Oh Fall

I spent the weekend going through the boys' clothes to change over both their sizes and their summer clothes for fall and winter. A big shout-out to the aunties who share my taste in little-boy clothes: plenty of polos, chunky sweaters, and cute jeans/khakis to go around :) I even put a hat on Theo this morning because there was definitely a snap in the air.

Tim actually worked his first day at his new job today, following a blessedly short interim. He'll be

working to improve operations and financial processes at a small wood working company, very local and a very good fit for both Tim and our family. I've learned time and time again that God can, in fact, do math better than me, and as usual plans things to work out better than even my detailed, down-to-the-minute guidelines :)

So the boys are back in daycare, none the worse for wear for being thrust from it without notice and into a much less structured environment, a.k.a. our house. Or, I should probably say, Tim is none the worse for wear. they are both VERY hands-on right now. Whether its because one is playing a little too roughly with the other, one gets stuck (literally), someone needs food or potty time or a distraction...it gets intense. And loud. And disorderly. Somehow, two children at this age is both terrifying and endearing.

Levi is starting to loose a little bit of his "threenager" approach to life, although now that I've written it down that trend will immediately reverse. He's more emotional than a pregnant woman. In her third trimester. A week overdue. And also...malicious, although not with the full intent of that word. Perhaps I just mean operates as if he has blinders on. He'll go and snatch a toy from Theo with no thought at all as to why that might not be appropriate, and then look confused when, (for the 14th time) we explain why he cannot simply take toys away from his brother and he has to go sit in time out. Yet at the same time, he's also so freaking adorable. He likes to practice cutting and gluing and will play hide and seek and eye spy with you. He'll do his chores (silverware on the table at dinner, collecting the trash, etc.), help mommy and daddy cook and clean up, and chat with you about his day during bed

time. He'll ask all kinds of interesting questions, learn new words every day, make up stories to tell you, sound out his letters, spell his name, practice running and then jumping, and of course, his favorite: reading. So many pockets of fun within the I-want-to-pull-my-hair-out moments were he just can't seem to listen or be polite or nice.

Theo is also learning and growing, albeit not always in ways I'm excited about. He can get up and down the stairs by himself (safely), yet he still can't walk, so we have to carry his bulky little self around everywhere. He likes to sing, but that often translates as shouting random syllables. He likes to find things to dump out or squash, which occasionally is something we didn't realize was in his reach. He very seriously considers launching himself off of beds. He'll stand up in

his high chair and crow, looking right at me, and then hurriedly sit down as soon as he sees me lurch toward him. Theo can whistle (I think I was in the double-digits before I could whistle...), and turn pages in books while you read, and listen to basic instructions. I'm teaching him to repeat some sounds into words (night night, mama!), and we practice pointing and saying the sounds of lots of other words - car, ball, bike, Levi, chair, box, anemone. sometimes he just laughs, but sometimes he'll repeat the sound if he knows how. And he is, of course, the cutest little man ever. he laughs in glee when he stands by himself, plays with a push toy to practice walking, goes down slides, and many other things. He cries like he's just been left on the side of the road at many, many things, but I'm hoping daycare teaches him some self-soothing techniques soon. My methods (ignore? distract? kisses?) don't seem to do much.