Our first basketball game

Today is unseasonably warm. In fact, it seems ridiculous to see pictures of the boys in snow gear now. This afternoon we took them outside for a bit and a basketball game broke out. They are both very interested in balls of all types right now and did a good job of scraping their knees and feet crawling around after the ball. (Crawling seemed to be preferred as the ball was fairly unwieldy for a little boy to pick up and carry while walking.) The game was definitely short on scoring and offense in general but it was a great defensive showing on both sides and included quite a few jump balls.

Snow day

OK, so it's not quite like the snow days Leslie and Caroline have in Cincinnati but it is snowing here today. Supposedly we are going to end up with 1-2 inches but I'm doubtful. At any rate, I dressed the boys right after breakfast and rushed them out to see it and take a few pictures. It was pretty icy on the deck so they stayed pretty rooted in place. They were mostly interested in watching Maddie frolic around and slide a little. They were also trying to figure out their way too big snow boots. Huge flakes were falling when I had Charlie out there but by the time I got Jack out they had gotten much smaller although still a lot and falling fast.

Playgroup

We went to play group yesterday for the first time in quite a while. I was very surprised at how well the boys did. The house we were at happened to have a couple of extra booster seats that the boys were happy to sit in and eat their lunch. They also sat very patiently and took it all in while I finished my lunch and gathered up our stuff. But when I took the trays off to clean them up they decided they'd had enough of just sitting there. I just had the chairs in the floor so it was easy enough for them to just lean forward and start crawling around, despite the fact that they were still straped in. I was able to get a picture as they both went in different directions.

Happy Birthday, Caroline

Happy second birthday Caroline. We all hope you have a wonderful day and an even better year. We miss you, love you and hope to see you soon!

Out for a ride

As a cap on his workout Chip has been pulling the boys up the hill in our neighborhood after his runs. If you've been to our house you know that the hill is nothing to sneeze at. The boys really enjoy it. I took this picture a couple of days ago when it was not too cold but very windy. Meredith gave them these boggans and gloves for their birthday. They are fascinated by the gloves and hold their fingers straight out for minutes at a time when we put them on.

It arrived!

The panda arrived on Monday. I have to say that he/she didn't get quite the reception I was envisioning. I was expecting big smiles, maybe clapping and a sprint across the room. Charlie was only mildly interested at first. Jack was far more welcoming, giving his panda a big hug right off (I'm no dumby and ordered one for each boy just in case they both fell in love.) Since their first meeting Charlie has become quite a bit more interested but he still isn't carrying it around like he does the puzzle piece. At least I can say I've offered him something more cuddly and if he sticks to the wood that's just a personal preference.

PANDA!

If you've been to our house in the past month or so you've probably had to repeat panda more than twice. The boys have this animal book with one animal on each page and for some reason Charlie loves the panda. He will turn to the panda page and tap it with his finger until you say panda, over and over and over again. In the past couple of days he has started to carry around the panda piece out of their zoo puzzle. It makes me feel a little guilty to think that my child has to carry around a wooden puzzle piece so I've ordered him a stuffed panda that should be here by Monday but I took this picture for posterity's sake.