Ahhhh...

There are few things more satisfying than stretched out feet on the deck with the recent nice weather, cold beer in hand, and no bugs.  Since I am much beloved by the mosquitos, big emphasis on the no bugs.  I might as well mention something even a little better- Jen and I took a small vacation to the north shore this weekend, and it was beyond wonderful to reconnect as a couple again.  With two kids, we are masters of both jijitsu and now the art of "divide and conquer".  Jen tracks down, clothes, feeds one child as I tackle (literally) the other and proceed with the same.  Ultimately, we had a chance to talk to each other for more than 5 minutes at a time, sleep in, and eat a whole meal together without interruption.  It's the little things that really count sometimes, right?  A HUGE thank you to our parents for allowing that weekend to work.  We love you very, very much.

Update on the family insanity.  Mr. Everett has mastered the art of crawling and has now picked up pace.  Going up stairs is no longer a problem either!  He has been able to make it down one step from the kitchen to the family room, but pays the price if he forgets how to go about slithering down.  Can babies get concussions?  I suppose that would be a good question for a physician.  He regularly calls for "mama", especially in the middle of the night if he prefers to be up.... which we are still working on.  My guess, is that he will be sleeping through the night in the near future...of course we have been saying this for the last 4 months or so.  I'm not sure how Audrey sleeps through the racket next door, but amazingly enough she has managed quite well.  I get a rare "Dada" once in a while, but he doesn't use it when he specifically sees me yet.  It's going to get fun very soon!  Real words are going to start kicking in and I promise you that one of the first words on the docket is going to be "kitty".  He is so very much obsessed with Nick our cat.  Beyond that obsession, he LOVES water and every ounce of his being is dedicated to either finding the cat water dish or bee-lining it for the water fountain on our deck.  At this point, he has quite the personality, he is just about the smiliest kid you'll ever meet...especially when Jen is around.  He LOVES his mama.  Quite adorable actually to see how he crawls as fast as he can and clings around her legs waiting to be picked up. 

As for little Miss Audrey.  She's awesome.  She and buddy Chase next door now regularly hunt each other down most evenings and weekends to play.  They are starting to work out a play scheme that sometimes allows for sharing and sometimes does not include waving pointy sticks at each others faces.  It's fun to watch them go back and forth- they will spend time with Chase's parents Nate and Hope and then wander over to the garden in our yard to help out.  It's fun to watch them play and interact.  Against my wishes, Chase even stole a kiss at the end of one evening, when it is traditionally a time to give a hug before the end of the night.  I'm keeping an eye on you Chase Bolyard.  Audrey's windows have also been bolted shut as a needed additional precaution.