Daddy's Turn

On Day 5, Daddy got to take the boys on a field trip. We went bowling. It was a lot of fun. I think we set a record for world's longest bowling game. It took about 45 minutes for the 3 of us to play one game. I am not sure our scores because somehow the frames got messed up. However, Ben scored around 68 and Bradley was about 81.

Day 4 - Is It Monday Yet?

Enough said.

Getting Tangled Up

On day 3, Mommy took the boys to see Tangled. Bradley said it was scary, but he liked the end. They also got to see more of Baby Damian in Valpo during Great Grandma Bell's visit.

Jump!

The day 2 field trip was an outing to Monkey Joe's. Baby Damian went with. Ben liked playing Guitar Hero. Some of Bradley's friends from the Y were at Monkey Joe's, so he had plenty of fun until he hurt his pinky finger. Later in the day, daddy and the boys took the annual trip to see the arboretum trains.

Chuga Chuga Choo Choo

There is no school or daycare for the boys this week, so it is time for some field trips. Day 1 - train trip. Mommy took the boys on a train ride downtown. They ate at McDonald's at the train station and then went to Mommy's office to draw on the walls.

Best Gift Ever

It was really nice to see Bradley get into the spirit of giving this Christmas. He made mommy and daddy several pretty cards and we each got $2.41 in the card. That sum included two $1 bills, a quarter, a dime, a nickel, and a penny. He even took this picture.

3,338 days and counting

The boys have been on this earth a combined total of 3,338 days and we haven't had one trip to the emergency room. The streak almost ended tonight as 49 pounds of human came crashing down on daddy's nose during a mishap in a game of airplane. There was lots of blood, but no ER visit was required. However, we may have a few more additions to our constellation of carpet stains in the family room.

Water Water Everywhere

When he got to the hotel pool Bradley immediately jumped in and started swimming. He didn't ask how deep it was or check for adequate adult supervision. He just took off. I must have been standing with my mouth wide open since another dad came over to ask me if Bradley had ever done that before. His swimming ability and confidence has greatly improved in the last two months. A little later Bradley starting doing flips off the pool deck. Mommy put the kibosh on that. At night Bradley and daddy went back for more swimming. This time he was playing catch with another family. The teenager would throw the ball and Bradley would jump from the deck to try to catch it. He never did make a catch, but he at least touched the ball almost every time. It was quite a wet week for Bradley. He went swimming at least 3 times at the Y and twice at the hotel (and took 3 baths on Sunday).

Smooth Criminal

On Tuesday morning Bradley shouted "Poppy's on the TV!" In reality, it was stock footage of George Ryan who was in the news because he is trying to get out of jail.

The Dirty Dozen

During the summer, we set a goal for Bradley to make twelve poops in the potty in one's month's time and as a reward he would get Mario Kart video game. Sounds like an easy goal, but to took some pharmacological help to get there. We went to Wal-mart right after school to get the reward. He enjoyed playing it before dinner and was starting to get upset by his streak of 12th place finishes. After dinner, he was more interested in doing dishes.

Poppy's Birthday

The last two years the boys went to the circus for Poppy's birthday. This year was different. We went to Mickey's Magic Show. The boys liked it. They also liked what we did before the show, which was go the the Juicy-O for breakfast. The Juicy-O gives out free donut holes to all the patrons, so you know the boys liked that restaurant.

The Jack-O-Lantern

The family made a real jack-o-lantern this year, under the artistic direction of Bradley. Ben was happy to stick with the Mr. Potato Head version.

Motivation

Ben got ready this morning in record time. I think he was excited about the Halloween party at school. He didn't even realize that he's wearing a pull-up instead of underwear.

History Repeats

Three years ago, Bradley broke the tent. Now, Ben has broken the replacement. In both cases, I was able to get a video taped confession.

The Sleeperoni

While on vacation, the family came up with the term 'sleeperoni'. That is the person who wakes up last in the morning. It is derived from the term 'stinkeroni', which is a general insult and not related to one's odor. Bradley took the concept one step further this morning when he declared daddy was the 'wakeroni'. That is the person who wakes up first.

