August the entertainer

We took a spontaneous train trip yesterday afternoon - August wouldn't nap, I was going crazy, so we decided to go to the nearest (commuter) train station and take the next train to the end of the line. We ended up in Södertälje and found our way to the most wonderful museum/experiment hall/play place, called Tom Tits Experiment (great name, right?). August loved it. James and I loved it. Not sure how Leif felt about it, he didn't have much to say. August's favorite part, I think, was a room with a giant marble run. You take a billiard ball and climb a (safe) ladder to the ceiling, then drop your ball into a track, and it makes its way down the track around the entire room, doing a loopty-loop on one wall and ending in a basket. August would drop his ball in and I'd carry him down the ladder and we'd run across the room together, him shouting "It's going! Oooh! The ball!" And I do mean shouting. It was so much fun to watch him having so much fun.

Sadly, I don't have any pictures of that - it was just too much fun in there to get the cameras out.

But, I do have pictures of Leif's favorite part of the day - watching August in the stroller.

He had so much fun watching August look around and point out what he was seeing and laugh back at Leif. I love watching them interact.

Videos at outdoor cafes

The title today pretty much says it alls.

From last weekend, August's first ice cream cone (he's had ice cream before, but never in a cone).



While Leif can't sit up unsupported for very long, he does well in chairs now. But maybe August doesn't think so:

Double whammy

So this happened after preschool pick-up today:

August actually climbed out of the stroller while we were moving. Twice. I even have a sound recording of both of them screaming at the same time, but I'll spare you that joy.

This joy, however, I'll share:

These two, and a resume

How about these guys?

For some reason I decided to spend way too much time tonight updating my LinkedIn profile. (Someone tell me if that link doesn't work, I'm too lazy tired to sign out and check it myself). What would you add???

Position: Domestic Executive
Company: The Watson-Elliott Household

• Manage and fulfill expectations for three other household members with wildly divergent needs.
• Excel in a high-stress environment under constant sleep deprivation to provide for the material and emotional requirements of two high-maintenance individuals (aged four months and two years - the two-year old hereafter referred to as "The Tyrant")
• Solve problems quickly and creatively and remain adaptable and ready to implement new strategies on a moment's notice, usually under high pressure and while The Tyrant screams.
• Generate meal plans and procure provisions to ensure the health of all family members and to fulfill the whims of the The Tyrant.
• Take and edit photographs and write updates to maintain communications with far-flung loved ones by keeping a blog.
• Research, analyze, implement and dissect dozens of strategies to optimize the functioning of the household and emotional wellbeing of the newborn and The Tyrant.
• Manage financial accounts in three countries, pay bills in two, and determine the most cost-effective organic diaper-purchasing solutions.
• Work closely with co-executive to maintain acceptable hygiene levels in the home, locate strategies to get The Tyrant to sleep, and maximize ineffable experiences of joy, connection and fondness to ensure the continued wellbeing of all household members.
• Whilst living in a foreign country, figure out how to do everything (banking, shopping, tax registration, extended public transportation excursions, etc.) with minimal practical or emotional support, frequently with an upset small child in tow.
• Lactate.

Mama's baby boys

So I'll admit that I think of Augie less and less as a baby these days. He's getting the expressions, mannerisms, and language of a child now, and he's so big! But I finally understand what my mom has been saying all these years: he'll always be my baby.

Look at these two. Here's hoping they'll be the best of buds (and co-champions at Wimbledon!).

Augie getting ready for the tummy time shot:

Nope! Time to bounce around some more:

Okay, now he's ready:

So sweet:

Ahh, that's more like it:

And he's up!

My two boys

Finally! I have some great photos to share with you...but I'm not going to tonight. I'm too tired to sort through them. Tomorrow Augie goes back to school, so maybe I'll have some time then (more likely I will try to nap with Leif all day to recover from the looong holiday weekend!).

But you can have one. This one.

Sharing books

As Leif was having his tummy time this morning, Augie came in and picked up a book to read to him. "Read" might be a slight exaggeration of what happened, but Augie did talk about what was happening on the pages, and Leif did seem to pay attention for at least a minute.

A dream come true

Look what different colors they are! 

Augie has been so great with Dai-dai; he showers him with kisses and hugs, he wants to carry and hold him several times a day, he shares his toys and food with him. He's only pulled his hair once, and only sat on him twice (both tonight at dinner). However, he's been acting out in other ways. We had friends over on Saturday afternoon - they have a baby three days older than Dai-dai and a boy who is four. Augie pulled this boy's hair three times, twice while they were playing alone in the bedroom, and once in front of all of us. At a playground on Saturday he pulled off other children's hats two or three times (presumably because he couldn't reach their hair?), and today at the local park he hit two kids over the head (but not hard, thankfully) with a plastic hockey stick for no reason at all! We've never seen this kind of behavior from him. We've seen him be territorial or possessive, but with the two kids he hit on the head with a hockey stick, there was no aggravating incident - he wasn't even playing with them. He just walked up to these kids and hit (more like tapped, but still) them. We suspect that it's anger and jealousy about Dai-dai manifesting in other ways, and we don't know what to do about it.

On a significantly happier note, one of my dreams came true today: the family nap. Dai-dai had been sleeping on my chest, as below, when Augie woke from his nap. He came into our room smiling and climbed into bed, then James climbed in next to him. I massaged Augie's back and head, and soon enough he was back to sleep, and I was sandwiched between my sleeping babies. *The best.* (Full disclosure: I didn't sleep at all because my neck was uncomfortable and I'd bee in the same position for ninety minutes; but that meant I got to savor the moment!)