Brain growth spurt

We are having a major brain growth spurt over here, and it is soooo fun!

The boys are learning more and more words every day, maybe up to one a day now, maybe not quite.  But they are using them more, and appropriately.  They love to say bye bye and night night.  They yell for crackers, and uhoh is heard all the time.  Since construction is happening on our street, we love to point at all the tractors (all big trucks are tractors to us).  They know a ton of animal sounds, and I think N just got Z's name last night. 

I took their pacifiers away in the car, and now they just yabber away in the car.

They are understanding so much too, which is so helpful.  They understand when I tell them it is time to go to bed ("night night, night night, night night, night night!!!!") and if I say we're going outside they all dash off to find their shoes.  They understand what I mean when I tell them to pick up toys (and sometimes help), and if we suggest to get a new book, they will.  They recognize Nate's car, and I know he's home by the yells of "Dada Dada Dada Dada!".

They are understanding "no hit", and if I call them on it, they will all start to be "gentle" or "soft" and rub another boys head (all of them will, regardless of who was hit and who did the hitting).  It's pretty funny, actually.

They are beginning to understand humor so we can play with them.  Today C brought me a cup of rocks and I "drank" it and said EWWW...he loved it and thought I was hilarious, so it was repeated about 10 times.  They laugh if we put clothes on the wrong person or place (their clothes on my head, or shirts on their feet).  They will repeat these things, too, and laugh at themselves.  Another fun game is getting their pacifiers and/or blankets out of their cribs.  They know full well that they are only allowed to have them in bed, so they will pull them out then come find me, grinning ear to ear, knowing that I will snatch the paci or blanket away.  Sometimes they will come grinning to me, then dart away as fast as they can (which is so cute!) and make me chase them to get it back. 

They are beginning to really play together, too.  "Chase" is becoming a big game in our house, and they run around like maniacs giggling like mad when someone (me, Nate, Z, or another brother) chases them.

Glad to see this growth spurt...I have been blogging and complaining about how this is such a hard age (I had a friend recently describe kids this age like having a loose squirrel in the house!), but this has been so fun to see.  And watching them do it together, all 3 of them at the same time...what a special, unique gift I have been given!  Love these boys!!!