Sunday School

Ben was not happy about going to the first day of Sunday school. He was pretty grumpy since we just got back from California the day before and he was up until after midnight. However he must have eventually calmed down since he didn't come running to us when we picked him. Ben made a very nice Noah's Ark picture.

I Wanna Go Home!

A rough couple days in San Diego had Ben asking to go home. On Tuesday he threw up due to severe constipation. He threw up again on Wednesday after almost drowning in the pool. Ben was in a much better mood by Thursday afternoon and he was back in the pool playing with the rocket ship.

Labor Day 2010

We went for family portraits today. Here is a sneak peak.

Let There Be Life

The family made it's first visit to the Museum of Science and Industry on Sunday. The boys really liked the airplane. We visited it twice. Bradley was also very interested in the baby chicks. We waited quite a while for this one to hatch. Ben didn't have much patience for it. He wander off to see other things while Bradley waited.

The Big Ride

Bradley started riding a two wheeler 2 weeks ago. Today were rode over to his school, which meant crossing a four lane road for the first time. We also took a lap around the park. The total distance was 2.81 miles. Even with several breaks, Bradley was tired toward the end and wiped out a couple times, but always got back up. Ben and Grandpa also went along for the ride.

Two Wheels are Better Than Four

The weekend before kindergarten began, Bradley and Benjamin spent a few days with Grandma and Poppy. Poppy decided to bring their bicycles to Valpo to ride during their stay. While Bradley was riding, one of his training wheels fell off. Poppy decided to remove the other wheel to see if Bradley would like to try riding without them. With Poppy jogging along side for a couple of times, Bradley quickly got the hang of it. Within 3 days, Bradley was going on bicycle rides with Poppy and then Grandma. One day, Bradley rode 2.5 miles in total with only 4 falls. His longest ride between falls was 1.4 miles.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

Just before dinner Bradley asked, "What is a wedgie?" When a verbal description was insufficient, it was time for a demonstration. Bradley enjoyed it very much, so he got another one. How long will it be until Bradley gives Ben a wedgie?

Summer Vacation

We took a quick trip to Michigan for the weekend. The boys had a lot of fun. They really liked the children's section of the Meijer Gardens. They were worn out before noon. After resting during the car ride to the beach, Bradley refueled with three(!) tacos at Taco Bell. They had a great time playing in the waves at Holland beach and digging in the sand. The next day we went to the Dutch Village and then on to South Haven beach.

More Summer Fun

Ben made his first trip to the drive-in over the weekend. Bradley had been there several times before Ben was born. We saw Despicable Me and the boys stayed awake through the whole movie. That means they were up after 10!

Going Down

Bradley has had a very successful month on the potty. He earned 11stickers, which is a record. Ben has actually regressed. He had zero stickers during the month and is now back to pull-ups full time.

The End

Over the last month, I have been reading Charlie and the Chocolate factory to the boys. It has been a wonderful experience for all of us. Ben doesn't like the book too much, but I think that is because there are so few pictures. Whenever there is a picture, Ben points to each person in the picture and asks, "What's that guys name?" The reading has a side benefit of getting the children to sleep earlier. Bradley usually falls asleep in about 10 minutes. Ben stays awake a little longer, but lies quietly in Bradley's bed after I leave. This is much better than the antics we normally go through when Ben sleeps in his own bed.

The Security Guard

Who knew Ben could sleep standing up?

Going Up

Bradley had his first rock wall experience at a party over the weekend. The first time, he almost made it to the top. The second time he was on a different line and didn't make it very far. He seemed to enjoy it. Since he will so be a member of the Y, he will be able to go climbing more often.

Field Trip

One of the advantages of bring 5 years old is that Bradley gets to go on lots of field trips at school. Every Monday they go to a swimming. There is usually one other outing during the week. So far he has been a minor league baseball game, WNBA game (his first basketball game), miniature golf (another first), and a science museum. Next week they are going to Old Country Buffet. That would be amusing to witness. Bradley already has some buffet skills from all his trips to Flat Top.

