Lets Play!

Have you ever seen a toy that could be more fun to play with than just a big empty box?????? After giving this box a good workout, Brian asked Grandma and Grandpa if they would take him to the park. (Out of politeness, he was willing to let Mommy and Spencer tag along too .)









Brian had little to no interest in the swings today - today it was all about the slides! He showed Grandpa ALL the different slides and how he could go up the steps and slide down them all by himself!



















One of the other kids who was at the playground today brought along a bunch of toys to play in the sand with. She was very generous and let everyone play with them. Brian went right to work scooping up sand and filling up the dump truck and boy-o-boy was it ever fun! The next time we go to the park, Mommy will have to remember to bring along our sand bucket and scoop in case Lily isn't there with her toys that day!

WOW!

"Wow" is a word that Brian uses very often and this morning he had a very good reason to use it! Everything seemed pretty routine when he went to bed last night, but when he woke up he found out that Grandma and Grandpa had arrived from South Dakota while he had been sleeping! After going to church, having some breakfast and taking a very short nap, we decided the best way to spend the afternoon would be by going to the zoo! Our first visit was to the Republican booth - or as it's known on the street, the elephant exhibit.






Brian is really into Lions and Tigers right now and we were in luck. Both of the big cats were out and very visible this afternoon. The Tiger really put on a big show for everyone who came by to take a look at him today. He even jumped into his pool to show us how Tigers go swimming!














We had to dodge some rain, but we were still able to make our way to the carousal on our way back to the car. Needless to say, Brian told Grandma that he wanted to wrangle himself a Tiger and take it for a ride!








Shortly after the ride ended, it started to rain - hard! Brian sat with Grandma as we waited for the storm to pass. Unfortunately, his patience started to dwindle so.........















.....he asked Grandpa if he wanted to take another spin. This time, his mount was the mighty Lion! By the time the ride ended the rain had stopped and we all declared our afternoon at the zoo as a huge success!

I'm 22 Months Old!

As soon as Brian got a look at what a beautiful day it was, he started asking Daddy if he could go see Grandma and Grandpa. Visiting his Grandparents is always great - but it was pretty obvious that "Aqua Boy" wanted to get into the pool too! Mommy had a few things she needed to do at home so Daddy, Brian and Spencer piled into the RSV and off to Grandma and Grandpa's house they went. One of the pool rules is that no kids are allowed on the pool deck without an adult. "Hurry up Daddy!!!!!!!!!"

We honestly think that Brian is part fish - he absolutely LOVES being in the water! He always has a great time in the bathtub but it's nothing compared to being in the pool! Thanks for going swimming with me today Grandma, I can't wait to do it again soon!

Who Want's Clean Toof'ers?

This evening Brian kept pointing down the hallway and saying "tees", "tees". Apparently Mommy wasn't on the ball because he had to repeat it several times before it clicked for her that he wanted to practice some good dental hygiene and go brush his teeth! So, that's exactly what he did......he gave his teeth a good brush, we read a few books, said our prayers and then he hit the hay!

Tool of the Day!

(The following is a sample of some of Brian's correspondence)

Dear Brian;

I need to do some caulking around some tile in my kitchen. I found some great tubes of caulk at my local hardware store that will work great but I don't know how to get it squeezed out of the tube. I thought it would work like a tube of toothpaste but that has proven to not be the case. What should I do?

Signed - All Caulked Up And Nowhere To Go

Dear All Caulked Up;

You are absolutely right. Unless you are the Hulk, you won't be squeezing any caulk out of those tubes any time soon! Fear not though, your solution is an easy one. Go back to your hardware store and invest in a caulk gun for your shop. Mine happens to be a Jasco JM 128CH Heavy Duty Smooth Bore 29 oz Caulk Gun but I'm sure your hardware store representative will help you find one you will be very happy with. Just slide your tube of caulk into your caulk gun and you will have that kitchen job caulked in no time! Good luck and as always, I'm here for you if you have any questions!

Signed - Brian Thomas

The Thinker

The ottoman is probably Brian's favorite piece of furniture in the living room. He puts toys on it when he plays, his sippy cup is often found on it and he lays across it so that he can slide off the side and down onto the floor. This is a pose you will often find him in when he is engrossed in one of his programs.

Don't Show This Post To Brian!

In a few years, Brian will probably be horrified to know that this topic was being discussed, but as proud parents we think this is a very exciting update. Mommy and Daddy have also decided that there will be hundreds of other things Brian's parents will do that will embarrass him beyond belief so - maybe he will be able to overlook this one.

The other day Brian was just hanging out in the living room - playing. All of the sudden he looked over at Mommy and while holding his nose he said "pee-u". Upon further examination, his statement proved correct and a fresh diaper was applied. Some time later he made the "pee-u" statement again. When asked if he was stinky he responded "yeah". Daddy took him to his room to correct this problem and while he was on the changing table, Brian pointed down at his diaper and said "uck-y"! We have not started any formal potty training because we have been waiting for Brian to show us signs that he is getting ready to take on this big boy activity. Brian has made these "pee-u" announcements several times now and although he has made one or two false alarms, most of the time he seems to know what he is talking about! Mommy and Daddy feel that what make these "pee-u" proclamations so huge is the fact that Brian is a kid who would normally be happy to stay in the same diaper all day - no matter what was in it! We aren't going to start the training process tomorrow or anything, but we take this as a sign that he is definitely getting very close to being ready to start!

