As seen in our home lately -- Random shots

The boys are getting big enough now to have wresting matches with dad!

"Band-aid!"

Oh, we got this care package from Grandma Coral and one of the treats inside was a box of Lego candy. It tastes like Sweet Tarts.  We keep it in the freezer and I make last as long as I can.  Jonathan will ask for it and if he's earned it he can build something (although Mommy built this robot in the picture.)  He can't eat the whole thing at once though, just a piece or two. 

So Jonathan has started to learn how to dress himself.  We've been working on it for a while now.  Of course Joshua doesn't want to miss out on the fun.  He'll grab any old thing out of the cupboard and put it on somehow (pictured here with an upside-down tank top worn as a skirt!) and walk around the house for a good long time! 

Joshua wants to be like his big brother in every way, so the underwear are starting to be VERY interesting!  (This photo was the only presentable one of about a dozen, as he was playing roll away everytime I snapped the shutter)

 

Here is the first day Jonathan dressed himself with NO HELP, including choosing his outfit from the cupboard!

 

 Joshua, lately, has been loving to take naps in his swing!  He'll sleep there for an hour sometimes. He'll even ask for it sometimes -- "Go sleep swing, Mommy!"

 

He also is the one in our family who LOVES to help with chores.  Here he is using a yard broom to sweep leaves.  Yep, everyone here uses a broom (not a rake) to clean up the yard.

The baby doll was out this day, and I suggested to Joshua that he share his snack with the baby.....

....and here is baby with his mouth full of raisins and peanuts!

The times are changing.  I used to have to spend 30 minutes or more many days of the week building train tracks.  Now Jonathan can build train tracks by himself!  Here is the first long train track he did alone!

Ah, this photo is to highlight our new draperies, which I love!  Thank you Jesus!  I was so ready to move on from the old burgundy ones which just didn't seem to let in any light even if they were sheer and pulled all the way open!

Swinging

 

So this is another box from our pile we got from the new school fitness equipment.  (One became Joanthan's birthday firetruck, which is now in storage).  I'm not sure what was in it originally, but today it found new life as a ferry!

The box pictured above came with this large cardboard insert, which we also put to use as a city of tunnels and rooms for train tracks!

 

Joshua learning to use a screw driver on our take apart dump truck.

Well Jonathan's bicycle hasn't been getting much use lately, mostly because if we take it out Joshua just can't stop from climbing on to the back fender while the bike is in motion.   It's too much conflict for me, so the bike has been having a season in storage.  Still, at least a couple of times a week, I find Joshua quiet on the bike in the storage area pretending he's peddling and steering and going somewhere exciting. (If you wonder what he's wearing here, it's a Crayola paint smock that we use when washing the dishes.)

Then yesterday I even found him in the other storeroom up on the big bike!  He just goes in as quiet as can be, climbs his conquests and stays there happy with himself until I go looking for him!  "I ride daddy bike" is what he had to say about it!