Almost 2

As two approaches I feel I better start documenting what's going on here at the Berger house.

Tonight as I was putting Chase to bed I said, "Let's pray" and typically he stops sucking his thumb and folds his hands. tonight he figured out he could keep his thumb in his mouth while still folding his hands! So cute. He likes to be covered with the furry blanket and Owen likes to be covered with any blanket, but mostly the one I knitted for him before he was born. He has come to like that blanket when he sleeps, almost as much as his blankey.

We are picking up words left and right. It's funny to hear what they pick. Owen loves to say "broke" sounds like "brote". When something is dirty, it's "brote", when a piece of a toy is missing it's "brote". It's funny how he says it too. He has rising intonation at the end and the "br" is almost growl like.

Finally I'm being called by MY name, not Daddy's. :) We've been working so hard on this. For so long I've been Daddy and everyone was Daddy. Over the weekend Owen started calling me "Ma" or "Mama" or "Mommy". Now, when he is in the living room and wants me he yells "Ma!" instead of "Daddy"! It's wonderful! It's so sweet. He also point to Jeff and says Daddy and then points to me and says "Mama". I love being an individual! I think it helped going away for the weekend and him having to call me "ma" because Jeff wasn't around. Who knows. Chase still calls me "Daddy", though.

Owen is now the clingy one and loves to be held. He is not whiny like Chase was though. Chase is content to hold my hand as we walk and I hold Owen.

Chase has started saying "Me" for anything that is his. He has faces for everything and will let you know when he is not happy. He's quite animated.

Each time Owen sits and looks at his knees he has to point out his past "owies" that have healed. If you have a mark on you, he must identify that as an owie too.

Chase is very good at giving kisses and puckering up. He will hold the pucker until you kiss him, which can be awhile if he is chasing after Owen for a night time kiss. :)

Chase sorted many different shapes into their correct groupings last weekend. It was amazing. We were at my parents' and my mom gave him a bunch of foam shapes to play with. We looked over and he had organized all the circles in one pile, the squares in another, the rectangles in another, etc. He was very proud of it! I had tears in my eyes I was so proud!

Tonight I found Chase cleaning up the living room!!! I almost fell over. He was putting all the balls in the ball bin. Way to go buddy!

That's all for now!

Look at my baby working so hard!


"Oh, here is where the circles go."

Uh Oh and This

This video highlights Owen saying "uh oh", "this" and "brote" (broken). Chase is saying "this" too.

Home Home on the Range

Chase, Owen and I took a road trip to my parents' house last weekend. It was so much fun! We didn't have the best weather, but what 1 year old cares about weather? Of course grandma had cookies!  We played with the little kitties, Owen would get close and touch them but Chase kept his distance.  Chase called them "babies".  We took a walk to the bridge where I used to play as a child.  The ride in the wagon was fun!  More to come . . . 

Owen is trying to eat the chocolate chips out of the cookie

  

Grandpa always buys balloons because C & O love them so much! 

Grandpa and his boys.

 

Mom's friends came out to see her grandchildren.  In South Dakota you bring your cat along when you visit-funny stuff (just teasing Olive!).  Chase and Owen did not like the kitty playing with their balloons.   

Owen pettting the cute little kittens that hissed at them 

Looking for the cat in the tall grass 

Grandma on the road to the bridge 

OOOHHHH, we love these!  We practiced blowing the seeds off of small ones all spring.  They huge ones take the cake!

  

Owen blows his huge puffball

Grandpa pulling the boys and Chase laughing.

A Warm Summer's Day Walk

We went out on a walk today. Before leaving Chase and Owen found the bag full of winter hats and mittens. Before I knew it they were dressed like this.


It was quite funny for many neighbors. They insisted upon the puppy hats!

DONE

I'm done with school for the year! I can't tell you how good it feels to be free! We had a great day today. Here are some pictures from Florida, it's a series of Owen that I just loved and wanted to share. There is also a video of Chase at the end doing the Happy Dance now that Mommy is home!

The Office

Here is our little executive hard at work.

Chase is a hard working man.

Look at those little legs dangling!

Chase Acts Like a Puppy and Dances

"This" and Owen Finds a Caterpillar

"This" is the boys' favorite word these days.  We must have said it a lot for them to pick up on it. In fact, I know I do.  When they point at something I say, "You want this?"  Wonderful vocabulary building strategies are used at our home. :)

So, when the boys want something they point at it and say, "This." 

The other night Chase was playing on a skateboard with Jeff.  We were at the neighbors and it was time to go home.  I picked up Chase and he waved at the skateboard and said, "Bye this."  I had to laugh and laugh and am laughing right now.

Not only are they not using vocabulary correctly, they are also not using their /s/ correctly. It is a major frontal lisp.  Every speech therapist's nightmare!

Owen is amazed at his find-a fuzzy caterpillar!  He has to get down as close as he can to the caterpillar. 

Hi Mr. Caterpillar.

Chase gets in on the action

This is Owen's attempt at kissing the caterpillar

Oh Mom, I just love nature!

Last Memorial Day Post

Sandy was hunting for a little animal that had gone into the hole.  I seriously thought they were hunting for a real animal.  :)  This is Sandy and Owen.

3

I've been counting down for a long time now, but I thought it was time to post this number.

3

I have 3 days of school left!

YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

We'll be doing a lot of this

 

and this

 

and this

  

and this

 

 and I CAN'T WAIT