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Sunday, December 13th:
2 mornings of pre-school couldn't have gone better. They have yet to miss a day and LOVE it. They are leaders in their class, socialize with everyone in school and participate all of the time.
The boys are spelling their names and learning to write letters. They are even showing an interest in addition and subtraction. We had a fun filled fall and had a few firsts this December with a visit to the Circus and their first movie theater movie, The Princess & The Frog.

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Wednesday, September 9th:
The guys had their 3 year well check a few weeks back. They weigh about 27-28 pounds - only 2-3 pounds more than their baby brother who is 9 months old. Jack is 38" and Red is 37 1/2" tall.

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Thursday, August 27th:
No more diapers!!! Peeing on the pot (and some trees) with no issues. Poo is going well, but more of a challenge. They are doing really well overall and we're very proud.

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Monday, August 3rd:
Jack and Red are enjoying lots of swim time this summer and we're having a great time on lots of adventures. They love their new treehouse built by Dad. And they miss their cat. J&R are looking forward to starting preschool soon. Other than that we're just trying to stay cool and keep it real. Potty training is around the corner we hope. They also survived their first camping trip to French Creek State park and loved sleeping in a tent. Red fell out of the boat into the lake, but that's another story.

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Tuesday, May 26th:
Excuse me...
Jackson and Redford are the polite police. They made me say thank you to Bryan for buying a bag of plant food from Home Depot the other day. They have the phrase "Excuse me..." down perfectly and use it often to interrupt. Monsters still linger, but are few and far between now. The movie Monsters Inc really helped. They sometimes ask me to put Bodie down in order to play, but so far they have been really good brothers and love him very much. They are the only people that can really make him laugh.
They have discovered spitting, which is not a fun habit to break and they still like to say "Aww, damn it," but we're coping.
We're getting out much more than we ever have since they are more independent now and listen pretty well. Every day brings a new adventure.

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Monday, March 30th:
MONSTERS!!!
Bedtime has become very interesting. Our 4 month old still sleeps better than our 2 1/2 year olds. Almost every night they wake up yelling, crying or searching for monsters. They have a love/hate relationship with them.
And they can describe them perfectly. For example, "Daddy, the orange monster with brown stripes and fangs from baby Deven's house is under my covers." What?????? This does describe a monster they saw in Deven's book a month or so ago. Their memories amaze us.
Thank goodness they are talking so well, because I think their ability to communicate cuts down on the amount of tantrums they have. But they still have a lot. They're 2!
They love Curious George, Calliou and Berenstain Bears. I Spy books are the best and stories of Frog & Toad are a regular at bedtime. Coloring with markers and sculpting with play foam are favorite activities and they are enjoying their new disc swing in the back yard. Both J&R have expressed some interest in girls, kind of. They both have said that they would like to marry Sister Bear and Karen from Frosty.

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Monday, February 16th:
I'm the big kid now.
Jack & Red are enjoying their new brother. They are good helpers and haven't expressed any jealousy or dislike towards Bodie. Thank goodness we had twins first. They have a playmate in each other and never had my sole attention, so adding Bodie to the mix was no big deal at all.
It's hard to find as much time to help the boys work on spelling and counting and such, but they are learning to be independent and are playing well on their own more.
We're registered for 2 mornings of pre-school at Paoli Methodist this coming Fall and will also sign up for soccer squirts. Until then, they are stuck with Mom and we're all looking forward to spring.
They've also discovered "monsters, " which has made bedtime more interesting.

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Wednesday, January 21st:
We make the rules!
Just shy of 2 1/2 years old, Jackson & Redford have started their anti-nap campaign and are close to victory.

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2008:

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Monday, December 22nd:
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
The weather is chilly and we've been stuck in the house, so J&R tried to video tape some Christmas carols for everyone. Here's a cute, short movie for this holiday season.
Xmas Carols 2008

Here are some other recent singing recordings:
Rock-a-bye baby - 27 mos old
Root for the Phillies - 26 mos old
Sing, sing a song - 22 mos old
Happy B'day - 21 mos old

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Thursday, December 11th:
Even though we often use the boy's nicknames, they only use the formal version of their names when talking to each other.
A typical conversation would sound like, "Oh Redford, can I have a turn with that coal car yet?" "Ummmmm, no Jackson, it's still my turn. I'm almost done."
The fact that at their age they use words like "oh," "ummmm," "almost," "still," and "yet" amazes us.

