Bully Baby

This scenario happens several times a day. Jack lives to torment his big bro and seems to be taking advantage of his nonpunishable stage of development. Let it be known that I did NOT plan this or consciously allow it to happen, though I should have seen it coming. I am only guilty of snapping the picture before coming to Rocky's aid. I guess it's the journalist in me.

O' Toothless One

So our garbage disposal (aka Jack) has yet to cut a single tooth. Being halfway through his ninth month, we are beginning to wonder. Every time that piercing scream reverberates our walls without an apparent explanation, we brace ourselves, thinking the time has finally come. Yet, a tooth never emerges. How long must we puree his every meal? How long will he continue living, unaware of the pleasures of texture? How long will be remain separated from his Cheerio chomping peers? When will he be able to enjoy the delectable addition of hotdog pieces to his mac & cheese? Don't get me wrong. He eats well, gumming his large portions like no other. But chewing is an essential part of life, right? How else could humans consume meat in such large quantities and little time? Is it possible for kids NOT to grow teeth? Jack shouldn't be walking around toothless until he's like 97. I did a Google search for toothless toddlers and discovered Jack is not alone. They recommend introducing tofu into the diet. This makes me wonder if that is the type of child I want to raise... We will hold out for the teeth. Until then, we will continue to throw every meal into the blender and love our chew challenged child for who he is.

Pretty maids all in a row...

During the rare moments that Rocky plays by himself, this is what he does. He's meticulously precise with his toy line-ups. The kid gets a kick out of organization just like his ol' mama. He's also into puzzles right now and can put a 60 piece one together by himself. Is that normal for a 3 year old? It's all about neatness, order and organization with him. Gotta love it. I can't wait until he can read so we can alphabetize our movies together!

A Night in the Park

I know I always write too much, so I will try to keeps this short. For family fun, the kids and I often cruise a few blocks over to Bidwell Park, the second largest city park in the U.S. after New York's Central Park. Cool huh? Just a perfectly good reason for you all to move to Chico because it's the greatest place on earth. Ok.. maybe we just want more of you to live closer...
So anyway, we often travel by wagon or when mom is in need of exercise, we take the jogging stroller. Pushing 2 kids while running definitely does the trick. Then, because I'm usually too exhausted to make the trip home in this fashion, we hang out at the playground until dad gets off work and can pick us up. It is usually dark and cold by then, but Rocky doesn't tire unless we are the last ones left. The playground is all about socializing for him. He is more interested in acquainting himself with all children and parents present than actually playing. He sticks to the sandbox, which is extremely difficult with Jack, who has to be moving and thinks sand is delicious. Playground equipment like slides, steps and bridges are still too scary for the Rock.
The swing is the only place where Rocky's courage soars. He can't get high enough and giggles every time we do the "under dog." Swinging is a little too boring for Jack, who would prefer to throw himself against concrete slabs and growl at the children.


Side note: To Rocky's credit, he can swing by himself in the big kid one, but when this pic was taken, only the baby swing was available. Apparently there are other cold-acclimated families that brave the park at night.