Simon @ 17 months

At 17 months, Simon is more able to play with Harmon, which is good for all involved. In the morning, Harmon asks that I put him in the crib with Simon so they can play together. They usually will read books together, play with stuffed animals and dance and sing to nursery rhymes. They also are taking baths together and, in a stunner, playing with the cars together. Harmon has gotten a lot better about sharing, especially his precious cars. So, to see them playing together with the cars is nothing short of a minor miracle!

Since getting the walking thing down, there is a lot of talking going on. One of Simon's favorite things is to do his roll call: Mama, Daddy, Big Bro, Nana, Papa, etc. And, speaking of Papa, Simon loves it when Papa plays the "wolfman."

First bath together

Last Thursday night (April 8), Harmon was taking his bath and Simon wouldn't leave him alone in the bathroom. As I was getting pajamas ready across the hall, I heard giggling. I checked on them and Harmon was shooting water from his rubber ducky at Simon. Of course, Simon thought this was awesome. So, I gently suggested to Harmon that it might be fun to have Simon in the tub with him. Much to my surprise, he agreed. Thus, their first bath!

Now, I thought this was great but I don't do the baths. Kevin will clean them up and bring them to me and then I'll do lotion, pajamas, hair, etc. I DO know that Kevin hates to be splashed and, with two boys, I'm thinking that's going to happen once or twice. Maybe we should consider shifting the bath responsibilities.

Tonight will be their third bath together so, unless disaster strikes (disaster = Harmon being grumpy), I think we can a) officially retire the toddler bathtub (thank God) and b) plan to put down a lot more towels on the bathroom floor. It's going to get wet and messy!

What did you say?

Harmon says funny things. He just does. He doesn't plan them, they just come out. Usually, he thinks he knows how to say something or he hears something incorrectly and then thinks that's how you say something. Whichever way it happens, it's hilarious.

Here are five thinks that kill us:

1. For the longest time, he called marbles narbles. He would tell us he played narbles at school and we were like, um, what? Once we figured out he meant marbles, we explained the difference. Sometimes he still says narbles, just to mess with us.

2. During this past Christmas season, we listened to more than enough Christmas music. He loves to sing (he gets that from me) and I caught him on more than one occasion singing Jingle Bells and saying "oh what fun it is to ride in a one-morse open sleigh." First, I died. Then I explained it was a one-HORSE open sleigh.

3. When he goes to Kroger with Kevin, the highlight for him is getting something from the BENDING machine. Yep, bending instead of vending. Classic.

4. He'll joke around sometimes and say that something is ridicleous. He's close. It's like nuclear and nucular, except Harmon is 4, not an ignorant, middle-aged politician!

5. Finally, my favorite - banklet, which sounds like BANK-A-LET. Obviously, he's trying to say blanket. I was just talking to Kevin about how we should probably tell him how to really say it. But, it's cute how is says it. There's an innocence to banklet and we don't want to let it go!

He says so many other funny things on a daily basis and I need to remember to write them down. This silliness won't last forever!