Happy New Year!!!

Ok, so we finally, FINALLY had a snow day and I finally have some time to post on my blog. I have so many pictures on my camera from the holidays and such, and I thought I'd better get them on my computer (an onto my blog) before their 2-year birthdays roll around. Feb 25th is right around the corner!!

Christmas was an absolute blast this year!! (Well, except for the Santa visit.) I don't think Ben and Eli really ever got the whole concept of opening presents, but they sure had fun ripping the paper off. They were always more excited about playing with the wrapping paper and throwing it in the trash bag than they were about what was actually inside the package. I think their birthday will be a whole different experience though.

The highlight of Christmas was their Thomas the Tank Engine train table. I still can't believe how much they play with it!! No other toy has ever held their attention for more than 10 minutes...unless it's a book. Now that's another "Story!" They can still sit with a book and "Read" it forever. It's so cute!! They know all of their shapes, colors, animals, objects and even letters. It's amazing how you can randomly point to any letter of the alphabet and they can name it. They're so smart! (Ok, I'm a little biased...)

We also spent time with Grandma & Grandpa Psota over Christmas. Here's a picture of Ben & Eli and all their cousins!

They still love to sing too. They can sing all of "I've Been Workin' on the Railroad, ABC's, Away in a Manger, Jesus Loves Me, Itsy Bitsy Spider and Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star." It's so funny to hear them just bust out in song in the middle of nowhere, like when they're in bed or in the car. They just love to sing!!

We finally took the baby gates down and now they have free reign of the house. They're doing pretty well with it, and love running around in circles downstairs. I like the fact that they're getting more exercise! Last weekend we made our first attempt at potty training. We put them through "Potty Boot Camp!" I found the book on the internet and I think it's a pretty good system. They both did really well, but I don't think they're 100% ready to be trained just yet. Still, it was a good start. They now tell me when they go potty in their diapers, so I know they're at least aware of what is going on. Hey, it's a start!

Today we're going to go play in the big snow when they get up from their naps. Can't wait!! Ben has been wanting snow forever. He finally got it!! I'll try to post more pictures later. (I promise, Aunt Jaime!!)

Oh, and I couldn't end this one without a picture of my favorite "Naked cowboy!"

Enjoy, Y'all!

Happy Turkey Day!!

We just spent a nice, long weekend with family and friends. We had dinner with Nana & Grandpa Terkhorn on Thursday and then headed up to Cleveland to visit with Grandma & Grandpa Psota for the rest of the weekend. Poor Ben, still hasn't seen anymore snow. I thought for sure we'd get some in Cleveland. The weather report is showing the possibility for some in the future, so maybe he'll get his wish. I just hope I can capture that moment on video too!

What are the boys up to these days? Well, let's see...Counting is a really big thing right now. They can both count to ten and they're even working on counting in Spanish too! They can also get through their ABC's, and you can almost understand about half of it. Ha! They're also really into singing songs. I just love their cute little voices!

Thanks, Grandpa Psota for taking such great pictures of us this weekend too! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!!

October/November...

Happy (okay, late) Halloween!! Ben & Eli were "Two little monkeys" this year. They have the sound effects down perfectly, too. We definitely got our good out of the costumes this year. We went to the Ceraland Halloween party the Friday before Halloween and then went to "Zoo Boo" at the Indianapolis Zoo the next day. Then we went trick-or-treating with some friends on Halloween night and dressed up in costumes again the next day for Grandma & Grandpa Terkhown. Wow! What a Halloween!!

Today we woke up and saw some snow on the ground! The boys were so impressed! Ben was particularly impressed, as he kept repeating "Snow" all morning. I'm sure he drove his teachers nuts about it too! When we walked out of day care this afternoon he just looked at me and said "Snow all gone?" I had to explain to him that it was, in fact gone but that we will probably get more snow sometime soon. I can't wait for a real big snow. I hope we get some this year!! Here are a couple of cute videos of Ben (still talking about the snow) from this evening. He's also going to read to you "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "The Wheels on the Bus." I love it when he says that the bus driver says "Shhh, shhhh, shhh!" and "Move on back!" So cute! I'll try to get some videos of Eli next time. He was very busy building his blocks tonight. I didn't want to bother a genius architect in the making!

Fall Fun!

Today we went to the "Terkhorn Reunion" at the Brownstown Forestry. It was a little cold out, but it definitely felt like fall. The boys loved playing on the little playground. Needless to say, they were pretty worn out on the way home. Nana & Grandpa weren't there today because they're visiting Jeff, Michaela, Anna & Zoe in Germany. We miss them!

