Man, it is HOT. But these boys are movers and shakers, so we are outside all day long. The backyard is a mish-mash of canopies: an umbrella over the pool, a sun sail over the swing set and a castle (gazebo) at the end of the driveway.

Dining is alfresco and fluffernutters are frequently on the menu.

lunch time in the castle

Cleanup is a breeze. We just chuck the boys back in the pool and voila, marshmallow no more.

cheeeeeeeeeese!

Our Kel-Kel monster still naps in the afternoon (knock wood repeatedly). And, occasionally, when the new guy is down I can con the old baby into a snuggle in the hammock.

hammock time

Although hammock time is the best part of my day, Liam still prefers Godzilla time. He puts on “Godzilla Shows” regularly.

“heeshhh, aaaaaaargh”

Liam has been mad about Godzilla for more than a month now. We let him watch Godzilla vs. Mothra on Crackle several weeks ago (so that B and I could stay in bed past 6:30 one Saturday morning) and the boy loved it. He immediately began asking for a Godzilla toy. So we made a deal with him. Liam had to clean up all the toys in the living room before bed to earn a check mark on his Godzilla chart and after five checks we’d buy the toy. Low and behold he cleaned the living room every night before bed.

You have never seen a kid so proud. He still has the chart and the box that Godzilla came it.

In the past couple months he’s watched all the Godzilla flicks that Crackle has to offer plus the 1998 American version.  However, the poor, neglected child only has one “real Godzilla toy” and so must pretend his robot is Mechagodzilla and that Red Death is Gigan and a dragonfly puppet is Mothra. Sad, right? He’s scamming for more “real” monsters through various charts, birthday and Christmas lists.

dragons, dinosaurs and monsters, oh my!

In other news, there is an escape artist in our midst. Kellan slips out of his crib like a ninja. Seriously, the boy does not make a sound until he’s opening the bedroom door or trying to wake Liam.

yeah, i’m smooth

We moved Kellan into Liam’s room for Aydan’s visit and it worked. So, they now share a room and we are converting Kellan’s old bedroom back to a craft room. It’s been pretty smooth sailing until now. The past two nights himself has exited the crib several times at bedtime. He climbed out four times on Tuesday night. The first three times Liam shouted over the monitor, “Mommy, Kellan’s out of his crib!” As Kellen does EVERYTHING Liam does, he immediately piped in with, “Mommy, I out of crib!”

Oy.

By the fourth escape, an hour later, Liam was asleep. Over the monitor we hear, “Nemo*, wake up. Godzilla time.” Then a few minutes later their bedroom door opens and closes, little feet pad down the stairs and then big blue eyes peep around the corner into the living room. Luckily that was his last escape of the night at around 8:45. He let himself out of his crib in the morning and sauntered into the dining room like it was no big thing. The boy slays me.

Last night was better. K stayed in his crib after only three escapes in twenty minutes. We’ll see what tonight brings.

brothers

The brothers get along really well most of the time. Naturally, skirmishes break out occasionally (and sometimes often), but at the end of the day they’re pals.

Life is good.

*Liam still pronounces his own name “Lima” and Kellan mispronounces it further into “Nemo.” Ridiculously cute. However Liam is a bit sensitive about it and doesn’t find any humor in adults purposely mispronouncing his name and calling him Lima. Consider yourself warned.

The boys are bigger and badder than ever. They’re best friends, until they’re not. The little one can do anything the big one does, until he can’t. The big one is “NOT a baby!” until he is. Every day is an adventure. It’s a wild ride, except for when it’s peaceful.

They boys keep us hopping and we’re trying to enjoy every minute of this lovely weather. Charleston pretty much skipped winter this year and it’s been really nice.

We spent a great day at the Riverbanks Zoo last week. The boys loved it. Truth told, I did too. It’s been ages since I’ve been to a zoo. Don’t worry, I won’t subject you to random animal photos. Mainly because they are dreadful. Here are the boys instead.

livin’ large at the zoo

just monkeying around

Gardening started in March this year. Child labor laws be damned. We put the old baby to work in the yard. Aunt Kelly, that wheelbarrow is the BEST gift ever.

Liam is really helpful with the yard work. Kellan is trying. He’ll be up to speed soon enough. When these goons are teens, we’re going to make a mint hiring them out for landscaping jobs.

rake, rake, rake

load, load, load

haul, haul, haul

Don’t worry. It’s not all work and no play. Every once in a while, we have lunch dates at the Brittlebank Park playground. These two can pack an awful lot into lunch hour.

There’s always…

climbing

and climbing

sliding

and jumping

I have no clever segue for this last bit…

So, in the better late than never file, here are your gratuitous kilt shots. Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

strike a pose

hope YOU had a great St. Pat’s.

Peace out.

P.S. the kilts are from http://www.altkilt.com/.