VIDEO: Sommersaults, Simon Says & Silly Faces

Our friend and neighbor A.J. joins the boys for some tricks and on camera antics.

Cool for School

VIDEO: House Champ

Kellen legitimately held the bowling high score on our new Wii game for two solid days. He's been as excited about the system as Aidan since it first arrived. Thankfully my ego has subsided a bit and I didn't have to deprive myself of sleep to best my child's score like I did the last time around.

My Try

Kellen wants to do it himself. Everything.

Don’t boost him into the truck or buckle his car seat. He’ll take care of it. Don’t touch that light. He’s got enough reach on his tip toes to turn it off.

It is not an angry “leave me alone” kind of desire to be a do-it-yourselfer. When he does ask me to leave the room so he can tackle his own problems he has a very pleasant tone about him. Tonight when climbing the ladder to Aidan’s top bunk for bedtime prayers I reached to steady him and he calmly looked at me and requested, “You stop. I go.”

Other variations of the can-do attitude include the oft spoken “My try” and the always confident “My can do it myself”. There are several editions and the standard "I can do it."

On the flip side he loves to celebrate everyone’s victories. I killed a bug tonight and got an enthusiastic, “Great job dada!”. Small, insignificant victories like video game triumphs are also drawing hugs and enthusiastic congratulations.

Kellen's First Cob

VIDEO: Veggie Tales

Kellen likes to sing along with the Veggie Tales theme song including the opening dialogue to his DVD and impersonating the tuba. We like to watch him secretly from the stairs and thought we should try to catch it on camera.

Aidan noticed I had set things up to record and was trying really hard not to move knowing something was up. Kellen gets in on the song a little less enthusiastically than his usual performance with his brother playing it cool but this is a good taste of his vegetable themed children's cartoon karaoke.

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Fish Stories

Yesterday we took the boys fishing. Aidan has been begging to go since receiving poles from his grandparents for Christmas and they were in town to visit. Both boys showed the kind of patience I had at that age. Aidan's excitement waned after about 20 minutes and Kellen wanted to reel his line in every time the worm hit the water.

Our bobbers sank a few times and our bait was nibbled of the hook but we have no actual fish pictures to share. I am now a licensed Minnesota angler so hopefully we will have those kinds of photos to present in the future.

VIDEO: Dolphins Last Day

Oh Be Careful Little Eyes…

The need to watch your actions and your tongue around impressionable young children becomes quickly apparent when you realize they like to mimic everything you say and do. I notice Aidan matching the phrases Rachel and I use and Kellen often shadows Aidan’s actions wanting to be big like his brother.

Today I realized that something Aidan was doing earlier in the week likely came from something he observed on television.

After using the last paper towel on the roll I flipped the cardboard tube to the boys. It’s always exciting to gain such a versatile instrument of play that is capable of becoming a telescope, a sword or a megaphone depending on your mood. It was sure to offer endless hours of entertainment…or minutes depending on when it was inadvertently smashed.

The boys took turns imagining it to be a number of items but later I noticed Aidan sitting on the couch with the giant tube lodged in the front of his pants. I asked no questions. Later he fell asleep on the couch with the prized item still peaking from his waistband. I was curious but remained silent.

After he woke up, I inquired as to just why he had tucked the tube in such a spot. He indicated it was his telescope and I then assumed the front of someone’s drawers to be a natural spot to store such an item.

This morning as the boys ate breakfast and watched cartoons I noticed a character with a telescope hanging from his belt. Suddenly it donned on me that this was the only reference Aidan may have for appropriate telescope storage options. Having been wearing a pair of shorts with no belt, he had simply found a way to carry his cardboard telescope in a similar manner.

PHOTOS: More From the Four

Click here to view these pictures larger

Back in the Pool

Aidan's halfway through another year of swimming lessons. He's been more confident in the water this season. The only trick is keeping Kellen out of the pool while Aidan is in it.

Hint Dropping and Oral Hygiene

Last night, after many previous requests, I agreed to floss Aidan’s teeth. He’s been asking about it since his visit to the dentist wanting desperately to use all of the things they dropped into his take home bag. The difficulty of the exercise came only in getting my fingers into the proper position in his little mouth. At five his teeth are not exactly tightly nestled and not likely to be collecting a lot of extras that the toothbrush is missing. I guess it is good practice nonetheless and he’ll be asking for it again.

Today Kellen disappeared into the bathroom and I went to check on him. I found him sitting on the throne (fully clothed) and watched as he later hopped off, flushed and washed his hands. I asked what he was doing and he informed me that he was going potty. I checked his diaper and discovered that he was in fact doing what he said he was doing. Rachel tells me he did the same thing over the weekend in Chicago. Sounds like he might be ready for potty training…though I’m not sure we are.

Holiday Travels

The four of us hit the road over the weekend heading to Chicago to visit Andrea and Dave. We coordinated the trip around an Independence Day Cubs game. The Wrigley home team was less accommodating to our desire for an enjoyable weekend than Rachel's sister and her husband.

We were reminded of our love for Chicago traffic as we arrived in the area. After making good time to begin the trip, we spent way too much time looking at bumpers and wondering why we didn't simply rent a helicopter. Rachel questioned how anyone could have an accident on such a clear, drive-friendly day. My suggestion that their wives were not there to coach them was not well received.

The boys (especially Aidan) ran Andi and "Buv" through as many parks as possible over the course of a few days. We enjoyed a picnic lunch together on Friday. The Fourth included fireworks from the visiting Brewers in the afternoon and the up-in-the-sky blasts and glow sticks in the evening.

Kellen was not feeling well Sunday so Aidan and I visited our former home church in the morning and I stayed with our under-the-weather traveller while the others hit the zoo in the afternoon.

All in all it was a great trip with good company, fun activities and great hosts who fed us very well. I'll be working off the good eats over the next month so I can squeeze into my tuxedo in August.

Next trip...New Jersey.

PHOTOS: 4th in Chicago