Twanoh State Park

We met our friends, the Gills, at Twanoh today for a picnic and hike. The picnic was great but the hike was thwarted. The trail was closed due to flood damage. Bummer! We made the most of it though, hung out by the water and had a good time anyway.

Big Ol' Stinky Boys

Today was Elliott's 6 month check up. He is 19 lbs (81st percentile) and 28 inches (91st percentile). Who's kid is this? Oh, and the really scary news... he started crawling yesterday. HELP!

Let me tell you about the pictures you see here.

Oliver and I were goofing around taking pictures of ourselves. Oliver was cracking up viewing the results on the LCD screen when he ripped one right on my leg!! That made him laugh harder which produced a whole string of foul-smelling emissions. Of course I continued to fire away with the camera to document the event. The final picture is Oliver alone because I had to escape the stink-shroud.

Elliott is 6 months old!

Old Home Video

In the process of transferring all my old analog video to DVD, I came across some footage of Oliver and his cousin Jack. I couldn't resist sprucing it up and posting it. It's also on our YouTube channel: yelmist. The boys were NOT injured, only scared.

Quote of the Day

Owen: "Who are the Diffocrats?"

Oliver: "They're Dad's baseball team."

Sit for a bit

Elliott is starting to be able to sit for short durations now. It's amazing how it changes their world.

Peter! Peter! Peter!

I just finished reading Peter and the Starcatchers to Oliver. It's a novel about the origins of Peter Pan. Oliver is totally obsessed with The Pan, let me tell you. He wants to hear and see anything and everything Peter Pan. Every night we read a few chapters and no matter how long I read or how late it got he threw a fit for me to keep reading. I almost regret telling him about the other books in the series!

Love Is in the Air

I don't know if it's because Valentine's Day is coming and they've been talking about it at school or what but Oliver has started receiving "love letters" from the girls in his class! He doesn't get it at all. He just thinks his friends are giving him things. I want to tease him so badly! But I won't.

This is a picture an adorable little girl named Chun Hoi gave him. She presented it to him in an envelope that included a penny and a tiny blank book (about 1.5" x 2"). He is using the blank book to make something in return for her. It's titled "The book of Oliver and Chun Hoi" and he drew a picture of them holding hands on the cover. He said he's going to use it to put memories of things they've done together in it. I can't wait 'til it's done! It will break my heart to let him give it to her.

Another new trick.

Constantly rocking on all fours has already gotten boring, I guess. Either that or he's trying to work off those holiday pounds just like the rest of us. HA!

Were Owen and Elliott Separated at Birth? You be the judge.

Most people think Elliott looks just like Owen. In the photos, they are both 5 months old. The similarities are pretty striking, but they're definitely not carbon copies. Or is it just because I'm their mother?

Interview with the Os

Q: What is your favorite color?

Oliver: "My favorite color is red."
Owen: "Blue. B-L-U-E, Mom."

Q: What is your favorite animal?

Owen: "Mine is the chipmunk because he's little and funny."
Oliver: "Mine is the beluga and the otter because belugas are really cool and otters can float on their backs and they have really cool tails."

Q: What is your favorite day of the week and why?

Owen: "Autumn."
Oliver: "My favorite day of the week is Monday because Christmas was on a Monday."

Q: What is your favorite food?

Owen: "My favorite food is grapefruit."
Oliver: "I don't have a favorite food."

Q: If you could have any meal what would it be?

Oliver: "Any kind of junk food."
Owen: "Grapefruit."

Q: If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

Owen: "...uh, Jupiter! Uh...Earth! Uhhhh our house!"
Oliver: "Texas to go visit my relatives."

Q: What is your favorite movie?

Owen: "Alvin and the Chipmunks and Pirates Who Don't Do Anything."
Oliver: "Superman. And Peter Pan."

Q: What is your favorite TV show?

Owen: "Backyardigans, Wonder Pets."
Oliver: "Maybe Wonder Pets."

Q: What is your favorite book?

Owen: "Alphabet Mystery" by Audrey Wood.
Oliver: "Peter and the Starcatchers and Escape from the Carnivale."

Q: What is your favorite toy?

Owen: "Playmobil zoo set."
Oliver: "My birthday bear named Sapphire."

Q: What is your favorite song?