We also found out today that the boys can count to ten! They must be teaching them that in school because, unfortunately, Matt and I can't take credit for that. Our cousin Erin was pushing Ben on the swing today and he just started counting away...and Eli can do it too! The boys have also learned some other things lately that we're not so proud of. They think it's so funny to spit their milk out, and they love to throw food off of their high chair too. Cleaning up after meals is such a joy! Have you ever tried to get cottage cheese out of grout? Not fun!

Oh well, it's just one of many messes that we've gotten used to...

Mommy's little Divas?

Eli loves shoes! Should I be scared?

(Ok, I took the video sideways and can't figure out how to straighten it out. Bear with me...)

We finally went and got more pictures taken today. I can't believe it's been over a year since we've had professional ones done! Well, we tried to get them done in Charleston a few months ago with Jeff's kids, but mine were so cranky then that we only got a couple of shots. As you can see from one of the pics below, they weren't too cooperative today either!

Oktoberfest!

Ben & Eli paid their second visit to the Seymour annual Oktoberfest last night. The weather this year was much more typical, and much nicer than it was last year. They each ate a corn dog and part of mom's apple dumpling and then we rode rides. There weren't many rides that they could go on yet, so we just stuck to the lady bugs and the merry go round. Their friend Laura Roeder was there too and rode the merry go round with them. They loved the rides! When I showed them this video just now they both wanted me to play it over and over...and over, and over....Eli just keeps saying "Weeeee!!!"

Guess they had fun!

Some Fall Fun!

Yesterday we visited Apple Works apple orchard. I had heard a little about it, but didn't realize how cool it was until we went there. Unfortunately, it was thundering really loud when we pulled up, so we didn't stay very long. I'm not sure if they ever did get rain.

The boys loved this really big slide. We had to go down it with them. Here's a video:

The petting zoo was really cool, too. I didn't get a picture of it, but they had an animal there called an alpaca that was really neat. They also had goats, baby cows, and chickens....a

\][ah, the chickens! First Eli stuck his finger in the cage and got pecked. Then Ben got his finger STUCK in the cage and he got pecked by two chickens at once. Scared them silly! I tried it and it scared me too a little. It didn't really hurt though. Other than that, they loved the animals.

We'll have to plan another trip back there so we can ride the train and see more stuff next time.

18 months old. Wow!!

It's amazing how time flies! Ben and Eli are growing and developing so much right now. We just had our 18-month check up and the boys are finally nearing the 50th percentile in height, weight and head size. They're catching up!

We went to our first big "Indians" game the other day. Well, ok, it wasn't exactly THE Indians, but rather the Indianapolis Indians. They still dressed in their best tribe gear!

Our dear friends, the Kegebeins just dropped the bomb on us that they were moving to Waterloo, Iowa. We will miss them so much!! They gave us their "Gator" a few months ago since their girls have outgrown it. We just decided to try it out in the back yard the other day. They don't quite get it yet, but I think they like it! Thanks, Keggers!!!
Both boys are into talking non-stop now, especially little Ben. He just babbles all the time! They are both getting really good at noticing who people are in pictures. I made them a "Family album" the other day and they love to flip through it and name as many people as they can. I especially love hearing them say, "Ju-Ju and Zoe!"

Today is the last day that the boys will be going to the church for daycare. On Monday they will start going to the new building which will house CCDC for the next 2 years. I haven't seen the inside of the building yet, but I hear that they've done a lot of work to it. I'm sure that as long as there are toys inside the boys will love it! They are getting really good at recognizing who their friends are in class. They can point to each one and say their names. They also are learning colors and shapes and are using flash cards at school. I can't believe how grown up they are!!!

It's hard to believe that we'll be closing our pool again soon for another season. We'll have to get a few more good swims in before it gets cold though. They love the pool! Matt and I are hoping to take them to the local indoor pool over the winter to keep them used to the water. I'm hoping that their swimming skills will improve by next summer. That will make life so much easier around here!

More Summer FUN!!

We pulled the sprinkler out last weekend and the boys (and Daddy) had a blast! They're getting so funny, too! They love reading books. We read to them all the time, yet we still always find them hiding behind the couch or in a corner "Reading" to themselves. It's so funny...the book is usually upside down and they just mumble to themselves and point to the pictures they know. So cute!! We've also been taking lots of bike rides lately. The boys love riding in the trailer. Last night they loved it so much that they fell asleep! Again, so cute!

Eli just discovered how much fun a digital camera could be, too. Here are some pictures of him and mommy "Hamming" it up for the lens!

Summer Fun!!

ELI: "This squirty fish is so funny!"

BEN: "Let me try it!"

ELI: "Hey, watch it!"

BEN: "Ha, ha! That is so funny!!!"

Boys will be boys. Hope you're enjoying your Summer!!

I found my camera!!!

Sorry, it's been nearly 2 months since I've updated the blog. I thought I lost my camera, but luckily I found it this morning!! Here's what you've missed...

