What a difference two weeks can make!

Two weeks ago, I could sit Baby C down in the middle of the room, go get whatever I needed to do done, come back, and he would still be exactly where I left him giving me a toothless grin.

Now, he has found the freedom of mobility and is loving every moment! He can crawl almost faster than I can chase him, he can pull himself up on the furniture, cruise around from one chair to another, and (his FAVORITE thing to do) climb the stairs. No matter where I put him, he gives me an impish smile (with 4 teeth showing through!) and takes off at full speed for the stairs. So, within the span of two weeks, C has found his freedom and I have lost mine.

Other updates... A loves to play pretend. Often he plays Bob the Builder and recruits other family members to help fix Farmer Pickle's barn. Another favorite pretend game is to reenact the things he's learned in his Sunday School class. He'll tell me, "Mommy, I count to three and then you shout 'I worship God when I love others." It was adorable the other day when he said, "Mommy, you be David and I'll be Goliath." I asked him what I should do if I am David. He said, "You should pray." It was so cute. The most recent theme in his Sunday School class is army guys (I think maybe being part of God's Army?). He loves to march around the house, yelling "Ten hut", doing jumping jacks and saluting. He is obviously learning something on Sunday mornings.

That's it for now. I always try to update my blog more often, but I just can't seem to get to it lately. C is adapting his nap schedule and more often than not, their nap times aren't overlapping for long. It's definitely running me a little ragged, but I am trying to remember that it's just a stage. I love my boys and cherish the time I get to spend with them, even if it means my house is a little messier than I like. They grow up way too quickly and I know I will miss these baby days.

California!

We spent Labor Day weekend traveling to southern CA for my friend, Beth's wedding. We have been friends since I was seven, and were inseparable as kids. It was so wonderful to be able to be there for her on such a special day.

The ceremony was beautiful, the boys did great traveling and we enjoyed some gorgeous (but hot!) weather. The boys never changed time zones, so we were up at 4 am every day and the boys were asleep by 5 pm. It left little time to hit the hot spots like the zoo or sea world, so we enjoyed more laid back time at the beach, the pool and a park. My parents traveled with us, and it was so much fun to get to spend the weekend with Grandma and Nonno.

My grandma's assisted living home had a picnic. It was fun to take the boys to see her. The highlight for A was feeding the ducks. They were fighting over the bread, and he thought it was hysterical.

On a field trip with A's speech class. The kids were so intrigued by everything we saw. They got to pet animals, water plants and pick vegetables from a garden. It was a lot of fun.

Baby C can officially crawl! And he can cruise around the furniture. Walking isn't too far away!

Playing with shaving cream! Very messy but fun.

After a bath.

Thanks Erica for this gift for baby A... it is still a favorite and I love watching them play together.

Here's to hoping that this season is better than the last. Go Bengals!

Me with my boys, my nephew and my grandma. She loved seeing the boys. There's something about little kids that just brightens great grandma's day. I'm sure she took a nap when we left. It was exhausting just to watch A run with his nephew!

Amazima

I don't know this girl, but I have been following her blog based on the suggestion of a dear friend of mine. Let me sum up the story of her life for you real quickly. She is 20 (I think) and has left her family and the love of her life in the US to move to Uganda. She started a non-profit to help pair people in US with kids in Uganda to provide schooling. Now, this organization provides 350 kids with two meals a day and Christ-based education to hopefully break the poverty cycle. She has also adopted 13 girls that she cares for in her home. I can't imagine being a mom at 20, much less a mom to 13! Her life is difficult, her heart is beautiful, and I highly recommend checking out this most recent post at her blog here. I am still trying to process it.