The Brad-bino

Only three weeks into playing T-ball, Brad is already calling his shots. We were playing in the backyard and Brad declares, "I'm gonna hit it over the fence." Sadly, he did not deliver. However, at few ties later he did hit it most of the way to the fence, but not nearly high enough. (Non-baseball fans may want to refer to this article.)

New Training Partner

Ben rode in the bicycle trailer for the first time on Saturday. It is different than riding with Bradley, since Ben does not provide color commentary the WHOLE TIME he is the trailer. The other factor is that he weighs less, which is actually a disadvantage.

Swing Batter Swing

Brad started taking T-ball lessons a few weeks ago. In the pictures below he is wearing an orange shirt. The picture on the left is everyone practicing running the bases. Brad needs to work on this. During their game he ran to first base via the pitcher mound and second base. The other picture is Brad playing third base.

A Complete 180

Ben has really changed his attitude towards water. There was a time where we could barely keep him in the bathtub for 1 minute. Now look at him, playing with the water table. The credit has to go to Bradley, who showed him the right way to enjoy a bath.

He Shoots, He Scores

Ben started playing basketball on Sunday.

Hallelujah

Our long national nightmare is over. Bradley finally went poop in the potty. He could always tell when one was coming, but refused to sit on the potty. On Friday, we started wearing underwear for a couple hours a day. On Saturday, just after dinner Brad told us a poop was coming, so we rushed into the bathroom and scored a success. This earned a trip to the train restaurant on Sunday.

1st Haircut

Ben went for his first haircut on Thursday. He was well behaved, but seemed a little distant. After we got home and his diaper exploded, we found out why. He had the stomach flu.

1st Birthday

We all had a lot of fun at Ben's 1st birthday party. There were presents and cake and lots of outdoor activities. Bradley and Jake were very helpful opening presents for Ben. As an extra special present, Grandpa H taught Ben how to unlock and open the gate near the stairs.

The Contest

The boys decided to celebrate Ben's first Memorial Day by having a contest named "Who Loves Mommy and Daddy the Least". It was a fierce battle that started as soon as they were both awake. I am not certain of the rules, but apparently it only takes place at home. When we were out at the Arboretum, they behaved perfectly. Fakers!
Another rule seems to be the contest only takes place head-to-head. When Ben was napping, Bradley was quietly playing on his bike and with the bubble mower. After Ben woke up, the afternoon screaming contest began. I was so beaten down that I couldn't keep score. Much like the movie Cars, we have a tie. The championship will be decided in a tie-breaker on July 4th.
Another rule of the game must be that the contest only takes place on the main floor of the house. Everything was great when we went upstairs for bath. Bradley showed Ben how to take a proper bath. All of Ben's previous baths lasted about 90 seconds and were comprised mostly of Ben crying, standing, and trying to get out of the tub.

Chase to the Taste

Bradley participated in his first foot race on Saturday. The kids distance was one mile, but sadly Bradley recorded a DNF. He only made it about 1/4 mile. We had fun anyway and went for donuts afterwards.