Music Card Dancing

A video of Dawson dancing to a music card.

He set the music card on the table this time so he could really spin and dance. So cute!!

Brady Walking

Brady is officially walking!!! He took his first steps about a month or so ago, but now walking is his primary means of getting around. He rarely crawls anymore. It's so funny to see such a little guy walking around. And he walks holding his hands up in the air like a monkey! Just wanted to post a video of him walking for those who live far away and aren't able to see him.

The Sweet, Funny, and Amazing Dawson

Dawson is such an amazing child. He is so sweet and loving and has been an incredible big brother. He amuses us daily with his silly antics and constantly impresses us with his knowledge and how inquisitive and bright he is. He is such a blessing and we love him so much!

Here are some interesting things he's said/done lately:

• His reading ability has increased dramatically and one of his favorite things to read are traffic signs. He especially likes reading all the construction signs - "road work ahead, detour, lane ends merge left, end work zone." And he is constantly on the lookout for speed limit signs. He also knows how to read the speedometer in our car and will tell me when I'm speeding. "Mom, you're going 50, you're speeding, the speed limit is 45, the sign said speed limit 45." So now I have to be vigilant about obeying the speed limits or my 4 year old will get onto me!
• Dawson also picks up on a lot of things he sees on television. We watch the news a lot at our house and for days there was a lot of coverage of Michael Jacksons death and funeral. One day at breakfast Dawson put his hand on me and said very seriously, "Mom, Michael Jackson is dead. His hearth stopped working. It was going, 'thump, thump, thump, thump' but now it's not making any sound at all." And when he saw his daughter Paris crying at his memorial service, he became very concerned. He told us she missed her dad and that she was going to be sad forever. It really affected him - he talked about it for days. On a lighter note, the other night he told Randy and I he knew a show we could watch on t.v. on Wednesday night - Wipeout. It's funny because we've never really watched Wipeout. So we asked him why he thought we should watch it and he said because he saw a commercial about it and that it would be on Wednesday night.
• Dawson is a great big brother - really he's got to be the best big brother in the world. He's great at making Brady laugh and will always try to cheer him up when he's upset. He also sticks up for Brady. When another kid takes one of Brady's toys Dawson will tell them it's Brady's and go so far as to take it away from the other child and give it back to Brady. He is also very proud of his little brother. He's always telling others how old he is - "This is Brady and he is 10 months old." And lately he's been telling people that Brady can take steps, without even holding a finger!
• Dawson is certainly maturing. He greets adults and has grown-up conversations with them. He calls his friends on the phone and communicates with them. It's so cute to see him talk to others. A great example is our doctor's visit the other day (Brady had pink eye so we took him to the doctor). When the nurse called us in and I put Brady on the scale Dawson asked her, "How many pounds is he?" When the doctor walked into the room Dawson said, "This is Brady. He's 10 months old. He has pink eye." Then he points at a chair and asks the doctor, "Do you want to sit in your chair?" When she pulls out the stethoscope, "Are you going to listen to his heart?" As she's examining Brady while I'm holding him, Dawson said, "Do you need him to lay on the table?" When the doctor commented on what a good big brother Dawson was he said, "Yes, I am a good big brother."
• He has such a sweet heart and really loves his friends. He frequently tells me how much he loves and misses them. His friend Kaelin was away on vacation for a week and he really missed her. He knew what day she was coming back and on that day reported to us that "it is a special day because Kaelin is coming back today." Other friends have had birthdays recently and he is genuinely happy for them on their special day and is excited to give them gifts and hopes they like them. He doesn't think about himself or want presents for himself - he wants to give to them. I hope he is always so giving.
• Dawson's prayers at night are so sweet. He always asks God to "bless Dad and Mom and Brady" but will say special prayers for those that are sick or hurt. If we're sick he'll ask God to make us well soon, if one of his friends has a scratch or cut he'll pray for that, if Brady is having a hard time sleeping at night he'll ask God to help him sleep at night. He's very thoughtful and concerned about those that he loves. He is so very sweet!! It's always my prayer that I will nurture his sweet spirit and that he will always be so compassionate.

Dawson Close-Up

Houston Zoo Splash Area

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Dawson's favorite part of our visit to Houston Zoo was the splash area in the children's zoo. Brady really enjoyed playing and splashing in the fountains too.

