Holiday Photo Slideshow 2011

Holiday related pictures from Christmas 2011.  The kids were really psyched up and enjoyed all the giving and receiving of gifts.  Lots of great times and memories created with family and friends.

Olbrich Gardens Holiday Trains

Jonas, as usual, had his flying wings on. You can see him start to get excited than pump his arms/wings until he is flying high. Needless to say this excitement reaction is quite contagious as Niles does this on a much smaller scale when he is excited. Niles usually just kinda flicks his wrists really fast, so he hasn't taken flight yet.

Bogart, Boys, Packers, and Reading?

Tug o war with Bogart.

Jonas getting his passengers ready for a rocket ship ride.

Friends over for dinner.

New baby Wheeler, Niles was well versed in what to do since he has been taking care of his baby so well at home.

Packers = Popcorn  In the only time that Niles really gets his brain fried from watching tv  he also gets to eat popcorn with his Dad and brother.

Jonas wanted to create a chamber where he can rest.  I told him it looked like a coffin, he asked what that was and I  played it as a 'Special box that people go into."

Niles was reading Henry and Mudge...sorta.  he definitely is picking out all sorts of things and actions from books and associating them across contexts.  The best part of the video is his mobster laugh after making an observation.  If you get a chance you can hear the laugh, after that it is more of him being silly.

Protest, Haircut, Bumpers

Niles is singing away into the mic.

Niles enjoying the truck bumper.

The boys doing the usual, protesting WI being taken over by national interests, paying to speak through Gov Walker, who have no stake in the lives of WI citizens.  

The boys checking out a teamster truck up at the Capitol.

Fresh off a haircut, or should I say 3 haircuts.  Dad is quite the barber.

Jonas is at sports class on the far left stretching with his classmates.

Halloween 2011

Halloween was once again an awesome event. The cow produced many moos and collected quite the candy haul.  The spaceship pilot wowed the public with the nimbleness of the spacecraft maneuvered through the neighborhood, state street, and in the cover of darkness.  Niles was awesome at following Jonas's lead.  Niles was knocking on doors with full force and saying trick or treat....than in a pronounced motion shoved his bucket out to the unsuspecting benefactor of candy.  He often was able to get a double portion.  The pumpkins turned out great; a a Jonas train, a Niles owl, a Mom bat, and a Dad Carbon Dioxide ppm global warming indicator that is way to high (389 ppm....oh well to late who cares about the current Earth!) Its great to go out and see and talk to the neighbors, a great community building event.

Gigantic wooly bear discovery!  After dropping him off in the neighbor's yard the wooly bear found his way back to our front door.  What a connection Jonas must have made.

3 boys in a box, isn't the box supposed to be a toy box?  The best toys are not intended to be toys.

Jonas giving Cory a ride on his four wheeler.  Ben is close behind.  The kids had to put on hundreds of miles so far this October.  Need to change the tires soon.

Soon enough Haloween will be here.  This is the stage 7 of the Jonas costume creation.  Obviously it is going to be a rocketship.

First Days of Fall

As the leaves fall the boys continue to sprout. Niles puts multiple words/vocalizations together to communicate and Jonas facilitates with patience and guidance.....(most of the time.) It has been fun to watch them grow together as Niles always wants to do everything that Jonas does. We've had a wonderful time enjoying the most wondrous and simple things in life and I hope that can continue forever.

Here is a link to the photos in the movie.

Birthday 4

6 days -------------- 1 year

2 years -------------- 3 years

Jonas had an amazing 4th birthday. This was by far the most excited and proud he has been about having a birthday and growing up. It is beautiful to sit back and picture year by year all the amazing changes that kids go through, especially when they are your own. I hope that the proud anticipation of Jonas growing up crawls along simply because we love the kid so much. Thanks to everyone that helped him grow up to this point, wouldn't change a moment.