Lay Down.......Stay.......

Brian has been working with Jem teaching her some basic Kitty Obedience. So far, her greatest talent appears to be her tolerance in putting up with whatever a couple little boys try to do to her. Mommy and Daddy have to hand it to both Jem and Walter for adapting to the huge changes that they have had thrust upon them in the past couple years. They are both wonderful around the boys which is a huge relief to Mommy and Daddy!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Happy Birthday Grandma! Since we weren't able to celebrate with you in person today, we are looking forward to doing it next weekend when you and Grandpa are here!

While the rain came down this afternoon, Daddy and Brian were busy blowing bubbles inside. As Daddy blew more bubbles into the air, Brian kept saying "more, more, more"! It wasn't long before Brian wanted to make some bubbles of his own so he puckered up his lips and blew! Unfortunately, he wasn't able to get any bubbles to form this time, but he kept trying!

Mommy's Little Helper!

Daddy's cousin Bill and his wife Kristin joined us for dinner tonight! We were very excited to see them and to hear about the new baby that they are expecting in October! Before they arrived, Brian helped Mommy do some vacuuming. He is very accustomed to the sound of this machine because when he was a baby, Mommy used to vacuum around the pack-n-play while Brian slept in it!

Gas Is HOW Much?

Brian has shown much improvement in the fine art of riding - as he calls it - his "car". He understands the concept of putting the key into the ignition.......

.......and can go mobile without any assistance. Granted, it's always fun to lift your feet up and let Mommy or Daddy just push you around, but if they aren't available, he can do it on his own. He started out by using his feet to push off but unfortunately that only allowed him to go in reverse. From there he quickly figured out that it was much more exciting if he used his feet to pull himself forward so that he can keep on rolling across the room!

Tool of the Day!

It's that time of the year again.........storm season! Brian (as well as the rest of his family) remember all too well the huge storm that blew through our neighborhood last summer. Maybe it is so engraved in our memory because we had only been home from the hospital with our brand new baby Spencer a couple hours before the storm hit! We were without power for several days and during that time we learned some very valuable lessons about what items must be in the house at all times. Flashlights, candles and a battery operated radio were all on our list but Brian suggested that we invest in the all in one Vector VEC-135 Storm Tracker. He liked that it has a flashlight, television and radio but it still very light and easy to carry. He especially likes that in addition to being able to be plugged in or run on batteries, you can also turn a crank on the side that will generate enough power to operate the radio and light if needed. Now that we are ready for the next storm of the century - hopefully we won't need to ever use it!

Brian would like to let you know that if you would like to add a Storm Tracker to your home safety kit, Home Depot has them on sale to the point they are practically giving them away. It could have something to due with the new cable box requirements that are coming which will mean the television will only work until next February, but that's okay. When you are huddled in your basement who needs more than a flashlight and a radio anyway?

AND........Brian sends big hugs and kisses out to Grandma and Grandpa who are celebrating their Anniversary today! We are all looking forward to next weekend when we can give you those hugs and kisses in person!

Great New Toy!

A few months ago this gumball machine toy went into the closet as part of our "toy rotation program". Much to Brian's delight, it came back out onto the floor this week and was just like a brand new toy! It took him no time at all to remember how it worked and he quickly showed his little brother Spencer how to drop the balls in the top.........








........and push the handle to release the balls so they roll out the bottom.

Hide-n-Seek

While Brian and Mommy were playing some hide and seek this morning, Brian found the perfect spot to hide! He would have been home free as he slid between the chair and entertainment center but his giggles led Mommy right to him!

Perfect Backyard Weather!

Today was an absolutely beautiful day and Brian didn't want to waste the opportunity to get in some quality slide time. So while Spencer was inside finishing up his afternoon nap, Brian, Walter, and Mommy turned on the baby monitor and went into the backyard for some playtime.

That's My Daddy!

Ever since Brian had his first dip of the season into Grandma and Grandpa's pool last weekend, he has been asking Daddy when he gets to go swimming with him. Brian got into the pool with Grandma and his cousins Erika and Haley. They all called for Daddy to jump in but - being a safe swimmer, Daddy needed to put on the proper floatation equipment first!















Once in the pool, Brian and Daddy paddled around checking out all the pool toys.



























After reluctantly leaving the pool and having some dinner, it was time to play with one of his favorite yard toys - the wishing well!









And, no summertime trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house is complete without an ice cream treat! Brian would like to wish all of the Daddy's out there a very Happy Fathers Day today and in particular, his own very special Daddy - I love you!

No Pictures Please!

Brian probably feels like he lives with the paparazzi considering how frequently he has a camera in his face! Such was the case when we arrived at Elmfest today, a local festival that was going on in Elmhurst this weekend. There were lots of interesting things to look at, not to mention the very nice firemen who gave him a Junior Fireman sticker as well as a balloon!

