Pat-pat-pat-pat-THUMP

Hemi just started walking last week. He's pretty unsteady on his feet, but he seems to think walking's a better deal than crawling, for the most part. His little footsteps are regularly interspaced with solid thumps as he unbalances himself and sits down heavily on his little padded bottom. If his big brother is too close, it is safer to crawl. If Hemi is standing, Beau often regards that as an invitation to pick him up and try to carry him.
Beau is reading more and more words, and really enjoys books, especially those meant as readers for first and second graders that have a photo on one page and two or more words describing the photo on the other page. A publisher called Capstone press prints these, and we get them from the library, books about chickens, police cars, water, and anything else that strikes his two-year-old fancy. The library is running their summer reading program now, so I signed both boys up for that.
Hemi is also talking some, not much, but clearly. Mommy, Daddy, Thank you, No, Don't, Sit, Yummy, and his own name are within his capibility.
Beau's potty training is going by fits and starts. A few days ago he actually pooped in the potty all by himself. The next day he went in his pants, and wet himself several times. He seems to find it a nuisence to have to stop what he is doing to go to the potty.
Saturday, the boys 'helped' us plant the vegetables. That is, Hemi threw dirt at them, while Beau put water on them after they were planted. Beau was actually mostly helpful and Hemi managed not to damage any of the little plants.