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...