Apologies to Cousin Tyler

Tyler was offended that I didn't post his picture after his recent visit. Although he and Allan played forever, I somehow didn't get a picture. So here is one of him with Hannah.

Please come back and I will make sure to have a picture of you and the boys that gets posted!

Momma's car!

Me: Griff, what did you guys do today? Did you go to the pool?

Griff: Momma's car -- VROOM! VROOM!

Me: What? What did you do today? Did you go to the library?

Griff, shaking his head and pointing to the station wagon: Momma's car -- VROOM!!! VROOM!!!

Um, Jesana ??? Is there something you want to tell me?

Allan's new contact

I may have mentioned that we got a new type of contact for Allan. It is larger and more flexible than the old one. Presumably it is more comfortable. And, since the prescription is correct now, it may actually be improving his eyesight a bit.

Unfortunately the qualities that make it more comfortable also make it more inclined to fold over, crinkle, wrinkle and pop out. This has increased the time for our morning routine significantly.

The first day was multiple attempts over 20 minutes or so. The time has gone down steadily but it still takes anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes depending on the level of caffeine I have consumed, its impact on my hand/eye coordination and his level of cooperation. Throughout the entire enterprise he sobs as if I am gouging his eye with a hot poker. It is pitiful. And I do feel bad for him. He doesn't like to be screwed with. I get that. And if I didn't wear contacts myself and know for a fact that It.Doesn't.Hurt. I would feel worse.

When we first started putting in Allan's contact well over a year ago now, it would distress Griffith greatly. To the point that he would come over and hit me or try to pull my hand away. He now knows that he can't do that, but he still feels compelled to help his brother out. So now he goes and roots around to find Allan's favorite toys and brings them over to him. It is the sweetest thing. He really makes an effort to find the right toy (the gingerbread cookie puzzle that plays music, the annoying All Aboard! choo-choo and the LeapFrog barn are the top three) and this is the only time that I see him make sure Allan has something to play with. The rest of the time Big Al can fend for himself as far as Griff is concerned.

Griff's protective nature also comes out in response to the vaccuum cleaner. Griff does not like the vacuum. (Bye-bye, Vacuum! he says, trying to get you to put it away.) Allan, on the other hand, is fascinated and wants to be near (preferably on top of) the vacuum. If we run the vacuum, Allan keeps trying to crawl over to it and Griff stands between him and the vacuum and tries to keep him away. (No, no, Jude!) Last night, Allan was sitting in the floor and Jennifer was moving the vacuum. Griff thought she was getting a little too close and, out of an abundance of caution, grabbed Allan by the head and threw him to the ground.

So his technique could use a little work, but his heart is in the right place.

Allan the Verbose

Big Al is getting more talkative by the day. He now says "Maaaa!!!" regularly, usually when I am trying to put his contact in or feed him or brush his hair. Or now when I am blogging and he wants the computer It is an expression of his complete and utter exasperation. He sounds a lot like Rhoda Morganstern's sister.

Okay -- that was last night. And Allan was not only verbose, he was also 1) determined and 2) fascinated with the computer. Like a moth to the flame. He is so much like his brother sometimes that it drives me NUTS. The only thing that saved me (and the above post) was the auto-save function. As I reached the end of that last sentence, Allan reached up and around and smacked a function key and BAM! everything disappeared.

Two emotions swamped me. First, irritation. I mean, please. How much time do I have to blog? Can't you just let me have ten minutes? Is that too much to ask??? Then, guilt. For heaven's sake, YOUR CHILD is clearly desperate for your attention. You ARE his mother, right? Is it too much trouble to play with your baby???? Remember that when he is unable to form lasting relationships in adulthood.

Properly chastened, I shut off the computer and sat down to play with Allan. And he promptly turned his back and crawled away at top speed to play with the zebra.

A correction from Grampy

Per Grampy (even though it says "we" I am pretty sure it is "he") re: when the longest day of the year occurred:

There's great confusion over which was the longest day. We think it was June 20 this year as it's the first year in the four-year "leap" cycle. Next two years it will be 21 and the fourth year will be 22. Well you have to be astronomically correct!


Thank you, you've been very helpful. Now go watch some birds.

Weekend overview

Another big weekend.

Friday night Onkle Markus, Tio Luigi and Tia Diane came over for an impromptu grill session. The weather was perfect for it. Unfortunately Griff and Markus got tons of bug bites (despite being sprayed liberally). Allan got none. None of the rest of us got any. Guess that just shows who the sweet ones are.

