The Dog Days of Summer

The Three Amigos

I watched Marley and Me last weekend for the first time and I've found myself appreciating Dodger a lot more this week. 

 Olivia was trying to get him to jump rope this evening. 

Spencer absolutely loves his "Dodder Dute". 

I think he especially likes having someone he can boss around!

He really is incredible with the kids. 

Swimming Lessons Have Begun

LOVE THESE SWIMMING SMILES!!!

Spencer isn't so sure about things right off!

 Olivia had her concentration face on from the very start!

 Water in his ears feels so funny!

 Beautiful backfloat!



Pretty in Pink

Olivia was so excited to earn her pink flower headband!  She had a great first week at Miss Sara's, and her Dad and I are so incredibly proud of her.  We are taking care of the neighbor's pets while they are on vacation.  Here she is, hair still wet from swimming, after feeding their animals.    

My Busy Boy

 Whether he is smearing toothpaste all over the bathroom sink and counter

 (this picture gives a limited view),

 or scattering cotton balls from one end of the house to the other

(and burying them as deep in his ears as he possibly can),

Captain Adorable is a very busy boy!

He is "borrowing" his sister's Hannah Montana glasses to try to go incognito, I think.

Just Like His Big Sis

Richard and I caught Spencer imitating Olivia the other night.  He is sucking the same two fingers she always sucks when she is tired.  We are really trying to get her to stop, so we sure don't want him to start!

My Puppy Named "Dad"

I love this age.  Minus the temper tantrums, which all too often come as a result of inability to communicate completely, I love almost everything about age 2.  I love that Spencer is just starting to put small phrases together into sentences.  Today Olivia was pretending she was a puppy named Snowflake (sometimes, she is a puppy named Sparkle).  Pretty soon I had a second puppy.  When I asked his name, he told me "Dad".  Man, I love these kids!

Some of my other favorite Spencer phrases include: 
1. "Whoooaaaa!" 
2. "MINE!" 
3. "NOT done!" 
4. "Go home" (when he's done shopping)
5. "I'll help"
6. "I did it!"
7.  "Side! Side!" or "Pay! Pay!" (when he want to go outside to play)
8.  "My turn!" Which is often followed by "Livia!".  His sister's name has gone from "Ohha", to "Viva", to "Livia". 
9.  "Dodder! Nennel!" when he is trying to get Dodger in his kennel.  I also hear,  "Dodder, Baa Do (short a and short o vowel sounds) for "Dodger, Bad Dog!", and "Dodder Did It!".
10.  "I Pway," when he wants to pray at meal time or bed time.  This is immediately followed by "Gama. Amen."  Next, Olivia says sternly, "Spencer, you are supposed to pway for everyone in our family, not just Grama!".