Rock Climbing

Andrew told Grampa that he and Nathan are twins.  Grampa asked what that meant.  Andrew reached out and put his arm around Nathan and said, "It means we're brothers!"

Rock climbing calls to little boys, like mountain climbing calls to sherpas.

And having a twin, means the ideas climb higher and higher.

It didn't take long for climbing to lead to leaping.

and leaping

and leaping

and flying.

It's safer to climb with a friend.

But there can only be one King of the Hill.

I think a child smiles because he only wants what he needs.  And his needs are so simple.  How freeing can that be?  

Nathan and Nolan try out the new Mickey Mouse stroller.  

I loved the umbrella strollers from our children's era.  They were so portable and the children found it so easy to fall asleep in them. But where did we put our coffee cups, the hand sanitizer, the diaper, etc.?  I think they might have been in our fanny packs.  

Nolan is sitting up to attention.

Who in the heck are those guys?  And what are they doing there?

The summer remains dry and the boys take turns watering.

All of the boys learn to take their turn.

I took the boys home at the end of the day.  On the way home, Nathan asked if we could have a sleepover at their house.  I agreed that it was an excellent idea.  We would certainly have to do it sometime.  When I pulled into the driveway and opened the car doors for the boys they asked, "Aren't we going to go home and get Grampa for the sleepover?"  

Going On a Spider Hunt

The boys spent a couple of nights at Gramma and Grampa's.  At bedtime it started to thunder and Nathan told me Mousey likes thunder, but he doesn't.  I told him I was with Mousey.  I explained thunder has different voices and demonstrated some of them for the boys.  By the time I finished, Nathan was asleep.  Andrew was still awake and asked for a few more demonstrations.

When we got up for breakfast, Grampa asked if the boys if they would like waffles.  Andrew said he'd like waffles and cinnamon rolls.  He got waffles.

At lunch time, Andrew told us his four friends, Slammy, John, Whoopie and Wahpah were sick and had to stay home.  I didn't think these could be pre-school friends.  Nathan said his friends had come along with him and were sitting across from us at the table.  I looked over at the empty chairs and asked what their names were.  Nathan said, "Andrew just told you.  We have the same friends."  It didn't bother them in the least that Andrew's friends were not here, and Nathan's were.  Another life lesson; we all have our own reality.  And we don't need to be upset if someone else's seems to contradict our own.

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Nathan is passionate about his spider hunts.  

Grampa and the boys were out watering my new rhubarb plant.  After waiting a few minutes, Grampa told Andrew it was Grampa's turn to water.  Andrew asked, "Why?"  Grampa replied, "Just because."  Andrew said, "We have 'Just Because' at home.  Then Nathan explained, "Daddy brought it home from the library."  I'll bet it's a really good book.

Grampa and the boys were playing baseball in the basement.  Nathan hit five balls in a row, before he finally missed one.  He looked at Grampa and said, "You threw it too high."  Later, when Gramma was the pitcher, he found out how good Grampa's pitching really was.

Andrew's artwork is moving out of his minimalist period.

The boys are driving their "car," twin-style.  Andrew operates the steering wheel and Nathan does the stick shift.

Always thoughtful, Nathan does the dishes for Gramma.  When the water comes over the top, I get a bonus of clean floors.

Nolan is "on the move."  He has a technique I've never seen before, but he can cover a scary distance quickly.  I better wear my track shoes on Fridays.

The boys attended their first piano recital.  They were so excited when people started to arrive.  "The recitals are coming." they called out, while jumping up and down.  They liked the clapping the best and waited anxiously for their opportunity for audience participation.  The celebration following the recital cinched it for them; recitals are fun!

Do you remember your first ice cream cone?  Could it possibly have been this good?
I think my next one will be.

Andrew was Thanksgiving style full, but he was determined to get to the bottom of his cone.  We all offered suggestions for how to eat it; keep turning the cone, lick the side, catch the drips ...
Andrew seemed to do just fine.

Beelow's Restaurant was a hit for the boys; ice cream cones, a fountain and a kitchen outside.
BTW:  This is the only green grass in Lake Zurich.

Nolan's Baptism, July 14th, 2012

Nolan's looking forward to his Baptism.

Some really happy grandparents.

Nolan was asleep for his baptism.

Even the water didn't wake him.

Andrew and Nathan, on the other hand, were fascinated by the water in the baptismal font.  Meghan Maddock was quick to give a helping hand, just in case.

