In the backyard with Grandpa Steve

Boys on the move

 Pop and Grandma took the boys to the high school field - what fun!

 A musical interlude

 Cookies on valentine's day with Pop and Grandma

 A little quiet car time

 Holding hands

At last...bed time

Pop and Grandma Janet's February Visit

 A trip to the new aquarium in the neighborhood

Franklin at 18 months old

 At 18 months Friday, Franklin is hitting my absolute favorite age of the youngest years. He's still a snuggly little baby, but now he's all full of expression and personality, imagination and motivations. He shakes his head and nods dramatically to indicate agreement. He knows the words "no" and "mine" and likes to say "go go go" and recently learned to say "car" and "rock". He has quite the sweet-tooth and will stand under the cupboards, pointing up, pleading "cookie, cookie!" He is stubborn and strong willed, as we knew he would be, but I notice that he's learning already, part of having a big brother. Theo tells him, "we don't always get what we want Franklin, that's just how life is."

He can climb up on the couch now, and likes to make up little games for himself like throwing things over the side of the couch, climbing down to go get them, then climbing back up, repeat. He makes dinosaur noises, vrooming car noises, and makes believe he's eating or feeding others. I found him making towers out of canned food the other day. He likes to drawn whenever afforded the chance but still likes to put the markers in his mouth, so he doesn't get the chance as often as he would like. He still loves balls more than just about anything, but trains are now in a close second. He has favorite books he insists I read over and over, and tells me he wants to read his train book by bringing it to me saying "choo choo!" He is flirty and social and so interested in others' reactions. He loves to point to parts of the face, especially the eyes. He walks so well now, we took our first family walk with the dog through the neighborhood and he walked a half of a mile on his own! And with him he brought the utter joy of a child discovering his own abilities. We all felt the lift of his joy of the moment. 

Ball! (Having just thrown one).

Two waters is better than one

Ever the performer

Theo's many characters he likes to pretend to be these days include Beatrice and Naven, his pretend big sister and big brother, and the snowy owlet who has just learned to fly and helps his father hunt for lemmings, amongst others. Of course, when he's not in one of his characters, he's dancing, doing acrobatics, phsyical comedy routines, or just sharing endless thoughts, stories and imaginings. And even when he's just being Theo, he still is quite the act.

Playin' outside on a February day