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Sunday, November 30th:
Make no mistake, I am being one of those annoying, bragging Moms today. At least it's just our blog and not a bumper sticker.
Red & Jack, at 27 months old, can now master an age 3+, 24 piece puzzle in a matter of days. Their vocabulary seems unlimited and their ability to memorize and repeat songs keeps us amazed. They've been saying some nutty things lately too like, "What the heck is that?" and "I love you brother man."
They also like to tell jokes like "Why did the chicken cross the road" and are learning a couple knock knock jokes as well.
But the biggest news today is that they are starting to spell. They've been learning their letters for a long time now, but today they spelled their first real word, "Oreo." Hilarious. Leave it to J & R to pick the name of a cookie as the first word they spell.

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Saturday, November 15th:
Jackson & Redford met their baby brother, Bodie, and were VERY excited to hold him.

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Sunday, November 9th:
We had a great last weekend alone with Mom & Dad before #3 comes along. We visited the new Please Touch Museum, went out for pizza and breakfast, played at the park and went on a leaf hunt in Valley Forge.

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Tuesday, November 4th:
The guys are totally into the baby thing. This is 4 minutes of cute that you have to see. Check it out here.
Note: It may take a minute for the video to start playing.

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Sunday, November 2nd:
Big brothers are the best
At 27 months old, Redford & Jackson are totally into the baby thing. When they woke up from their nap the other day and saw that the nursery was put together one of them said, "Oh wow, it's all cleaned up. The baby can come out now." We let them watch the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown over Halloween and we're a little afraid that they will suggest the name "Blockhead" as a name for boy #3. We had a blast this Halloween as the three little pigs and the big bad wolf.

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Wednesday, October 22nd:
Letters and Lyme
Both the guys are really into counting, the alphabet, identifying letters and attempting to spell. In fact, their favorite joke this week is to say, "P.U. spells Jackson" and then crack up laughing.
Red blew us away over the weekend when he randomly spelled out "W.O.R.K.S." on the Gas Works logo while we were shopping for a fireplace. We had no idea he knew all of those letters.
On Tuesday night we discovered the dreaded red, bulls eye, rash associated with Lyme Disease on Jack's arm. He had been biten by a tick two weeks prior. Sure enough it's Lyme, but the good news is that we caught it early and after 30 days of meds he should be completely cured.

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Wednesday, October 15th:
Root root root for the Phillies.
Redford & Jackson are just over 2 years old and are stoked about the Phillies. Of course they normally sing songs perfectly, but capturing them on video is another story.
Here are a few attempts. Check it out here.
Note: It may take a minute for the video to start playing.

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Tuesday, October 7th:
"What a bummer"
That's one of the latest phrases the boys like to use to describe rainy days or other situations that aren't much fun. There is no limit to their verbal skills at this point and sometimes the conversations go on and on and on and on....
They are like sponges and have learned several new songs including Take Me Out To The Ball Game. We haven't used the video camera in a few months, but maybe we'll break it out soon. Both Jack and Red are looking forward to meeting their baby brother who is currently "Hiding in Mommy's belly until he gets bigger."

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Wednesday, September 24th:
Home alone
The boys enjoyed a "parent-free" weekend with Gram & Pop Pop. They went to the park, Dutch Wonderland and the lake. They had a blast.
Jack and Red have been enjoying "Play Day" at a local church every Tuesday and Story Time at the library every Thursday. We fill in other days with adventures, get-togethers with the Mom's Club and play dates.

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Sunday, August 31st:
We're a-okay
After a great vacation in SC we returned to PA for our 2-year check up. Which by the way, we didn't complain at all about the 12 hour car ride. We're traveling kind of guys.
On the 25th we walked into the doctor's office, approached the desk and gave them our names, "Jackson Thomas" and "Redford Thomas." All by ourselves. When the doctor came in we asked him, "Can I have a check up please?" And we were proud to point out all of our new boo boos to him. To that he responded, "Boys will be boys." We each couldn't wait for our turn for the check up and repeated many times, "It's my turn now" until the doctor gave us his attention. He was impressed with our health and development. We continue to climb the charts for height at over 90% and remain towards the bottom for weight below 20%. Jack is 36 1/2 " and 25 lbs and Red is 36" and 24 1/2 lbs. It's the same old story every time we go in. We're lucky to have such tall and skinny genes.

