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Owen and Brandon love their GG (great-grandma) and are so lucky to see her so often. As I have already commented in past posts how wonderful it is for them to have a Great-Grandma living so close to them I won’t go into it again here…but I will add some more pictures of the boys snuggling and pretending to sleep with their GG.
The Saturday after Brandon’s birthday, we held a birthday party for him. All his friends and family came….Brandon loves everything trains these days, so we did a Thomas the Train themed birthday.
Brandon and Owen were very excited that it was FINALLY Brandon’s birthday party. We had been talking about it for some time and the weeks leading up were getting too much for the boys. One morning Owen and Brandon came over and asked me, “Mom, is today Brandon’s birthday party?”, I answered, “Sorry, but not for another week.”, they looked at each other and then Owen said, “Could today be Brandon’s birthday party?” Brandon was watching me with his too cute brown eyes and Owen was concerned that his brother wasn’t going to make it to his actual birthday.
Owen and Brandon “helped” me decorate the house, with balloons and streamers and gift bags. Slowly people showed up, with presents and their friends. Soon the house was full; the kids at full steam. There were 7 kids ranging from 16 months to almost 4 years old. They all played so well together, we all kept commenting to each other how well they were playing.
We opened presents first; Brandon was excited and lasted about 5 gifts and was content. Owen and Nathan were still very exicted and didn’t understand why Brandon didn’t want to open anymore. I finally gave in and let them open the gifts, as long as they showed Brandon each gift they opened. That seemed to work well, Brandon was excited to see each new gift and Owen and Nathan got to rip open present after present. Brandon ended up with many many trucks and trains and was very excited.
Cake was next, Brandon loved being sung too and blew out his candles with vigour. The cake was a hit and the blue icing made every-one’s lips and mouths blue as blue can be. Aunty Claudette and Dad have to be applauded for their creative work on decorating the cake.
It was a wonderful party and Brandon did very well, especially since he missed his afternoon nap. All smiles in his pajama’s!
Brandon is now two years old…love that mischievous smile!
The poor guy had really really bad diaper rash the day of his birthday…but you’d never know it from the pictures! We decided for his actual birthday we would have it at Aunty Claudette’s house. Owen and Brandon always want to play at Aunty’s house, so when we told Brandon that his birthday would be at Aunty’s house, he cheered and clapped his hands. Aunty Claudette planned the small family party well…she made sure there were balloons and pizza and birthday cake. Aunty was so on the ball that she baked two cakes, one for the birthday party and another for the actual birthday. There were sprinkles and candies and icing and Owen and Brandon both had a small cake to decorate….and then eat.
Oh and of course there were presents too.
Korsan Studios is doing very well but of course, Sean is always looking to take pictures. As of late, Owen and Brandon have been very interested in “helping” Daddy with pictures. Since the studio is always set up, when Dad ventures down to take pictures, Owen and Brandon are not far behind willing to be photographed. They let Daddy take pictures and then they take pretend pictures and run around showing each other the pictures they’ve taken…like Daddy does. It really seems to help when we show them the picture after it is taken, they like to see themselves in the picture and then it motivates them to sit for more! Yeah for Dad!
Callingwood Marketplace is a nice little area near our home with shops of all sorts, a farmers market in the summer and lots of activities year round. In the fall each year the put on CornFest where they have corn on the cob, music and much more. This year the firefighters were there with their fire trucks and if anyone knows Owen and Brandon they know they LOVE fire trucks. Aunty Claudette came along with us and Owen and Brandon thoroughly enjoyed it. Brandon so much that he left crying and reaching back!
First was the fire trucks, there were two trucks a red one and a yellow one. Owen and Brandon waited in line and finally got their chance to sit in the back of the fire truck and then sit up front at the wheel. Brandon’s smile was from ear to ear. They each got a fire truck coloring / information book from the fire man and for days after that was the only story they wanted to read at bedtime!
Then it was onto the bouncy house. Owen loves bouncy houses and can spot them a mile away. They patiently waited in line for their turn. This time, surprisingly, Brandon wanted to go in. While he spent the whole time just sitting in the middle of the bouncy house, while everyone bounced around him, he must have enjoyed it, cause when their turn was up, he cried!
