Ben is Super-Mobile

So during the last month while I wasn't blogging I missed a bit of a milestone for Ben. He's started walking. At first it was just that I'll-hold-him-up-and-he-takes-two-staggered-steps-toward-mom type walking. But then he started taking more than two. Then he would walk quite a bit while holding onto your hand. And now we basically have to chase after him. So below I've posted a few videos of him in the stages of learning to walk. Sorry this didn't make it up as it happened.

October 25th - Here he is in the aforementioned two step staggering between parents.




October 28th - Here he is capable of a few steps by himself, but as you can tell he doesn't like it.



November 14th - And here we see him completely on his own. Walking around and shaking things is one of his favorite things to do


With any luck the next video will be him taking out the trash.

Ben Reading Magazines

I might have been upset that he ripped it if I wasn't so excited he seems to like Sports Illustrated. I think I'll mix it in with their bedtime stories.

How Matt and Duncan Sometimes Play

Matt: You lay still and I'll stack things on you
Duncan: Okay.

Get These Blocks Behind Me!

Blocks in front of me? Unacceptable! They need to be behind me! Preferably scattered and under things.

So When do They Start Picking up Their Own Toys?

I need to invent some sort of "toy vacuum" where I just run it over the floor and all the toys are deposited back in the basket. Maybe I can adapt a bagging lawnmower....

Hey, I Know You!

They boys having fun with the sliding glass door at Grandma and Grandpa's

Go Bengals

IMG_1913, originally uploaded by wetzel9.

I forgot to mention this, but this is how we dressed the boys two Sundays ago. And the Bengals won their first game of the season. Coincidence?

First Tailgate and Football Game

So its been quite awhile since I've been back to U of I for a football game. When many of my college friends were organizing a trip to see a game, I thought how fun it would be to go and take the boys. In order to give the boys the full tailgate experience, we wanted to arrive at 10:30 for a 7pm game. To say this made for a long day is an understatement. And although the boys didn't make it past the second quarter, they really were troopers considering how off their schedule they were. Some noteworthy items:

1) Instead of a morning nap we loaded them into the car right after breakfast.
2) Afternoon naptime involved setting up two Pack 'n' Plays in the back of our minivan. In the middle of a Big 10 tailgate. I don't think it was a coincidence that this was the day Matt learned to pull himself up to his feet while holding onto something. Between the hundreds of people playing catch, grilling, and milling around the boys somehow managed to eventually fall asleep.
3) The boys go to bed at 7:30 Eastern time. The game started at 8:00 Eastern time.
4) We learned an important lesson for events like this: ALWAYS bring Grandma and Grandpa along.

Here are some pictures. It got cold and we didn't have stocking hats for the boys, so we went to the University Bookstore to buy some. While we were there I had them try on baseball hats. Ben apparently has completely skipped the "Toddler" sizes and gone straight from "Infant" to "Youth"

Ben the Double Fisted Drinker

Facing the Right Way

So with the boys first birthday they are now able to face forwards in the car. Which means we don't have to have a complicated mirror system to see what they're up to.

 

Matt with Sun in His Eyes

IMG_1818, originally uploaded by wetzel9.

Shortly after this picture was taken we stopped at a gas station and got those suction-cup retractable sun shade thingies.

First Zoo Trip

So our first trip to the zoo went a little like our first trip to the Aquarium. It was mostly us pointing at Polar Bears and Elephants that weren't moving.

Me: Look Ben, there's a elephant!
Ben: (Looks everywhere but at elephant)
Me: ...A real elephant!



Luckily there was a petting zoo-type area where the boys could get a little closer look at some of the animals. Here the boys are making a goat's acquaintance.



He was a nice goat, although he did decide that Matt's socks looked delicious. Matt got to use his trademark "I'm not so sure about you" look while Ben was like "Look! It has ears! Those are fun to pull!



The zoo also has a fun little train that you can ride around and a carousel that Matt especially enjoyed.

So... these are pumpkins?

We took the boys to a pumpkin patch a few weekends before Halloween. Matthew eyed the pumpkins with his patented "I'm not so sure about you" look. Ben, on the other hand, wanted to know if we could take them all home so he could climb on them. Before picking out our pumpkins we took them on a hay ride and they got to pet a goat and a donkey.

p.s. I know I'm no where near as witty as your usual blogger... hopefully he'll return to blogging soon. In the meantime, at least there are some new pictures to enjoy :)

Trick-or-Treat!

The boys went out Trick-or-Treating on Friday. Ben dressed up as a monkey and Matt was a skunk. So far, the highlight of the whole experience for them has been the boxes of Hot Tomales they got - hours of fun shaking them. We're also having lots of fun taking all the candy out of our pumpkin baskets and then putting all of it back in.