Mardis Gras Weekend 2011

Gabe stayed up in this ladder seat more than 4 hours. Aaron, Daniel, and Vincent took turns joining him.

Lizard costume. I'm not sure how a grasshopper shirt, dinosaur shoes, and pirate pants made a lizard, but Gabe was pretty convinced, thanks to Aunt Megan.

Josh enjoyed the festivities too.

Cousin time.

Josh time.

I love Josh's laugh. You can witness it's glory starting at 1:00 of this video.

Attack

Exploring

Sometimes when I'm sweating in January, I dislike Texas weather. Other times, when my boys can be outside exploring in February, I like it.

This shot is included for the hair and face. Brushing teeth sure can be exciting.

Dinosaurs need to eat too...

Gabe's dinosaurs have become our constant companions. They take baths with the boys, run errands & eat with us, and even cuddle with Gabe throughout the night. It's funny for me to hear a two year old spout out words like Brachiosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, Stegasaurus, etc. like he's talking about the kids next door. The other day, Gabe corrected me that a dinosaur I had referred to as a flyer was in fact a Pteranadon. I guess I should read "The Best Book of Dinosaurs" more often and not settle for the knowledge I learned from watching The Land Before Time. The picture below was taken shortly before all the dinosaurs took a nice swim in milk.

A video for Grandparents

We knew a family in Michigan with 4 teenagers and 2 younger girls that all loved each other. Not just the deep- down-love but friend-love. They genuinely enjoy spending time with each other. I asked their mother what she did to help encourage that type of family culture. She simply answered, "brain washing".

What?

Yes, brain washing.

We've started and it's working great so far. Phrases like, "Isn't it fun to have a brother?" "You guys are such good friends!" and "You have so much fun playing with Joshua/Gabe, don't you?" are heard in our home many times a day.

And here is a little reward: Gabe and Josh love playing together.

(Maybe it wasn't the brain washing but just their two little spirits, but we're sill grateful.)

Conversation

As Gabe and I ate grilled cheese delight tonight for dinner, we had the following conversation:

Gabe: The cheese is going down my esophagus!
Me: Wow! Where is it now?
Gabe: My stomach!
Me: Cool. Now where is it?
Gabe: My intestines.
Me: And now?
Gabe: The stop light!!
Me: ...?