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Sunday, August 17th:
We're two and not terrible!
Redford & Jackson turned two on the 8th and had a blast opening presents and eating pizza at Gram and Pop Pop's house. We didn't have a big party this year, because our house is in the middle of construction. The only bummer was that the day of their birthday gathering we got a lot of rain. A lot. No, I mean a lot. And Grandpa and Uncle Sunil, amongst others, were stuck cleaning up the muddy mess in our basement and crawl space and pretty much every where. We can't thank them enough for their help.
But the boys had no idea and loved singing songs to everyone while wearing costumes, playing with their new Thomas gear, and being total hams on their special day. Blowing out candles and eating cake was a highlight as well.
Kristin, Grandma and the boys are enjoying some time away in SC while the fellas continue to work on the house. They'll be back on the 25th.

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Wednesday, July 23rd:
Give me a break. I'm almost two.
"A temper tantrum is the emotional equivalent of a summer storm — sudden and sometimes fierce. One minute you and your child are in a restaurant enjoying your dinner, the next minute he's whimpering, whining, and then screaming at the top of his lungs because his straw is bent. "
This statement describes perfectly what is going on lately with the boys. One minute they are hitting and yelling at me to "Go away Mommy" and the next they are holding a toy hammer and saying sweetly, "I'm building Mommy a new house."
They spend half the day being best friends and the other half bossing each other around and wrestling. It's not easy to keep our cool or understand the frustration they are feeling, but we're trying our best. They are only 2 after all, it's to be expected.
Good news is that they now say "bottles are for babies," and are only interested in "big boy" or "big kid" things. Their new room with real beds has been a hit.

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Monday, July 7th:
Does anyone watch Two and a Half Men? Did you see the episode with Charlie Waffles?
"I drink from a sippy cup, sippy cup, sippy cup. I drink from a sippy cup, I'm a big boy now."
Last night was the first night ever that the boys did not have a bottle before bed. They asked for milk in their "big boy" cup.
They don't suck their thumb, carry around pacifiers or blankets so we let their attachment to the bottle linger despite popular belief from most pediatricians these days. Luckily our doctor is laid back and normal. They are toddlers after all. What's the rush?
This was the last bottle to ween. Cross your fingers that we can keep up the success tonight and forevermore.

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Wednesday, June 18th:
The boys love to sing. And even though they sing many songs in their entirety, that's not usually the case when I whip out the video camera. But we still wanted to share this video with everyone because it's pretty darn cute. Check it out here.
For those of you that are wondering what "Basketball Jones" is, check it out on YouTube. It's a song made most famous by Cheech and Chong.
Note: It may take a minute for the video to start playing.

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Tuesday, June 3rd:
Cribs are no longer. The guys were jumping so hard the screws were falling out and they were about to start diving head first onto the hard wood floor. We threw their crib mattresses on the floor for now while they get used to it. Night time isn't bad, but naps are impossible. It's only been 3 days, so I still have hope. As I write this I am listening to them on the monitor laughing and yelling "tickle tackle" while they are supposed to be napping. There is also a lot of banging going on. Chaos.

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Tuesday, May 27th:
Jackson and Redford are 21 months old (almost two). Bryan, aka Daddy, is 30 something today.
The boys wanted to send Daddy a movie he could watch at work today. Check it out here.

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Thursday, May 15th:
Boo boo central
Last week was one thing. This morning Jackson smashed his forehead on our bed and has a huge knot. Then this afternoon he split his lip at the playground. He still has scabs from the picker bushes last week. Week before that he fell down the stairs at playgroup. He's a mess. Poor guy.
Red is "boo boo" free at the moment. However he keeps telling us that he hears Rhino noises upstairs. What is that about?

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Monday, May 12th:
Boys will be boys
Last week Jack came out from behind the bushes and handed me a dead snake that our cat tortured.
On Saturday he ran full force into a wild raspberry patch. He likes showing off his "picky scratches."

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Monday, April 21st:
Gift of Gab
Make no mistake. We are bragging. We think our kids are pretty darn smart for 20 months old. They can say their ABC's including the song at the end without prompting, they can count to 15 all by themselves and know a number songs from start to finish. It's not always 100% clear or consistent, but they are always really close to getting the words just right.
And they are not even 2 years old yet.

