adding it up.

I love that he collects change from all over, all the time, to add to his change bank. Every penny goes in. From pockets and purses and that little spot in the van that collects change and odd bits. Almost every day. A few times a year it is full enough to take in to the bank. I love that even though he is the only one that remembers to put loose change in the bank, he always, without fail, says he is splitting it 50/50 with his big brother. And he does.

He carries that heavy load into the bank and asks to cash it in. I love that every time he guesses how much it will be, and he is always close.


He always has a plan and knows what he wants to buy with his money. But today he got something NOT on his list. He has been trying on hats for the past few months. Looking for "his style", but nothing has been right. But today he found it. THE hat.



It fits him, don't you think?

brothers.

This is how I find them several times a day. I leave the room to grab snacks or fold some laundry and when I return there they are, heads close together, talking, working on something, giggling, reading, whispering. Today they were watching a Bill Nye DVD we picked up from the library, snuggled up. While they disagree on some things they are still and always, best friends. Brothers.

"Help your brother's boat across, and your own will reach the shore."
~Hindu Proverb

++

I love taking photos of them together it seems!
Here are some previous posts of - you guessed it - brothers::
brothers ('11) | it doesn't get better than this | super heroes |
masters of disguise | brothers ('09) |
photo of the day - brothers | brothers (2007!!!!!!!!!) |

rover!

A was pretty excited to get the snap circuits wireless RC rover for his birthday. So of course today we had to build it!


The boys took turns snapping each element onto the grid (A is an awesome big brother, always including G in EVERYTHING), carefully reading and re-checking the instructions/schematics as they went. They did a final schematic check and decided they were ready.


The cool thing is that not only did they assemble a remote control vehicle - but one that has a headlamp and forward/reverse lighting. Oh, and a beeper.


They immediately went to the dark of the hallway and bathroom to get the full effect. They took turns - one driving while the other filmed with their video camera, and then switched.


They also read all about how the wireless remote works, the internal motors, gears and ratios, and electrical circuits. There are 19 more projects with this kit...so I know there is much more to come. Lots of fun!

.

boys.

ham.


with a side of cheese.


.

gold-white.

Today was belt-promotion day! But not for A...G was promoted for the first time to gold-white.

G has been interested in starting karate for a bit- he has been practicing at home with his brother for ages, and really has fun with it. We have to be careful - with his asthma issues, being exposed to cold & flu viruses usually is really rough on him, taking him down for weeks and often including nebulizer, inhalers, steroids and ER or urgent care visits to get him breathing again. So, we all thought that this summer would be a good time to try it out and see how it goes with all of that since it is not the peak virus season and he has had a pretty clean year so far - and so for the past two months he has been in karate!


Today was his very first belt promotion. He is quite shy compared to his very outgoing brother, and was very nervous about today. We sat right behind him during his promotion, cheering him on. Of course his brother cheered the loudest when he was given his belt! :)


And his brother was the first to hug him when he came off the mat.


He was so happy to get this belt - he has been talking about it all week, and was so proud of himself today. Way to go G!!!

it doesn't get much better than this.

Brothers. Best friends.
I love these guys.

I had two sick boys on the couch all day today - cuddled together,
snuggling, comforting each other. When I downloaded these photos from my camera from yesterday...well, my heart is full.

photos of the day:: my superheroes

Mister Trouble never hangs around
When he hears this Mighty sound.

"Here we come to save the day"

That means that Mighty Brothers are on their way.

It doesn't get any better than this.

Holiday Tradition.

I am always amazed to see how different these two boys are - who spend every moment together, enjoy many of the same toys, and are close in age. A is a big fan of model trains. Even when he was 3 years old he had already memorized all of the different types of engines, passenger cars, freight cars, all of the different motors and rail types. He reads model railroad magazines and books. He visits train shows whenever he can. He LOVES them. Every winter we visit the holiday model train show put on by the botanical garden. It is a small exhibit, but A can watch for an hour without even blinking.


G, on the other hand, enjoys them...but, ya know, no biggie. He tolerates train shows and enjoys the first 1.2 minutes, but after that he is ready to GO!!!! Or, perhaps, see how riled up he can get his brother. Because, HEY, don't they have SUGAR COOKIES in the lobby? ;)


This year the tradition continues...

corner view:: love

The corner view this week is :: love.


Need I say more?


To visit everyone who is participating in Corner View with Jane at Spain Daily, visit::

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Brothers.

I love that they are best friends. Yes, they bicker and argue sometimes like any other siblings on the planet. But they also have a deep love for each other. They do everything together - play, explore, learn...They even prefer to share a room, so that they can stay close. Tonight as they finished reading a few books and got ready to climb into bed they gave each other a big huge hug and big huge kiss and said "I love you, good night!" Can't beat that.

brothers.

Oh, to be brothers. These guys are inseparable. To have someone to play with, go places with, do things with, talk to, snuggle, eat with, and who is perfectly willing to play with you - all the time.

Of course they are indeed brothers, so there is conflict, but it is never for long, and they always work it out. They are best friends.



I see how much they love each other and I feel my heart about to burst. Life is good.