1st Haircut...

Knox had his first haircut this morning at 21 months old. This was definitely his Daddy's decision...I didn't understand the big rush...many tears from me.

He did so well! Hopefully his days of being a beautiful little girl (sometimes dressed in camo) are behind him.

Rubber Duckies

What a trio!

We took these little boys to the Bog Garden for a rubber duckie race last week.

We had such a good time!

NC State Fair

He's got skills-popped 4 balloons with only 3 arrows! You can barely see the sign that says, "Kids Always Win." Eli won for real...

We had a great trip to the State fair a few weeks ago. Eli & Knox had so much fun riding the rides and playing games. Their favorite part of the day was the garden area. They loved running around the trails and looking at all the outdoor designs.

We asked Eli on the way to Raleigh what was the main thing he wanted to see. He immediately responded, "a chicken and a parrot." We assured him there would be plenty of chickens, but probably not any parrots. As soon as he wandered into the gardens he found a parrot stand-he was as thrilled as we were surprised. Another funny thing Eli said was on the drive home. He was really quiet from being so tired, but then blurted out, "well, the State fair sure didn't have any tigers." You never know what they might be thinking about...We had so much fun!

There are no words...

Beach!

We had an amazing week at the beach! These little boys were so, so good. I am continually reminded of how easy kids adjust to a change in their schedules and environment. Our little ones even shared a room for the week, getting us closer to them possibly sharing a room in the future.

They are just a little bit crazy about each other, especially Knox's affection for Eli. We definitely saw Knox's personality continue to emerge last week as we spent so much one on one time with him. He copies EVERYTHING Eli does, all the time. I have begun to refer to his communication as squawking. He just kinda yells all the time. Wow, he is such a wild child. My Dad affectionately noted last week that Knox really can be a bad little boy. Of course, we are all completely in love with him, but he is an independent, stubborn, extremely opinionated child. One word he does know well is "no". Amazingly he uses this word a lot...He did use the potty several times at the beach. He repeatedly takes his diaper off now since Eli doesn't wear a diaper. Now he is beginning to tell us when he needs to go potty. Again, if he is determined to do something I have learned to share his vision and not fight the small battles...He does still love to be held and cuddled, something his Daddy and I still cherish. We both have a huge soft spot for this little boy...

Eli looked forward to our beach trip for several weeks. He relished building sand castles, sharks, and a sea turtle on the beach. He collected lots of shells too. He was terrified of the ocean when we arrived, but by the end of the week was riding a boogie board. My Dad taught him how to talk to fellow fishermen on the pier. He went up to every person fishing and asked, "You having any luck today?" He has such an outgoing personality and quickly makes friends with anyone he meets. He continues to look out for Knox most of the time. He is an excellent big brother! He reminds me to give Knox a snack, give Knox milk, or whatever else he might think Knox needs. We sure do hate to see him growing up so fast... Every day we are reminded of how precious this season is of having two little boys in our house. They certainly have filled our lives with joy!

Ripley's Aquarium

The boys loved the aquarium in Myrtle Beach! We spent about two hours examining all kinds of fish, coral, sharks, and sting rays. I thought they were extra cute in their matching Carhartt sweatshirts...

Where have we been???

Things have been so busy at the Simmons household. Jerrold is in the middle of a new drug launch that is taking up a lot of his time, and I have been over my head with launching the Awana ministry at church. We are looking forward to a beach trip in October!

These little monkeys are still keeping us as busy as ever! We both agree that they are at a very tough stage right now, the 13 months between them is very evident. We have a very inquisitive, independent 2 1/2 year old, along with a very stubborn, wild, 1 1/2 year old that is also a true blue Mama's boy. We are daily overwhelmed, but still insist that we are very blessed!

Eli is talking a lot and asking many questions. He asks his Daddy every morning where he will be driving that day. He is so, so good with Knox. If Knox is upset, Eli takes extra care to sweet-talk him and try to soothe him. Knox is very lucky to have such a great big brother! Eli began potty training at the end of July and is doing great with this milestone! We are so proud of his big boy skills!

Knox is really coming into his own personality. He nods his head emphatically for yes or no. He has a definite opinion about all things. He, too, is talking a lot. He is much "wilder" than Eli ever dreamed of being at Knox's age. Wow-they are very different children!

16 months old...

Hre is my sweet, sweet boy at a little over 16 months old. He is chattering all the time, calling us all by name, and growing like a weed. He has blonde, curly locks and is still called a "pretty little girl". He nearly has all his teeth, adores his Daddy, and joins us in prayer at each meal. He even says "Amen." He is still such a reminder to me of how much God blesses us, even in unexpected circumstances!

A look back at 12 months old-now that friends, will make you want another baby!

Papa's Garden

Eli is so proud of his Papa's garden. My Dad literally has the largest tomato vines I have ever seen, and Eli has mastered tomato-picking. His Papa doesn't even have to point out the appropriate tomatoes to pick, he knows! He has paid careful attention, and is very, very gentle with the tomatoes, so not to bruise them. Check out this future gardener!

Snow in July?

The Before Shot

We had so much fun with another activity. Sara and I covered the dining room table with Barbasol shaving cream (has to be the thickest on the market) and let the boys pretend they were driving their monster trucks through the snow. Eli, Mac, and Knox all enjoyed this messy fun! They played for quite some time, again not minding too much the terrible mess they were creating. I loved watching their little imaginations at work!