You can see that Griff made a bee-line for Markus and climbed right up in his lap. Markus has found just the right spot for scratching Griff's back and he acts like a cat in response.

Dad worked on Saturday leaving the boys and me to our own devices. The rain cleared off and we made our weekly jog to the farmer's market. On the way back, we stopped to check out the baby neigh. In part, this is because the boys enjoy it. In part, it is because the park is right at the bottom of an uphill part of the run and I like to have a little break before tackling it. After lunch both boys conked out for a couple of hours and I had a little time to get ready for our evening's entertainment. Little Miss A was hosting a Solstice Party. She wanted to make sure that "Griffith with the beautiful hair" was coming. The boys were all cleaned up and on their best behavior. Allan fell in love with the Elmo activity table. Griff fell in love with the hammock. In between there were lots of trains and toys and nooks and crannies to explore. Home before dark (it was the longest day of the year after all) and neither of the boys was interested in sleeping. Allan would drift and be nearly out and then corkscrew wildly and grin and giggle. We finally fell asleep on the couch only to be awakened by Dad at midnight.

The boys did not feel the need to sleep in, either. Up early enough that Dad insisted we go to church (Bible-thumper). Allan LOVED the bell choir. He beamed every time they played and 'danced' which for him means sitting in the floor and moving his upper body around in a circle. Think reggae. Griff didn't care one way or the other about the bells, but he found the choir to be a little on the loud sound. Every time they would sing, he would start, turn to me and yell "up." (They are a little exuberant.) When they would finish, he would clap and yell, 'yeah!' -- he's all about the atta boys.

Since it was nice out, we headed for the pool. The boys are old hands at it, having gone there with Jesana frequently, but this was the first time for us. Griff loves it -- mostly he likes walking around in the various depths of the baby pool and kicking and splashing. Allan has been a lot more reticent but did great yesterday. He walked all over the place and bounced (so long as you had hold of his hands) and enjoyed being dragged along in the water (so long as you weren't too vigorous.) Home in time for lunch. Griff about couldn't keep his eyes open, poor lamb. Then when we got snuggled for nap, he couldn't get settled -- kept kicking and thrashing his legs. I'm pretty sure he was feeling the waves of the pool. We finally all napped (2 hours!). Then Dad and the boys watched soccer and folded laundry while I gardened.

Unfortunately the microwave gave up the ghost yesterday so (late) Jay headed out to get a new one. Griff found it exceedingly frustrating that he couldn't "help" his father, but got over it (mostly) in exchange for the box. So long as I was there to help him get in and out of it. Over and over and over. Allan went along with it, but he was clearly not as enamored as his brother was.

Enjoy the photos. We will try to update more later.

The magic box

Hours of fun in the box for the new microwave.

Farmer's tan

Allan's working on his.

Griff's bucket hat

Once again I could not get Allan to keep his on long enough to even get a picture.

Row, row, row

Which is what Griff kept saying to get me to keep swinging the hammock.

Pile on

What is the weight limit on this thing?

Hold on tight!

Grif gripping the hammock.

There was a little curl

This little curl appears on its own. I swear we don't style it this way.

A little curl, right in the middle of his forehead

My sister used to always recite the nursery rhyme to me about "there was a little girl, who had a little curl, right in the middle of her forehead, and when she was good, she was very, very good and when she was bad, she was horrid." Griff's curl makes me think of that.

Full of mischief

You can see it in his eyes.

It's like this, Elmo.....

Allan appears to be praying at the altar of Sesame Street.

Pausing a moment for reflection

Allan in deep thought.

Miss A -- the solstice hostess

She wanted to make sure that "Griffith with the beautiful hair" was coming to the party. Vixen.

Griff and his gaggle of girls

Griff is no fool. He headed right for the hammock and the lovely ladies.

Giving him the once over.

Checking out the baby neigh at the park.

Double holly-hock

Joint effort

Now we see who the slide is really for. Of course, Markus (being perfectly German) called out, Are you sure you will fit?

Doh!

The face Allan makes when he gets stuck on the activity table.

Stuck.

Allan has gotten stronger and braver and keeps getting up on his activity table. Unfortunately, once he gets there, there's no where to go.

A good back scratch.

Markus started a bad thing a long time ago -- scratching Griffith's back. Now whenever he comes, Griff climbs up in his lap, ready for the treatment.