Outside Fun

 While Matthew napped, the X-Man and I went outside to take advantage of the wonderful weather we've been experiencing here on the east coast.  We've had a very, very light winter this year, especially considering what we, along with a lot of the rest of the country, experienced over the last couple of winters.  We started out with Matthew taking a stroll in the wagon, then, after Matthew had his nuclear meltdown, Christopher and I returned for some bubble chasing and general running around the front yard.  Here are some shots of the day.

 

Being taunted by that cursed bubble!

Chocolate Face

 Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on the circumstance, we are very rarely as parents allowed to enjoy a sweet treat without being bombarded, harassed, and suffocated by the onslaught of children who want nothing more than to keep us from enjoying a peaceful moment with a morsel of sweet, chocolatey delight.  Colleen got me some chocolate covered strawberries for my birthday a couple of weeks ago along with some other chocolatey treats (among them bacon...overrated I think).  The boys sniffed out the candy like sharks catching the scent of fresh meat in the sea...and circled around us with hungry eyes and watery mouths!  We caved, of course, and we all enjoyed Daddy's birthday delicacies as a family...as we had done earlier in the week with Mommy's Valentine's Day chocolate-covered strawberries. 

If we only knew....

...what was so damn funny!

Definitely got more on his face than he did in his mouth!

That's Why I Got Dem' Blues

 We, unfortunately, only have 1 pair of working child-sized, non-presciption sunglasses in the house, or this might have been even more cool than it already is.  We were having some fun with the glasses the other night.  I was practicing on my new guitar (I got an acoustic guitar for Christmas from my mother-in-law and I try to get to it at least once a day) and the boys were noodling around the house doing what they do.  Matthew found these sunglasses and tried to put them on.  Thankfully, Colleen was right there to offer assistance probably preventing the boy from needing an eye patch for the rest of his life.  He thought he was the coolest thing this side of Miles Davis apparently while rocking the shades.  He kept taking them off and wanting us to put them back on his face, but it was well worth it...for comedy's sake especially. 

'Stank-bottom Johnson

...and, of course, Christopher can't have his little brother getting all the attention so he had to get into the bag as well.  It was a bit of a fight between the two of them, but it all worked out as we continue to work with the "Crazy Legs" on learning to readily accept the concept and act of sharing.  "Stank Bottom" is still quite easily distracted (unless it comes to food...he is very, very focused on eating!).

Crazy Legs Jones

 Looks like they might be workin' out a new tune...


Stank Bottom:
"Hey, Momma I'm so hungry, give me some o' that food
There ain't no more?! Oh, I'm so sore gonna give you what to do!
My diapers radioactive, and I don't give a rip.
I'm gonna scream, cuz' you're so mean! I just want some o-that French Dip,
But instead, you're givin' me the bluuuuuuuuuueeeeeeeees!"

Crazy Legs:
"I'm always out there-a runnin', can't put me on no shelf.
I get so crazy that I'm always 2-steps ahead of myself!
What happens next is anyone's guess, my parents seem enraged.
S'pose my wild-side gonna lead to my backside being a little bit red in shade!
Got me singin' the bluuuuuuuuuuueeeeeees!"

Both:
"They got us singin' and ringin', they're bringin' us the bluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuueeeeeeeeeeees!"

I think that's pretty accurate on both accounts boys! 

Congratulations to the New Werk Gianths

I'm only doing this for Christopher because the Giants are not my team...but he loves his "New Werk Gianths"!

GO BIG BLUE!!!

Congratulations to the New York Giants on winning Super Bowl XLVI

4-Handed Piano

 Matthew had minor surgery today to get tubes put in.  He's been fighting an ear infection since the end of November and we finally opted for tubes.  As a celebration of his new "ears", he and Christopher decided to put on a little piano recital for us tonight before bed.  It was a celebration of sorts of Matthew's new "freedom" from pain and actually being able to hear again.  I can say that after the recital was over, I'm not sure anyone in the house could hear anymore, but it was a real joy to see the Matt-man back to "normal"...he was a bit on the cranky side, but that is to be expected given the circumstances.  

I think this might be more of a free improvisation display...I'll call it "Variations on Aural Jubilation"...I like that one. Watch out Cecil Taylor.

Abnormally Nice Weather -- Day at a Park

 To celebrate the onset of 2012, and to take advantage of the out-of-the-normal "warm" weather we're having out here along the Northeast, we took the boys to a local neighborhood park.  Just thought it would be nice to get the boys out while the gettins' still good.  Also took advantage of the prime photo ops of the boys.

Christopher ran around the park's "jungle gym" (I wonder if they're still called jungle gyms or if I'm just showing my age and/or ignorance in the equipment in modern parks/playgrounds).

Matt-man playing Hide-and-Seek with Christopher, who was on a ramp above him, and me, who was behind the Tic-Tac-Toe game in front of him.  I had to swing around to get this shot, but I thought it was a pretty cool shot.  Back to my original spot for our Hide-and-Seek game below.

I was able to get a shot of where Christopher was playing Hide-and-Seek with Matt-Man.

Got some good shots of Matthew playing with Mommy on a bench about 20-25 yards away. 

Christopher on the swing....he loves the swing.  He spent nearly 30-minutes on the swing.  We worked on the appropriate kicking motions for maintaining the swinging without help. It started off well, but then he lost interest in trying to learn how and just wanted to be pushed.  I obliged after he was able to show me he could kick appropriately for a few turns.  He had to earn my labor!  I can tell you that pushing X-man on the swing while trying to get those pictures of Matthew proved to be a lot of work.

Just a good shot of the Matt-man...