A Few of Our Favorite Things

Every day seems to slide into the next without the benefit of distinction one from another.  Noah usually wakes up about 7 am (although lately it's been 6 am and that is just not acceptable!) and I sit in the chair next to his crib and we chat for awhile before Davis wakes up.  Breakfast is most often cereal, because that is Davis's favorite.  Noah goes down for a nap (this is only sometimes now, for which I am in grieving) while I exercise and get ready for the day and Davis watches a show.  Then playtime and lunchtime (PB and J usually) and nap time again for Noah.  Davis and I do school work or play outside.  Then get out of the house to run errands or go to the park or just play out in the yard.  Then dinnertime and story time and bed time.  And that describes most days.  But we love it.

I try to do special fun things as often as we can (or as often as I have the energy and forethought).  One day we went to the Dinosaur Park with Lincoln and his mom, Mickenzie, and little sister, Anya.  We all loved it because the boys kept each other entertained, the little ones could walk all over, and the moms got the credit for all the fun.  Noah wouldn't stop roaring at the dinosaurs!

Books and stories are a big part of the day.  Noah loves books with bears and other animals and Davis loves all books.  He is getting big enough to read short novels to and we have read Charlotte's Web, Frog and Toad, and several Magic Tree House books.  My favorite sight to see is when Davis read Noah books that he has grown up listening to and knows all the words.  This was a newer book, but Davis was still showing Noah the pictures and they were talking about the sounds.

We also play the piano, sing, and dance almost every day.  If I want to play the piano by myself, I have to let Noah sit on my lap first, playing until he is tired of it.  Then the boys take turns pushing the buttons to play the preset songs, mostly classical, and dancing to the uptempo ones.  Then I might get a few minutes to play what I want to play.  One day we had our cute neighbor over, Peyton, and all three were playing together.

Davis has been LOVING preschool!  He goes twice a week in the afternoon and is learning so many things.  I love when he comes home and sings the fun songs he learns.  Preschool Express took a field trip to the Fire Station.  Noah and I went with them, and Davis's friend, Payson, rode with us.  They loved getting in the fire truck, but were a little leery of getting too close to the firefighter in full gear.

And Noah was completely done by the end!

This year we really tried to get Davis involved in General Conference.  I printed out Bingo sheets to color and Davis was really great at listening for the words and earning a treat when he got Bingo!  This first picture is me and the boys waiting for Conference to start.

Darren and Davis helped each other find the words on their Bingo sheets.  Toward the end of the first session, their concentration faltered and it turned into a wrestling match.

Some of our other favorite special things:  hamburgers from McDonalds (Davis still calls it Old MacDonald's), going to the park, making cookies, watching a movie in the afternoon while Noah is napping, eating popsicles outside, and making smoothies.