My Little Cleaner

Ben can sometimes be very particular about things, like putting something back in the exact same spot he took it from. He's a pretty clean kid. He usually hands us his dishes when he's done eating. This morning when he got done with breakfast, I put his glass on the counter to wash him up and get him out of his chair. He got down, grabbed the glass, and went to open the dishwasher, where he proceeded to put the glass correctly on the top rack, and then he closed the door. I just hope we continue this cleanliness for many years to come.

Ben is starting to talk in phrases, most of which involve baby: Baby nigh-night, baby bye-bye, baby eat. He is also getting a good handle on possession: Baby bottle, baby bib. Things like that. He's got a few others: Puppy out there, all done with bath, things having to do with outside and being all done. It's so fun to hear what he comes up with. He doesn't always end his phrases. Sometimes he says baby and doesn't have the word to end correctly, but you can tell he's trying to come up with something. It's amazing how fast the language thing picks up once kids start saying words.

Finn is busy pulling himself up on anything he can and keeping up with his brother. He may be walking before he turns 1. He certainly has a ways to go, though. We had a family reunion last weekend, and Finn took down his 9-month-old cousin while using him to stand up.

Jon and I enjoyed a date on Tuesday. We went to the newest Harry Potter movie and out to eat. We enjoyed the short break. And it was all adults in the theater, so no crying babies to distract us. We did enjoy the movie, if you're wondering.

We haven't had any great adventures, but the highlight (for me anyway) is to watch the boys play and develop their skills. They enjoy being outside in their swings or watching Daddy hit golf balls. We just got a double stroller last week, so we'll have to take a few more walks. Come to think of it, I guess raising kids is a great adventure.

After rescheduling due to a large rug burn scab on Ben's nose, we took the boys for pictures last Thursday. They did very well and I think they had fun. Ben didn't want to give up his stool, but that was about the only obstacle. Finn started wrinkling his nose a couple weeks ago, so that was on most of the pictures with his smile. We have a couple of good-looking kids, if I do say so myself.

Living On The Outside

We are settling in here in Minnesota. I think Ben has found his happy place. He loves being outside. He got to ride on the mower with Daddy and on the tractor with Grandpa. He gets to water flowers and pick stuff from the garden. He cries when someone goes out without him. He has seen a lot of all of his grandparents in the last couple weeks and now calls them Pa and Ma. At least he's got a name for them. He is picking up lots of words.

Finn's legs are getting stronger. He has the beginnings of crawling and is standing against things, trying to pull himself up, and I'm afraid he'll be walking quite soon. The boys are having more fun together, though Ben is somewhat less likely to share certain things than he used to be.

That's all I have for now. I'll try to post more regularly for some of you:)