Happy Fathers' Day

We love you, Daddy Lovebo, Grandpa Stu, and Grandpa Greg!!

Saturday Auntie Tara and her baby Zoey came over to have dinner with us and then take us as her plus-threes to the zoo for a special evening event she was invited to.

This is right before Zoey snagged some of Theo's cotton candy.

Pulling their weight

The boys are very interested in helping out with pretty much everything that's not super appropriate for them to help with. We've washed the cars a couple of times and they do a great job spraying the car and everything (and everyone) and sponging the car and squeezing soap out everywhere. They helped me wash off furniture I'm cleaning up to try to sell, sponging it off and rinsing. They also like emptying the dishwasher and bringing up toys from the basement. When they bring their dishes into the kitchen after a meal, Beckett especially likes to throw his (plastic) silverware and bowls/plates into the sink.

I'm happy that the boys are more and more using please, thank you, excuse me and other polite niceties. There's also a lot of whiny demands of "talk to me mama, talk to me!" But then there's a moment like today after nap when I had already agreed to let the boys watch a short show, and then they disagreed about what they were going to watch. They were both complaining to me about how they each wanted to watch their own preferred show, and I told them that they had to work it out among themselves. I then watched them have a conversation in which they told each other what they wanted, and listened to each other, and came to the conclusion that they would watch Theo's preferred show today, and save Beckett's preferred show to tomorrow. A-mazing! (Also because Theo is more prone to giving in than Beckett, so Beckett giving in today was refreshing.)

Grumpy days at House of Lovebo

There have been a large number of days when the whining seems to overtake the house for periods of time. These pictures capture what some times are like over here at the house of whining: grump, grump and more grump. Just look at those faces!

Monday I got home from a long day at work, happy to find that the boys were relaxed and delighted to be with their new June babysitter, Lauren. I'm thrilled they seem to like her and that she likes being with them! We made a road system out of painting tape on the carpet and the boys played with their cars and trains for about an hour.

Balance bikes

Much of the time we spend outdoors these days is accompanying the boys on their new balance bikes. They are getting better every time they go out, and they're doing a lot of gliding and balancing now with their feet up in the air.

They ALWAYS stop at neighbor Corrine's house and ALWAYS sit on the steps like this. They ALWAYS pull down the turtle sculpture from the ledge above the stairs and then ALWAYS ask for us to take their picture. If we don't have a camera or phone (Mama almost never does), they ask me to pretend to take their picture.

Friday we scooted down to Ithaca so Jeff and I could go to a Sim Redmond Band concert at the Ithaca Farmers' Market for the Ithaca Festival Friday night. That meant we all could enjoy a beautiful Saturday with Grandma Joanie and Grandpa Stu and Grandpa Stu's TRACTOR!! And also bubbles.

Black Diamond Trail

A week ago the boys and I traveled to Ithaca to visit with friends Michael and Catherine and to take a walk on the Black Diamond Trail. Afterward we explored the Ithaca Children's Garden. The gravel pile was the most interesting element to the boys.