Nothing really going on

I'm back from England. We all had a nice little honeymoon of love and appreciating each other on a new level. It's pretty much over, but I still am reminding myself to be patient with the kids before going straight to yelling... so that's good!

We are back in normal life. John is in a very sweet and helpful phase. He is great with Christopher, very loving and says "Yes ma'am" a lot. Sometimes he says "Yes captain," and I'll take that too. He is enjoying reading and has started reading words on signs and things around the house. He also loves to write notes. He wrote three to my while I was in England.

Christopher is still very cute, but that is tempered by the terrible twos. He is in the control phase, and easily gets derailed when something is "wrong." He also tries to tell people what to do, mostly me: "Dit up, mommy" [get up, mommy] and "Glasses on" in the mornings. He is pretty easy to re-rail, and often responds to choices and straight talk before time outs have to be enforced. He is very good at calming down when I ask "Are you ready to listen?" and usually says "Yes."  He is talking up a storm, and has actually told a joke or two, but I can't remember what they are... irony I think. Saying "no" when I ask him if he loves mommy or daddy, then he smiles and waits to be tickled... He also continues his ginormous love affair with his big brother. He has taken to yelling "John Penna!" whenever he wants to get John's attention from far away. He has also tried to read "Dinotrux," his most favorite book, to John.

This was a big weekend, because it was a three-day holiday (for the kids anyway) and I had them to myself during the days. Saturday we went to the zoo and the zoo playground. Sunday we went to the Georgia Aquarium and saw the dolphin show. Christopher loved the giraffes and elephants. John liked feeding the crackers to the giraffes. (Me too, I love that our zoo lets you feed some of the animals, and if you go early enough in the day, the animals are interested).
Today John went to Chuck E. Cheese via Costco and Trader Joe's with Miss Kerri and James and Andy. They had a good time. Christopher and I stayed home because he had gooey, pinky eyes. I don't think it's pink eye, but I didn't want to risk it.... We had a play date at the local park this afternoon.

I don't have any pictures of activities because our point and shoot broke, dropped for the 20th time, but with the lens open...  but here are some snaps of the boys.