There was even a play set available for kids to use! Even though it was set up in an area with no shade on a rather warm day, Brian didn't care - he would have played on it all day it he could have!

Have You Seen This One?

Our RSV (aka: Red Sport Vehicle) has a DVD player in it so we always have some movies available when we are on the road. The Baby Einstein and Praise Baby collections are very popular in our vehicle. The other day, Mommy swapped some different movies into the van to add some new variety to our viewing selections. Brian got ahold of the DVD's that came back into the house and got to work identifying the animals on the covers - including the "turtle", a new word for him!

Tool of the Day!

Last week Brian and his Daddy began work on completely fencing in the back yard by adding one final length of fence. With the holes dug (see last weeks post) and the posts in place, it was time to stretch the fence into place. Brian found that by using his Maasdan 1448-6 Power Pull, he was able to stretch the fence in quick and simple!

While Brian and Daddy were looking over their project, they were very pleased with how it was turning out and felt that a handshake for a job well done was in order!

The fence turned out great and will definitely help Mommy and Daddy feel much more relaxed knowing that their two little boys can run and play to their hearts content because they will be safely tucked away in the back yard.

Brother Samm'ich

Brian likes to pull his Big Bird sofa out into the bed and flop down onto it. He thinks it's absolutely hysterical when Daddy then folds the bed back up - while he's still in it. Spencer has picked up on this little trick so today, he was the one folding Brian up!

Bye Bye!

Brian doesn't always offer a consistent greeting when he sees people, but he is very comfortable saying and waving "bye bye". Lately he has been saying bye bye to just about everything - including his bath water as it drained out of the tub!

Train Station

Krista and Erika came over to play with their cousins this evening. While Krista and Spencer were playing in the living room, Erika and Brian headed into the hallway to set up the animal train.

First Dip of the Season!

Even though Grandma and Grandpa's pool has been ready to go since before Memorial Day, today was the first time Brian had the opportunity to go in. Since it was raining as we drove to their house, we were worried that we might have to stay inside the house, but by mid afternoon the rain stopped and the sun came out. Grandma accompanied Brian into the pool since Mommy and Daddy had a picnic to go to elsewhere. We are going to have to check this little boys feet to see if his toes are webbed because he LOVES being in the water! Aunt June picked him up this nice new pair of "muscles" which he proudly wore as he moved around in the water. If Brian has anything to say about it, we will be back at the pool on a very regular basis!

Whats That On Your Head?

A few weeks ago while Brian was having an afternoon of bonding with Daddy, Mommy and Spencer went off on their own somewhere. When they came back, they had this long skinny balloon that had been twisted into the shape of an animal! It was the most amazing thing you have ever seen! Wanting to see how it was put together, Brian first untwisted it and then took it apart. When he recreated it the new shape wasn't so much an "animal" as it was.....maybe.....your lower intestines? No matter what it ended up being, it was still fun to wear on his head!

Piano Lesson

Brian loves to imitate what he sees, especially when it involves music. He plays drums on the furniture and when he saw someone on TV playing the piano, he made his own keyboard out of the vacuum cleaner! How resourceful is that?

Tool of the Day!

Brian and Daddy started a new project this week. They decided to add another length of fence to the back yard in order to completely enclose it. There are several steps involved in a fencing project such as this. The first is to dig the holes for the posts. To do this, you will need a post hole digger - something similar to Brian's Stanley Model 906 8 inch diameter manual post hole digger. We won't kid you, you will have to put some muscle into this part of the job. Brian has always found that if you dig the post holes after there has been a little rain, the ground will be much softer to work with. Stay tuned as Brian's back yard fence continues to take shape!

Hello?

Brian was cracking Mommy up this morning. He wanted to get into the pack n play which he hasn't wanted to do for quite a while. He could reach over and grab the phone while in it (which was probably why he wanted to get into it to begin with.) Anyway, he reached over and picked up the phone and then went into his own little phone dialog which went something like this. "He-oo? (he doesn't get the "l" in hello out yet) yeah....ohhh?....various babble words.....yeah....ok.....(while hanging up the phone) bye." After playing with a different toy for a few minutes, he would get another phone call and the whole process would start all over again. It was hysterical and all Mommy could do to not laugh out loud! This picture was taken when Daddy got home so that he could share in the amusement!

Rainy Day Entertainment

The rain kept us inside today. In addition to Lawrence Welk, Brian enjoy watching some other programs on TV. He loves anything with Elmo and lately, he has also gotten into the Teletubbies - which is what he was watching when Mommy took this picture.

Look.....Up in the Sky!

While Brian was out playing in the yard yesterday, he took a moment to relax and kick back with a cup of ice water. One of his favorite pastimes is pointing out all the airplanes that fly overhead. It's very amusing to watch because it never gets old to him. Every time he points one out he reacts like it is the first plane he has seen all day!

Backyard Playground!

Brian was all for taking full advantage of yesterday's beautiful weather by playing in the backyard!

ANYONE could go down a slide feet first so Brian decided to try a different approach......

.......head first! As far as he's concerned, he's probably the only one who has ever thought of doing it this way and who are we to tell him otherwise.