Truck Day! We saw the flyer at the library, and I knew we had to go. How could we not go? What could we possibly have to do that would be better or more important than an event that gathered all sorts of trucks (and a bus! and a police car!) in one big parking lot for kids to sit in and play on and stare with open mouth at and say, "WOW!" Nothing, that's what.

Stinkerton is still too little to be excited in advance, but boy, did I make up for it by being excited for him. I almost voted to skip the pre-Truck Day coffee run as we were walking a few blocks over listening to the deep horn of a concrete truck bellowing what sounded to me like, "Here! Here! Trucks here!"

But soon enough, Truck Day in all its glory came into view. Stinkerton could barely even process what he was seeing.

There was so much to look at, we hardly knew where to start. And it was as loud as it was exciting. Between the police siren and the concrete mixer's horn, Ommy started screaming - and I couldn't even hear it! Allen had to take him off to the side for a while (he was wearing Ommy in the Ergo) and calm him down.

We took a lap around the parking lot to see what all there was first, and while we were still surveying the scene, who should we run into but Stinks' and Ommy's favorite cousins!

This makes five cousin get-togethers in six days, and tomorrow Stinkerton and Ommy will get to see baby Charlotte again. That's some kind of record, but we could really get used to this!

Entourage complete, it was about time to start climbing on trucks. First the recycling truck:

Here's Stinkerton driving a Humvee. Keep your eyes on the road, you crazy daredevil!

Caroline hangs out in the back seat. (Generally there was a line at every truck if you wanted to sit in the front seat, but there wasn't much of a line for non-horn-blowing positions in the vehicles.)

Stinks also climbed around the bed of the Humvee.

Then we moved on to the armored car. Who knew that our police force had these?! (Also, HOLY COW, if you see this in use, get out of there!) Our pediatrician's office manager was there, and her son did some awesome karate poses in front of the armored truck, so Katie and Stinkerton got in on the action too. Be afraid of those muscles and moves!

The concrete mixer had the loudest horn by far, and they also brought a hilarious family activity - foam rocks to throw into the chute. (Are you serious? Stinkerton loves throwing rocks, and it's just what we want to encourage!) We declined taking a souvenir foam rock home with us.

And finally, we climbed onto the bus! (Sadly, the fire engine was not present, but we assume it had to respond to an emergency. There were also a tow truck, an excavator, and a couple other trucks that we didn't spend too much time with.) Here are the girls on the bus!

Stinkerton was in heaven, of course. Can't you just read his mind? "I am on a bus, looking out the window at trucks. Are you kidding me right now?!"

Nope, not kidding you, Stinkerton. Sometimes life actually is this awesome.

What, you think I'm just talking about babysitting MY two kids if you're bored? Too easy. But I highly recommend you take my kids and their cousins for an evening. It will cure your boredom, satisfaction guaranteed.

We did just that yesterday. At first it was pretty calm, with Stinkerton and Caroline napping. We even had baby Charlotte down, but when she woke up and fussed, I brought Ommy up to her room and set him down so I could pick her up instead. Katie went to get the camera, and in the meantime, Charlotte fell back asleep!

Ommy was trying to roll and scootch closer and closer to her. He was kicking his legs wildly, and rolling to his left. I don't know how she was sleeping through it.

Katie took this picture of Ommy and Charlotte, and we laughed at how happy he was about being in the crib with Charlotte.

Luckily, Allen arrived just as everybody got up from their naps. Chaos ensued.

My personal favorite moments were when Katie was dancing around the room shredding tissue paper making up a song whose lyrics were, "The bad truth about confetti! The bad truth about confetti!" (I let her know that the bad truth about confetti was that you had to clean it up, and that life lesson made it into the song too.) Meanwhile, something moves in the corner of my eye, and I see this is going on (except his whole torso is under there when I first catch him):

Another time, Caroline turned to me very seriously and said, "I really like your baby." Then she thanked me for smelling good.

There was one responsible person among us (Katie, obviously), so we didn't burn down the house or anything. She tried to warn us that we should lock the water dispenser on the freezer, and she even locked it for us, but I unlocked it and forgot, and Caroline managed to hand Stinkerton three or four open cups of water before we noticed her personal bucket brigade.

Besides her wise advice, Katie was also a big help with the babies. Thank you, Katie!

After dinner, Allen took Stinks and Ommy home, and I put the girls to bed. No casualties. And we were definitely not bored.

All I can think when I see this smile is that I can't wait to get to know this guy better.

One of our favorite pictures from last year's visit to Harpers Ferry was this one of Stinkerton on the glider. He is 6 months old in this picture.

I decided to take one every time we came, so here is this year's picture of Stinks on the glider, at 18 months.

And here is Ommy, at 3.5 months!

And because I never got around to posting about our trip last year, perhaps because I was distracted by finding out that I was pregnant with Ommy on the day we left for Harpers Ferry, here are some pictures of that visit.

Chris and Stinks posing in front of Highacre, the smile-maker

Last year's half marathoners

Doesn't Stinkerton still look just like Stinkerton?

In 2011, we went to Harpers Ferry for the first Harpers Ferry Half Marathon (last year it was "Two Rivers Heritage" but I guess they decided to cut to the chase). It was my first half marathon and Stinkerton's first visit to our beloved Harpers Ferry. Last weekend, we went for the second annual race and brought Ommy to Harpers Ferry for his first visit!

