Summer Fun!

It's been a sunny, hot summer here, and the kids have really been enjoying it.  Here's a picture of why we get double takes at the park--not too many people have seen a gigantic triple stroller with such cute kiddos inside!

It's hard to believe how much Fiona has grown up this summer.  She knows all her letters, and is starting to sight-recognize some words.  She loves to play with playdough and draw, and has become really interested in playing with her brothers (and in retreating to her room for alone time too).  She loves to listen to story tapes (and follow along in the books that come with them).

Fiona also has been using the potty on a regular basis!  This is an older picture...now she has filled her chart (and a few other pieces of paper besides) and we don't even do stickers anymore, just part of the routine.  She has some cute underwear ready for when she's ready to take the final big step.  By the end of the summer, for sure!

Tom and Dylan have been doing a lot of growing too, of course!  Tom is cruising on furniture now, as well as trying to stand one-handed now and then.  Dylan cruises a little, but still likes to get around on his hands and knees.  Bathtime is the most popular time of the day at our house--both the boys love to splash and kick in the water, as well as get on their tummies to 'swim' too.

Dylan LOVES burrito night....

And so does Tom!

Whew, chasing after two little brothers all day is tiring work!  Fiona doesn't always make it until bedtime.

Fiona and her best friend Kim hard at work on a playdate.

More pictures/updates later...Tom and Dylan are cutting molars, so our house is a very sleep deprived one.  As soon as I can think straight enough to write coherantly, I can share more pictures and stories. 

Happy First Birthday, Tom and Dylan!!!!

We enjoyed a quiet (well, as quiet as it gets with twin one year olds and a two year old, anyway) family celebration this year!  Fiona sang the Happy Birthday Song to the boys all day, and Mama made them each a chocolate-chip oatmeal cake!  Fiona greatly enjoyed helping the boys liberate their presents from the wrapping (if any), and testing them out for the guys.  :)

You can see some of the carnage here...new books, a play tunnel, dinosaurs...oh my!

It looks like we'll definitely be a bookworm family...Fiona LOVES to read, with us or by herself.  Tom chatters to himself as he looks at books, we think he's "reading" them to us.  And Dylan loves to look at books with all fours, and enjoys looking over Fiona's shoulder (or knee) and enjoys being read to.

But let's face it...the best part about the first birthday celebration is that first bite of honest-to-goodness CAKE!  Just for our faithful readers, we'll bring it on right away!

Mmmm....what could this be?  Tom and Dylan look at the pretty cakes (and especially enjoyed watching Mama squirt the canned whipped cream on there), but Fiona is telling them off to the side that really the coolest thing of all is "the fire!"

 Dylan seems to agree with Fiona, as Daddy helps him get ready to blow out his first birthday candle!

I can't confirm this, but it seemed to me that Tom was just itching to get his hands on that squishy whipped cream.  Just another moment, buddy!

Tom gets ready to take the plunge....

And MMMMMMM...it's GOOD!

Anything he can do, I can do better!

Dylan's complements to the chef!

Ahhhh...I have taught my little brothers well in the art of CAKE!

As promised, here are some new pictures of Tom and Dylan.

I can't believe that they will be 1 next month!  This year has flown by.

As Dylan continutes to fill out, they're looking more and more alike.  It's even getting hard to tell them apart by ear, as Dylan is babbling full force.  Tom loves to do a high pitched screech when upset, happy, or excited, which Dylan doesn't do--yet.

But they have such different facial expressions, I think that's how we're going to be able to tell them apart once Dylan either catches up in size or it's statistically insignificant.

Here's our charming sparkly Dylan-monster...

And our bubbling bouncy Tom-Tom.  :)

Rites of Spring....

I will post more pics of Tom and Dylan in the next entry.  Fiona had a blast this morning and last night!  We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather for an egg hunt (her first).

We didn't do a hunt last year (she wasn't walking all that well, and wouldn't have been interested anyway), but after a test run at a MOMS club egg hunt, we were ready to go.

Fiona shows off her egg booty!  No edibles in them (this year, anyway), just lots and lots of stickers...which she seems to like better anyway.  How can a daughter of mine not be totally nuts over chocolate?  Ah well.  Maybe you have to grow into it. 

We did, however, make a sweet treat last night!  Fiona helped bake a cake, and then we assembled it into a bunny shape.  Mama did the base frosting and the mouth and whiskers...Fiona did the rest (the coconut fur and gumdrops).  Not too bad, I think we make a great decorating team!  She is already lobbying for another cake to make!

The Monkey-girl and the Jungle House

Now, avid readers of this website will recall my mention of Fiona's new climber and swingset in the last entry.  Here it is in all its climbing glory (we decided not to attach the swingset portion until the weather is more consistently sunny)!  Fiona calls it her jungle house.  Why, we don't know--other than she likes to swing like a little monkey at the edge of the "house!"

Thank you, Pam, Scott, Sam, and Eli!!!