Somehow these little dudes are two years old now. The time paradox of parenthood: the hours and days feel endless, yet somehow the years pass in the blink of an eye.
Henry, looking very mature:
Jack, looking very... mischievous:
Daddy Time
The boys absolutely adore their daddy. They give him big hugs when he leaves for work and wave goodbye to him out the window. When they hear the click of our front gate in the afternoon upon Steve's arrival home, they scream "Daddy, Daddy!" and race to open the front door.
Reading with Jack:
Henry and Jack both love to read (especially with Daddy):
Shucking corn (Henry foreground, Jack background):
The boys love to assist and will happily declare that they are being "helpful!"
Best toddler game ever, being dragged around the house like a sack of potatoes (Jack demonstrates):
Since I'm still not in good enough physical condition to do fun things like this, Steve ends up being frequently greeted at home with demands to play "chase!" and other high-energy activities.
Mama Time
Gee, I wonder why they prefer Daddy, doesn't Mama look like such fun?
The boys hardly raise an eyebrow when I go to work in the morning. I'll charitably interpret that as them knowing I'll be back in just a few hours. I get off work at noon these days and spend the rest of the afternoon with them, as well as all day every weekend; they're likely fairly sick of me.
Back from the farmer's market, Henry chills with Mom (and a carrot):
Yard Time
The boys love being outside and protest mightily efforts to get them back inside, so we end up spending a lot of time winding down on the front porch or in the backyard.
What do you suppose the chances are today of me going in peacefully? Henry challenges me with his eyes:
Sit. Here. Now. Jack does not mess around:
Sly Jack in the backyard:
Little Henry sunshine, loving his picnic table from Grandma Loveridge:
Wagon Time
The boys enjoy riding around town in their wagon. Some roadside attractions impress them more than others.
Cement mixer in action = awesome!
Skateboarders = interest from Henry, reproach from Jack.
Meal Time
Daddy, dinner's ready! Jack in foreground and Henry in background indicate that the pressure cooker needs attending:
Given a choice between chocolate chip cookie and pickle, Henry prefers pickle:
Henry is always excited about the idea of cookies, but I don't think he's ever finished one.
Henry, checking under the table for crumbs:
Jack, on sweeping duty:
On days when I don't have to work, Nanny Kasey and I have been taking the boys out to eat so they hopefully start learning how to behave in (at this point
very casual) restaurants.
Jack, ready for his brunch at Sweet Pea's Cafe:
I got the check! Henry holds Mom's wallet at the ready:
They do well as long as the service is fast and the food is to their liking, which is about what I'd expect from toddlers.
Henry Time
Henry can be incredibly goofy. He seems to like to tell "jokes," in that he'll intentionally answer questions (like, "what color is this?") wrong and laugh hysterically. He has an extensive vocabulary and seems to know the name for just about everything in every one of his books.
Hmmmmm... Henry contemplates his next move:
Why, as a matter of fact, yes I do need all of these bath toys in the tub tonight:
Knock, knock... it's Henry!
What Henry did when Nanny Kasey asked him to pose for the picture:
Very artistic.
Getting an early start on nerd culture with Daddy's old D&D books:
Jack Time
"The Jack:"
Jack often seems to say "the Jack," instead of just Jack. We probably should be correcting him, but it's too amusing.
Jack is a bundle of seemingly endless energy. After teasing me with a few decent-length naps here and there, he's settled back into his exactly 30 minutes of sleep routine, awakening with crying and screaming. At least he sleeps well at night.
Mighty Jack:
Jack continues to seem strong for his age, and is a startlingly fast runner.
Playing with the awesome train table at friends Alex and Anthony's house:
Jack seems to figure out how to play with new toys and navigate new obstacles quickly. Luckily our toddler proofing at home has been up to the task thus far.
Jack, very serious businesstoddler, takes a call on the bananaphone...
... and works on his presentation.
I now understand why parents get so excited about every seemingly trivial childhood milestone. I can remember when these boys couldn't do much of anything. Now they can run and talk and try valiantly to comb their own hair. They can throw a ball and pick flowers. It's truly remarkable.
