The Boys

The other day my mother sent me an email asking for an update on what the boys are doing right now. I'd been intending to do an EFG (Especially for Grandparents) post anyway so I thought this would be a good time to share some of the new little tricks our little Eliot and Peter are up to. (Note: some of the pictures match up with what I've written about and some of them just show other things the boys are doing these days.)

Motor Skills:

Eliot thinks jumping is the greatest thing ever. He still loves trampolines, but now he loves to jump off of things. The side of a pool, a stool, a chair, the couch, you name it, he's probably jumped off of it (or at least thought about jumping off of it).

Peter has officially moved into the crawling phase and enjoys exploring the apartment. He especially loves getting into the shower. He has started to pull himself up on the couch and enjoys climbing up and over Eliot's step stool. Sometimes when Eliot is still on it.

Reading:

Peter is still at the age when the quality of a book is based primarily on its mouthfeel. There is one board book in particular that he enjoys. He, of course, loves to chew on it, but if you can pry it's pages apart he also enjoys looking through it because there's a little mirror at the end that he can smile into.

Eliot loves to be read to. His favorites are too numerous to be listed, but some of the titles he is currently into are Winnie the Pooh, Bats at the Beach, and anything by Dr Seuss. He will also sit for a few pages of more advanced tomes like Little House on the Prairie or Wind in the Willows.

Language:

It amazes me how much Eliot's use of language has developed even since we arrived here. His sentences are more complex, "Mama get the phone please" and he's experimenting more with subtlety, "Mama watch little bit Curious George?" His phone skills have come a long way as well.

Peter loves to squeal and make a variety of noises. And of course he loves to giggle.

Interests:

Peter has a strange and compelling fascination with our cordless phone. Whenever he sees it his eyes widen, his little feet kick in excitement, he trembles all over and he clutches at it beseechingly. Once you give it to him he enjoys pushing the buttons and hearing it beep until you eventually have to persuade him to give it up. And when I say 'persuade' I of course mean pry it from his firm grip. He also enjoys rummaging through this and that, and trying to play with whatever Eliot is playing with at any given moment.

Eliot still loves Yellow Bear above all others. He is also fascinated by the way things work and fit together. He 'helped' us assemble the fans that we purchased. He also 'helped' with his crib when it arrived. He likes to pull apart and reassemble his little toys, and I'm sometimes amazed at what he's able to figure out. When we were visiting with some friends they brought out a contraption that held soap for blowing bubbles. Eliot was far more interested in puzzling out the contraption than with blowing any bubbles.

(I love that they're making the same face.)

Outings:

Eliot loves his swimming lessons. He also enjoys trips to the beach, to the library, to the grocery store and to the park. He must walk but does a good job of holding hands or holding on to the stroller. When he gets tired he'll ride in the stroller and snuggle Yellow Bear.

Peter is pretty much just along for the ride. He seems to enjoy any outing that involves air conditioning. The beach is nice as long as it's not too windy and he can relax on a blanket in the shade of an umbrella. On hot afternoons I take the boys to a wading pool that's shaded with a canopy. Peter loves splashing in the cool water. He's a good sport.

All in all our little boys are doing well and getting bigger every day. Even with the challenges and frustrations, they are delightful little guys and we love them.