It's been a while since I wrote a post describing Hank and Gus' latest sayings, behaviors and all around cuteness and I thought that this would be a good time to share how thankful I am for them. Watching their relationship as brothers develop and grow has been absolutely amazing. Yes, they fight. Quite often actually. But they always make up and just as often I find myself marveling at nicely they play together. Hank likes to show Gus how things work and Gus likes to learn from Hank. As Hank approaches his 5th birthday we've noticed that he is maturing, helping out more and really coming into this own as a curious, intelligent and hilarious little boy. For his part, Gus is doing the terrible two's in his own Gussy way. He's still a sweet boy who generally does what he's asked but there is definitely some spunk coming through. He doesn't take any guff from anyone, let alone his brother and he stands up for himself big time. I am so happy to have them as my little guys - I can't remember what life was like without them.
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| R2D2 and Yoda on Halloween |
Here are their latest antics...
HANK
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| Hank and his friend Maeve from school |
Hank has become much more conversational, peppering his language with phrases like: "Yes, no or maybe?", "good thinking!", "great idea!", "I agree!", "that's preposterous!".
Sometimes he speaks as though he is from the Dickensian era...we often hear him say "Oh drat!" when something goes wrong (from the Frog and Toad stories), or "I'm weary" when he's tired.
On the flip side, potty humor is still king around here. A crowd favorite involves running around naked screaming "penis and butt, penis and butt!"
Mr. Snoopy Pants is a term of endearment for everyone and everything...not sure where that came from.
Hank is borderline reading. Sometimes he will read a sign or a line in a book and we are like, did you just read that!? At the very least, he can sound out most words with some help.
He is very observant of street signs and curious to know what each one means. This is usually a simple and straightforward discussion - one way, no left turn etc. But the other day he noticed a neighborhood watch sign and asked about it. I told him that it meant there were no bad guys allowed in this neighborhood. He interpreted this to mean that no bad guys could sneak into our backyard and dig up all of our dirt, because, you know, those are the worst bad guys of all.
Hank insists that the Statue of Liberty is really the Statue of Liverty.
He won 3rd place in the Tour de France race at school, where he was going "55 speed" on his red tricycle. Wearing a beret no less!
GUS
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| Chef Gus |
Gus has hair now. And not just any hair. It is a unique breed of fuzzy, soft, downy blonde hair that makes him look like a little chickadee. We're not sure how long it will last but we are enjoying it while it's here - it seems the perfect topping for our little Goose.
He loves music and singing. He often runs around the house singing songs like Twinkle Little Star, Baby Beluga and the Clean Up song. He has also made up his own song called Today's the Day!
His favorite instrument is an Irish drum that his Aunt Alice bought for Hank a few years ago. He does not put it down. It comes to the dinner table with him and to bed with him. It accompanies all of his songs.
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| The hair and the drum |
This summer, whenever a bee or a mosquito would fly around us, Gus and I would say "Go away buggy!" This has morphed into Gus' ultimate rebuff, used mainly against Hank with great frequency and passion. "GO AWAY HANK!!!!" is heard a hundred times a day around here and boy does he mean it. We've all gotten the go away from Gus at one point or another - it's his very unsubtle way of telling us to leave him alone already.
Which brings me to my saddest Gus update - he seems to be breaking up with me before I can break up with him. I think he senses that the babies are coming soon and is distancing himself from me a bit before they arrive. Gone are the days when he demanded I carry him with me everywhere or he freely gave me kisses whenever I asked :( Is it wrong that I secretly hope that the arrival of the twins makes him a wee bit jealous and drives him back into my arms?!
Anyway, lots to be thankful for as you can see. Never a dull moment around here thanks to these two monkeys. And lest I forget the original boy, Matt has really stepped it up around the house in the last few weeks since I am becoming increasingly handicapped with this pregnancy. He is doing more to take care of the kids than ever and executing my endless honey do lists with grace and patience (most of the time) as I sit on the couch eating and reading the newspaper. I am always and forever thankful for Matt as my partner and for being such a good Dad to these kids. And last but not least, did you know that he is one of the 100 Most Powerful Business People in DC? He may not feel like it when he's emptying the Diaper Genie but it's true: Click for Power List.
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| Hank and Dad on a lunch date |
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| Daddy helps Gus climb a wall |
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| Fearless Hank |
