Knott's Berry Farm

We all had a great time at Knott's Berry Farm on President's Day weekend. (By the way, there is no farm, no berries, and no Don Knotts.) The boys especially enjoyed being "big cousins" to DJ. Due to height restrictions, Ben was the only one that could escort DJ on this first ride. Since the park wasn't very crowded, they had the whole ride to themselves. Bradley was a good pusher on the hand car ride.

See You On The Beach

Our first stop in LA was the beach, specifically Venice Beach. The boys had fun playing the sand (of course). However, the water was way too cold to go swimming. We also checked out the skate park and soaked up the atmosphere along the boardwalk. The boys did not appreciate the canals as much as mommy and daddy did.

The Spin

Both Bradley have both been taking skating lessons this winter. Ben is doing much better than last year. Bradley has improved too. He is even teaching himself a few things. What you see below was not taught in class.

Professor Ben

Today's science lesson is courtesy of Benjamin: "Outer space is stinky because aliens never take a bath." I did not know that! Apparently one of Ben's friends had an alien living in his backyard. The alien was so stinky that no one ever came to visit the friend. Kind of sad, but an important science lesson for all.

Living on the Edge

During Christmas break, mommy took the boys on a field trip downtown. The first stop was the SEARS Tower Skydeck. Bradley had no fear of the Ledge windows, which look straight down. Ben was a little more hesitant and would not step on the glass, but would look over. The outing also includes lunch at McDonald's and a visit to Mommy's office to draw on the walls.

Gem of the Day

We told Ben that Grandma and Poppy are retirees. His response, "Grandma and Poppy fix tires and car and stuff?"

Little Drummer Boy

Here's a concert that only a parent could love. You may want to mute the sound, but check out Ben's footwork. He claims he doesn't like to dance, but he seems to do OK. The boys got the whistles in a goodie bag at play group on Sunday. They were so annoying that they were in the trash in less than 24 hours.

TGIF!

We took the boys to the Field Museum on Sunday. It didn't go too well. Ben wasn't interested in the dinosaurs. However, he was fascinated by the anatomical accuracy of some of the other exhibits. This fascination spanned all genders, species, and even stages of evolution. We ended up spending less than two hours at the museum, so Thank Goodness It was Free.

Halloween 2011

This year Bradley dressed up as Darth Vader and Ben was Spiderman. As you can see, these weren't exactly original ideas. One of Bradley's best friends was also Darth Vader and another boy from our neighborhood was Spiderman. Bradley's choice to be Darth is interesting, since I made the same choice when I was his age. Bradley had fun trick or treating with his YMCA friends after school. Ben's interest in candy acquisition faded very fast and he asked to go home after only a few houses. The most surprising part of the whole Halloween season was Bradley's decision to donate almost all of his candy to Operation Gratitude. Ben was not as generous.

Brainteaser

Here is the question: which of these two boys weighs more? If you answered Bradley, you are correct, but that may change soon. Despite being 25 months younger, Ben only weighs 3 pounds less. Since his birthday, Bradley has gained 3 pounds, but Ben has added 7!