Distracted driving

Finley has taken an interest in talking on the phone lately. He loves to ask to call Papa and Nana, and then have extended conversations with them. It's very interesting and funny to watch him talking on the phone, because it is clear that he has learned phone-talking-skills from us. For example, he has perfected the art of pacing around the house, adjusting things here and there distractedly or leaning against a chair as he chats. He acts like this when he is on a pretend phone, too, so these behaviors are purposeful and clearly associated for him with phone talking. He also uses certain phrases that he's heard from us. My favorite is when I hear him on the phone with Nana (or on the pretend phone) as he says, "So.... What's happening? What's goin' on?" Also, he has learned the Gilmore style of ending a conversation with a clipped "bye" that to him sounds like "BITE" - so he always says "bite" before he flips the phone closed (again, he does this on the pretend phone, too.) Recently he had a long conversation with Nana in which he was riding around the house on his trike as he talked. He was on the phone so long that we had sort of forgotten that he was having a real conversation and we laughed so hard when he realized that he was talking like this:

Quick - Someone tell that kid about Maine's new Distracted Driving law!

Hanging with the grand-folks. The kids just love visits from their grandparents. Much snuggling and giggling takes place among the four musketeers pictured below:

Nana will clearly do anything for her beloved grandson, including wear a John Deere cap at his request!

Charlotte is into draping things over her shoulders. We have to be careful about what we leave hanging around the house. Bag straps, scarves, clothes, ribbons, and yarn all find their way around her neck if we don't intervene. In this case, she had just unwrapped a birthday gift and was enjoying the accessorizing opportunities presented by the ribbon:

Finley discovered that the mailer containing Charlotte's birthday gift made a perfect hat. He calls it his "Silly Hat" and acts extra goofy when he's wearing it: