February and March in pictures (G: 4 years, 2 months-ish, C: 19 months-ish)

I’m finally at a real computer instead of my phone, so I can load up a post with lots of pictures and videos.  And by lots, I mean LOTS!  Get ready for close to 180 pictures.   
But first, a very brief update. 
Life is good around here.  We have finally wrapped up the bulk of our remodel, so I’m getting excited about starting some new activities with the boys and delving into a new schedule. 
We are currently on Spring Break, but when Graham goes back to school next week, there is some big news!  We are extending his day because our big boy/champion napper, after 4 years, has finally seemed to outgrow the nap.  He still takes a nap about 50% of the time, but we are using the opportunity to change things up to a schedule that will work better for our family. 
Graham will be skipping his nap and staying at school longer for an afternoon enrichment program, which will allow Carter to be home napping earlier in the day which falls in line with his natural rhythm (which has been shifted thus far to accommodate Graham’s nap).  Hopefully, by the time I pick up Graham from school, Carter will be well rested and we will be able to have late afternoon play dates and activities before coming home for an earlier dinner and earlier bedtime. 
I’ll let you know how it goes. 
Carter has been babbling away and wants to be just like big brother.  It is very cute. 
More stories later, but for now, onto the pictures!

Carter got his first haircut (sniff, sniff) and Graham went along to join in the fun.  I took some before pictures at the park and then lots of during and a few after shots.  I knew Carter needed a haircut because his bangs were in his eyes and his curls in back were always tangled, but instead of doing a trim, I really went for it and he got all his sweet hair chopped right off, so he could look just like big brother:

Big boy Graham is growing up!
He is obsessed with making floor puzzles and he can do them all by himself from start to finish:

 He practiced using chopsticks with his macaroni and cheese:

He loves tying ropes and built a pulley system, so he could use the doll stroller to lift objects up and down the length of the fence:

He held a FaceTime conversation with his friend Zane in Virginia:

He is a big bike rider:

He has is very own reward chart (highlights - he fully dresses himself in the mornings and at night and I'm not sure if I've blogged yet about the fact that he is fully potty trained (day and night) with not a single bedtime accident ever):

Graham helped Brian install some baseboard and he shot the nail gun all by himself:

Graham had great fun pretending he was a waiter and taking my food order:

And check out this video.  Graham the gymnast, jumping from a chair and swinging on the bar of the bridge at his school:

Fun at the Zoo!  Taking selfies on the train, watching the elephant, and riding the motorized zoo animals:

Graham's latest art.  There are the regular drawings that come home from school, the little cut up squares (latest cutting practice project), letters/name practice, and the super proud boy holding up his jellyfish:

Wrestling brothers!

Teenagers!  The boys look like little teenagers in training in these pictures:

Graham's amazing crab adventure!  We went to the Sea Center and Graham was determined to catch a crab.  They have a hole in the floor where you can lower and raise up a crab trap.  Usually the crab trap sits for quite some time before getting pulled up, but Graham kept going back sometimes re-pulling up the trap moments after lowering it into the ocean.  One time I got really excited that he had caught a little crab but it ended up just being some sea fuzz.  Carter was busy playing in the sand and I told Graham we had tried enough and it was time to go.  Note: We have been going to the Sea Center for years and I have never seen anyone pull up anything from the crab trap.  Graham was absolutely convinced that he could catch a crab so I told him he could have one last try and wow oh wow, he pulled up a HUGE crab:

 Graham also caught a little buddy at home, but Mommy is not a huge fan of worms:

Carter loves picking Graham up at preschool because it means Carter gets to hang with the big kids and play at the preschool playground:

Both boys always have a blast at PEP.  Check out the trampoline and zipline at Phoebe and Zander's house.  Carter was so proud to be drinking juice out of a big boy cup that he didn't seem to mind the shiner he got earlier during the play date:

Mr. Carter had his 18 month checkup!  Weight: 23 lbs, 14 oz - 43rd percentile.  Height: 32.5 inches - 46th percentile.  Head size: 18.62 inches - 45th percentile:

Here is the latest update on our quest to continue to improve our family eating.  First we tried a meal service called BlueApron.  They send you all the ingredients, plus preparation instructions for three meals each week.  We made shrimp etoufee, beef ramen, and chicken mole.  It was fun and the meals were delicious but prep time and meal options made it something we chose not to continue:

Our latest is a meal planning company called emeals.com.  They send 7 recipes each week with a shopping list organized by section specific to my grocery store.  We are hooked!  I'm learning new cooking techniques, the meals are good, we are enjoying the variety and less dinners out, grocery shopping is great, and writing up the weekly meals on my new slate board is fun too:  

We had a fun morning of play at Shoreline park.  Santa Barbara is just so gorgeous.  Uh oh, Graham hit his lip, while searching for pirate ships:

For Valentine's day, Nick and I took a couples' glass blowing class.  It was a lot of fun!  When we got home, we were greeted by some driveway chalk art from the boys.  We are getting to enjoy our masterpieces - a mug, paperweight, pumpkin, and wide rimmed bowl:

Sweet Graham!
After waking up from a nap, he just wanted to snuggle with Mommy:

Also, Graham did the sweetest little thing.  He knows when I see sappy commercials, I tear up.  He was watching TV with me and one of those commercials came on so he turned to me and started to fake cry.  I just had to take a picture to remember the moment:

Silly Carter!
He spilled some water on the floor so he would be allowed to get a paper towel and clean it up:

He is quite skilled now at going up and down the stairs, but insisted on stopping so I would take pictures of his success:

Look at how this little boy is 'sitting' to eat his lunch:

Somebody is a big fan of 'doing' his hair in the morning:

In addition to silly, there is also...
cute:

and mischievous Carter:

Vegging out in front of the TV.  I don't know why I take these pictures, but when I get both boys engrossed in a video, I think it is hilarious and always end up taking a picture:

Brothers having fun.
There is the usual outdoor and train play and then I also took a video of Yellow Light Go.  In the video, Graham and Daddy go racing down the hall (at yellow light, not full green light speed) and little Carter wants to join in, but he forgets to start until Graham and Daddy are already done.  

Uh oh, sweet little Graham came home from school with a boo boo report:

The boys had an afternoon play date with Ale (Alethea).  So fun:

Carter's face displayed lots of different emotions while reading a book with Daddy:

Spa fun!  The boys love going in the spa.  I finally got out my underwater camera and had some fun:

What can I say?  My little men love their shoes:

The zoo opened a new climbing wall and Graham had a great time trying it out.  He wasn't scared to climb up but his favorite part was pushing off and swinging down, so he wouldn't get very high before giving up and heading down:

We went on a family outing to ride the carousel.  Graham rode in one of the carriages, but Carter was brave enough to ride on an actual horse.  However, my favorite photo from the outing was of the boys waiting to catch the trolley bus.  Look at Carter's sweet face!:

And last but not least... different boys, same hat:

Phew!  And there you have it.  2 months in pictures.  So now, if you will excuse me, I have to go through the hundred new photos I've taken in the week and a half it took me to actually upload and publish this post ;)