Houston Zoo with Friends

Last week, we had a very fun day in Houston. We met some friends at the Houston Zoo, went to a see a children's performance of The Three Billy Goats Gruff at the Miller Outdoor Theatre, had a picnic while we watched the show, and then went back to explore the children's zoo.

Dawson and Seth checking out the giant peacock.

A close look at the komodo dragon.

Dawson was laughing at this lizard because he was crawling wildly all over the place, up the glass, and looking right at him.

Watching the elephant get a bath.

Dawson and Seth in the gazebo.

Dawson comparing the size of his hand to that of an orangutan.

His hand is about the size of a mandrill.

Seth holding his hand up to the orangutan.

Dawson has always really enjoyed the keyboard at the zoo park, and Brady really liked it too!

Trying to stand up in the hippo.

Sweet Friends

Dawson and Seth, both such sweet boys.

Running Downhill

Dawson and friends had so much fun running and then rolling down this big hill at the church.

Trapped

When we were playing at the church playground the other day, Dawson climbed up, peeked through the bars, instructed me to take a picture, and asked, "Will you type 'trapped' on the website?"

Dawson on the other side of the bars.

Brady having fun "driving."

Dawson standing on the roof and Brady hanging onto the wheel.

Church Water Party

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Big Smile

A couple pictures of Dawson's adorable smile!

Ball Pit

We pulled our ball pit out of storage and invited some friends over to play in it with us. Dawson really enjoyed it when he was little and Brady loves balls so we thought he would like it as well. He has had fun climbing in and out and rolling the balls down the slide, but I think he needs to be a little older to really appreciate how fun it can be.

Dawson and Hannah playing with the hoops.

Brady and Wesley rolling balls down the slide.

Wesley's cute smile!!

Brady and Wesley hanging out and playing with a few of the balls.

Sponge Bob

Kaelin decked out in her Sponge Bob attire and Dawson happy to play with her under her umbrella.

Fun at Seth's Party

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Dawson's good friend Seth turned 4 last week and had a CARS (the movie) party. It was a very fun party and we were happy to celebrate Seth's big day with him. Happy birthday, Seth!!

Swim Lessons

Dawson has been taking swimming lessons at our city pool this week. He was very excited about it and seems to have enjoyed it for the most part. He's learned a few new things and gained confidence in his swimming ability. He is able to swim a good distance on his own now and is making "big circles" with his arms. I'm so proud of him!!

Kaelin and Dawson excited the first day of swim class.

Holding hands and dancing around. I love seeing them so happy!

All the kids sitting on the wall and telling the "teachers" their names.

Floating on his back.

Holding onto the wall and kicking.

Kicking with the kickboard.

Listening to the lifeguards instructions.

Playing ring-around-the-rosie, something Dawson looks forward to at each swim class.

Coming down the water slide!!

Aquarium Rides

One of the best features of the Downtown Aquarium are the rides and games. There are only a few rides (train, carousel, ferris wheel, and lighthouse dive) but Dawson loved them and rode them multiple times. A waiter also gave us a free game pass, which Dawson used to play the basketball game - and he won!! It was such a fun day!

Going up on the Lighthouse Dive.

Holding their hands up as they drop down.

All smiles on the fast ferris wheel.

Holding his hands up as we zip around.

Dawson all hot and sweaty on the carousel.

Brady was riding a seahorse, but refused to let go of me - he held on to me the entire ride.

Lighthouse Dive Video

A video of Granny and Dawson on the Lighthouse Dive at the Downtown Aquarium. Dawson loves these rides - the thrill of plummeting down!!

Divers

White Tiger

Dawson looking tough in front of the statue at the aquarium's white tiger exhibit.

Downtown Aquarium

While my mom was visiting, we took a trip to the Houston Downtown Aquarium to see the sights, ride the rides, and enjoy the atmosphere and food at the restaurant.

We tried to get a picture in front of the beautiful fountain but this was the best we could do - it was too bright for Dawson and Brady was looking around.

Dawson in front of a beautiful coral reef exhibit.

Brady pointing at the big fish.

He loved watching all the fish swim by.

Dawson looking inside one of the fish tanks.

Getting a close look at an eel.

Brady and Granny look at the fish in this neat curve-over-your-head aquarium.

Looking at the stingrays.

Dawson sitting on top of the treasure chest.

Dawson really enjoyed watching the octopus.

Dawson took this cool picture of the octopus.

We loved the train ride through the shark tunnel. Sharks were swimming all around and above us - so cool!!

A neat shot of the sharks above us.