Their 2nd and 5th Fourth

We're winding down our holiday weekend -- a long, fun-filled family weekend. Why can't the 4th of July fall on a Friday every year?

The morning of the 4th, we took part in the annual Land Park community parade. I should probably say, Blake took part. We decorated his bike with a couple of flags, helped him to the start line and crossed our fingers he didn't get crushed in the peloton of bigger kids surrounding him.

This is only our second year participating, and I think Blake liked it equally both times.

I also think it's fair to say Cade enjoyed his time more this year than last, when he was just about a month old and slept through the whole thing. This year, he couldn't take his eyes off, well, everything.

The next night, the boys and I headed out to a nearby park for a free showing of The Lego Movie. We brought our beach blanket, camp chairs and patience as we waited for the sun to go down.

The boys got a little antsy, we had to find creative ways to fill our time.

Once the movie started, everyone's eyes were glued to the big screen.

Even Cade's.

Everything is awesome.

Let freedom ring.

The Power of One

No more babies in the Becker household. Cade is now off and running as a one-year-old. Well, he may not be running, but he's an accomplished walker. He's actually been taking steps for the better part of a month now. See for yourself.

To celebrate Cade's birth one year ago, we threw a traditional Becker backyard barbecue. It was pretty hot, so we let Cade enjoy his cake inside.

And enjoy it, he did.

 The next day was Memorial Day, and Cade was exhausted. This is the first time he's fallen asleep in his high chair. Or maybe he was just disappointed there was no cake on the tray.

Cade is also thankful for the generous people in his life. Thank you to the Page family for this fun gift.

We also continued another Becker tradition when it comes to celebrating the boys' birthdays. On Tuesday, which was Cade's actual birthday, the four of us went to Pancake Circus for breakfast. I didn't snap any pics (sorry Cade!), but here's another picture from that day as Grandma Lynne took Cade out to lunch for some yummy french fries.

As Cade begins his second year of life, I can't help but feel so blessed to have two such amazing little boys in my life. Sometimes I don't know how I got so lucky.

In fact, it's not really the power of one that makes me feel this way. More like the power of two:

Here's Cade's official first-year photo lineup.

One Year

Eleven Months

Ten Months

Nine Months

Eight Months

Seven Months

Six Months

Five Months

Four Months

Three Months

Two Months

One Month

One Day

Karate Kid

We've got a karate kid on our hands. Blake's been taking classes for about 3 months now, and he really seems to like it. Nothing brings me joy quite like watching Blake try his best to do jumping jacks, seeing him spar with other tiny tigers (that's what his class is called), and looking on proudly as he listens to his teacher, follows her instructions and loudly proclaims "Yes, Ma'am!"

Sometimes I even get a little choked up at the beginning and end of every class when all the kids recite:

"I promise....

To be a good person.

With knowledge in the mind.

Honesty in the heart.

Strength in the body.

And to make good friends."

In action, in class

Blake gets his first stripe

Silly karate kid

Graduation. No more white belt...

Now he's an orange belt!

The 11th Hour

This blog is so late, Cade is nearly one by now. Yikes! Cade is nearly one. When did that happen?

If you're wondering what's new with Cade, the answer is everything (duh!). He's got six teeth, of which you can see a few in the pics below. He crawls and cruises like crazy. He's taken a few unassisted steps but usually resorts back to all fours because it's faster and more familiar. The kid also eats like nobody's business, and I'm starting to wonder if his legs are hollow. Cade is also now a proper conversationalist. He says "uh oh" and "whoa," "bottle" and "balloon" (sort of). But my favorite is his constant line of questioning, asking "what's this?" or "what's that?" Really. He knows how to string two words together. It's only natural that he's doing so in the form of a question. Cade's curiosity could wind up being as acute as mine.

On the day Cade actually marked his 11 months of being, we spent the afternoon at the ballgame. Cade's helping the Giants with their winning record; they're two for two at the games he's been to so far this season. We should obviously be taking him to plenty more games this summer. This summer, when Cade is one.

Go Giants!
4-27-14

And here are some more cute pics.

Cade's personal jungle gym

Uh oh! Stuck.

Mom, stop taking pictures and get me out of here!

Now for how much he's grown in nearly one year's time...

Eleven Months

Ten Months

Nine Months

Eight Months

Seven Months

Six Months

Five Months

Four Months

Three Months

Two Months

One Month

One Day