The Bradley Boys

October 1 was C.J. and Chance's last day at Ritter's Critters. I of course had to take a gazillion pictures before the day ended, so here is a small (yes, small) sampling!

When the kids were much younger, we took some shots of them in the window, so I had to recreate the scene. The earlier pictures were a bit funnier than this one. Feel free to go back and find them!

It's cute to think back on their first day at my house in February 2008. Avery did NOT like these two little boys invading her territory. Her fondness for them soon developed, however, and before you knew it, C.J. was her living idol! Move ahead a few years, and Chance became her new little buddy, but I know she'll always have a place in her heart for the first Bradley Boy!

When I first began watching them, C.J. was 19 months and Chance, 7 months. C.J. was always full of energy (which never went away even to this day :), and went around saying "ball, ball" and barking like his dog. Sooo funny and cute. He was always a happy guy with such a big smile. He quickly learned how to use the big boy potty and had no problems getting rid of his pacifier. He was ready to grow up! He did have an unforgettable poo incident in the pack in play one afternoon, but we'll just leave it at that!

As C.J. grows and matures, he shows compassion and caring toward his friends. He truly has a sweet heart. He also loves cleanliness. I think this is why he and Avery got along so well (: C.J. always uses a napkin when eating and rarely uses his fingers. He LOVES to sweep and mop and even started telling the other children when it was time to clean up. Thanks C.J.!!! His other love, besides being Mr. Clean, is cars. He could spend all day playing with trucks, trains, "Herbies", or anything with wheels. He once told me something along the lines of, "if it has wheels, I know all about it!"

C.J. is such a delight. He is growing into such a sweet, lovable person who simply makes you happy.

Chance has always been our little snuggler, from day one! So lovable. When he was a baby, he would either hang out on the floor being content, or just sit in my lap and relax. As he grew a bit older, he decided he needed to add a little bit of orneriness to his persona. It just made the day more exciting and kept Nanny Danny on her toes! Chance also developed a love for sports of all sorts. What a natural athlete. He would get very serious when playing baseball, soccer, football, hockey, tennis, etc... with his "friends" in the back yard. He has a great imagination (: However, he wasn't afraid to be a princess or ballerina when the girls where doing their thing! I think he only joined in because he knew it bugged them so much!!

Chance is a funny kid. He probably is the sweetest Critter with the most tender heart, yet the one hanging out in time-out the most. Oh, Chancey!

Sometimes, the weirdest things make your day. I opened Evan's pudding cup, and this is what I saw; a face!