The Christmas Train.

Every year on the day after Thanksgiving it is a tradition of ours to drive to a tree farm and cut down our Christmas tree. Once our tree is up, it is time to pull out the decorations. This year Wesley wanted to help with things and immediately discovered the box with our Christmas train. Although we hadn't planned on it, the train was our first Christmas decoration that we put out. We thought that Wesley would get bored with it after watching the train go around a few times, but he sat and watched that train go around our tree for an hour and a half mesmerized. This is just the beginning of the holiday season for us - we cannot wait to share in the excitement of what is to come!

Halloween.

For those keeping score - Julia is a butterfly, Wesley is a lion.

Dressing Up For An Afternoon Out.

Years ago when I was a single guy, I would see kids in department stores wearing ridiculous looking combinations of random clothing accessesories and costumes clearly chosen by the child and I remember thinking, "do those parents have any control of their children?" I don't think like that anymore.

Bundled Up.

Say Cheese.

We took Julia to get her monthly picture taken and ended up with an adorable picture of Wesley as well. This is Julia at 3 1/2 months old and Wesley at 2 1/2 years old. Too cute!

Brotherly Love.

Wesley absolutely adores his little sister, smothering her with affection all day long. However, he hasn't quite perfected the kissing technique. To get this picture, I told Wesley to put his nose on Julia's cheek.

Monday Mornings.

Every week I go through the same emotional routine with Wesley. On a normal weekday, Wesley knows there's a 50/50 chance he will see me for a few fleeting minutes before I head out or if I slipped out under the cover of the morning darkness. His attachment is there, and he is excited when I get home, but it is nothing compared to Saturday and Sunday. I try to spend as much time as I can with Wesley on weekends, including getting up with him both mornings, and we always have a great time. But then the dreaded Monday morning arrives, and my leaving is met with absolute devastation. "No Daddy work!" is pretty heartbreaking for a pathetic pushover of a father like me. And the Wesley's pounding on the front door after I shut it behind me doesn't make it any easier. I guess I should feel appreciative of this affection, but it still makes those weekdays painfully long.

No Eyes Shut.

On Saturday, the day of Abby's 3rd Birthday party, Wesley woke us up with a very excited "Abby Birthday, Abby Birthday!" Later that morning as we headed down the freeway to Abby's 3rd Birthday party, Wesley's excitement was at a fever pitch. But car rides make him sleepy, which did not please him as he was still very excited. As he was starting to doze off, he managed to awaken himself enough to yell out of frustration "NO EYES SHUT!" Barking out instructions to your own body parts may not always be effective, as he was sound asleep moments later, but it certainly is a whole new way of approaching things.

Adorable.

Sorry, I couldn't resist one more.

Sea World Weekend.

Take a trip to San Diego and mix in Abby, Sea World and boats and you have a weekend of nonstop joy for Wesley. Make a funny face at Julia and you have the same. Photos courtesy Mrs. Steve Scheidler.

Laughter.

We are entering yet another new terrain these days with Wesley. Over the past few weeks, he seems to now be feeding off the laughter of others more and more. Last night he was finishing his dinner and was feeding himself his last few bites, but instead of putting the spoon in his mouth he was lazily hitting his nose with the food instead. Now, I'm sure this is a visual thing and not necessarily hysterically funny written on a blog, but the sight just made me laugh. Which then made him laugh. Which made him do it more. Which resulted in Shannon telling him to stop playing with his food. He hesitated, but when he saw the grin on my face that was all he needed. He did it again, and again I laughed. Shannon again told him to stop, and this time I'm not entirely sure who she was talking to. So I covered my face with my hands to compose myself until Wesley got bored and moved on to the chants of "Wo Wo."

Wo Wo.

Ever since Wesley was a few months old, he's loved it when I would toss him up and down. When he got a little older, he started to make the sound "wo" every time I would throw him up. Hence the name he's given this little game, "Wo Wo." Now, he's been through ups and downs as far as how much he appreciates this game (far more ups than downs), but at this very moment he's absolutely loving it. Almost as soon as I walk in the house at the end of the day, the chants of "Wo Wo" begin. And as soon as I stop, the chants resume. And he's getting braver with the brand of "Wo Wo" he prefers. He will often tell me to throw him higher (or "bigger," as he puts it), one time resulting in him lifting up his legs and unintentionally doing a complete flip. As one would expect, of course, there are varieties of "Wo Wo" that can all have different benefits depending on Wesley's particular mood. There is the Julia on the couch "Wo Wo," which can played for the viewing pleasure of his sister, who beams in delight. There is the surprise Mommy "Wo Wo," in which he pops up from behind the couch and startles his mother repeatedly. And there is just no replacing the old reliable classic "Wo Wo," which occurs wherever Wesley finds me at any moment.

Manners.