A ringside seat is the best for little guys.

The boys took notice when Daddy started another fire.  They don't miss much.

Godfather Ryan receives the "light of Christ" for Nolan.

Parents and Godparents beam with love for Baby Nolan.

Our children.  As we look back through the years, we can now say they were worth the trouble.  At least as far as we can remember.

I heard Gramma made her special brownie recipe for the party.

Are you giving me the brownies Andrew told me about?

Friday the 13th

Nolan is ready for his new activity table.  He loves standing in it and being surrounded by an assortment of toys.

The butterfly was his favorite.  He's pretty sure there must be a way to get it to come off.

Nolan enjoys morning playtime following his 9:00 - 11:00 A.M. nap.  If Gramma napped at 9:00 A.M., she would get absolutely nothing done in a day.  She starts to slow down about noon and doesn't even bother trying to accomplish anything past 3:00 P.M.  

Nolan doesn't know what to make of the soft dragonfly buzzing around.  Nolan and Nathan may share the same attitude toward bugs.  They get it from Aunt Andrea.

Nathan was playing the violin and Andrew was ringing a bell, when it was time to for Nolan's nap, Grampa told the boys to choose quieter activities so Nolan could get to sleep.  Nathan, wearing his most angelic face, said, "Here Andrew, it's your turn for the violin, now."

Nathan, our swinger, learned to pump himself.  It takes expert coaching from Gramma and Aunt Becky.  You can hear Andrew working on his drumming in the next room.  His goal is volume; like most drummers.

Aunt Becky, Uncle David and Amanda arrived from Minnesota, to help with a special dessert project.  The boys buried pretzels in melted chocolate, scooped them out with chopsticks and set them on waxed paper to harden.  

Nathan loves chocolate covered pretzels and couldn't believe we could make them.

Andrew, wearing a tattoo on his arm, couldn't wait for his turn.

"Get the recipe for this dessert!"

The hardest part was resisting the urge to dip your fingers in the chocolate.

Someone couldn't wait for the final hardening step!

When you have an odd number of pretzels and twin boys....

It's good to have a Daddy to eat the last one.

Andrew is prepared for emergencies.

Sizzlin' Summer Days

The boys stayed overnight after the fireworks display.  Nathan didn't enjoy the noise that accompanies them, so he and Gramma watched them from the dining room window.  Next year we're going to try Gramma's noise cancelling earphones.

For breakfast Gramma made oatmeal pancakes, which she's been making since Daddy was a toddler from Recipes for a Small Planet.  She accidentally used kefir instead of milk, since she uses it for her waffles.  There was a definite difference in the taste that was not an improvement.  Andrew gobbled his with no hesitation.  Nathan took a bite and looked absolutely shocked.  "Gramma, these pancakes don't taste too great!"  We finished them with a little extra syrup.  I thought to myself, "What a wonderful way to make a criticism painless."  Nathan expects everything Gramma makes to be great.  

When the temperatures go over 100 degrees, it's time for a dip and the hose.  

We headed to our private beach right after breakfast.

I can't wait to read Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer to these two.  I'm not sure who is Huck and who is Tom.  It depends on which day it is.

The boys love to water the bushes with the hose.  Nathan got so hot is face was bright red and his head was dripping.  I told him he had to give Andrew his turn so I could take him inside and cool him off.  We looked in the mirror, so he could see what too much heat can do.

Andrew took over and couldn't understand why we didn't want the bricks watered, too.  Rebecca found Nathan watering the bricks before the fireworks and asked if they were growing.  He told her, "Soon.  It takes time."  

The boys have discovered letters are fascinating.  They enjoy the sounds they make, writing them and typing them on Gramma's computer.  Soon they can read their own blog.

Nathan teaches his cousin, Nolan, the importance of careful aim and placement of your thumb.

Sunday we went to breakfast.  There was a line to be seated.  Fortunately, Nolan had his own seat and his own sweet potatoes for lunch.  He didn't mind the wait.

Nolan attracted attention from the little girls coming out of the restaurant.  A sign of the future.

After brunch, the boys came home with Gramma and Grampa.  Andrew said he was coming for a "Napover."
"Sleepovers," he explained, "are overnight."  

The boys discovered Gramma's synthesizer.  They're inspired by the variety of sounds and curious about the many buttons, which Gramma said not to touch.  When they asked why, I explained I don't even touch the buttons if I don't have to.

Twins are God's natural duet partners.

They take turns playing the primo and secondo parts.