Some Dad Updates

Well, I don't know what happened to winter, but it certainly has wimped out in the last few weeks. We got a whole night and day of snow right before Pete came and it was pretty much all gone by the next day. We're pretty much outdoor creatures so Grandpa Pete was treated to tennis in the cold February air and an excruciatingly cold and windy fishing trip while he was here, both of which he handled with great aplomb.

We had an excellent visit which Marisa detailed in her post. Now that I am sufficiently recovered from my posting frenzy while she was gone, there are a couple of details that I want to memorialize as well. Speaking of trips, I am out on business trips twice in March....I better not get any grief for being gone.....

This is a picture that we took of the boys in the park a week or so ago that I just love. Their relationship is starting to develop it's own nuances that are really interesting to watch. Tanner wants to do everything that Jake does and is a willing participant in anything Jake wants to do. This includes; going upstairs to get clothes, putting toys away or going to the bathroom. Jake yells," Tanner, do you want to do XYZ?" to which Tanner excitedly yells, "Yeah!". The only difference is movies. The boys alternate days picking the morning and evening movies. Tanner loves it when it is his day (and he can watch any permutation of Shrek that he wants), and makes sure that he rubs it in his brother's (who can't stand Shrek at this point) face all day long. First thing in the morning, from bed, "Dada, my pick, movie?". "Yes, Tanner your pick movie." "Jake, MY pick movie". This conversation is repeated down the stairs, to the couch and until the movie starts. We then start fresh while I am unloading them from the car after school.

They also have begun being boys more by; fighting, wrestling and farting. Jake gets very frustrated with Tanner sometimes, and as boys (and older brothers) are wont to do, sometimes pushes or hits Tanner. He gets time out for this. Tanner retaliates by hitting or pushing Jake, trying to get him in trouble. Tanner is a great love, but he can also be a little sh*# sometimes when he wants to be. He LOVES to antagonize.....Both he and Jake love a good fart or burp and laugh and laugh....so glad we have 18 more years of that to look forward to.

Faithy is a beautiful little girl. She is getting so big, but is starting to have to hold her own against her brothers. She sometimes has the audacity to sit on the floor in the middle of a catch or kickball game, or in front of the pitch back screen. Her bothers, who love her so much the rest of the time, don't seem the slightest bit concerned for her safety as the balls go whizzing by her little head, or she get's knocked over during a touchdown run. Things here are getting a little rough...Faithy needs to learn to walk just to survive.

We are really looking forward to visitors over the next few months and Grandma Cori moving to Idaho (she bought a house, literally, right down the street) as well as birthdays for Faith and Jake. Also, Jake just got his own email address, so if you get an email from him, it is really from him and he's tickled to death whenever anyone replies.

It's getting onto springtime. I just bought my fishing license for the year and am looking forward to the sun. Hope to see most of you soon.