Just Sit Back...

...and enjoy them entertaining each other. I like this parenting style.

You can even see Michael saying the word "Hugs!"

Matthew just LOVES his brother

I think the feeling is mutual

We are so grateful for our boys!

Flight Lessons

Matthew Accomplishments last week:

This week has been a big one for little Matthew...

Matthew has learned to clap

and pick up his own food and feed himself this week.

I LOVE baby claps. Really, pretty much the cutest thing ever to watch a baby clap his/her chubby little hands together into a soft, silent little clap.

All of a sudden, he just did it, and got such an uproarious accolade from me and his brother, he immediately wanted to do it again and again.

A few days after that, Matthew finally learned to pick up his own food and eat it.

I have read this is a skill babies typically pick up in their 9th month, and as he is 9.5 months, I was a little anxious for him to get going, since me feeding him every mouthful of food is a little time consuming and sometimes challenging with a toddler who seems to want more of something every few minutes, causing me to get up and put Matthew's feeding on hold. Then, since we keep Michael at the table until his brother is done too (within reason...if Matthew is particularly hungry, I might spring Michael from the table a little early), Matthew gets behind and takes longer to eat and I have a toddler anxious to get down...a viscious circle indeed.

Now, I can just put food on Matthew's tray and let him dig in while I either get up and attend to other needs at the table or in the kitchen, or enjoy a meal of my own.

Matthew's skill developed fast. At lunch one day he couldn't do it, and then at dinner time, he suddenly "got it" and never looked back. By breakfast the next morning, he was shoveling food in his mouth very seriously, and with a very determined look on his face.

He greatly enjoyed all the praise he received for that one too and, being so eager to please as he is, kept smiling after each bite knowing he learned something he couldn't do before.

Congratulations, Matthew! We're proud of you, little one!

Trip to the Beach

We took a trip to the beach a few weeks ago.

The kids had an awful time.

It's amazing...all this sand around them, and they don't even want to touch the stuff.

They didn't even want to play with each other.

I would have even expected the planes flying with advertisements overhead to get their attention.

I don't know if we'll do it again....it hardly seems worth the effort.

What Little Boys Dream Of...

In one of Michael and Matthew's bedtime story books, there is a story from the Disney movie "Cars." We have never seen the movie, and I don't know why Michael started obsessing over the "story about tow truck" but he did, and that's that.

This evening, I was going in to check on the kids and give them one last goodnight, and when I walked in, Michael woke up, blinked his heavy eyelids and mumbled to me, "Tow truck" and went back to sleep.

So cute.

It's Been a Long Time Coming....

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this before, because it has been going on for quite some time, but late than never.

Michael has a very particular obsession at home. His obsession: "Uncle Pete Song."

Ok. Backstory for anyone who needs it. "Uncle Pete" is Fr. Peter, Michael and Matthew's great uncle. Fr. Peter is a great priest and a talented musician who has recorded many, many, many songs and has recently released two albums: Rewind and Eye on the Sky. The songs are amazing.

A while back, I decided to give Michael a break from The Beatles and try out some Uncle Pete songs because I was really in the mood to listen to them.

From that day on, there was no going back for Michael. After the album was over, he immediately asked for "more Uncle Pete songs? Please?" How can you say no?

Now, day after day, Michael must have Uncle Pete songs playing. If he had his way, it would play non-stop. In fact, for a while, before one song would even end, he would be pleading desperately for another one.

Well, the presence of Uncle Pete songs has evolved not only into music playing, but has actually taken on its own persona. It started simply when Michael, while eating dinner, stuck his fork toward the CD player and asked, "Uncle Pete want some?"

He then began to ask regularly, "What's Uncle Pete doing?" only to answer himself "He's singing songs!"

Michael then went on to figure out how to put the CD in the player and turn it on, so he can now put on Uncle Pete songs whenever he wants.

One time, he put on the CD, but the volume was turned up higher than normal, so the Uncle Pete songs came on pretty loud, startling us all. After we got a little laugh from being startled, Michael blurted out in a joking fake-scolding fashion, "Uncle Pete song!!" It was hysterical.

Michael needs to listen to the Uncle Pete songs at all times. In the car. When Daddy plays guitar, he has to play Uncle Pete songs. Michael will go into our room, push the keys on Daddy's keyboard and sing the words to the songs, "...belong to a family..." He'll sing along when the CD plays and when he hears words throughout the day that he remembers is in one of Uncle Pete songs, he'll sing the line....

Michael has great taste in music. The songs are thoughtful, inspiring and helps us keep a prayerful attitude throughout the day.

Seriously, these songs are amazing. Check them out yourself!

No more excuses

I know blogging lately has been a little sporadic.

The main reason is because I filled up my old computer to the brim, and even when I delete files, applications and whatnot, it just gets filled right up again the next time I put a bunch of pictures up.

On top of that, my computer was running SO slowly, it was actually taking about 3 minutes per click to load a webpage or application. Needless it say, it was very frustrating.

So to remedy that, my husband got me our anniversary present...just a couple of days early:

A computer that doesn't have all those wacky problems.

Not wanting to invite too much trouble by posting all the specs on the internet, needless it say, I like it, and will be back to blogging more regularly, since it no longer will take me all that waiting time just to load the page.

So, not only is it a gift for me, but, hopefully for those of you who enjoy seeing into the lives of Michael and Matthew (and the occasion glimpse of the rest of us) too.

Thank you, honey!!