We climb and we don't nap plus music and baby time

Sunday, we went to see the Akron orchestra perform at the park by our house. This is the second time the boys saw an orchestra this summer and got to enjoy it from the comforts of their wagon.

The boys did really good. They played with some toys we brought: keys and paper footballs Joy made out of the programs. They really enjoyed clapping and watching the other people. The music was really good too. It sounded great in the park.









During the week, the boys learned to climb on the coffee table. It had been a battle trying to get them off and to safety. They get so pleased with themselves when they get on top.

This week, the boys had a tough time napping. They love playing in the cribs and they now occupy themselves being in there and with each other.









Wednesday, we had our last baby time at the library. This time a little Indian girl was there. She was 17 months old. The boys loved playing with her. It is nice living in a diverse community. I think the boys will benefit.

Next week, I'm taking a week off from work. We plan on going to the fair, the zoo, and the Twinsburg festival. Can't wait!


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Phone home

Last week, Jasper was loving his play phone. He would talk into it and walk in and out of the living room. He had a good conversation with Elmo, the type of play phone they have.

So Monday on the ride home from work, I called and Joy tried to give them the phone to see if they would talk in it. Jacob seemed to take control of the phone. He was talking up a storm. I would say "dada" and he would repeat it. I asked him where his nose was and he touched his nose. Joy had to tell that.

Wednesday, I talked to Jasper more on the phone. He was a little more reserved but he did he did talk a bit. I got him to sing "Ahh." I stated singing to him and he dropped the phone and ran off. Jacob took the phone and after I stated singing, he dropped the phone and ran off. Little critics! :-)



Wednesday night, we went to the library to have baby time. This time, there was another couple there with their 13 month old. We were hoping the boys would interact more with the little girl but they all seemed to be independent.

The boys loved rolling the ball back and forth with the librarian and marching around the room. The librarian brought out bubbles, which Jasper loved. He stood right by the bubble maker.

Yesterday, it was hottest day we've had in 16 years. So after dinner, we took a family trip to dairy queen. The boys shared dq ice cream sandwich, which they ate on the ride home. When we got home, I gave them a bath and Joy took all the fabric off the car seats to be washed.


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They are becoming toddlers!

The boys are growing so fast. Every day they are acting and look more like toddlers. It's crazy to think about how much time has past by.

Jacob will now show you his nose whenever you ask. Jasper still selectively shows when you ask but he knows where it is as well as his head. I'm working on ears with them too.

Joy has rearranged the house again. This time making the living room more accessible. We can all get to the couch now. The boys have done well at not falling off the couch and sometimes they just sit on the couch.

The other night, Jacob enjoyed a nice sitting on the couch session playing with my iPhone. I don't know how he open it up but he was writing emails.

The dinning room however has been reduced to a table and high chairs. The chairs and computer have been removed. The boys were climbing the chairs and trying to get on the table. The computer was moved after they were beating the printer with blocks and once removed they could easy get to the computer.

Bedtime has gotten a lot better. They like when I come in to read to them. I usually read to them till they fall asleep. They have both been doing a great job at sleeping through the night. Usually if anything I go in there to give them a bottle and then walk out around 3 or 4am.

Last night, Jasper started running in place. Joy stated running in place too. He got a kick out of it. Then Jacob and I stared running in place. I then started jumping and Jacob started jumping. Joy responded with "they're not supposed to be able to do that yet." They are smart.



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Baby time

Wednesday we took the boys to Baby Time at the Northwest library. We thought this would be a good opportunity for the boys to interact with other kids their age and also a chance for us meet some parents.

I signed up a month prior to ensure that we would get in incase it fills. When I signed up, we were the first to sign up.

When we arrived we were the only ones there. We waited around to see if more people would show up but no. It was just us and the librarian.

The boys had a really great time though! The librarian sang rhymes/songs to them, read them a story, played with puppets, marched around the room, and gave the boys shakers. The boys loved the shakers.

I can't remember if it was a story or song but one of the things the librarian did was point to her nose and other parts of the her body. We pointed either with our their hands or our hands on the boys on their bodies.

So the next day, Joy was working on getting the boys to point to their nose and say "nose." Joy said Jasper did it and said something similar to nose. Jacob did really good at pointing to his nose at dinner and when I took them for a walk at the park.

