Happy Easter!

Last Saturday

Here are some pictures from last weekend when visited my parents at their home. Clayton was pretty interested in my parents' new pool table (you can kind of see it in the corner of the pictures there) so Grandpa Mark did a little rough-housing to distract him from wanting to throw the pool balls around the basement. . .

I did try to take some video, but it's hard to watch because all you can hear in the background is Reese banging the toy fridge doors!

BANG BANG BANG

New Furniture

Well I guess it has been way too long since I made a blog post again! I checked my camera and the only pictures I have even taken are from the day we got new furniture. I guess I can put those up!

An empty room is tons of fun!!

After the furniture arrived the boys were running in circles around the coffee table! If only I had thought to get it on video!!!

The tables are askew because I was trying to flatten out the rug.

Picture from standing up on a chair to get a better view:

And here are the boys a few days later watching some TV on the new couch

Hooray for Spring weather!!

We sure enjoyed some much needed time outside yesterday after naps. I'm sure we will enjoy even more today.

I showed Reese how to do T-ball and I was surprised and how quickly he learned and could repeat the process!

Step 1 - pick up ball, with both hands!

Step 2 - Place ball carefully on T

Step 3 - Get Bat

Step 4 - Hit ball

Step 5 - Clap! Good Job Reese!!!

 Meanwhile, Clayton got some dirt.

They're Here!!!

The pictures that is - remember when I took the boys for their first ever professional photos at Penny's at the beginning of February? Well they are here now - here are some of the best

Best of the boys together:

See the blue M&M in Clayton's mouth? I may have bribed him to stay put. . .

The best of just Reese (that is supposed to be a wooden "1" he is holding but it hard to tell because he would only hold the top!):

The best of just Clayton:

As you can see - Clayton, although mischievous, is very photogenic and really stole the show!

Clayton gets Ranch!

Most people know that Clayton loves to dip carrots and chicken and french fries in Ranch dressing. We have it in a little squeeze bottle so that it is more manageable and he can help us squirt it on his plate.  Last night as supper was winding down, Clayton grabbed the bottle and decided to help himself. I'm so disappointed that the video camera's microphone didn't pick up the best part though - in the first video he is whispering instructions to himself - first he says "tip it" then he says "now squeeze it" - but even with the volume on the computer turned all the way up I can't make that out.

Luckily the second time around he is more successful in getting more Ranch on his plate!

Trains and Trucks

These are just some pictures I took on Friday. I guess I just thought it was cute that Reese was playing with a train in his pinstripe overalls so I tried to get a good picture but I didn't really get anything I wanted - they still turned out cute in general though. Clayton was also enjoying some time with his truck. We love anything with wheels here at the household of Branz Boys!

I tried to get one of him petting Chloe, but she walked away so this is just her tail sticking up 

 And here is Clayton enjoy his new toy - a "Mack" from Disney's Cars

Reese Attack!

In the past I have encouraged Reese and Clayton to rough house a little by sort of putting Reese on top of Clayton and saying "Reese, attack!" He has never done it on his own though! Clayton was laying on the floor playing with his new truck, Mack (from the Disney movie Cars) and Reese came up from behind him and just sat down. Too cute!

Also, as a bonus, here are 3 pictures from a week ago of Reese helping us clean the floor - I'm not sure what happened with his pants though. . .I suppose that is part of the charm!

Clayton's Train Tracks

Clayton, as you can see, has been getting creative with his train tracks. They are supposed to fit together to make a circle or oval but he has been setting them up in new ways, experimenting  The way he plays has really been changing! I see him using his train to re-enact scenes of the book Green Eggs and Ham (you know, train teetering from the end of the tracks, ready to crash into a boat), and he will recite pages of the book as he drives the train along the track ("I would not eat them ANYWHERE"). I just wish I could know what he was thinking about all the time! He does talk a lot now, but I can't wait for him to be even more expressive so I can know what is going on that precious little head!

In the pictures he is watching TV quite a bit - it was probably Wreck It Ralph <-- click to watch the trailer if you have not heard about it, it's really a very sweet movie. Clayton really likes it and has actually been asking to watch it. He'll even punch the floor and try to say "I'm gonna wreck it." It's a great family movie and Mommy and Daddy really like to watch it too.

The Cupboards

Clayton decided to empty out my kitchen cupboards Sunday evening. He is such a nut! I think he was trying to re-enact a scene he saw on one of his shows of a man looking for something in a cupboard and then hitting his head when he tried to stand up. 

From Sunday

On Sunday, Great Grandpa Aldon and Great Grandma Erna stopped by to see the boys since they weren't able to make it to Reese's birthday party due to iffy weather conditions. (My parents were along as well and brought Chance R chicken for lunch - yum!) They each got a nice John Deere T-shirt, and even though Clayton insisted on taking a nap right after we were done eating, they certainly enjoyed one-on-one time playing with Reese. Of course Reese enjoyed being the center of attention if you can believe it. . . .


Reese opening his present with Great Grandma Erna. He really liked the yellow and green fork and spoon she tied to the package and he had fun putting it in the bag and taking it out!

Be sure to click to see the collage bigger!

We took some time to look at picture and videos from his Birthday Party

Just Reese being cute little Reese

Being silly with Great Grandpa

Clayton Laying Down

Shortly before bed time, we were all watching TV and Clayton indicated that he wanted to "lay-wing down." Daddy was laying on the couch so I assumed he wanted to lay with him. He was holding a pillow so I tried to situate him on the couch. Well, that is not at all what he wanted and he got right back up and this is what he did:

What a silly goose!