Climb Every Ladder

Nathan asked to play the violin and had just begun, when Andrew said he wanted to play.  Grampa stepped in and explained he could have a turn after Nathan.  Andrew expressed his desire to play first.  Grampa compromised by explaining his turn could be after Nathan, but before Grampa's turn.  Andrew then laughed.  Crisis averted!

Nolan enjoys the road rally, too.

We headed to the park.  There was no one there, because it had rained a bit.  But Gramma is a good problem solver.  We brought towels to dry off the equipment.  I did have to explain to Andrew that we didn't need to clean the entire playgound. 

For boys it's a slippery slope from skill to death defying.  Sliding down the slide is so "last year."  

Now it's about climbing UP the slide.  

Nathan loves having a pedestal to lecture from.  He was naming all the things he thought were amazing.  Albert Einstein said, "There are two ways to live your life- one is as though nothing is a miracle; the other is as though everything is a miracle."  Nathan agrees with Einstein.

Andrew was ready to tackle the bent ladder.  Grampa and Daddy haven't done this with their ladders.

Nathan was the first to climb the ladder.  He listened and followed all of Gramma's directions; climbing his way successfully to the top.

Andrew was next and instinctively caught onto the shifting of feet and how to use his arms.  

Gramma did a virtual climb as she watched.

Nolan is trying to get a "handle" on his drinking.

Nathan makes sure Nolan's bottles are really clean.

After the boys told Graama they didn't want to take a nap, she asked them if they wanted to try napping outside.  Nathan said, "They never think of that at school!"  The wind chimes were very relaxing, but only Gramma dozed.

Nolan likes the experience of building with the blocks Grampa made.  

What a difference a week can make!  It's time to child proof again.  Nolan gets lots of encouragement to work on his mobility.

He's getting ready to participate in "boy" play.  

Who knew Gramma knew how to make ice cream cones?

Cramma shows the boys there's only one flavor that matters; chocolate!

Uncle Matt/Daddy shows the boys how to eat an ice cream cone without a bib.

It's all in the tongue.

The Farmers in the Dell

Gramma and Grampa had plans to take the boys to the Pig and Corn Roast at St. Mary's.  The weather decided to produce a severe thunderstorm, after the long drought.  The boys arrived with their umbrellas, so I knew we were ready for plan B.  We listened to the wind as it rustled the trees and watched the leaves swirling.  I explained it's nature's way of picking off all the yellow leaves that Gramma has to remove from the house plants.  When the rain came we decided to take a walk with our umbrellas.  It was like our trip to France all over again.

Rainy weather really attracts the local ducks.

The frogs were out on the golf course.  Storms during the day aren't nearly as scary as nighttime storms.  The boys liked listening to the raindrops on their umbrellas.

The storm blew over and Farmer Andrew was ready to check out the fields.

Andrew picked his favorite pony to ride.

I explained to Nathan that he could use two hands to hold onto the horn on the saddle.  He explained he  felt most comfortable holding onto me
.  

Sometimes corn-on-the-cob is eaten without handles.  But then it's best to have a Gramma to hold the corn.

Lemonade is a special treat.  Ignore the fact they're drinking out of beer cups.  It doesn't bode well for Gramma's Gentlemen's Club.

As long as my fingers were buttery already, I thought I might as well try a ear of my own.

The boys checked out the real corn fields to see all the parts of a corn stalk.  It looked like a great place to play to them.

The boys were thrilled by this ear of corn.  The top of it spun around.

The final surprise was funnel cake with ice cream.  Andrew opened wide to be certain mot to miss any.

The band, the funnel cake and the ponies were the boys favorite parts.

Nathan thought of passing up the pony ride, until he realized it's perfectly fine to have an escort (someone to share the fun.)

Goeken Family Cure-All

Great-Gramma Goedken used to make cinnamon sugar toast for Grampa when he wasn't feeling well.  Grampa, in turn, made it for his children.  Once when Uncle Matt wasn't feeling well, Aunt Megan asked him if there was anything she could do for him.  He weakly replied, "Make me some cinnamon sugar toast."  "Make you what?" Megan asked.  Apparently, this cure isn't known by all.  Daddy makes it for the twins now, too.  

Nathan wasn't feeling well after spending the morning in the pool.  He didn't want any lunch until Grampa asked if he would like some cinnamon sugar toast.  He started to say, "No," until he replayed it in his mind.  Then it changed to a definite, "Yes!"  Andrew, overhearing the conversation, said he would like some, too.  I suppose it has some preventative properties, as well.

Nathan asked to take a nap.  That's a clear diagnosis of a sick child.  The sight of him just lying there was pitiful.  I remember Gramma Goedken, who came to help with Matthew (our Energizer Bunny), who was sick when Rebecca was born saying, "I would give anything if he would just get up and get himself into trouble again.

Andrew played quietly with Spider Man, creating non-stop scenarios of saving the world.

Cinnamon Toast Recipe 

Toast a slice of bread slightly dark.

Spread more butter than you think is possible, but it must be melted into the toast.

Sprinkle generously with cinnamon.

Sprinkle with sugar to the edges, until the butter will no longer absorb more.

Cutt into shapes and dimensions, to be determined by the patient.

(Double in the case of twins.)

The boys have developed a lot of confidence in the water after their swimming class.  Like the Olympians, they like to have their talents appreciated.  "Look, Gramma,  Look, Gramma" and "Do you want to see me play the drums and hit the cymbal?" they call amid their spins, and cannonballs.

Warning: there's a shark in the pool.

 Good thing I can swim!

Andrew asked Grampa if he knew how to get  to Motorola.  Grampa said he did. Andrew said he did, too; drive to school and it's right there.  

Gramma makes a warm mummy.

Nolan joins his cousins.

It's instant love.

Buoyancy makes crawling easier for beginners.

My turn to be the lifeguard.

I've been watching the Olympic divers.

Do you want to learn the American crawl?

Do you like my suit?

The first time underwater is the scariest.

Look what the water does to my hair!  It's like Gramma's.  I can't wait to get some more.

Nolan has a remarkable inner clock.  9:00 A.M. - sleep, 11:00 

A.M. - eat, 1:00 P.M. - sleep, 3:00 P.M. eat.  He lets us know what time it is.

Andrew eats his corn typewriter style.  Does anybody remember what a typewriter is?

Nolan says, "If you're going to make me give up my 5:00 P.M. nap, I'm going to need to be "on the move."  Let's try a couple of more laps around the dining room.

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?"