The Thrill of Victory

Now that I have my own kids, I get to do something my dad always enjoyed - crushing your child in competition. My dad's specialty was checkers, but it tough to beat Bradley in checkers since he changes the rules after every move. However, I did get to annihilate him at miniature golf. I won 47 to 71. Yes!

Eye See You

We had a full day of fun on Sunday. After playgroup, we headed downtown to see the Eye. The boys liked it, but not enough to sing an eyeball song. It has been a long time since we have had one of those tunes. Then we had a picnic at Lincoln park and stumbled upon a rowing competiton. Now Bradley wants us to buy a 60 foot long boat. After lunch, we spent some time at the zoo.

Hot Sexy Lady

Bradley went to a minor league baseball game as part of a school field trip recently. He came back with a new catch phrase.

Taste of Chicago

Last year was the first year the boys missed the Taste, but we got back into the annual tradition this year. The boys tried some different food, albeit, under duress. Bradley liked the Lou's pizza and Ben liked the chicken and waffles. They both ate the peanut chicken satay, but did so reluctantly. The garlic cheese bread was a hit all around, but they wouldn't even touch the plantains. The boys liked the Buñuelo Chips since they were covered in cinnamon.

Perfect Squares

At their annual check-ups, both boys were around the 75th percentile for height and weight. Bradley is 45 lbs, 44.5 inches. Ben is 34.8 lbs, 38.75 inches. Ben is a little bit heavier and a little bit shorter than Bradley was. When Bradley was three, his height was 88th percentile.

World Cup Fever

Not really, but the boys did start their summer soccer lessons this weekend. Halfway through Ben's class the lightning alarm went off, so we all had to go inside. There were too many distractions outside. Ben was better able to pay attention when we were inside. Bradley's class was right after Ben's. He did a much better job of listening to the coach than when we last had a sports class. If we ever get a dry day, I am going to set up the soccer net in the back yard.

Three is a Magic Number

All the birthday celebrations are now done. Ben had plenty of parties:
Sunday - Monkey Joe's
Tuesday - Grandma & Grandpa Heim
Sunday - Train restaurant, plus Jimmy & Josie
Monday - Other grandparents and George & Maureen
Tuesday - School

Greed is Good?

It appears we have a little Gordon Gekko on our hands. Bradley was exceptionally well behaved over the 3 1/2 day weekend. As a reward, I gave him a gold dollar coin. His response: "Why didn't I get $5?"

A Good Workout

Bradley got his bicycle just over a year ago. He is getting pretty good at riding it. On Monday (before the rain) we went to Herrick Lake and Bradley did a couple laps while daddy jogged with him. Brad was going a pretty good pace. Mommy also got a good workout since since was pushing Ben in stroller, but not as fast.

A New Record (or two)

Bradley completed his second mile race. The final time was 13:51, which is more than 2 minutes faster than last year. That put him in 9th place for his division, ahead of two 4 year olds. We need to train more next year.

Brad's legs weren't the only thing moving on Saturday. His bowels were in motion. Later in the day we had a possible new record in the potty, but this one didn't break the toilet. The size was a little surprising since he had been going rather regularly during the week.

Give Me Twenty

Ben made his first trip to the dentist this week. He handled it pretty well. He has twenty teeth, which is the same number as Bradley. Bradley had his first x-rays this visit and they revealed he will be getting some more teeth in the next six month.

It Can't Be That Easy

Ben had a bad habit of chewing on his blankies. It had got to the point where he had chewed holes in them. (Although, he frequently blamed Mickey Mouse for making the holes.) The solution? Take the gnawed blankies away and give Ben new ones with the instructions to not chew on them. We are going on five days and Ben hasn't eaten the new ones yet.

