No turning back

Adler has been taking a few steps here and there for what seems like a month or more. I have been horrible about taking videos of it and decided to finally do so last week. Of course, he was wanting to be picked up and was hungry, so he was cranky, but at least you can see his steps. He now walks all over the place.

Dinner by the Fireplace

Last night I asked LT what he wanted to do for dinner. Bri has been out of town and honestly, I wanted to just take the boys out to dinner to avoid cooking and cleaning, but after LTs response, I couldn't resist staying home. He said, "mama, since dada is gone, can we have spaghetti with red sauce and sit by the fire?" Seriously, how could I say no to that. To top it off, he set the table for us, whole jug of pretzels and all!

Creating

One of LTs favorite activities these days is creating things out of junk. He's never been one to play with toys in the traditional sense. I love it, this reminds me of Brian's and my days at BPS where one choice nearly everyday was to build with junk. Below, LT was creating a rocket. However, it wasn't just a rocket, because the next day it became a "music maker". Its so fun to see his imagination roll, with no advice or input from me. I gave him glue, and some junk and away he went.

The final product.
Adler is really into putting things into holes (as was LT at this age...). While LT was building his rocket/music maker, Adler was putting pieces of cardboard into holes in this box.

Gettin' Crazy

LT just loves his bike. He loves going "weawwy weawwy fast, so super fast!" He took his skills to a new level the other day by riding it on the merry go round at the park.

Support Team!

Debbie and I ran the Denver Rock and Roll half marathon last weekend. This was our support team at the expo two days before. Avery is just a few months older than Adler. LT loved all the samples they were giving out, almost better than costco.

Pumpkin Patch

So far we have managed to go to two pumpkin patches this year, and struck out both times with weather.

The boys managed to have lots of fun, despite the cold weather at the Botanic Garden pumpkin patch! They had a wonderful corn maze that LT could have run through all day.

Pumpkins everywhere

LT is super excited about pumpkins, everything about them. I am not sure I could even count the number of pumpkins decorating our house currently, but its a lot. I took the boys to V. Cottage the other day and LT saw a pumpkin he needed (even though we had 4 or 5 already at home). I bought it anyway, this is a fun season and it makes me happy to see him so excited. We came home and I had planned on making dinner, eating dinner and maybe carving it a few days later. My plan wasn't LTs plan and he convinced Bri to commence the pumpkin carving right away. Bri was a good sport, he doesn't love scooping the gunk out, but he did it happily for his son. While the boys were doing the carving, I was boiling pumpkin to make pumpkin pasta, LTs request. He remembered having it at Isaacs house last Christmas (for the record, Bri nor I remembered this, at least not until LT reminded us of the yummy meal).
Adler watched in amazement.

Eatin' Spaghetti

Yum! Gluten free spaghetti.

Around the block

Over two years ago I went a little crazy and somewhat (ok, a lot) prematurely decided LT needed a bike. So maybe my crazy idea that he'd ride a bike before he walked didn't exactly pan out but it is starting to look like the we really will be able to avoid training wheels with the push bike.

Last Thursday LT took an after dinner ride around the block and was more than happy to show off for the camera.


Balance still isn't perfect but he's learning. I thought this was going to be a crash for sure here but he saved it. He did crash into me a few minutes later because he "was going so fast" but he shook it off and got right back to riding/pushing.

We told him to lift his legs up and balance after he gets moving and he's taken the advice quite literally.

Coloring

Its always more fun to color when you can teach your brother how to do it.

Game face

Adler looking serious with his dog hat and green infant passy.

A different kind of "prehab"

When LT was learning to walk, he could walk in the pool, but not on land. We called it "prehab". Adler can walk, and does occasionally, but maybe he needs some bike "prehab" before he is a confident walker.

"YEAH!"

According to LT, Adler now has 3 words, mama, dada and YEA!. He doesn't say mama or dada in the appropriate context, but he seems to understand that when someone asks a question, you need to answer and his only answer right now is "YEAH!" LT is right though, those are Adler's 3 words. LT likes to taunt/play with Adler by asking him questions, to which Adler always replies, "YEAH!" Here are a few examples:

Weekend in the Mountains

My dad recently bought a new house. He's still in Silverthorne but now is on the West side of highway 9. He moved out of his attached home and into a detached home which leaves us as the only duplex dwellers left in the family. At least we don't have the carport anymore...

Anyway, we went and visited him at his new place last weekend and I took a few pictures.

