Lots of happenings!

I am a tad behind in updating our blog...I'm not even sure what has kept me so busy. But here I am, better late than never! So far, May has been quite busy for us. Keith took Will to his first baseball game; they went to see the Norfolk Tides. They had a great time. Will came home singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame", swinging his mini-bat and talking about hot dogs and cracker jacks. Sounds just about right! Keith was trying to explain the concept of the "other team" and used the "good guy, bad guy" analogy. Hmmm, maybe not the best choice. Will now refers to any team besides his own as "The Bads". In soccer, that doesn't always go over so well!

Speaking of soccer, Will's soccer season is almost over. I'll post pictures after his final game on June 3rd. He has really taken to the game and shows improvement each week. The next David Beckham? Perhaps not. But fun nonetheless!

Archer turned 10 months old this month and is very close to walking. I can tell he is starting to get the idea. He will walk while pushing his walking toy or a laundry basket across the floor (Will likes to "help" with this process as well). Archer seems pretty proud of himself when he walks. The look on his face is priceless! He has also taken to throwing out the cutest little squishy face smile ever. I have yet to capture it but I'll keep trying! Archer is also finally sleeping through the night (yay!!!) and has started trying new foods (Cheerios are a favorite). He's growing up! He has also entered the screaming phase, which is painful for us all. His little screech is so loud and piercing, it leaves me running for the Tylenol. I hope this phase doesn't last long. Babbling is in full swing so hopefully real words aren't far off!

Will continues to keep us entertained. He has the ability to make Archer laugh like no one else. They really have fun together. Will entertains us as well. He had "safety day" at school today and the Fire Dept came to talk to the kids. The kids learned about "stop, drop, and roll" so Keith asked Will what that was all about. Will replied, "If you catch on fire, you have to stop, drop to the floor, and roll around as fast as you can before your parents see you." :0 I fear for the coming years. hahaha

Mr. Model

So I was lucky enough to have a good friend take pictures of Archer a few months back. (By now, the fam should have received your copies!) What started as a fun little hobby for my friend Ali Jones has quickly launched into a full time professional career. I was lucky enough to get her before she got too busy...soon I'll be able to say "I knew her back when...". Since I only sent a copy of my favorite pose to the family, I thought I'd share the rest of my favs right here. That Archer Dean really knows how to work the camera!

Spring has sprung

Spring has sprung in Virginia (some days it seems like summer has sprung instead) and we've been heading outside to enjoy the sunshine. We try to get out at least once a day and this is often "Daddy time" after Keith gets home from work and I am getting dinner ready. As you can see, the boys eagerly wait for Keith to get home. Will often stands by the window watching for Keith's car (and Archer appropriately does whatever his big brother is doing). If Will is elsewhere in the house, he listens for the sound of the garage door to open and goes running to the garage as soon as he hears it. And once Daddy is home, the fun really begins!

Will got a new "big boy" bike this year. Up to this point, he had been riding the little tiny training bike that he got over 2 years ago. He was quickly outgrowing it. So we upgraded to a new Lightning McQueen bike and he's getting pretty good at riding it. He also loves to ride his scooter. Anything to get that endless energy out.

As for Archer, he is doing great as well. No bikes for him yet but he is getting around in his own way. Cruising of the furniture is in full swing. Occasionally he will take his hand off of whatever he's holding on to and will stand on his own for a few seconds. But then he quickly realizes he's not holding on to anything and sits right down. :) It won't be long before he's walking on his own. He's also been hanging with his new pal Elmo.

Will has a few more soccer games lef in the season. I'm trying to get a picture of him kicking a goal...so far, no luck. I will keep trying and will post as soon as I get some good ones. It is nothing short of amusing to watch 3 and 4 year olds play soccer. Hilarious!

Easter

I was going to label this post "Easter Fun" but looking back, it was not our best Easter ever. Both both were sick with horrible colds and Archer had pink eye on top of it so we were stuck at home all day. Add that to the fact that Keith had to work Sat am-Sun am, we hardly got to celebrate Easter. But we did try! Will and Keith fingerpainted some eggs and we staged a small egg hunt in the backyard. Archer was in no mood to participate...he was barely interested in his Easter basket. The bunny was even thoughtful enough to stuff some eggs with Cheerios for Archer but still no interest. Will, however, was overly excited about his jelly beans, chocolate, and Lego-filled Easter basket. Now that's the kind of enthusiasm I'm talking about!

As you can see, Archer was not feeling well. Poor guy.