One to Go

So far, we have had five birthday celebration for Bradley. At the most recent one, Ben exclaimed, "Bradley have a lot of birthdays." To recap
1) Sunday - train restaurant
2) Tuesday - school
3) Tuesday - picnic
4) Saturday - with grand parents
5) Monday - with other grand parents
The only event left is a trip to Monkey Joes with friends. Ben was very upset on Tuesday when Bradley got to open presents and he didn't. It was quite the tantrum, but Ben has adapted. He didn't have cause any trouble in the subsequent parties.

Ben's Treasure Box

Bradley wasn't the only one who had a good day on Sunday. Ben made two poops in the potty, so he earned a trip to the treasure box. He picked a set of two mini cars from the movie Cars. One was Sarge and the other was Lightning McQueen in camouflage with night vision goggles.

Let's Get the Party Started

Today was the first of probably 3 or 4 birthday celebrations for Bradley. Since we won't be able to go out to dinner on Tuesday, we went to the All Aboard Dinner tonight. That is always a hit. Bradley even got a free cupcake for his birthday. Since the sun finally came out during dinner, we went to a park afterwards. Bradley's leg is doing much better and he was climbing on some of the equipment. It was a pretty good day overall and had a great ending since Bradley made a poop in the potty.

That's a Switch

Bradley was complaining of leg pain and limping around school nearly all day. We took him to the doctor and found out he has toxic synovitis. That is an inflammation of the lining of the joint space of the hip. He is OK standing or sitting, but movement of the hip causes a lot of pain. Motrin is the only treatment. Normally it is Ben that comes up with the unusual illnesses. Now Bradley get a turn.

Uninteresting Household Phrases for $200, Alex

Ben would do great on Jeopardy. He can take anything you say and turn it into a question. For example mommy said, "We have two bottles of ketchup." Ben's reply was "Two bottles?". Another time Mommy was explaining to Bradley that babies make poopies. Ben heard this and then several times said, "Babies make poopies?"

XM

Who knew the boys were into 90's power ballads? As we were leaving McDonald's, Ice Ice Baby was on the 90's channel. The boys did not like the song, or maybe it was my singing. The next song on the radio was To Be with You by Mr. Big. I cranked it up and the boys did not say one word through the whole song.

Batting 750!

Last night was the fourth time Ben wore underwear overnight. It was the third time he stayed dry overnight. Around midnight I found him screaming in bathroom with his pants down. He claims he went potty and just needed help pulling his pants up. After he got back into bed, he fell back asleep in about two seconds. The news isn't all good. Ben had six accidents today - four at school, one in the front yard, and one at McDonald's.

Eels

Bradley finished his first swimming lessons in the big pool. He initially didn't want to move up to the big pool, but now he seems to like it just fine. He received good marks from his teacher, but is not quite ready for the next level.

Surprise

Since grandpa had a milestone birthday, we loaded up the new car and paid him a surprise visit. We were only there two days, but squeezed in a lot of fun. On Saturday there were tractor rides and a cookout. Sunday included a visit to Gram Gram Betty, playing frisbee, and a trip to the Outback. And, of course, we had cake too. The boys handled the long drive very well.

Suckers!

I tricked the boys into a banana eating contest. It started as who can take the biggest bite, but after two rounds it switched to who can take the smallest bite. The game almost ended in tears when Ben shoved the rest of the banana into daddy's mouth. Bradley was quite upset about this, but calmed down when mommy declared him the winner of the game.

The Office

Bradley and Daddy played a game call the Office tonight. Daddy was bad, so he got sent to the office. While in the office, teacher Bradley reviewed my file, mumbled the word "bad" and a few numbers. Then, he told Mommy about my behavior. It was very realistic. When I asked him how he knew what went on in the office, he didn't have a good explanation. He started talking about printers and chairs. I'll have to ask the teachers if he's been to the office lately.

The Streak

Four years in a row we have gone to Time Out for Tots (see 2009, 2008, 2007). It was at last year's event, we found out that Ben likes ice cream. So, we had to get some this year. Now Bradley claims that he likes ice cream, but he didn't eat much of his chocolate sundae. Just after we got our ice cream, the fire alarm went off, so we got to have a picnic when it was 40 degrees outside. Ben didn't mind. This was the first year the boys did the pony rides.