Can You Guess What Kind of Day We Had?!

Sunday Night Snapshots

Abe playing with his blocks. On my laptop. Eeek!Benji learned how to give kisses!
Reachin' for the camera
A.B.
Deuce getting in on some of the smoochin'

A.B. and momma

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There's so much more I want to post about but for now, pictures and a few capitons will have to do!

Also, it completely slipped my pea-brain that the boys turned 13 months old on the 26th. DUH! I was considering a growth picture again for the second year but I don't know. Do you think there are enough changes over the next 12 months to do them again? It seems I'd have to rethink the approach but....your thoughts? Suggestions?

Who Needs a Vacuum...

when you already have a house full of Hoovers?

Ice Cream, You Scream!

We most certainly DID NOT give the boys some of our milkshakes tonight...In their pajamas...

On the kitchen counter... Without any bibs...
Five minutes before bedtime...

Nope. Un-Uh. Not us.

Because that would have been just ridiculous.

And we are definitely not ridiculous.

Besides, it's not like they would have enjoyed it anyway.

Now if you'll excuse me, I don't have a mess in the kitchen to clean up.

Chatter Box, Benny

Our Benji has been quite the talker lately! Gibberish pours out of his mouth when he's playing, crawling, drifting off to sleep....you get the idea. It's really quite cute. Amidst his "talking" are small doses of actual words....Abe, A.B. mama, dada, hi, and ki-ki (kitty). It's so strange to hear him same actual words, or variations thereof. To see him crawl after his brother saying, "Abe! Abe!" To hear him whisper "ki-ki" as the cat walks by. Maybe it's that it makes him one step closer to actually being small person verses a little baby. I don't know, but it's weird.

Yesterday morning Ben signed his first word too-"All done." I know, right? All done!?! Truly though, he did. He had finished most of his breakfast and I was trying to coax him into a few last bites. Normally he would have just pursed his lips and shook his head no, but not today! He waved his hand back and forth several times. I, of course, freaked out and allowed my voice to go into the "only dogs can hear" decibel. The boys just looked at me wide-eyed wondering what all the fuss was about. Classic.

While we haven't waded completely into the pool of signing, which is mostly just laziness and even a bit of doubt on my part, I am working somewhat diligently on mealtime words: eat, drink, all done, more, etc. Other than Ben's signing yesterday, it doesn't seem to have made an impact much at all. Mostly The Deuce just laugh at me and act like I'm playing some sort of silly game with them. It's okay though, I think I would laugh at me too. : )

Ah, the beautiful transformation of motherhood. I think there should be a set of milestones that we meet right along with the bambinos. Month 12-13 "Displays ability to jump around during mealtimes while making hand gestures and using silly sing-song voice"-Check.

Thankful

Amongst many other things, today I am thankful for...

My beautiful boys (even if they do eat grass).
Sharing.
The airplane that passed over us and made Ben light up like a Christmas tree.

The blue, blue sky and the warm sun.
Apples.

And oranges.
And finally, hints of spring.

What are you thankful for today?

Of FIRST Priority Tomorrow...

teach A.B. that the potpurri bowl is NOT for snacking.

I don't think he quite agrees with the apple-cinnamon flavor.

Just a Little History...Together

The parents of these children have...

• pulled NUMEROUS pranks-together
• played in a band-together
• come up with disgusting youth games-together
• gone to Carmen concerts-together
• AND sat in the front row-together
• seen the sun set then rise...together
• spent year after year at church camp-together
• turned on entire isles of musical toys in Wal-Mart-together
• stood side by side for the vows-together
• Operation Christmas Child shopped-together
• closed Dion's down-together
• cried over parents divorcing-together
• helped each other move...more than one time each-always together
• fondued-together
• hurt when parents moved away-together
• rung in the New Year-together
• celebrated expecting little ones-together
• praised God for their safe arrival-together
• and tonight, experienced our children playing-together

We love you Miller family! Even though our "togethers" may be fewer and farther between!

A Toast...

Breakfast time is one of my favorite times with B&A. There's just something about the sun coming up and when everything is still and quiet. Moods are (usually) good and smiles abound.

This particular morning, amongst their usual eggs and fruit, the boys had toast schmeared ever so lightly with cream cheese. They really dug it. While I sat like a pool monitor, watching them devour their triangles and waiting for the first sign of struggle, they just happily ate and looked right back with ease. Score one for them. So many thanks to the mama who encouraged me to branch out and to be unafraid of the bread. The Deuce "toast" you!

Chug-a-lug, Benji

An slight glimpse of Ben's up'n'coming chompers! Please ignore the 14 calories worth of food on his face.

Sometimes even favored foods strike a weird chord. This banana was NOT going down.
Musta been a good punchline!
Abe's smiling cause I am holding his bottle :)
Just moments before MAJOR silliness, and sippy cup shaking, errupted.

This is starting to become really fun.

What a Week!

Whew! Ben and I are glad this one's behind us!

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UPDATED: In other exciting news, Ben cut his first tooth teeth! FINALLY.The second one cut this morning! I am serious when I say that I thought that this kid would start school toothless. Really?! Who cuts their first tooth at 12 1/2 months? Probably lots of kids. Come to think of it, the comments will probably flood in now about how this person's neice, or that person's grandson didn't cut teeth until way later. But honestly, Abe is up to 6 teeth! Now combine that with 3 pounds heavier and he looks like a 4 year old next to Ben!

Also on the frontlines this week, Mister A.B. has been on the hunt for the cat. He will do anything to get to her! Unfortunately, the feelings are not quite mutual. She keeps a safe distance. Case in point...

This is also where she *hides* from the dogs!

He just can't quite figure out how to manuver his way to the middle!

And because I can't resist, here's a picture of The Deuce gettin' their groove on...

Desperate times, this week, called for desperate measures...

Here's hoping for a better one!