We Made Jam!

Callum and I had an unique opportunity to spend the day together recently and we decided to make Grandma Renie's Strawberry Jam. She sent us the recipe after our big strawberry picking adventures and hearing me reminisce about memories with her and grandpa at their lake cabin. Callum LOVED IT and spent the rest of the day telling everyone that we made jam. His favorite part was crushing the strawberries (a job for which I would imagine almost all three year olds are fantastically qualified). Thanks Grandma Renie!

Happy Father's Day

What Defiance Looks Like

We are entering a great new stage in the life of our oldest guy. It involves lots of imagination and silliness and inquiry and helpfulness and pride in all the new things that we can do. We are also a little, well, defiant.

Mama and Papa have to be awfully careful about what they say. For example, if you say something like "You want to play outside. Ok. You can play outside but it's really raining hard." You might get hear "I want to play outside" and then get to watch him actually do it, play in the rain and get soaked and absolutely love it.

Toes in the Sand

Jersey does have great beaches and one of the best is also a state park. It also tends to be less populated and nearby so we often go there. This was our first trip this summer and Jude's first trip EVER. He was a great sport but a little scared of the waves, we had to sit far from the water for a long time before he got used to it. Mama was determined that his feet dip into the ocean. And, eventually they did but only slightly. Jude is funny like that, he always seems up for a great adventure and then gets a little shy when it is actually upon him. Cal loved the beach but was also intimidated by the ocean, no surprise there. He was more interested in collected shells, which we did for hours. Welcome summertime!

Brotherhood

These two are changing. They are not just one kid and one baby anymore. As Jude swiftly gains his footing and his awareness of the world they are becoming brothers. It's an amazing transformation to watch. Jude laughs with Cal and makes noises to make him laugh back. It's a whole new adventure for us as parents. They are even starting to have their own games together that neither of us are involved in.
There is still plenty of crying out "Jude touched me!!!" or "AAAHHHH" (when it happens to Jude) but more and more they are starting to work a few things out and enjoy each other's company as brothers. It's not hard to envision a time when they will have a whole world that is theirs and not ours at all.

Walking!

Jude is now walking more often than he is crawling. He is definitely wobbly and absolutely HAS TO have a good grip on his shirt in order to get moving. He's very versatile and can stand easily and move on uneven ground fairly well. He is loving his newfound talent and is extremely proud of himself (not that shows in this picture but trust us.). Go Jude!