Last day of "Infants" at day care:

It was a bittersweet day at school that day. The boys were so ready to move on to "Toddlers" but it was hard saying goodbye to Miss Jennifer and Miss Margaret. They were such wonderful teachers! It's hard to believe that when we brought them to school they were only 3 1/2 months old. Look at them now!! The past few weeks of school have been interesting, to say the least. The big "Flood of 2008" hit Columbus and flooded out Cummins Child Development Center, where they go to day care. We had a few weeks at home (thanks to all the family and friends who helped us babysit!!!!) and now the Center opened a temporary day care at the Community Church of Columbus. On September 8th they will be moving into a vacant building, the Jefferson Education Center, here in Columbus. They decided not to reopen the old facility due to the uncertainty of future flooding. We will be in the JEC for 2 years, or until a new facility is finished.

Trip to Charleston:

The boys and I went to visit my brother Jeff and his family in Charleston last month. Daddy had another trip to go on, so luckily I had my parents with me to help. The boys were a handful, but only because they have so much energy! They were actually very good on the plane. They loved playing in the pool and in the park while we were there. We only went to the beach once, and it was just to take pictures. I'll save their "First play date at the beach" for when daddy is with us! We had so much fun playing with their cousins, Anna and Zoe. I can't believe how big they're both getting!

What are they up to now???

It's amazing how much of an influence the "Toddlers" have had on Ben and Eli over the past few weeks. They've learned so many new words and skills! Both boys will repeat almost everything you ask them to say. Ben loves the word "Ball." Every time he sees anything that resembles something round, he yells, "BALL!!" Eli, on the other hand, has mastered his manners. He can say, "More please" and do the sign language at the same time. It's so cute...and so polite! Both boys learned how to dance last week too. It's so funny! Whenever they hear music they drop what they're doing and bounce up and down to the beat. They're also getting really good at running. Man, they are fast!!
Although they keep our hands full, they have also learned some things that have made life a little easier for us too. They can feed themselves now and have learned to use a spoon and fork. That's a huge help! They can also go get stuff, like shoes, diapers, etc. when you ask them for it.

This week we took a trip to the fair. Since I didn't have my camera I had to use my mom's. Once I get the pictures from her I'll post more. Oh, and you can see their new haircuts too! That's probably enough for now, though. Thanks for checking back!

First day of Toddlers!

My boys just keep growing, and growing! Today is the first day they officially transition from "Infants" to "Toddlers" at daycare. I just had to take a picture!

****UPDATE****: The boys had such a big day at school today! They played with Play Dough, painted something (obviously brown), and played on the climbers in the classroom. They even took naps on little cots instead of their usual baby cribs! I thought they'd struggle with the cots at first, but their teacher said they went right to sleep. They must have been worn out by nap time! I also asked her how they did at lunch time and she said they ate so much they had to call the cafeteria to bring them more!! Mommy loves her little piggies!!! They were so excited to see me this afternoon when I picked them up. Usually they fuss and cry when I come to get them, but today they just looked like they'd had a good time and were happy to see me. Yea!! We came home after a long day at school, ate some dinner and played in the swimming pool. Wow, it was a big day for a couple of 1-year-olds. Needless to say, they were ready to crash by 8:00 tonight. I'm sure they'll sleep well, too!!!

We had our first weekend at the lake this year too. The boys did great! They loved eating at their new little table that Nana got them. I found that it was easier to just put it in the yard at mealtimes instead of inside the cabin. Less to clean!
They also enjoyed playing in the water...and eating sand from the beach. Boys will be boys!

Just plain silly!!!

They took a catnap on the ride home tonight and were wired once we got home. Let's just say they were NOT ready for bed at their usual bedtime tonight!! Here's a little video clip of them playing around and being silly. In it you'll see what Ben learned today: "Jazz hands!" He keeps us entertained, that's for sure! Eli is just being his usual, silly self. He loves to pose for the camera!

Let's see, what else is new this week? Eli has a new tooth on the bottom. That makes 7 now! Ben has been slobbering all over, so I think he has a new one coming in somewhere too. Teething is such a joy! I can't wait till the molars start coming in...AAAAH!!! Ben also learned that he can walk backwards. He's pretty impressed with himself when he does it too. So funny!

First Haircuts!

Well it's official, my boys just aged 6 months in a matter of minutes. With the quick clip of a scissors they changed from babies to little men!

Their first haircuts actually went very well. They were a little squiggly, but Daddy helped while I took pictures and scraped up every last bit of hair and put it into labeled ziploc baggies, as every good mom should do!

Here are a few before and after shots.
Ben went first (With his typical "Ben face" on)....

Then went Eli. He was a little squirmier so Daddy had to help a little.

All finished!!!