James makes a discovery.

James makes a discovery.

James has figured out how to use chairs on our hardwood floors as makeshift walkers for sometime now. (Nate at this same age discovered that with enough momentum they worked as battering rams to breach our makeshift barrier to the living room. Incidentally, we now have a proper barrier which is securely fixed to the walls.) James' latest discovery is that if he puts enough force behind it (to gain proper leverage his body needs to be at about a 45 degree angle to the floor) he can actually push Nate around when he's on the chair trying to do crafts or finish up his meal at the table. This brings him much joy. Nate still isn't quite sure what to make of it.

Nate the deal maker.

Nate the deal maker.

Yesterday, Nate wanted to take a book out of the church library and have a snack from the table set up for our pastor's retirement.
Sara, "No, Nate, it's very late, we don't have time to do both. You need to pick one. Which will it be?"
Without skipping a beat, "I'll pick out a snack, you pick out a book for me."
Sara and I both look at each other. Well that does make sense. (Sara was going to return a book to the library anyways.)

Nate the poison tester.

Nate the poison tester.

This morning I was having breakfast with Nate and just before I could reach for my regular morning orange juice, Nate goes, "I should taste that. Make sure it okay. It might taste bad."
Alright, I give the glass to Nate.
Nate takes a sip, "It tastes good. You can have it."
"Thanks, Nate."
I go to drink the juice.
Nate, "If it bad, I have to drink it all up."

Glad the neighbors weren't up early this morning.

Glad the neighbors weren't up early this morning. I went out to the car. It was covered with snow. So, as per normal, I went to start it while I brushed the snow off. Rather than fully get in the car, I step partially in, put my foot on the clutch, and turn the key in the ignition. Normally this work flawlessly, but normally Sara hasn't used the car the night before. She likes to leave the car in gear. So as soon as I lifted my foot off the clutch to step back out, the car began lurching forwards, fighting the parking brake, heading straight for our fence. I couldn't see because the windshield was covered with snow and I'm hanging halfway out of the car madly trying to find the clutch again. I thankfully managed to stop the car in time. We'll see how today goes.

Nate sometimes likes to pretend that James is his dog.

Nate sometimes likes to pretend that James is his dog. He calls him "Brutus" after our friends' big and rambunctious bull mastiff rottweiler cross. One of the things he likes to do is take him for "walks". Nate holds James' soother, and pretends it's a leash (we clip James' soother on with a ribbon so he doesn't lose it) and walks behind James while he crawls about the house. James loves it because his brother follows him around everywhere and babbles happily while leading Nate about the house.

Nate - "Brothers take care of brothers. "

Yesterday, Sara was admonishing Nate for taking something out of James' hand, and was trying to be very clear about...

Yesterday, Sara was admonishing Nate for taking something out of James' hand, and was trying to be very clear about it.
"Nate, we don't take things out of James' hands, ever, under any conditions. There is no reason why you should be taking something out of James' hand..."
Mid-lecture James clearly tries to hand something to Nate.
"...um, thank you, James, for finding the one exception to what I was just talking about."
Please be a coincidence. Please be a coincidence.

Nate sometimes asks me to do shadow puppets for him.

Nate sometimes asks me to do shadow puppets for him. He takes great joy in trying to confound me with his requests. Just now he asked me to do "light"...

Nate has taken to claiming that, "my 'x' is bigger than your 'x'.

Nate has taken to claiming that, "my 'x' is bigger than your 'x'. " For example that his boots are bigger than mine. Sara had to break it up with, "now honey, it's not the size that counts... " And just now Nate's puzzle versus mum's (his pieces are bigger).