Swept Away

Osten and Marci were helping Daddy sweep the back deck the other day when they discovered a new use for Daddy's blower. Daddy nearly swept them away, but they kept coming back for more!

Batter Up

Osten had his first t-ball game tonight.  It was a total of two innings, and each child was able to bat twice.  Tom and I were so focused on taking his picture and recording his first hit that we forgot to remind the coach that he is a lefty.  Consequently, he switch-hit for his first at bat and still got a hit!  Here is his second time at the plate.

Good Game

The lineup at the end of the game was definitely a highlight. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be watching one of these exchanges as a parent of one of the players. Crazy! Osten is near the end of the line between the boy with the red glove and player #3. As you may notice, Marci also had a really good time at the game!

What a Catch!

The weather was so nice this afternoon that we picked up our poles and headed to a nearby lagoon.  Osten is getting to be quite the fisherman!

Of course, every cast doesn't land in the water, and for this reason it may be a while before we replace the little plastic fish with a pointed metal hook!

As it turned out, Marci landed the catch of the day--a free ride home courtesy of her brother!

180 Degrees

Things have really been moving along in Marci's world all of a sudden. While Grammi and Mommy were unpacking the kitchen in the new house, she enjoyed a 180-degree view of the dining room.

Sweet Serenade

Osten gave his solo rendition of the birthday song this morning at breakfast. It is currently one of his favorite tunes, and the lyrics are ever-changing. We occasionally will hear him belting out this song while he is waiting to fall asleep at night.

I got the full-chorus serenade last night followed by a cake dinner. When Daddy came back from Publix with this cake, it looked and smelled so good that we decided to cut into it a day early. It was such a hit that the pre-birthday cake dinner may be a new tradition for us!

Presents! Presents! This year I had lots of help with the unwrapping.

I think everyone enjoyed the celebration, which was somewhat messy for the two littlest revelers. Daddy had Osten sign Mommy's card in the car, and as a result, his arm was covered in ink. The card also ended up in two pieces, but it was covered in fabulous, one-of-a-kind artwork. And somehow Marci ended up with some Gerber leftovers on her forehead.

Big Brother Boot Camp

Life lessons by Osten began this afternoon. So far, Marci is the only glutton for punishment who has been convinced to enroll in big brother boot camp. The baby gloves are off, at least when Osten is doing the handling, but surprisingly Marci is seeming to enjoy his, um, guidance. And, if he's able to teach her to drink from a sippy cup, we just might be able to find ourselves a few recruits!

Big Brother Benefits

Being a big brother is definitely not without its benefits, especially now that Marci is eating baby snacks!