Lastly there was the petting zoo. Owen wanted to pet the animals and so Aunty Claudette was the one to go; again they waited in line and it was well worth it, Owen was all smiles in the petting zoo and was especially happy when Aunty put a small bunny on his lap to pet….although he wanted the white bunny not the brown bunny. The brown bunny wasn’t friendly, according to Owen. Brandon chose not to go in the petting zoo, but we should have known, once he saw Owen in there, Brandon wanted to go in. The line up was too long by then, so Dad let him sit on his shoulders and he was happy with that!
It was a fun afternoon and every time we drive by (which is every day) the boys point and yell, we were there, we saw fire trucks and bunnies and bouncy houses!
At 3 yrs and 2 yrs Owen and Brandon have become very close and are always looking for each other to play together, read together, do anything together.
Reading has become very big in our home recently (I know I’ve mentioned it in previous posts) and both Sean and I are very excited about it….probably me more than Sean. Owen and Brandon love story time before bed and nap times, they love to have anyone read books to them and now like to read to us. I have always loved to read and it makes me so happy when I can read to my boys. I will admit, in Owen and Brandon’s first years, neither of them showed much interest in sitting long enough to read a book. They liked to stand on them, sit on them and destroy them but didn’t like reading them. I am so happy to see them come around! ha ha
Owen and Brandon love riding horses and pretending to be cowboy’s. Of course, Dad, Mom, Grandpa H and Aunty Claudette’s backs are more fun for horse back rides; the horse on springs is much more fun for everyone. Owen and Brandon have spent many mornings and evenings racing on their horse in the basement. They recently found cowboy hats that they now NEED to wear when they ride their horse. Surprisingly the boys share their horse riding time very well. They cheer each other on and pick up each other’s hat when it falls off. It is amazing how fast they get going on that horse!
Owen and Brandon are truly boys and truly brothers — they jump on each other, sit on each other and squeeze each other, all the while laughing and giggling together.
Owen and Brandon are so very lucky to have a Great Grandma living close to home and who is still able to get down on the ground and play, read and laugh with them. Sean’s grandma loves to see her great-grand kids, and grand kids too, whenever the opportunity presents itself. We have been lucky to see her the past few weekends and Owen and Brandon are really comfortable with her now…GG as they call her…loves to get down to their level and play whatever they are playing. Both Owen and Brandon have become very strong and we find ourselves reminding them to play a little more gentle with GG. Reading has become a huge hit in our house lately; both Owen and Brandon are always asking for someone to read to them and if Mommy or Daddy are busy, they’ve even started to read to each other. Of course GG loves to read books with Owen and Brandon and it’s a really great quiet way she can spend time with the boys.
Happy 2nd Birthday Brandon!
I am 2 yrs old today. I weigh 32.10 lbs and I am 35.45 inches tall. I have almost all my baby teeth, I am waiting on my 2 yr molars and there are two eye teeth that are through but only a little and are still slowly pushing out. My teeth have been quite a pain for me, unlike my brother where his teeth shot through no problem, mine seem to move a lot and take their time coming out. Mom and Dad both agree that my second year has seen a lot of growth in different ways then with my first year. I am wearing 3T tops and I am slowly moving from 24 months to 3T pants as well. I wear a size 9 shoe, at least this week.
My eating habits have remained about the same, I am not as big of an eater as Owen but I eat my share and there are very few things I don’t like to eat….watermelon and blueberries to name just a couple. Most of my days consist of me telling everyone, “No I do it myself!”. I want to do everything and do it on my own, I want to figure it all out by myself. I want to dress myself, take my shoes off and even make my own toast. This is all very frustrating for me and I am having a hard time showing my frustrations. I usually scream and hit or kick whatever is closest to me and then I cry; I usually am so frustrated I don’t even want a hug from Mom or Dad to help calm me down. Mom and Dad are trying everything they can think of, read up about and get advice from others on how best to help me with my frustrations. Sometimes just having my big brother Owen asking if he can help me, is all that I need to hear to get me to re-focus and try again.
I am talking quite a bit these days and most often if I repeat myself a couple times Mom, Dad and Owen can figure out what I am saying. I point out everything I see “Grandpa drives the bus, Read with me, Watch this, Look a dump truck, fire truck, motor bike, Owen is my brother” Owen and I have conversations back and forth most days (Mom and Dad love to watch and listen to us chat together). I have a funny litle grin and get a twinkle in my eye when I am about to do something that I know is not quite right, but am curious what the outcome will be….this time. Mom and Dad spend a lot of time with me in “time-outs” talking through each situation, explaining why we don’t hit, throw, scream, grab…how it hurts other’s feelings and makes other’s sad. They keep telling me I need to say sorry when I do these things…saying sorry is something that takes me a little longer to choose to do. Yes, choose, I have a bit of a stubborn side to me. At mealtimes I love to eat on my own, but it’s always faster and more fun when Mom or Dad help me. At least I always make sure Mom or Dad pull up a chair to sit on while they help me with my meals.
I love bath time and recently decided that I should wash my own hair. Mom or Dad or whomever is helping at bath time will put a little bit of shampoo in my hands and then I rub it into my hair to make bubbles. Bed time has been steadily evolving and now our routine is potty time first, then into Mom and Dad’s bed with our blankets and milk cups for one story each, another potty time if needed, run into Owen’s room for hugs with Owen, then run into my room for more hugs with Owen and then hugs from Mom and Dad and if I am convincing enough I can get another one or two stories out of them! By the time I am in bed, it is usually between 7:30 – 8:00 pm. I sleep through the night and usually wake around 6:00 am. One afternoon nap for me, and it’s usually a nice long one…from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm.
I walk and run everywhere, I am grown up enough that I don’t think I need to hold hands anywhere, even in the parking lots and I am walking up and down the stairs like a pro! In July Owen and I moved from our day home to a day care, while it was sad to leave the day home, the new environment was really great. It took some getting use to, new people, new friends, new toys and routines but now in mid-September I walk right in with Owen and sit down and play without a backwards glance at Mom and Dad. I know they are just going to work and will pick us up after work is done for the day.
I started gymnastics in the spring and really really enjoy it, Owen and I are doing gymnastics again this fall. As well I am in swimming lessons and love the water; at day care I get to go swimming once a week and Mom and Dad think this has really helped to improve my love of the water. Starting next week, Owen and I will be taking music classes through the day care as well; I love to dance and sing, so I am very sure I will really enjoy this class. I love to sing songs….my ABC’s and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star are a couple of my favorites.
My birthday party will be Thomas the Train this year.
One Friday on the way home from work and day care, with no motivation to cook, Sean and I struggled with what to make for dinner. Then Sean had an idea, what if we made pizza at home. Owen and Brandon would love to help put the toppings on and it would be something a little different. Sean remembered when he was young, evenings when him, his mom and sister would make pizza and put on their own toppings and sauce and cheese. Fond memories. So Sean and I stopped at the grocery store, picked up the necessary fixings and called up Aunty Claudette and Grandma K. Everyone was very excited!
Owen and Brandon loved piling on the toppings, adding the cheese (and then taking it off, so they could eat it) and watching it bake in the oven. The pizza turned out really well and everyone very much enjoyed it. We have a little improving to do with the crust; it’s a worth while work in progress.
There were some days of warm weather this summer and with that we did quite a bit of work in our backyard. We finally finished our projects for this summer and got a few extra days of nice weather to enjoy our new yard. Owen loves to play in the sand; the new playgrounds around here are all built with wood chips, so there are very few places to go to that have sand. For Owen’s birthday, Grandma and Grandpa H bought him a sand box and finally we were able to fit it into our backyard project. Owen has spent many hours digging and dumping sand.
Brandon likes to “help” Mommy with digging and moving dirt in her new vegetable garden. Both Brandon and Owen even had to get their own tools.
Kosmo loves it now that Owen and Brandon are a little older. They throw his ball or ring and Kosmo runs after it; although we are still working on teaching Kosmo to bring his toy to them to throw again (Kosmo likes to bring it to Mom or Dad instead).
And with playing outdoors, with running along side Kosmo and working in the dirt with their tools, it is inevitable that someone will get hurt. Here Brandon is showing off his face first plant into the rocks!