I'd say that even though we didn't get the inactions that we hoped, baby time was a success. It was really nice to get the boys into the library and to interact with the librarian. The boys had a great time and we learned a thing or two. Joy brought home the sheet with the rhymes on them to read to read to the boys.


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The third and fourth of July

We celebrated the fourth (or actually 3rd) of July by going Blossom to see the Cleveland Orchestra and fireworks. We hand lawn seats and for some reason I didn't think there would be as many people there as there were. The place was packed! Somehow we managed to get a spot right behind the pavilion.

We had the boys in their wagon and we brought snacks to munch. It was really fun hanging out, listening, playing, and eating. The boys did really well through the first act.

While the orchestra took a break Jasper started getting antsy. So we moved near the back. We couldn't hear the orchestra play when they returned. The boys started fighting over water bottles so eventually we moved to a spot where we could let the boys walk around. They really dug getting to do some free range playing but got upset when they wondered too far.

At 10pm, the fireworks stated. I was worried that they would get scared but nope. It helped them calm down after being upset about being "gotten" again. Jasper was very interested in the fireworks. Jacob couldn't decide if the fireworks or the little girl with the balloon were cooler.

The boys fell asleep on the ride home and were out all night!!

For the actual fourth of July, we picked up grandma and went to the Akron zoo. We spent a good amount of time there. The zoo wasn't as crowded as you'd think.

We parked them in the wagon next to the penguins and one penguin was swimming and by boys. They got a big kick out of it, more than the last time.






We went inside some of the buildings this time. We saw bats and the jellies. It's the last year for the jellies. I'm sad to see them go. They are one of my favorites.

We headed back home and the boys took a nap. We had a cook-out and then went and got the boys a sandbox. The boys had a nice surprise when they woke up.






It took them awhile to actually go into the sandbox but they loved putting sand in the little water canal around the sandbox. Joy had made them a sand castle after we set it up. Jasper knocked it down eventually. They loved playing in it.



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Parks!

Sunday we met my parents at the Ira trailhead in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It had been a month since they've seen the boys and they were itchin' to see them.

The boys were really good in the wagon as we walked to the farmer's market. My parents got us iced tea and lemon aid.

We shared with the boys who did their new found joy of spitting out anything they suck up from a straw. They did drink some though. Jasper seemed to like my lemonade.










Monday night we went to the concert in the park. The boys had a much better reaction this time. We got them both to clap their hands and dance (shake and wave arms) a bit in their wagon.

The band was Calypso Gypsies. They played island music and had a steel drummer. The band was much better than the last one we saw. The boys liked them a lot better.








Jasper was intent on watching while Jacob was watching the little girl seated behind us.

Yesterday, we headed back to the park to let them play and run around in the field. First we headed to the playground where we swung them on the swings and held them as they went down the slide.









The big difference this time was that the boys can now walk. We set them free and let them roam around the playground (with one of us intently staying with them.) They followed other kids around and beat on the slide like a drum.








We then headed over to the field and once we got them to stop walking back to the playground they loved walking up and down the hills.

Eventually Jacob found a tree that he was really fascinated with. Jasper joined him and a bit of "I'm gonna get'chew" game.

We came home and put Tangled on, a new favorite movie of theirs. And eventually went to bed and stayed asleep all night!


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Climbing!

The boys have learned to climb. Jasper can now climb onto the couch. He is so proud of himself, he wants to do it all the time. The only problem is that he wants to climb up and jump. So this week we have been constantly informing him that he needs to "sit on his booty." I think it's getting better but still scary that he would fall and break something.

Joy had gotten rid of one of their toy boxes in living room. She kept the big trunk full of toys. So now both Jacob and Jasper managed to climb not only into the trunk but on top of the trunk and holding onto the couch. The trunk is located on the back end of the couch.

Over the weekend, we took the boys to toys r us to spend birthday money from their great grandma. We got them bought stuffed dinosaurs which they loved to pieces. They now have them in their cribs.

Jacob is really into helping with cleaning. He loves to play with our broom and when he has a rag he wipes things. So while we were at the store we bought him a toy broom. We didn't think Jasper would be too into it so we got just one for them to share.

Then we got home and Jasper loved the broom! The boys had a fight over causing us to go back to toys r us to grab another broom.





Father's day was relaxed but we did manage to go to the cuyahoga valley national park for a walk by a lake. We spend most of the day at home. I think we all were beat after the vacation the weekend before.


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