New Shoes!

With both of the boys now walking (well, Teddy is running and Robie is taking more and more steps every day) we decided it was time to buy them "real shoes" instead of the little Robeez moccasins they've been wearing. Not knowing any children's shoe stores here in SB (note to self - ask other Moms where they buy shoes around here!) we took them to the kids dept. at Nordstrom's. Well - talk about your first shoe buying "experience", they practically roll out the red carpet! They measured the boys feet (Robie is a size 6, Teddy a 6.5) and when they'd chosen shoes, each boy also got a stuffed animal, a balloon and they took a picture of them in their shoes! So it was little more money than we'd normally like to spend on shoes they'll grow out of in a few months, but boy - you get a lot of flash for your cash!!

The boys have been learning new things so quickly lately - Teddy is now able to climb onto the couch and rocking chair by himself, and he can climb the play gym and go down the slide by himself at the new playground by our house! Robie is mimicking words more and more and is getting so good at communicating. The other day he was laying on the floor and I put my foot on his belly to jiggle/tickle him - he loved it and was cracking up. I went into the kitchen to start dinner and he followed me in, pointed at my toes and made the "more" sign we've taught them to use at meals. He was saying he wanted me to tickle him with my foot some more!!

Teddy now loves to have me tickle him while saying "Ugh" over and over again - we call it the caveman tickle. I love how I can really communicate now with the boys and they understand so much of what we're telling them - and I can really understand what they're trying to say a lot of the time. They both love to talk on the phone to my parents, and anytime they see me on the phone they start saying "Na-na-na-na" wanting to call Nana. We'll put the phone on speaker so the boys can hear Nana talking to them and Grampa making his Donald Duck voice and they get so excited.

We've found a house to rent for 2 weeks this summer when we go visit back east and I'm so excited for a nice long family vacation. I went last summer when I was on maternity leave, but the boys were so little and I was so overwhelmed and exhausted. Chris was only there for one of the 3 weeks and it just didn't feel like a vacation. This time we'll be able to take them to the beach and to see the boats and the lighthouse and just have a nice relaxing time together as a family. And maybe even get some nights out if Nana and Grampa will babysit ...

Turning into Little Boys

I know every mother says this, but lately I look at Teddy and Robie and I think - where did my babies go? They're turning into little boys so quickly and I'm not ready :-( With Teddy full on walking/running now, and Robie taking more and more steps everyday, I don't know how we'll keep up. Chris' Mom bought us these leash backpack things, and I'm afraid we're going to have to start using them soon.

On Sunday I took the boys to the playground by myself and man is it harder with Teddy so mobile. He wanted to climb everywhere and run off by himself and I'm trying to chase him while keeping an eye on Robie sitting and playing quietly in the sand by himself. I felt so bad having to leave him and constantly run after Teddy - who would of course kick and scream at being dragged back from whatever dangerous or disgusting thing he was heading for. I swear he found every piece of trash in that playground. I just kept saying "thank you" and taking the wrappers, bottlecaps, straws, sharp objects etc. - I wound up with quite a collection in my back pocket by the time we left.

Meanwhile Robie managed to find a toy truck in the sand and stick it in the diaper bag without me seeing. Very sneaky. He's very into trucks and cars right now - loves to make the vroom, vroom noise - actually it's kind of this evil throaty growl that sounds like he's possessed - and rides his toy one all over the house. Teddy seems to be interested in balls and sports. He loves throwing the big blue bouncy ball we have and chasing it all over the house. And he's become interested in this Boston book my parents gave us when they were born - he particularly likes to look at the pictures of the Patriots, Celtics and Bruins. Grampa Mac will be so proud. It's so fun to see them getting into these phases and developing their own interests outside of the general developmental toy stuff. But it also reminds me again how fast they're turning into little boys.