Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Catching up...

Loads of new pictures from the past week or so.

Jay finished up the Table of Unusual Size on Monday and delivered it that evening. With him gone most every evening for the past couple of weeks, the boys and I have not done much other than hang out in the back yard every night. I would tidy the house while the boys ate dinner, load the dishwasher and then throw them out in the back yard until bath time. This served multiple purposes: the house stayed at least as tidy as I got it, the boys wore themselves out so they slept better and we all got some fresh air and sunshine.

As you can see, the boys didn't mind one bit. Allan has become more and more adventurous. He has completely mastered sliding. He's pretty good at climbing the ladder up to the playset, but the problem is that he does it slowly and by the time he has gone a rung or two, Griffith is ready to climb over him. I would counsel Griff to learn patience, but Allan tends to lollygag and get distracted when he's climbing (he's a lot like his father that way!). In the end I have decided that the best thing for me to do is let them work it out. I stay close so that Allan doesn't fall, occasionally prod him in his A-double-S to get him moving (a service I also offer to Jay) with mixed results (ditto). I try, too, to make Griff wait for his brother which he does with more grace some times than others.

Griff is very excited to have everyone slide together -- "Momma, slide!" and "AlJude, slide!" Sometimes we go down solo, sometimes in pairs, sometimes all three at once. You never know about us -- we are crazy that way. And, apparently, we are frightening. Monday night the next-door neighbor came over to ask if I would take the boys out back and have them make noise. Her stupid yippy dog (whom she used to let out to pee and yip at 6 a.m.) is afraid to go out and pee because of the noise the boys make. She had a trainer over to help with the issue. No kidding. Frankly, I am delighted that the dog no longer wishes to hang out in the yard and yip its fool head off. If the trainer is going in some way to make it possible for the little piece of fluff to return to his prior irritating ways, then I don't know that we want to help.....but go out back and make noise we did. We'll keep you posted on Fluffster.

Like the Clampetts


Griff loading up the garden cart, ready to move to Beverly....

Ready to throw a fit...


along with a couple of Matchbox cars.

Okay, now that's just silly....


how my pride and joy looks when he isn't getting his way.

Helping out


or trying to.

My little garden gnomes.....


I'm not sure watering the slide is helping with the gardening.....

Share, Griff!


That looks like fun!

Oh, you KNEW that was how it was going to end!


Stretch out those hamstrings, baby!


My little yoga master.

Big Al climbing up in to the playhouse..


but that hand you see to the right is his impatient brother coming up, too.

Here comes trouble.


Griff can not wait any longer for Allan to get a move on.

Moving on up....


On the way up.


The meltdown.


A complete put-on, but pretty convincing nonetheless.

Mr. Fearless


Allan used to not go through the tunnel but now has no fear. Unlike his mother, who would prefer that he not dangle on the edge of the climbing wall.

Here comes Griff!


Nice catch, Big Al!


You got me!


Crab-walking


Allan finding yet another way to get where he wants to go without standing and walking upright.

There goes the car...


it is the orange blur. Flinging the toys out of the basket is a favorite hobby for Griff.

...there goes the phone....


..and there goes the hotdog....


Allan the yogi


Allan has recently become fascinated with trying to get his leg up behind his head. I don't know what inspires him, but, every once in a while you'll turn around and catch him posturing.

Okay...


but you have to move your FEET, too, Allan.

Motoring around


I love how he sets his jaw when he concentrates.

What's this?


Just a touch



is all Allan needs to reassure himself.

It might be there in the back, Allan...


keep looking.