down into. It made leaning forward while he watched the ground swooshing by him as he swung back and forth a much safer experience!

Before he could go home, he needed to give the teeter totter a try! This park scored very high ratings with Brian so we will definitely be back soon!

The Dynamic Duo!

Brian is a very good big brother. Now that Spencer is getting bigger, it's easier for them to play together more too. The word "share" still has some mixed meanings to Brian but we are sure that will improve as they get older.

He Likes It!!!

Even though Brian had already finished eating his yummy breakfast waffle, that didn't stop him from wanting a sample of Daddy's cereal. Brian has no problem taking a nibble off any ones plate - something you will want to keep in mind should you ever be eating when he's around!

Tool of the Day!

Due to the popularity of Brian's 4 part home repair series that finished up last week, he has decided to put together a new one. To help him select the next work project series, Brian is reviewing today's Tool of the Day.......the blueprint. This is a decision that requires a great deal of thought on Brian's part. His projects can be complicated so he wants to make sure that what he selects will not be too challenging as to intimidate the novice carpenter. Tune in next week when he will be revealing his exciting new project!

Breakfast Duet

Brian does a fabulous job of feeding himself but the meal has to move along at a good pace or he will loose interest. As long as his spoon stays properly loaded with oatmeal, everything is great. Unfortunately, when he dips his spoon into his bowl, it doesn't always come back with the amount of oatmeal that he had been anticipating. So, to ensure that Brian eats a filling breakfast, Brian and his Daddy have developed an "oatmeal system". Daddy prefills a spoon and then sets it back into the bowl. Brian feeds himself that spoonful while Daddy fills another spoon with the next bite. Once Brian empties a spoon, he hands it back to Daddy to refill and the system repeats until the bowl is empty or the tummy if full - which ever comes first.

Shootin' Hoops!

Across the driveway......over the van.....off the garage......around the dog......nothing but net! Brian inherited this basketball hoop from our good friends Aunt Karen and Uncle Freddie. Since it was the perfect hoop shooting afternoon, Brian and Mommy played a little one on one while little brother Spencer was napping.

Taking Bets!

Brian has found another way to use his Big Bird bed - as a practice climbing range!

So at this point..........

.......we are taking bets on how long it will be before we make another trip to the hospital for more stitches!

My 2nd Mothers Day With Mommy!

Today's Mothers Day celebration was an action packed one! Church was followed by a brief nap at Grandma and Grandpa's house and then it was on to a very yummy brunch. From there it was back to Grandma and Grandpa's house for some full out play time with cousins Krista, Erika and Haley. The adults didn't seem to be doing much playing.....something about them all being too full to move. Given the smile on Mommy's face, it appears she had a very nice day and it's also very clear that Mommy loves her boys as much as her boys love her!

Over Easy?

The play kitchen continues to be a great source of entertainment for Brian. It's so much fun seeing how observant he is when you watch him put eggs into a pan, stir them up and then turn the knob to turn the burner on. The other day after he had been creating a gourmet delight, he set plates, spoons and cups up on the ottoman just like he was setting the table. Before he dug in, he folded his hands and looked at Mommy so that she would do the same. As soon as we had said our prayer, we could eat.

Fashion Statement

Hows this for a fashion statement........sandals OVER your pajama's!

Brian's morning started off quite normal - a little friendly banter while having his diaper changed before heading into the kitchen for some breakfast. Before he got off the changing table though, he reached out and grabbed his sandals. With the springtime weather, Mommy pulled out his sandals a couple days ago and as you can tell, Brian loves wearing them!

Tool of the Day!

Thank you for tuning in for Part 4 of Brian's 4 part home repair series "How to fix the hole you made in the living room wall." To recap, Brian has already installed the new door stop (part 1), applied mud to the hole (part 2), and sanded the surface smooth (part 3). This brings us to step 4 - repainting! After you originally painted your room, hopefully you labeled the can of remaining paint so it's easy to locate the correct can you need for touch up painting projects like this one.

After you have given your paint a good stir, you are ready to begin. Since this is a relatively small job, Brian is recommending the Performance Select Model 463-989 horsehair 2-inch angled paint brush! Brian hopes that this particular home repair series has been helpful to you. Given the curious nature of a certain young man living in our house, we have no doubt that there will be similar home repair series coming in the near future!

To Use a Fork or Not to Use a Fork.....That is the Question.

Brian had a pancake for breakfast this morning. Once it has been buttered, cut up and the syrup added, with a fork in hand he was ready to dig in! He is completely capable of using a fork but sometimes a guy just needs to cut to the chase. In times like that, its just easier to hold your fork with one hand and shovel the pancake in with your other hand!

Breakfast?

It's amazing watching a child and seeing how observant they really are. For example, this morning Brian got a hold of a fry pan. He immediately took it to his play kitchen in the living room and set it on the burner. He put some peas in the pan (an unusual breakfast choice, but who are we to judge!) Then he grabbed his spatula and started turning the peas in the pan. Mommy and Daddy just stood in the doorway watching him, shaking their heads and saying "this kid doesn't miss a thing!"

Strike that.......Reverse it!

Mommy had her dates confused last Thursday because TODAY is the day to break out your pinata and celebrate Cinco de Mayo!

Brian has been a little champ over the past couple days. Mommy got a cold and promptly shared it with him. In fact, she has managed to share it with everyone except Daddy - something that we all hope will continue! Even with a cough and runny nose, he is still ready to play hard all day long!

It's As Big As My Head!!!

When Brian woke up from his nap this morning, he was very excited to learn that Spencer and Mommy got a couple new toys for them to play with. They brought home three balls. One is small, one is medium sized and one is HUGE! You can roll them or bounce them or just have all around fun with them! Once he had the feel of how they worked inside, Brian and Daddy took the giant purple one out into the back yard to see what it could do out there!

She's 6 Today!

In honor of his cousin Erika's 6th birthday today........Brian celebrated by sharing Daddy's ice cream treat!

Someone's Sleeping In My Bed!

Before Mommy and Daddy went to bed, they peeked in on Brian and this is what they saw.

I guess if you don't toss and turn when you sleep, sticking your feet through the bars of your crib might not be an uncomfortable sleeping position after all!

Tool of the Day!

If you have noticed a theme developing over the past few tool of the day segments, you would be correct. Brian is now doing part 3 in his home repair series "How to fix the hole you made in the living room wall because you were banging the front door knob against it in just 4 easy steps." He has already covered installing the new door stop and putting a coat of mud on the hole. Today, Brian will sand the surface smooth by using his Marshallton Model 210 4x8 drywall pad sander. Tune in next week for the continuing saga of the living room wall repair!