Jasper pedalling

This morning we watched a little bit of the Tour De France. Jasper got his alphabet train out to ride. Jacob got out his bicycle helmet.

It's too hot to be outside, so I brought their tricycles inside. Not long into it, Jasper started moving with the pedals for the first time!! A little bit later, he was using them like it was no ones business.

I can't believe he is already pedaling!!

The last few days been amazing!! Jacob started hitting a ball with bat.


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Fourth of July vacation

I took a mini vacation around the fourth of July. Had 5 days off straight and it was nice!!! Hot but very nice!!

Saturday, we had a chill day at home. It had been mostly too hot to go outside!

Sunday, we took the boys to the Monroe Falls beach. This was their first time to the beach and in a lake. I was bit scared that they would be too wild. However, they were really good and I felt at ease once we got into the water. Joy and I held on to the entire time in water. They both did a great job kicking their feet and kind of doggy pedal. I think they are going to end up being good swimmers. We might sign them up for swimming classes in the fall at the YMCA. They also loved playing with the sand on the beach. We buried hands and feet. Joy made a deep hole which we filled with water. I can't wait to go back to the beach,




We have a toy piano that the boys love to play. Jasper took it and started singing. Jacob wanted it too so it stated a little fight. Joy and I ended going to Once Upon A Child and picking up another piano and percussion toys.

I walked in on Jacob singing in our bedroom going "da ba da ba da no! No!" and waving his hands while singing "no no." He did this over and over. It was so cute!!! He got all embarrassed when Joy walked in and wouldn't sing for her. Later that week, Joy walk in on him singing he pointed and told her to "go".

They both love playing music in the basement. I let Jasper play with an old broken microphone. He walks around and sings in it when he's not playing the organ. Jacob plays the guitar and sings and also sits behind the drums and plays and sings.

Monday, Joy and I went to the Indians game! It was very fun, even though they lost. Drank beer and ate giant ice cream cones!! The boys stayed home with Joy's mom and later her brother stopped by.



On the fourth, we went to my parents' house for a get together. It was a lot of fun! The boys got to play outside on their jungle gym. Jasper spent most of the time going down the slide. He was having such a blast!! Jacob played baseball with his cousin Jimmy and my cousin Jon. Jake was doing an amazing job at hitting the ball with bat.

My dad set up a sprinkler for them and we also had bubbles. Jimmy gave the boys all his old match box cars.

Great vacation!!! More vacation time soon!!



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No Gate on room plus park

Now that the boys are getting a bit older, I started taking the gate off their room when they go to sleep. I have also been trying to keep it off when I put them to bed but Jacob likes for me to put it up. I'm not sure if it's a security thing or he is trying to be helpful because he knows it's supposed to be up.

The gate on their door has taken a beating. It used to be a swinging open and close gate but now it is reduced to a gate that no longer stays on unless it's latched.

A couple nights ago, the boys woke up crying and couldn't go back asleep. At one point Jacob left the room and went to the couch. When I got in there, he was just sitting and then he went to lay down.

Joy took Jasper to bed with her to help him calm down but as it turns out, he'd rather sleep in his room. I saw him run back back to his room and when I got there, he was laying down on a pillow trying to cover himself.



Yesterday, when Joy got up in the morning, she found Jacob passed out on the couch with a blanket. He must have gotten up after I left for work. So funny though.

However, last night I heard Jasper crying. When I went into their room, he wasn't there. I found him in the living room looking out the window. I'm not sure if he was scared because he thought he was alone. Normally he just comes into our room. When I went to get him, he brought me back to his room where he fell asleep on the floor.




In other news, the boys are talking a lot more. Jasper's big words now are "ouch" and "gosh." Jacob out of no where said "boo" while playing peek-a-boo with Jasper. He tried really hard to say "bunny" yesterday after we saw a bunny. He has also been talking up a storm.

We saw a train a go by up close while we were on our walk from library to the grocery show. When we got back home they told Joy all about it and pointed towards the train.

I read to the boys last night and they really seemed to like. Jasper laid next to me and watched the book. Jacob picked fuzz and listened. I read the Little Mermaid.

Tonight, I tried to read Toy Story but they're a bit hyper. Jacob is making voices and chasing Jasper.

The pictures are from the park on Saturday. Joy's mom, brother, and us went to the park. They can now go on the regular swings!! They are growing up so fast!!!

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Father's day plus!

I got totally spoiled this year for father's day. Joy got me an amazing ice cream cake from Cold Stone, really strong coffee, donuts, a sweet card, and a deck of cards with reasons the boys love me on each, paintings, and not to mention the tv that was my father's day present from before. It was really sweet and I feel totally loved.

The best part was sharing the cake the cake with boys. It was so yummy and the boys loved it ubber much.