Owen: "Backyardigans song."
Oliver: "I like most of the songs."

Q: Would you like to learn to play an instrument? If so, which one?

Owen: "Yea, piano AND guitar AND trumpet AND violin AND drums and bass."
Oliver: "Yes, trumpet."

Q: Where is your favorite place to go?

Owen: "Disneyland and Disney World."
Oliver: "LaLa's house."

Q: What is your favorite restaurant and what do you get to eat there?

Owen: "Mayan. Cheese enchiladas and rice and beans and chips."
Oliver: "Red Robin. Fried cheese sticks and pizza."

Q: What is your favorite dessert?

Owen: "Ice cream and Dilly bars and chocolate cake."
Oliver: "Ice cream."

Q: Tell me about your family.

Owen: "I love Mommy. I love Daddy. I love Elliott. I love Oliver."
Oliver: "I love my mom, dad, Owen, Elliott and relatives."

Q: What superhero would you like to be and why?

Owen: "Superman because he flies and has x-ray vision and heat vision and he has a cape."
Oliver: "Superman because he's probably the most powerful superhero."

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?

Owen: "Judge."
Oliver: "An explorer."

Q: Where will you live when you grow up?

Owen: "With you."
Oliver: "With you."

Q: Who will you marry?

Owen: "I don't know yet."
Oliver: "I haven't decided yet."

Q: Do you think you'll have kids? How many?

Owen: "Yea. Three like you."
Oliver: "Yes. I'd like three or two."

Q: What do you like best about yourself?

Owen: "I like my eyeballs because I don't have to wear glasses."
Oliver: "That I'm really smart. hee hee hee"

Quote of the Day.

"I love soup so much I'm almost a Souperhero!" ~ Owen


This one came from Oliver the other day:

"MOM! MOM! Help me!! Owen's chasing me with the Window Wax and he's gonna shoot me with it!" "Window Wax?" I inquired. "Yea, that blue stuff in your bathroom for cleaning! He's got it and he's gonna get me!"

Rock 'n roll!

Three weeks ago Elliott rolled over all the way. Today, at 5 months 1 week he pushed up on all fours and started rocking! He did it all day long and wore himself out. The little dude will be crawling soon I guess. Oh no! I'm scared.

LEGO Mania!

The Os received some LEGO sets for Christmas. We finally got them out and worked on them. The boys put them together with minimal help from mom.

They grow up so fast....

Following in his family's footsteps, Elliott is quickly becoming a voracious reater. Get it? LOL

Elliott is 5 months old.

Zzzzzz

Oliver and Owen had their friends Austin and Steven sleep over for the first time a couple of weekends ago. They couldn't agree on a movie, so the little brothers watched Monsters, Inc. upstairs on the TV while the big brothers watched Hercules downstairs on the portable DVD player. They had a good time.

Here's a picture of Elliott in his new big boy carseat. It wasn't cheap, but as you can see he sleeps really well in it so it was worth it!

Around the house.

We got a bit of snow nearly two weeks ago. Owen was jazzed to build a snowman "all by himself." If you look closely you'll see it. It's more of a snowball-man! What a nut. Yet look how proud he was to pose beside it and have his picture taken.

Brian doesn't often pick up the camera any more. I guess he figures I do such a great job... ;)

But he couldn't resist taking this one. I could just eat that baby up!

Elliott has a new trick. He can roll over now! He did it for the first time right at 4.5 months.

(Click the photo to enlarge.)

Owen has a new trick too! He crossed the monkey bars for the first time a couple of days ago. I didn't have my camera, darn it! Later that night he asked, "Mom, were you impressed that I crossed the monkey bars?" I cracked up and answered, "I'm impressed you used the word impressed!"

Martin Luther King!

Both kindergarten classes performed a song praising MLK Jr at last Friday's assembly. Oliver is in the center wearing the red and gray stripes.

Oliver's snow scene he made at school. I love how happy his snowman looks. The tree was added at Owen's request once we got home.

Elliott at 4 months.

Elliott has started eating solids. Sometimes he likes them, sometimes he doesn't. Brian was feeding him sweet potatoes here. Yum!

Here's Elliott with his Taggies puppy he got for Christmas from Auntie Aimee and Uncle Ben.

And here's Elliott by the month for the first four months of his life. They don't stay tiny for long!