I guess you can tell by the slackening pace of posts that we’ve been a bit busy lately.  Unfortunately, not for any exciting reasons.  We all (except Laura) got hit with another fun weekend with a cold, so it’s been all we could manage to keep the boys occupied when all we wanted to do was curl up and sleep.  We had hoped to take the boys to a Christmas Tree farm on Saturday, but all we managed in the end was a local stand selling pre-cut trees.  We found a nicely shaped, small tree, and put it on the pool table.  Hmm, I wonder at what point we stop thinking of it as our pool table, and just accept that it’s become the all-purpose play table for the boys?

We also took the boys to the mall on Sunday.  They desperately needed to get out, and that was all we could manage.  We went through the first pass with them in their strollers, then let them out to walk.  We started around an empty corner of the mall, and the boys ran around and squealed.  We walked slowly back to the main aisleway, and as the boys came to the corner and saw all the people and stores, they stopped and would not go another step…  It took a while, and the boys were very hesitant and tentative, but eventually they walked the lenght of the mall, hand in hand with Katie, Laura or I.

Yesterday Dexter had his first physical therapy appointment.  I don’t recall the name of the condition, but apparently he’s holding his shoulders up way too high, compensating for a short muscle on the right side of his neck.  I’m guessing it’s because of his massive head – he’s always had a normal sized head, but on an abnormally small body.  Anyway, our Pediatrician thought maybe this was making it harder for him to talk (interfering with back-of-the-throat sounds), so PT it is.  We didn’t accomplish much this week, but Dexter loved exploring the PT room, and all of the toys.  And his brother wasn’t there to steal any of them!

On the speech front, both boys make lots of sounds, but it’s debatable if they make any deliberate words yet.  Laura says that they’ll say “Uh-oh”, and “ta” (an Australian proxy for Please / Thank you for young children).  On the other hand, Nicholas has definately learned a few signs.  He can ask for food, ask for more, and say “please”.  We’re working on “open” next, and maybe “can I have the car keys?”  Dexter will occasionally manage the same signs, but not as consistently as his brother.

Both boys are getting a lot smarter, and are figuring out how the shape sorters work, and how to get into all sorts of things.  They’re also mimicking us more.  The other day one of the spit up a little bit onto the floor, and I grabbed a towel to clean it up.  I turned around for a moment, and when I looked back, Nic had grabbed a wash cloth and was wiping at the floor as well.  I tried to take advantage of this yesterday, pouring some water on the hard wood floor under their high chairs, with three washclothes on hand to get them to help me clean up.  They came over readily enough, grabbed the towel, took a swipe at the floor and then ran off.  Oh well…

Oh, and Nicholas will give kisses!  If you ask for one and turn your cheek, he’ll lean in and give you a big, wet, sloppy kiss (more like an open mouthed raspberry, but we don’t judge).  They’ll also wave at us at the window, and blow kisses (complete with kissy noises).  In short, my wife and our esteemed au pair have stolen their manhood before they ever had a chance.

We’re hard at work on Christmas cards and Christmas shopping.  We’re nearly there, but it’s just so hard to get anything done, especially when sick.  My to-do list grows much faster than I can check things off.

Also, it’s kind of sad to think on it, but we’re less than three weeks away from Laura taking her leave of us and returning to Australia.  She’s leaving the day after Christmas, so at least we’ll get to share that with her.  It’s just kind of sad, though.  The boys love her, and we’ve come to rely on her so much, it’ll be very strange when she flies away.  Also, she turns 23 next week, so we’re planning to make her clean up lots of blow-out diapers as a present.  Aren’t we great host-parents?

I think that’ll do for updates for now.  But remember how I mentioned the boys love opening and closing things?  Well, over the last few years Boeing has given us these tins of chocolate at Christmas time, and the boys love opening them up, putting a toy inside, closing it, and shaking it until our heads are throbbing in pain.  Here’re some shots of Nic giving some poor toy a concussion: