After successfully using the pronoun "I" for quite some time, Connor has started referring to himself in the third person. Instead of "I need" he says, "Connor needs." Today Ryan had the funniest exchange with him.
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He likes to play this game where we pretend we can't find him...
Ryan (asking Jenn): Where's Connor?
Connor: Here he is! He's right here! I found him, daddy!
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I really love this age. Rarely a day goes by when one of them doesn't crack us up.
I'm still laughing from this little exchange with Isaac this evening...
Isaac: Mommy, can I call Babe?
Me: Sure, go ahead. (I'm thinking he must have watched that movie at daycare about a little pig named Babe.)
Isaac: Okay. Baaaaabe! (pause) He's not coming.
Me: Isaac, who is Babe?
Isaac: It's Daddy. He's not here.
I guess I call Ryan "babe" more than anything else when we're at home. Apparently Isaac likes that title better than "daddy".
The boys came home from daycare singing this today. I'm not sure whether to be proud or frightened. I guess "Bad" was from Michael's more normal days, so maybe I don't need to be worried...
Connor is kind of a quirky little guy.
Ever since he began calling me by name, I have been known as "Monny" (pronouced exactly like mommy, but replace the m sound with the n sound). Try as I might, I could never get him to say my name correctly. Then, all of a sudden, one day this week he started saying it right. I have mixed feelings about this. All this time I've been frustrated at his inability (or unwillingness) to correctly pronounce my name, but now that he does, I'm sad. Another phase gone...one more step away from being my baby.
Another strange habit Connor has is wiping his hands on his hair. I can't get this kid to understand that a napkin is the proper place to wipe his hands....but even his pants or shirt would be preferable to his hair. Last night he ate a chocolate that melted a little faster than he could eat it. This was the result.
In case you can't tell, the "hair product" in his spiked hair is chocolate.
Here in Southern California, the traditional signs of fall are few. A little over a week ago, we had high temperatures around 110. The trees don't really display fall colors...they are either still green or have already gone from green straight to brown. Here is what we've been doing to feel the autumn spirit...
This past weekend we went apple picking. The orchards didn't open until September 1, and they were already nearly picked clean only a month later...so it wasn't as cool as we thought it would be. We did manage to fill a bag & the boys (especially Isaac) had at least a little bit of fun.
Connor studying the map
Connor picking
Isaac picking
The loot
Isaac enjoying the fruit of his labor
Ryan was just in Utah for work, and he brought the boys back some mini pumpkins from their Grandma Leitch. They had a fun time painting them tonight.
If I hadn't been around for all of those sleepless nights with 2 newborns at the same time, I don't know if I would believe that Connor & Isaac are twins. I mean, seriously. Connor is 2 inches taller & 7.5 lbs heavier than Isaac. People always think Connor is older because he is so much bigger (and he's big for his age). Isaac has blonde hair and blue eyes and Connor has brown hair & brown eyes. Their personalities could not be more different. It's so fun to see how they grow more and more different as they get older.
Isaac(l) & Connor(r)
Isaac
Connor
We spent the past few days in Sedona visiting Papa and Granny C. We were joined by Ryan's sister, Jennifer, and her husband, Brett, as well as Ryan's brother, Michael, and his little girl, Reese. I hadn't seen Michael & Jennifer for 7 years and we had never met Reese. The kids had lots of fun playing together & we really enjoyed spending time with family we hadn't seen for so long.
Isaac & Connor "sleeping" on the hotel bed
Connor yelling "CHEESE" for the camera. We had dinner at Javelina Cantina for Claire & Jennifer's birthdays.
Isaac being silly on the slide at the park in Sedona
Papa helping Connor cross the creek on our hike
Isaac & Connor taking a snack break with Granny C on our hike
Isaac eating an apple he picked from an orchard on our hike
Isaac & cousin Reese holding hands in Uptown Sedona
All of the kids holding hands in Uptown
The boys had several "firsts" on our trip to Utah this summer. In addition to hiking, Connor and Isaac also went fishing for the first time. Grandpa took them to a nearby fishing pond and had a fish on the hook within 30 seconds of his first cast. We only caught these little baby bluegill, and of course we threw them back. The boys loved it!
When the boys were born, we never invested in those backpack carrier thingies that you use for carrying babies/toddlers while hiking. We just decided we wouldn't take them hiking until they could walk on a trail on their own. At age 2 1/2, Connor & Isaac went on their first hike while we were visiting family in Utah.
On the way up, Connor set the pace and left Isaac in the dust. He took this hiking thing very seriously. We had to remind him several times to slow down and not run. Isaac hiked for all of about 10 minutes & wanted to be carried the rest of the way up. They both wanted to be carried all the way back down. They have never had any sort of energy shortage until this adventure. I think they need a little more practice with the hiking thing.
Connor & Isaac chillin in the car on our way to Big Cottonwood Canyon.
Isaac & Connor ready to hit the trail
Donut Falls (it used to be much more impressive, but a rockslide ruined it a few years ago)
Ryan & Connor at the falls
Jenn & Isaac at the falls (Grandma in the background)
The ride back down
Helping daddy build a dam in the creek near the bottom of the trail
Isaac was being ornery in the car...
Ryan: "Isaac, do you want a knuckle sandwich?"
Isaac: "No, I just want a peanut butter sandwich."
Driving down the street past these palm trees...
Connor: "WOW! Look at the big flowers!"
Jenn: "Connor, those are big trees...they're called palm trees."
Connor: "No! Those are flowers!"
Isaac (impatiently): "No, Connor, they're palm trees!"
Connor: "No! Flowers!"