On our quest to teach Wesley manners, it appears that he has caught onto things very quickly. Wesley's two favorite phrases throughout the day are "excuse you" - which sounds more like "excuuuuuuuse you" - and "bless you." He gets lots of opportunities to say these two new phrases thanks to his baby sister and her many noises. During Julia's burping sessions, Wesley repeats over and over, "excuuuuuuuse you, Julia," and laughs hysterically which makes me laugh and then the cycle repeats. Just thinking about this makes me smile, but what is even more endearing is when Wesley says, "bless you." He says this anytime Julia makes an unusual grunt, snort, sneeze, or sniffle. The most adorable part about this is that he will actually stop what he is doing (which most likely is playing with cars and trucks), look up at her, and say "bless you, Julia." This can happen up to ten times in one afternoon. All I can say is, "bless you, Wesley" for being such a loving big brother.

Julia Marie.

Or, as Wesley and I like to call her, "Princess."

Julia's Bottom Lip.

Our daughter isn't too subtle about her moods.

Thank Heaven For Little Girls.

Waiting In Line.

Why are kids afraid of the very thing that they absolutely love, like Santa Claus or Mickey Mouse? As in Wesley's case, his number one passion is trucks - anything and everything to do with trucks. This 4th of July Wesley had the opportunity to hold and spray water out of a fire hose from a gigantic fire truck. After waiting patiently in line extremely excited about the opportunity to be a fireman, Wesley became the exact opposite when it was his turn and would not go near the hose. I've heard the same story about moms waiting in line for their child's favorite Disney character, the Easter Bunny, and of course Santa Claus. Although I will no doubt experience this sudden change of heart again, I will stand with Wesley as long as he wants to just to witness his joy and excitement waiting in line.

A Newer And More Resilient Baby.

Being the second child is very different from being the first, we're finding. Case in point: Wesley loves his sister Julia. However, he is still learning how to express it. It is a pretty common occurrence to see Julia sitting peacefully in her swing or bouncer when in comes Hurricane Wesley into the room, barreling into his sister with a big hug. This monster hug often includes an incidental headbutt or unintended rough contact. But to her credit, she seems to tolerate more from her brother than she would anyone else. Accidental little smacks coming from Wesley will often illicit a knowing look or even a smile. It seems that by the mere fact that she has an older brother, Julia is growing up in rougher surroundings than Wesley did as a baby and as a result has become a little more resilient.

Wesley's Walks.

A few times a week when I get home from work, Wesley asks me if we can go on a walk. A walk for Wesley consists of a casual stroll around the block, with stops at such notable landmarks as the cheap plastic owl sitting in a neighbors tree, the truck with a blanket on it (otherwise known as a car cover), the fine collection of rocks and ants beside a stretch of sidewalk, and a stop at the neighborhood park. To top it all off, on the way back he enjoys a luxurious ride atop the shoulders of his father, as he is far too tired at this point to walk the steep uphill sidewalk home.

The Word That Cannot Be Spoken Nor Spelled.

We've entered a new terrain the past few months with Wesley. As he adds more and more words to his vocabulary, Shannon and I have found ourselves falling back to the time honored parental pasttime of spelling key words in our sentences to avoid detection. However, there is one exception we have come across. Our son LOVES Icees. And especially with the heat we've had this summer, we often overlook our concerns for his sugar intake and treat him to his favorite frozen beverage. Problem is, if the word is spoken, all we will hear for the rest of the day is "ICEE! ICEE!" But here's the rub. We cannot spell it either, as spelling it pretty much sounds identical to saying it. So we find ourselves structuring sentences like walking through minefields. Comments like, "do you think we may want to take Wesley down the street to get that refreshing unspecified flavored frozen liquid?" are not unusual in our house now.

Truck Book.

When Wesley wakes up every morning, there is one thing and one thing only he is thinking of. "Truck book! Truck book!" he excitedly yells. The "truck book" he refers to is his favorite book, "Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go." Every morning, he gathers Shannon or myself (and, if she's conscious, Julia) and all his stuffed animal friends on the staircase for a rousing read of his favorite book. It almost goes beyond a mere "book." This possession is the centerpiece of countless get-togethers among his stuffed animals, matchbox cars and plastic toys, who all seem to share his love of trucks, trains and cars. Every page holds new treasures that bring a gasp of delight out of Wesley, as if he has not seen the same page 300 times already.

Doorway Nap.

Last week, Wesley got up in the middle of the night, walked down the hall to our bedroom and, apparently thinking we would send him back to his bed if we woke up, laid down in our doorway and fell asleep on our ridiculously un-soft carpet. No pillow, no blankets. I assume he got scared or lonely or both. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Wesley & Abby.

Abby is not only the daughter of Wesley's Godparents, Adrea and Steve, but his best friend as well. Get them together and its a party every time.

Wesley & Julia.

Wesley & Julia Blog.

This is a blog devoted to our children Wesley and Julia and all the happiness and joy they bring to our lives.