Simon and Uncle Tom: They both have issues with their pants sagging.

Joe, Marla, and Sam sent Isaac's birthday gift via Tom, and we let him open it early. It's a parachute! What a great idea! This thing has been in our possession for a mere 24 hours and has already induced huge smiles and lots of laughter. Thanks so much, guys! We are excited to try it outdoors with the Henry kids this weekend.

"How to I answer this thing?"

"Here, I think it's for you!"

Play Time

Isaac and Simon are playing together more and more every day. It's so neat to watch their bond develop and strengthen. Pop was impressed last week, when he witnessed how they communicate and entertain each other in the back seat of the car. It really is amazing!

Club Toe

A couple of weeks ago, Josh noticed something funny about Simon's toes: two of them aren't properly separated. Jane mentioned it to his doctor at his 7 month appointment today, and it's fine. All the bones and joints appear to be present and in working order. We keep lovingly referring to it as "the club toe." We both find it really endearing for some reason.

It was hard to snap a picture of it, because he kept curling his toes under like this

And a stats update from today's 7 month appointment...
18 Lbs 4 Oz
28.5 Inches

For a comparison, Isaac was 16Lbs 9oz and 27.3 inches long at 7 months.

Get Thee To A Library

We read storybooks constantly around here. When Jane came across this list online, she was shocked how few of these books that we've read with our kids. The bolded titles are the ones we've read with Isaac and Simon. Only 8 of 100?! Looks like we've got to get cracking! :)

100 Books Every Child Should Hear Before Kindergarten

Each Peach Pear Plum Ahlberg
Wheres My Teddy? Alborough
Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing Barrett
Ten, Nine, Eight Bang
The Three Bears Barton
Madeline Bemelmens
Little Gorilla Bornstein
Goodnight Moon Brown
Turtles Race with Beaver: A Traditional Seneca Story Bruchac
Mr. Gumpys Outing Burningham
The Little House Burton
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Carle
Freight Train Crews
Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type Cronin
Happy Birthday, Jamela! Daly
Strega Nona De Paola
Jamberry Degen
The Empty Pot Demi
Rap a Tap Tap: Heres Bojangles-Think of That Dillon
Abuela Dorros
Go, Dog, Go Eastman
A Handful of Sunshine: Growing a Sunflower Eclare
Growing Vegetable Soup Ehlert
Go Away Big Green Monster Emberley
Mean Soup Everitt
Olivia Falconer
Bark George Feiffer
Ask Mr. Bear Flack
The Everything Book Fleming
Corduroy Freeman
Millions of Cats Gag
The Three Little Pigs Galdone
Is Your Mama a Llama Guarino
Lillys Purple Plastic Purse Henkes
Wheres Spot Hill
Bedtime for Frances Hoban
Is it Red? Is it Yellow? Is it Blue? An Adventure in Color Hoban
You'll Soon Grow Into Them, Titch Hutchins
Biggest, Strongest, Fastest Jenkins
Mama, Do You Love Me? Joosse
The Wolfs Chicken Stew Kasza
The Snowy Day Keats
The Caterpillar and the Polliwog Kent
I Took My Frog to the Library Kimmel
Leo the Late Bloomer Kraus
The Carrot Seed Krauss
Swimmy Lionni
Frog and Toad All Year Lobel
Froggy Gets Dressed London
Sylvia Longs Mother Goose Mother
Mabela the Clever MacDonald
George and Martha Marshall
Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? Martin
Guess How Much I Love You? McBratney
Make Way for Ducklings McCloskey
Raven: a Trickster Tale from the American Northwest McDermott
Flora McDonnells ABC McDonnell
Widget McFarland
Too Much Noise McGovern
Growing Colors McMillan
I Stink McMullan
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie Numeroff
Diez Deditos: Ten Little Fingers Orozco
BeeBimBopPark
Dos and Donts Parr
Kermit the Hermit Peet
The Little Red Hen LITTLE
The Little Engine that Could Piper
Not a Box Portis
Goodnight Gorilla Rathmann
Curious George Rey
Mouse Mess Riley
The Toolbox Rockwell
Were Going on a Bear Hunt Rosen
Dog Heaven Rylant
Richard Scarrys Best First Book Ever Scarry
Where the Wild Things Are Sendak
The Cat in the Hat Seuss
Spicy Hot Colors; Colores Picantes Shahan
No David Shannon
Lizards Song Shannon
It Looked Like Spilt Milk Shaw
I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean Sherry
Caps for Sale Slobodkina
Night Shift Daddy Spinelli
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble Steig
A Hat for Miverva Louise Stoeke
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Viorst
Owl Babies Waddell
Mouse Paint Walsh
Mr. Cookie Baker Wellington
Yoko Wells
The Three Little Pigs Wiesner
I Went Walking Williams
Knuffle Bunny Willems
Bear Snores On Wilson
The Napping House Wood
Big Black Bear Yee
How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? Yolen
Harry the Dirty Dog Zion


And if we had to add some of our favourites to this list, they would be...

Oh My Baby Little One Appelt
That's How Much God Loves You Shea
Get Out Of Bed (Isaac's current obsession) Munsch
Hand Hand Fingers Thumb Perkins

Four Years

Happy Anniversary to us!

Four years ago today, we said our "I do's" and started this exciting journey. (Doesn't it seem like I just posted about our third anniversary?) We celebrated the day (and the sale of our current home...yahooo!) by eating dinner in our new home. Meanwhile, Isaac and Simon went to Nan and Pop's for dinner and their baths. We enjoyed some pad thai on the floor while daydreaming about all the great times we will have at the new house. At first, we debated where to spread our picnic blanket, then we realized that the dining room was the obvious choice...plus it has tons of daylight, since the electricity is not hooked up yet.




And because it's fun to look back, here are a couple wedding pics. Last year, I posted a few of the photographer's pictures, so these are some that we got from our guests.

Seriously..they are this cute.

St Martins

On Friday afternoon, Jane and the boys tagged along as her parents took Siobhan and Danny to visit The Fundy Trail. They had a great walk, picnic, and trip to the beach. Isaac especially liked walking over the suspension bridge and throwing rocks into the water from the shore. Simon liked that he got to spend the whole afternoon snuggling in the sling. It was the best summer day yet: hot sun and a nice breeze.

The Foreman

We visit our new house every day or two to see the progress. Isaac loves walking around the worksite, and we've been trying to take some photos to show he and Simon when they are older and think of this place as 'home.'

Daddy's Boys

A couple of pictures of Josh and his boys...

Partner in Crime

Jane's parents have houseguest visiting from Ireland. Siobhan and her son, Daniel, have been staying with Nan and Pop for a couple weeks already, and Danny and Isaac have had some good times. One of their favourite things to do is gang up on Pop!