He may not live in a duplex anymore but, just like us, he's got an obnoxious boxer. Unlike us, he only has one.

Adler loves his grandpa and seemed to have fun at the new house.

LT learning about far away places with Baba (Arizona, Boston, California and Africa mostly)


More globe study.


Sunday morning Adler had terrible bed-head but a great smile.

A better shot of the hair.

Trains

Apparently Adler likes trains too.

Little bikes

Adler has gotten really good at getting on his new little Radio Flyer and riding it around by himself.
And LT has gotten the hang of the "balance bikes". He had been really hesitant to ride this bike and only wanted to ride his trike. Then, one day, he got on it and began flying around the block on it. He mostly wants to go off road or off jumps now with it, go figure. Just like most things in LTs life so far, he won't do them until he's confident he can do them well.

Park time

The boys and I love going over to the little park by our house to play, especially this time of year when its not too hot or cold. Last week, after naps, the boys and I went to play for awhile before checking out the new Hops and Pie (beer and pizza place) close to our house. Just recently LT discovered that slides aren't too scary and can actually be fun. However, he didn't figure this out until after he saw Adler flying down huge slides by himself. Adler really has little fear. This is him as he launches himself down the biggest slide at the playground. LT asked to go down it a few weeks ago, but only if Adler would go with him.

LT was making sand angels, I am not quite sure why his feet were in the air, but thats how you made them that day.
The two boys created a huge road in the sand, together. Its so fun to watch them play together now!
Adler copies everything his brother does, but its not unheard of for LT to copy what Alder is doing!
I am mostly happy that Adler isn't walking full time yet, but there are occasions that I wish he was. The park is one of those times. I can tell the sand hurts Adler's knees to crawl on, but he has luckily figured out the crab crawl for the time being.

Rare

Its rare, but occasionally we can get Adler to wear sunglasses too!
Its ra

Exploring the World

Yesterday the boys and I wandered down to the riverfront area near downtown. We watched cars zoom by under us from the pedestrian bridge, admired moving trucks being loaded with stuff from the lofts and were mesmorized by the trains chugging under yet another bridge. It was an all boy afternoon, and that included getting as dirty as possible.

Close to commons park is a little open outdoor area in the shade with lots of cement rises to explore. LT ran around the tops of them and jumped off the edges. Adler would have done the same, if he could walk (which we need to get a video of, but he has taken 6 steps in a row, but prefers to crawl).
Adler watching the trains below.
It was really hard to capture just how dirty these boys really were on camera. I had also wiped off their hands and feet several times by the time these pictures were taken, but you can sort of see the gray tint on both boys pants that are supposed to be dark blue.




Adler is learning about the world. One way to do this is to rub your hands on dirty cement downtown for over 45 minutes. At various times during this afternoon event, Adler was laying on his belly making snow angels with his arms and legs.

Do-Rag

I am glad that there are no dress codes in pre-school that prohibit do-rags, because this is what LT wore today.

Similar

I could go on and on about how different our two boys are, but then there are some shocking similarities. One of them is their 12 month stats.
Exactly the same, here are Adler's and a link back to LT (although you don't even have to link back because they are exactly the same...):
Weight: 22 lbs (40th percentile)
Height: 30 3/4 inches (80th percentile)
Head: 18 1/2 inches (85th percentile)

LTs stats

First birthday

The week before Adler's birthday trip to the mountains, we had a little family dinner party for him at our house.

He got a new ride on toy Radio Flyer. He likes to ride it but he loves to ding the bell.

Avocado for dinner.

LT and Kari helped blow out the birthday candle for him. Adler's not really sure what's going on at this point but LT clearly knew.

Everything's a bit more relaxed with the second child - Alder didn't have to wait until his birthday for his first bite of cake. But I think this is his first whole piece to himself. Spring Fling cake from The Market, of course. He was a little hesitant at first...

But the hesitation didn't last long.


The boys playing together.

Adler smiling as he tries to climb up the slide.


LT likes to say he'll help his brother open his presents and then share them with him. That's how it is in his mind no matter how many times we tell him it's the other way around.

Adler did get a few moments to play puzzle on his own.


The puzzle pieces make great clapping instruments!

funny dad

Dinner with Phoebe and baby Shane

Here are few pictures from a dinner play date with Z at Phoebe's house a couple weeks ago.

Shane and Alder playing in the sand box together.

LT getting off of the double swing with Phoebe because she was going too high.

Phoebe said "cheese" for the camera while the boys insisted on saying "chugga chugga choo choo" over and over again.