Survived the Cinema

Well, we took Logan, Atalie, and Auden to see Cars 2 yesterday, and, as promised, here's a little update on how it went:

Atalie and Logan were so excited to see the show. They even sat quietly through the trailers--and we were there, thanks to Eric's panicky punctuality, twenty minutes early. Eeek. We all shared a heaping bucket of popcorn, and Logan really didn't make a peep except to let out a few of his loud "I'm tired/annoyed" sighs, and to ask Atalie for a plot and character update about midway through the show. Makes me curious as to how much of the movie he actually took in.

I was most concerned about taking Auden to the show, especially since we went to the 2:00 matinee, which is right at his nap time. I figured it would either work out great or horrendously. Luckily, it worked out great because, despite the loudness of the speakers (Why do they have to blast the sound so high these days? In the days before surround sound, I don't recall walking out of the theater worrying about having done some damage to my hearing.), Auden slept the majority of the movie away, and he remained quiet for the last 15 minutes or so when he woke up.

The kids really enjoyed the movie, so Eric and I had a hard time holding back our criticisms of it. If they had the same writers from the previous Cars, they must have been sapped of creativity for this one. The plot was pretty stupid. I don't want to get into it, but it involves an elaborate plot to increase the demand for oil (huh?). And even worse, there weren't any clever jokes--you know, the off-color ones made for adults that the kids just don't get yet. Anyway, it was a nice experience for the kiddos and they didn't embarrass me, so I say it was a successful venture over all.

Today, we were in the car and Eric and I were munching some candy, a bag of those chewy Sweetarts that we meant to sneak in with us yesterday. Logan soon got wise to what we were doing. "Hey, what are you eating!?"
"Oh, just some candy."
"I want some!"
So we gave him a few pieces, finished our handful, put the bag away, and then told him there wasn't any left, just to avoid the whole "Why can't I have more?" scenario.
"Are you sure there's no more?" He asked plaintively.
"Yep. We're all out."
"Let me see the bag."
"What?"
"Show me the bag of candy."
Eric and I looked at each other in disbelief. "You mean you don't trust that we are telling you the truth?"
"No."
Eric flashed him an empty fruit snack pouch.
"Hey, that's not the same bag!"
Outsmarted by our three-year-old, Eric showed him the bag.
"Hey! There's more candy in there!" He said with glee. Fortunately, he didn't hold a grudge and stopped asking for more candy after we gave him a couple more. I tell you, he's too clever for us sometimes.

Photo update

Here are some photos from the past few weeks:
The boys at the beach

That's Logan, showing off his "poo-poo prize."

Eric, one step closer to attaining his dream of owning a goat farm, tries his hand at milking a goat...I'm not sure, but the face he's making tells me he's revising that dream.

Logan with his new buddy.

Us, in front of the vacation house.

June's happenings

Lots has been happening around the Hill household the past few weeks! Auden is still on his way to walking. His balance is improving, and he really prefers to be helped around the house on his two feet, rather than crawling on his hands and knees. If he could talk I imagine he'd say something like: "That crawling stuff is so passe, mom." Today, he crawled all the way up our stairs, with dad following closely behind, just in case.

He continues to eat with a voracious appetite. Avocados, eggs, pear, banana, salmon, berries, yogurt...He likes just about anything you put in front of him. Except boiled whitefish, which we tried on vacation, and applesauce. Apparently the textures are just too weird. Oh, and he has a strong reaction to soda--he does this open-mouthed wince that is quite hilarious.

And Logan has finally graduated to pooping on the potty. Of course, he still thinks underwear are thinner, less absorbent diapers when it comes to dropping off a number two, so he's currently going commando until he gets a little more comfortable with the process. Still, I'm so relieved not to have to be cleaning up after diapers or underwear accidents.

And we survived a week-long vacation with the boys. Eric and I have decided that vacationing with two little ones really isn't much of a vacation. Their schedules are screwy, so you're constantly trying to prevent or deal with meltdowns. The upside is that they really love sleeping at home now. Even Logan is taking a nap, which is why I'm able to write this entry. Otherwise, the kids had a great time playing in the sand--Auden's first experience with a beach--and wading in the water. Logan (and Auden) got some experience trying to play gentle with their cousin Isabel. They were also great on the five-hour car ride for their grandparents (on the way there) and us. Why did we subject Grammy and Papa Hill to five hours in the car with the boys, you ask? Well, we had two, yes two, weddings to attend in Chicago the first weekend of the trip, so they took the boys to the vacation house. I purchased a new portable DVD player, which seems to have kept Logan sufficiently entertained. He earned an "A," according to Grammy Hill. Auden, uninterested in movies yet and unable to see the screen anyway, probably earned more like a "C." But he definitely had a stellar return trip--slept most of the way. The highlight of the trip was definitely The Farm, a petting zoo. Logan befriended a cute little lamb and many kids (baby goats, that is) and was excited to see the bunnies. Today, in fact, he told Eric that he wanted another baby. "Do you want a little sister or brother?" Eric asked, while I cringed. "No, a baby. I really want a baby bunny and I will name him Yellow." Sweet.

Our friends' weddings were wonderful, and it was great having a weekend to ourselves, catching up with many people we don't get to see often enough. Both ceremonies were touching, and we were so happy to see our friends, Kevin and John, Colleen and Thom, begin a new chapter in their lives.

So, we're busy doing laundry, cleaning a layer of cat fur off of virtually every surface of our house, and weeding our garden, which in our absence exploded into a mound of unruly vegetation--most of which is weeds, of course. Tomorrow, we're going to see Cars 2 with Logan, Auden, and Atalie, a friend's daughter. It will be Logan's first real movie theater experience, and, of course, Auden's, so we'll report back on how it goes...

Finally!

After a very long wait, Auden is saying "Ma!" I was in denial for a couple of days when he was sort of just getting the hang of the mmm sound, but it's progressed to a full-on "ma" that's loud and clear. I don't think it's a real word yet (meaning he probably isn't really calling me "ma," just making that sound), but he does say it in a whiny voice when he wants to be picked up--kind of a weird coincidence. Sure. Eric gets the cute, excited "dadada!" I get the sad, plaintive "ma."

Not to be outdone, Logan made a funny remark today:
"Hey mom, my tummy is talkin'."
"Really? What's it saying?"
"Hey, Logan. I want some food!"
Tee hee.