Rocketship adventure

The boys actually shared this small space for several minutes without either getting hurt or upset!

They were on a rocket mission,  using their map to navigate through space.  Evan was reading ... apparently every 3rd word or so was October.

Elmo's house

We're taking the kids to Sesame Street Live in a couple of  weeks.  Alec was with me when we bought the tickets at the County Center last week.  We were driving by the County Center on the way to Trader Joe's this  morning and Alec recognized it.  "Dat Elmo House!", he exclaimed.

Cannonball!

Backseat Driver

I just turned Alec's carseat around this week; he now faces forward like a big kid.  He is adjusting to the changed perspective and is now a backseat driver.  The road between his school and Evan's is steep and winding. Now I hear "Yuk ouw Mommy; cah comin!" (translation "Look out Mommy, car coming") every time a car approaches.

Rockstar

shake your booty

How to sleep through a camera flash

Evan is 5!

Evan turned 5 on Saturday.  We had a low-key day of present opening, hanging out at home, and dinner at the train station.

The true birthday excitement occurred on Sunday.  We had a party for Evan at the house.  8 of his friends plus a couple of their siblings came over for a total of 12 kids 5 and under.  Despite the hot, humid weather, the kids all had a great time I think.  They started by launching a variety of different rockets and jumping in the bounce house.

Then, we went inside for cake and ice cream, followed by jet pack decorating.  Next, the kids helped rescue some lost aliens and tiny planet lost in space.

The last activity was to break open the rocket pinata.  The kids took several turns each, then we let some of the Daddies loose on the thing.  With the pinata still mostly intact, the kids amped up the effort and finally broke it!

Soul Man

 

I was upstairs getting ready to take the boys out, when I heard Evan sobbing gently in his room. He'd been petting the cat downstairs a few moments earlier and then came up on his own.

I asked him why he was crying. He told me he had been singing the cat a sad song over and over and now it had made him sad.

Cha Cha Cha

As the boys were eating breakfast this morning, I fired up some music from our vast collection.  Sam Cooke's "Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha" came on, at random.  Now, this song is a favorite of mine and AJ's; we've danced to it pretty since before he was even walking, I think. 

As I looked up from the tablet, I saw that Alec already had his bib off.  He was chanting cha-cha-cha, cha-cha-cha and trying to push his highchair tray away. 

I cleaned him up and he ran off to dance, chanting cha-cha-cha the whole time.

 

Space explorers

Defending the universe.  From overheating.  

Is there anything cooler than a big brother who knows how to fly a spaceship AND defend the world from aliens?  Alec doesn't think so.

Inside the spaceship.

Someone doesn't really seem to understand the seriousness of the mission. Also, that we don't throw peas on the floor. The copilot still needs some training.

"He's playing with me! I have no idea what is going on, but he's not yelling at me for a change!"

Star Wars, if they should bar wars...

Alec and DooToo

Graduation videos

Preschool graduate!

 

Down the drive

Alec vs DooToo

And now on YouTube..

Evan's class play

Reading about animals

Kamikaze AJ

What does a tiger say

Evan shows us some sign language

doing the dishes

3D glasses

AJ's evening routine

shopping for preschoolers

Spring was here

Another Space Man in the Family?

Alec has discovered space (well "shpash").  He LOVES watching shuttle launch videos almost as much as Evan did at this age.  Of course, Evan's tastes are a bit more sophisticated now so the boys argue over watching the launch (over and over "gain") or videos about the Mars rovers.  Alec also says "Erf" while pointing to a picture of any planet.  And "star".  He also knows some of the words and signs for "twinkle twinkle little star".

Given the boys very different natures however, I think if they end up working for a space program it will be in very different jobs.  I could see Evan actually being an astronaut given his love of adventures and easy-going way with all sorts of travel.  I think his main hang up would be the dehydrated food options.

Alec, though, he's more likely to be a feet-on-the-ground engineer.  The kid loves to figure things out; nothing stops him once he sets his mind to something.  I don't see him going into space though.  He doesn't even really like to go to the store.  So far, he's not much of an adventurer.  While I imagine someday he'll again be ok with being more than, say a 1/2" inch from me, I'm not sure I see "astronaut" in his future. I can imagine him designing rockets. If AJ is in charge, astronauts will go to Mars and beyond because AJ doesn't take "NO" for an answer.

Evan the Engineer

 

The Boys

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evan

 

 

 

 

AJ

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alec's first donut