Growing Boys

A lot has been going on around here since I last wrote and several of you have made it well know that I have been slacking on updates so here it is. Our most recent excitement has been the first birthday for Benjamin. He turned one last week and we had a great time celebrating with a little playdate party and a family party and every time he heard us sing "Happy Birthday" he beamed from ear to ear knowing that we were celebrating him. The first picture is of Ben looking befuddled at the traditional Koebbe First Birthday Jello-cake made by Nana. It took him a moment to grasp that he was allowed to dive in with both hands and eat the sweet, messy, jiggliness that was before him. Along with the first birthday there was the first cupcake, first haircut by Aunt Laura, first Christmas (See family marshmallow photo), first Halloween (dressed as a ghost briefly), first Obama rally (by the Arch), first pile of leaves. We have yet to enjoy a first snow but I'm sure those days are soon coming.

Simon and Ben have been having a lot of fun lately learning to play together. Simon has confiscated the large cardboard box which he enjoys more than almost every other toy (aside from his trains who enjoy the box too). Ben has discovered that he can chase Simon through the box and it becomes a laughing. squealing game of tag that is a glimpse of the future of play for the boys. Simon has become quite a master track builder of late and is showing off one of his designs in the photo that incorporates 3 different tracks, my job is to corral Ben so that he doesn't destroy the creation. We took some time in December to have a special Mommy, Daddy, Simon day at the City Museum where we crawled, climbed and slid down a 7 story slide. Okay, Simon and Daddy did most of the climbing, I was not about to be suspended 5 stories in the sky by a mere coil, I was shaking just watching them up there. If anyone out there is interested in an adventure, I'm sure Simon would love to go back and show you the "ropes".