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Monday, March 17th:
Happy St. Patty's Day
Wow - 19 months. That's not that long in the grand scheme of things. But much has changed. And for the better.
Number one is traveling. The boys were excellent travelers during our trip to South Carolina. There was no crying and little to no whining. We attribute this mostly to our minivan and a portable DVD player, but the fact is that the boys are getting older and are more fun to travel with.
We are also able to get out more and recently visited the Aquarium in SC, the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philly and the Hands on House in Lancaster. We had a blast and it wasn't as hard as it used to be.
Number two is walking. Strollers are out. We use them when necessary or to take long walks, but otherwise the boys walk along and hold our hands. In order for one adult to walk two boys in and out of a store and hold their hands, you absolutely need two things: a wrist coil key ring and a backpack.
Life with the boys is a pleasure, not that it wasn't before, but it is getting easier.
The guys also continue to work on their collection of homemade thank you cards. Check them out here.

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Monday, February 11th:
A year and a half old
Redford and Jackson are a year and a half old. We've decided not to count their age by months any longer. They will either be "a year and a half" or "close to two" from now on!
The boys have made tremendous strides in the past few months. They went from gagging a couple times a day on certain table foods to eating more than we do for breakfast (1-2 cheesy eggs, toast, cereal, bananas and grapes). They are still picky, toddler eaters, but they'll try anything. The guys are also sitting in booster seats, without baby trays, at the table now. And eating consistently with utensils.
They speak in partial sentences and learn several new words a day. They've graduated from Baby Einstein to Little Einsteins and follow along with the words and gestures in the show. Jack's favorite thing is Thomas the Train (choo choo) and he knows all of the characters. Even though Red enjoys choo choo too he prefers Little Einsteins, which he calls his "boy" or "rocket" show. This means we have to take turns when watching TV. And limiting their TV watching has become a big priority since it's winter and they can now turn on the TV by themselves. Coloring and playdoh have become the latest favorite activities. And we still try to get outside everyday!
Did we mention that a month ago they finally decided to sleep all the way through the night (8pm - 7am) - every night!
Their personalities are unique, but change week to week. We would have described them previously by saying, "Red will do his homework and Jack will copy it." But the past few weeks have been the opposite with Red becoming the more aggressive goofball and Jack more quiet and studious.
We're going for a check up at the doctor's tomorrow and will keep you posted. In the meantime you can download a 10 minute video of Red and Jack by clicking this link http://www.megaupload.com/?d=K5SL7QTM. Enter the code in the top right of the screen to download. You do not need to sign up.
If the first link doesn't work for you try this one http://senduit.com/a0f919. _______________________________

Thursday, January 17th:
The power of TV and the memories of babies
Two amazing things happened this past week.
1. Two weeks ago the boys woke up asking for "Choo Choo" and it's been all about Thomas ever since. We have one video and have been playing it every now and then. We were so excited with their new interest that we ran out to the bookstore and bought a few Thomas board books to surprise them before bed. One book has illustrations of six characters. Bryan and I don't know, and have never spoken any of their names. When I asked Jack where Percy, Toby, Harold, etc were in the book he was able to point to all six correctly the very first time. He must have learned their names from the video, which has about 20 characters by the way. We thought this was mind blowing.
2. Baby Einstein makes a stuffed caterpillar toy that makes animal sounds, shapes and colors. We put this toy away with other baby items when the boys were about 10 months old, before they could talk. Last week they found it in a box and pulled it out. They pointed directly to the green dragon and started saying, "blah blah blah." This is the sound the dragon makes and they remembered from 7 months ago, before they could even say "blah." I wonder what else they remember - ut oh.

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Wednesday, January 9th:
The guys just turned 17 months old. Playing with legos and watching Thomas the train are their favorite things. Jackson wakes up in the morning asking for "Choo Choo." They both are talking all of the time and repeating everything we say. Linking two words together like "thank you" started a while ago. But now they say things like "Jack, where are you?", "I love you" and "I like it." Red even told us that he made a poo the other day. We're working on counting and ABC's too. It's amazing. They are the smartest people we know.

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Old Doublemints News

Jack & Red's Blog
Birth Date: August 8, 2006

Old Doublemints News