I'm so happy being a father to these boys. I love them and Joy so much! My life is really amazing!

Right now, I'm watching Tangled with the boys on the couch. Bedtime has been rough lately so we're having a little movie time. I'm hoping they fall asleep but not sure they will.

They have been so hyper lately! Bouncing off the walls to say the least! They have also been wrestling and tackling each other. One thing they love to do now is when I'm trying to put them to bed, they jump off their bed and latch on to my back.

My parents stopped by tonight which was cool! We all went to the park and the boys showed off all their playground moves: slides, swings, climbing, and goofiness. When we came back they played in the back yard and played ball with my dad. It was a fun night.

Potty training has taken a little break but I think we'll start up again soon. My mom bought them new underwear! Hehe

--picture by Joy. Taken when they were trying to take down a tree.

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Potty training continues

Potty training continues! Yesterday, Joy noticed the boys were actively taking her to the bathroom. This resulting in the next step. During my lunch break, I bought them underwear, Pixar underwear. For some reason, Joy has been calling them panties, a word I don't think I've ever heard her say before. She said she called them that once by mistake and it stuck.

They both seem to like the underwear and easy availability to grab themselves. Jasper said "buzz" to the toy story underwear.

We took several trips to the bathroom. Jasper peed in the potty a few times. Jacob tried but got more interested in playing with the sink and standing on the potty. At one point, he pointed to Jasper's butt and said "butt." Later on, Jacob peed his underwear and just said "oh....". We went to the bathroom but it was too late.

I'm not sure if we're gonna full force potty train or just slowly introducing. We are getting pull ups and we just bought a box of regular diapers from Sams.

All in all, I'm proud of my boys!!!

Picture was taken by Joy yesterday in garden. They were helping watering with leftover pool water.



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Potty training and wildness

I have been introducing the boys to the potty for a while now. When they are in the bathroom with me, I try to explain what I'm doing. They showed an interest and shortly before they turned two, I held them on the potty. So, when they turned two, we bought them a potty. I thought it would just introduce them.

So far, it's pretty good success. I can get them both to sit on the potty and they show an interest when I'm in there going.

The day before yesterday, after sitting on the potty, Jasper got up and starting peeing on the rug. I moved the potty closer to him and he stood over it and peed in the potty!! This happened again yesterday!! We all cheered.

Jasper has been one sitting on the potty the most, so yesterday me and boys walked to the store and bought another one so he and Jacob can both sit together.

Potty training might not be that bad!

In other news, the boys are getting more wild and smart! Jacob now likes to line up all the dining room to make a bridge. He has also been liking to move the living room chair next to the coffee table so he and Jasper can jump forward and backwards on the chair and also on each other. Wresting is something they have also been into and sword fighting.



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Lead scare!!!!

Last Tuesday before dudes night, the boys had their two year check up. The appointment went really good. No speech problems, growing much, looking great! Our doctor decided to give the boys a lead test since our house was built in the 50s. They did really good with it. The boys got a capillary lead test.

Thursday morning, I got a call saying the lead tests came back. Not threatening but high. Jacob got a 4 and Jasper got a 8 and they want to retest. My god, I was freaked out. We scheduled an appointment for later that day. I left work early. Joy was freaked! She called her mom who freaked.

Joy did a ton of research before we went in and the results have had me less freaked. For starts, most doctors don't retest for anything below 10 and the results can't get worse from the retest. On top of that, the capillary lead test is 60-70 percent false positive.

For the retest, they put a needle directly in the veins. Poor Jasper, they has trouble finding the vein. He cried but he was strong. I kept eye contact with him.

Jacob was still sleeping from the car ride was awoke to be held down from the test. Joy held him. I rubbed his head as I held Jasper. He cried but was also very strong. We treated them to ice cream when we got home.

The next morning, Joy had to take Heather to the airport at 5am. She stopped at lowes on the way home and got paint incase any of our widows had lead paint on them. She started working on cleaning the windows and getting ready to paint when she got home at 7am.

We both worked on painting for the rest of the weekend. Joy's mom stayed with us to help with the boys.

Saturday morning, I called the doctors office to see if the results came in. They were swamped and said they'd call back. I called back an hour and half later... Then an hour and half after that. Finally after noon, a nurse called back.

THE BOYS ARE GOOD!!!

The both got a 2 on their lead test!! Same as it was when they were one!

BIG RELIEF!!!

Joy jumped out of her seat in excitement to tell her mom outside and txted Heather. I'm so happy our boys are healthy!

That night we went to a hot air balloon festival. The boys loved it. They got to play with other kids on a baseball field, kicking and throwing sand. They got to see hot air balloons take off and up close. Jasper kept saying "wow" and pointing.


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