RILEY AND TAYLOR EXPOSED

Today in the car

Riley: "Baby Lucas is my sister not Taylor, and oh boy he is one nice baby."

Me: "Riley, Lucas is your new cousin, not your sister."

Riley: " Oh that baby Lucas and I had a picnic, he had to go to the hospital because he had a bad owie on his head but then we had a picnic and he got so much better. Taylor is not my sister anymore, just Lucas. Pretty soon Lucas will go on the scary rollercoaster with me, and fly in the plane, and play soccer too!"

I guess Riley has high hopes for his new sister.... or I mean cousin!

A Star Is Born

Riley and Taylor are proud to announce the birth of their very first cousin! Lucas Keith Chamberlain was born last week and the boys are so excited to have a cousin. I am sure by next summer the three boys will be best of friends. Lucas was born three weeks early but weighed in at 6 pounds 4 ounces and is doing great. Auntie Nikki is also doing wonderful and is adjusting to the new life as a mom. Congrats to Nikki and Keith, Lucas is adorable.
Here is Lucas at 12 hours old, trying to suck his thumb!

Lucas with daddy!

I'm going to spoil you little guy!

soccer practice

Here is the new North Oaks 3 year old soccer team!

Riley started his new soccer team, which meets right after school is done. He really seems to love it, and looks forward to it every week. I have to bring Taylor with me to watch, and this week Taylor decided that he would join the team. The coach gave Tay a ball and I hate to say it but he was one of the best players on the field. The kid has coordination.
Here is Riley in action!

Tay showing off his skills.

Tay taking charge of the team.

Baby Gap Photo shoot

Tay took part in the Baby Gap Casting Call, here are a few of the pictures.

"BEND YOUR KNEES!"

Growing up I played basketball, not just a little bit but year round for 18 years. At everyone of my games, as I was shooting a freethrow my mom would scream, "Bend your knees Chels!" That was always her advice, not quite sure why she felt the need to scream it from the bleachers everytime I shot the ball, but it was a nice gesture of advice! When we went to the state fair this year we checked out the MN sports building and I snapped this shot of Taylor and it reminded me of my mom and her advice. Will I be the mom in the crowd who yells "bend your knees"???

Nature walks

We live across the street from a rather large pond. The boys have come to love the ducks, turtles, deer, and beavers that live in the pond. Anytime we go outside to get into the car, Taylor has to say hello to the duckies and blow them kisses. Taylor has a special bond with the ducks, a bond that I can't use words to describe. He will sit or stand for hours and talk to "his" ducks. He often cries when we don't have time to go visit the ducks. I often talk about the big crocodile that lives in the pond, which seems to be working to keep the boys out of the water. We fed the ducks every Saturday morning and each week more and more come. I'm not sure how we are going to handle the winter months without the ducks! Most afternoons I take the boys on a nature walk, mostly for the exercise and the educational value. THEY LOVE THESE WALKS!
Saturday morning feed.

Riley often tells me that he was in the jungle and he wasn't even scared. Today as we were entering North Oaks to go to school, Riley asked, " Mom what is this jungle called?" I explained to him that it was the North Oaks jungle and he gets to go to school there this whole year. Today was also the start of the first day of the North Oaks soccer team, made up of 3 year old boys and girls. It was pouring rain so they canceled, so next Thursday the team will take the field after class.

Riley not to happy about the group shot.....

Other updates:
Riley is starting to read. I realize that it is word recognition and memory but still the time I have invested in books is starting to pay off. He can also write his name, spell his name, and complete dot to dot exercises. He is learning Spanish in school so I better start studying! Every night before bed, we practice tracing letters, and learning new sounds.

Taylor is 18 months and has learned that public restrooms are quite a lot of fun. As I am trying to hurry to use the bathroom he has climbed under the stall and is splashing away in another toilet. Taylor's vocabulary is expanding by the day and he can easily say 50 plus words. He also says "thank you" and "excuse me". ( my boys may never be clean but they will have proper mannors!) Both boys are looking forward to Halloween, the costumes are already bought and hung.

Do you know this guy?

Lunch

Today at the lunch table this is what the conversation was:

Riley( as he is picking up his grape) " I love you grape but I have to eat you."

Taylor(as he is slinging his noodle across the living room) " Shit"

Riley (picks up his second grape) "Oh you are really a grand grape but I must eat you too."

Taylor (with a handful of noodles in his hand and throws them at Riley) "YEAH!!"

It was a wonderful and charming lunch we shared, thanks boys!

Splash park!!

One of the favorite things that the boys love to do is go to the new splash park in St. Anthony. It is totally free and has a playground, and a water splash pad. We have gone often and every time the boys get a little more daring in what they do. We were watching our friends daughter Lilee who just turned one, so we decided to head to the splash park, three kids in tow. ( I was pretty much in heaven having a little girl to dote around!) We all had a good time, although having a 12 month old, a 17 month old, and a 3 year old running around the park was a little hectic. Matt and I would often make eye contact from far away and then realize we were missing one. We both would scan the park and thankfully they never got loose.
Here is sweet Lilee with her new Barbie shades!