Unfortunately, Ommy's a screamer in the car, and we didn't make it the whole way up there without a stop at the "Scenic View" outside Frederick, MD. Stinkerton didn't mind stretching his legs either though.

Stinkerton found our favorite spot in the house right away - the porch swing! Where else can you get this view?!

After a little bit of swinging in the breeze, we unloaded the new (to us, but still pretty darn new) car. (Yes, this is a completely gratuitous car picture, so that we can slip in its addition to our family fleet.) Please feel free to laugh with us at the idea that when we upgraded to a roomier family car, we got a Prius.

First thing on Friday morning, Allen and Stinks spent some time contemplating the meaning of life (or maybe just enjoying the breeze).

Stinkerton began his new favorite game of running down the long, steep driveway, and we saw a turtle! (For the rest of the weekend, he and I would run down the driveway practicing "go, go, go...and stop!") He wanted to run up to the turtle and touch it, but we held him back so that we could watch it plod across the drive.

Ommy's idea of a good time was a little more low key.

Once people started arriving, we headed into town for ice cream. In fact, we all probably had a little too much ice cream over the weekend, but we like to pretend that the steep walk down and back up burns all the ice cream calories.

Stinks was amazed by the rivers and the trains. We could have spent the whole weekend just watching the river and listening to the trains. (We may have done.)

Our fellow runners trickled in throughout the day, including baby LaDonna Holla, and we all hung out around the house.

Saturday morning was the race, and some of us ran the half marathon again, but I did the four miler this year. It was a little loop through the first part of the half marathon, running in a four foot wide swath of mown field along Schoolhouse Ridge. Just when we were thinking it was actually a pretty pleasant and gorgeous run, the last mile reminded us that we were in Harpers Ferry with a steep uphill to the finish. (But at least we weren't going on to run another 7 miles, including the hill up to Bolivar from Lower Town, which is not even the worst hill!)

After the races, we were all exhausted. But in the afternoon, we got more ice cream and explored Virginius Island.

Sunday morning was brunch with the group, and then cleaning up the house before we left. Don't mess with little miss LaDonna Holla before she has her coffee!

After cleaning up, we all hung out on the porch swings just a little longer. Allen and I took the boys down to the Lower Town one last time in hopes of seeing another train pass, but we were out of luck. They slept on the drive home (phew!), and then it was early bedtimes all around.

And here I thought Ommy was in that stage where you could put him somewhere, and he would stay there. And then this happened.

I put him here:

And ten minutes later, he was here:

Yep, I put him here:

And ten minutes later, he was here!

Thank you for the extremely clear message, Ommy.

Alright, 18 months was a week ago, and there was no 17 month post, but this is the first time in three days that both boys have gone to bed by 7 pm AND slept more than an hour at the same time before 9 pm, so here goes! Stinkerton has been with us for a year and a half!

Normally I write about what endearing (and exasperating!) things he's doing each month, but I think this picture sums it all up perfectly.

Done.

Kidding, I'm still going to write. Stinkerton at 18 months...

...weighs 24.5 lbs (25th percentile) and measures 33.75 inches (90th percentile).

...shifts from foot to foot while standing still. He is constant motion. It's amazing he isn't skin and bones, despite how much he eats.

...eats! Oh yes, he eats. A typical breakfast starts with half a cup of oatmeal (adult serving!) and a whole banana, and then often continues to include more fruit or vegetables (why not both?) and maybe a rice cake or piece of bread. Lunch and dinner are lighter, but boy can that boy eat.

...is very communicative. He has 90 words, counting names (including an adorable approximation of Ommy's name that he pulls out to comfort the baby when he's crying), and I like to joke that about 15 of them are comprehensible to people other than me and him. 

...is learning to share. He can't just put something down, but has to pass it to someone else instead. He likes to try to feed me, whether or not I feel like eating that boiled carrot (but it's good for me, right?). Here's a picture of Ommy, after Stinks pass him his beloved "guy" to calm that screaming boy down. (And it worked!)

...loves transportation vehicles. Allen listed the ones he can say, "Bus, truck, airplane, train...he doesn't say ship or submarine yet, but he says boat, too." But yes, he also says ship. And helicopter didn't get counted as one of his 90 words because he pronounces it, "Ka-key-ka-key-kock!"

...sings songs! The Wheels on the Bus continues to be a favorite (and he says "bus" before he starts singing), and he now says "moo, moo, moo" ("move on back"), "up-an-down," and today "round-an-round" with rhythm and an attempt at tone.

...asks for a hat about 10 minutes after he wakes up and will wear it all day if you let him. (I don't let him sleep in it if it has a chin strap. But if it doesn't, he naps in it too.)

Am I interrupting something here?

Apparently.

 

Here's Ommy today:

Here's Stinkerton at the same age:

Our afternoon outing today was a visit to Garden Work Day at my school. I was no help at all, carrying a baby, but Stinkerton put his muscle to good use.

"Get to work!!!"

(Actually he sees, and is saying, "Bus!")

He very seriously put very small amounts of mulch into buckets for at least half an hour. Here he's sitting in it because he lost his balance and for some reason refuses to stand himself back up if he falls down in mulch or wood chips.

Note the tiny trowel-full of mulch he has added to this wheelbarrow. Way to contribute, Stinks!