1 Year, 4 Months

The boys now seem to understand quite a lot of what we tell them, including complex directions like "we're not reading this book for the 101st time, go pick out another one." The boys love to be read to, and nanny Kasey often reports that they want to spend the whole morning reading... while fighting over who gets to sit in the most prime location in her lap. They can both be incredibly sweet... and incredibly exhausting.

Perfect angels, having no earthly idea what Mom is talking about (Jack left, Henry right):

Jack clowning around, Henry is not amused:

 

Showing off fabulously adorable hats nanny Kasey's grandma made for the boys (so sweet!). Henry modeling penguin (while Jack looks on):

Jack modeling panda:

Little dudes in their yellow submarine (or Ikea storage bin):

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em:

Henry did find it difficult to continue his fit while laughing, so I'm going to count that as a win. Jack is checking in with Dad to be sure he shouldn't be concerned about Mom.

Little dudes in a strategy meeting with Dad to tackle Costco (Henry left, Jack right):

Hooray for Parks!
The boys have now developed a healthy appreciation for our local parks. Jack loves to roam around and climb. Henry prefers lots of swing time and opportunities to pick flowers and dig. They are both big fans of squirrel and bird sightings.

Mom walking with Jack, while Henry enjoys the flora:

Henry reconsiders the wisdom of coating himself in dirt and grass:

Jack assesses his chances of successfully grabbing Daddy's cell phone:

Henry in the sunshine:

Henry, playing it cool at the top of a great big slide:

Jack on the swing:

Jack, geared up and ready to roll (to the park):

Travels
We spent Thanksgiving with Steve's parents in the Sacramento area, along with the families of four of his five siblings.

A little family portrait (Henry with me, Jack with Steve):

Perhaps Henry does not quite understand all the subtleties of table setting (as he throws clean silverware from the organizer to the chair and floor):

Getting our exercise in on the road (Jack left, Henry right):

Overwhelmed by two dozen family members at mealtime (Henry left, Jack right):

The boys enjoy their cousins, particularly the ones closest to their age.

Henry watches and learns about a new toy (from Grandma and Grandpa Loveridge) from Cousin Rosie:

Henry plays with Cousin Camdan while Uncle Ed and Aunt Tiffany look on:

Roaming the neighborhood wearing their Thanksgiving shirts (Henry's says "Will Trade Brother for Pie," Jack's says "Feast Mode"):

 

Jack and his Momma:

The boys enjoyed their first stay in a hotel. There's so much cool stuff to mess with!

Hey, brother, what the heck are these!?

So many buttons! (Jack considers his calling options):

This picture didn't turn out, but it cracks me up... Henry is delighted to discover that this particular hotel has two (!) TV remotes and a king-sized bed to jump on:

Jack
Jack is a mischievous, silly little guy.

He pleads not guilty to all charges:

Current hobbies include: attempting to climb absolutely everything, throwing fits when Mom and Dad leave in the morning, laughing maniacally when anyone does anything unexpected, pointing at the window upon any mention of squirrels or garbage trucks (both exciting things one sees out the window), and attempting to add excitement to his park outings by going head-first down the slide.

He wasn't feeling well recently (perhaps a little sick, or teeth hurting, or having bad dreams... impossible for me to tell), so I tried to encourage him to nap a little on me:

I realized after looking at that picture that it looked familiar. Here's me with three month old Jack:

Jack is always trying to find novel ways to amuse himself. Here he finds a new way to play with his abacus:

Henry
Henry's exuberance is unmatched. He remains our sweet and stubborn little dude. Current hobbies include: taking his socks off at the table and attempting to eat with his toes, opening and closing doors with great gusto, backing himself up to sit in any lap he can find, pretending to sneeze so Mom or Dad will say "bless you," and turning power strips off and on (if Mom and Dad don't stop him in time).

Who, me?

Lookin' preppy in khakis with Daddy:

Poor Henry seems to be getting a whole bunch of teeth at once, including several molars, so he isn't always feeling fantastic, but he's a trooper.

We haven't managed to get any pictures yet, but the boys have been enjoying their toddler "gymnastics" class. Kasey and I take them once a week. It's great fun for them to climb and slide and play on safe and soft obstacles. Definitely something we'll have to do again in the summer.