Summer Lovin'

Thank goodness for a decent phone camera to capture some of the little moments with the boys.  I don't lug my nice camera with us to often when I am flying solo with the kiddos.  Here are a few of what we've been up to this summer.

Let's play Sam says

The boys get loud at the lunch table and sometimes a little nutty.  Zeke loves to copy his big brother and finds him incredibly hilarious.  Recently I captured a round of their version of Simon Says.  I wish I would have recorded the cackling that went with this round of the game. 

A Binky-Less Boy

We cold turkeyed Zeke from his beloved "B" a few weeks ago.  I feared the day the pacifiers were gone because this boy had sought much comfort from his "B", especially with our recent cross country move.  We talked a lot about the "B's" going bye-bye for many days and then one day they were gone.  There were a lot of tears shed that first day, but it was far better than we anticipated.  He is now officially a binky-less little boy and sleeping blissfully.  Zeke recently saw a little boy in church with a binky and I was afraid he would start a scream fest right there in church.  He did not, but was actually very happy that, that little boy got to suck on a "B".  Zeke was content just remembering how comforting his beloved "B" was for him for so long.  We love seeing this boys pearly whites more often now!

A Little Getaway

A few weeks ago we were able to slip away from the city for the weekend.  It was so nice to not be looking at concrete everywhere for a change.  The fresh salt water air and wide open spaces along the drive were much needed.  Our destination was Chincoteague Island, VA.  This is part of the National Wildlife Refuge where wild horses roam.  Last summer we read Sam the classic book "Misty of Chincoteague" and he was thrilled to know that when we moved to the East Coast we would close this island.  He even said that he thought he could be friends with Paul and Maureen, two children characters from the book.  Though we didn't meet the real "Misty" or her baby "Stormy" (we did get to see them via taxidermy in the city museum).  We did see some wild horses, the boys rode a real Chincoteague pony, soaked in some sunshine at the beach, viewed some local sites, ate some delicious barbeque, and, of course, left room for homemade ice cream.  Sam is already talking about going back.

Some Red, White, and Blue

We spent the 4th of July with Hans' brother and sister-in-law.  It's nice to have some family close and to be able to share special days like this.  We shared some delicious food, read the Declaration of Independence, had a water balloon toss, twirled some sparklers in the air, and watched some good 'ol  fireworks.  The boys enjoyed the fireworks, with ear protection of course!  Our boys both are sensitive when it comes to loud noises (don't even think about using the hand dryer in the public restroom!), so Zeke plugged his ears and Sam used some ear plugs. 

Double the Fun

A few weeks ago we had twice as many little boys at our house.  My brother and his wife relocated to North Carolina and while the movers came and they unpacked we kept their two boys for a few days.  Sam and Zeke loved having their cousins here to play with. 

A Half More

Sam is not just 4 any more.  He will proudly tell you he is 4 AND 1/2 now.  At some point half birthdays won't be so exciting, but we are enjoying those special milestones now.  For his special half-day he chose to make cake pops as his celebration treat of choice.  They were very tasty, however visually they did not appear very appetizing (hint, the lack of a photo of the finished product).  We'll have to try another batch of cake pops with a few different techniques.  Sam requested a candle and a tune.  He was quite impressed with his dad's ability to sing Happy Birthday with some jazz and style. 

This boy is in love with the idea of growing up to be a fireman and is very much into all things related with emergency and rescue vocations. Nearly every day he talks about the "calls" he has to take that day and reminds me that he has a lot of work to do at his "station".  I love his imagination and his ability to immerse himself in own world.  We love this sweet, tender, serious, and sometimes sassy boy.