Emma 45 Months

-she's a love bug
-leans in, grabs my arm and whispers "I love you so much" all the time at dinner
-also VERY stubborn and thinks it's her way or the highway
-wears long sleeves only
-and tights
-no matter the temperature
-on a recent 80+ degree day, she was decked out in her winter best when she asked "why am I so wet?" Isla filled her in: "BECAUSE YOU ARE SWEATING!"
-still she refuses summer clothing (except for in the picture above which is literally the first time I got her to wear this dress and only as a result of some parent to kid trickery...)
-I'm learning to choose my battles (and also to box up all her long sleeves)
-likes socks on hands at bedtime so she's "warm and cozy"
-favorite animal: the bat
-favorite store: Barnes and Noble
-favorite colors: pink and yellow and purple
-the other day she told me she wants Jesus to come to her birthday party so "she can see his face"
-I totally melted
-continues to be super interested in how the body works
-loves feeling her heart beat
-comes to me occasionally with a worried expression "I can't feel it beating"
-you can she the relief wash over her when I help her locate it again
-has grown a bit more devious with lots of lying and hiding
-thinks cleaning her room means piling everything on her bed
-but on other days, she pulls it out of somewhere and does a great job of tidying up
-could ride her bike for days
-also loves sneaking out the back door and running around front and ringing the doorbell until the pictures fall off the wall
-spends her quiet times playing with her stuffed animals, looking at books, playing board games with herself and asking me if quiet time is over yet
-told me the other day that lollipops are her favorite fruit
she's a riot, y'all

Isla 69 Months

-almost a FIRST GRADER - wow!

-recently obsessed with her hair

-combs it frequently throughout the day

-last night she grabbed a curl and positioned it just so to frame her face and told me liked it when her hair was like that because she "looks cuter" 

-i kid you not

-she's DOMINATING swim lessons - yay!

-this road has been a long time coming but she finally puts her face in without fear and is actually nearly swimming, hallelujah
-is quite the expert pancake and tortilla flipper now

-loves to teach others

-whether they want to be in her "school" or not

-has been particularly sweet to Emma lately and couldn't wait to bring her to her class and introduce her to all her friends one occasion this month

-completed her first fun run at school

-did nine laps

-proceeded to run more laps around the house upon returning home

-we think she totally 3 miles that day

-spends most of her quiet times listening to books on CD

-reading like crazy 

-for 20 minutes EXACTLY (with a timer)

-her teacher said 20 minutes a day and that's what it shall be - no more, no less!

-got a new blue bike and the change made her an exceptionally more proficient rider

-asks to stay up late and have dessert every day

-wants back to back to back to back to back playdates

-all day

-every day

-asked me the other day if having babies hurts (ha)

-can't wait for her birthday

-a mommy's girl

-creative and talented and for sure my first born!

Jack 20 months

-our baby has gone BLOND!

-he learned to say "NO!!" in the sourest of ways

-but then he learn yes (yesh) which he follows with the most adorable happy giggle that you figured out what he wanted

-communicating with him is a lot like playing 20 questions but I'm thrilled he finally can answer

-new words are coming in leaps and bounds: bubble, owl, underdog, up (dee dee), milk, thank you, ball, cheese, yogurt (dodurt), walla walla walla (like Tigger), ta-da!
-is verrrrrrrrrry attached to his binky

-loves being held

-extremely attached to daddy

-and is sooooo excited when he hears the key in the lock when he gets home

-comes running and yells Daddy!

-finally conquered his fear of sand and now makes a bee-line for any body of water he sees

-maybe I liked his fearful, clingy beach self better?

-he's got a strong opinion

-doesn't touch green foods

-until suddenly out of nowhere he decided to stick a green bean in his mouth

-then he proceeded to eat about 25

-but green grapes? 

-no way

-he won't touch them

-they are green so they MUST be a vegetable

-loves sauces and condiments and points to whatever we have out on the table and asks for it on his food

-last week it was yellow mustard

-on his watermelon

-he also really wanted a ring of raw red onion

-and he ate it!

-has a particular dislike of being strapped in

-used to just be the highchair but now he shows opposition to the car seat, the stroller and shopping carts

-my last trip to the grocery store was a personal favorite

-he refused to sit in the kid seat up front

-but he wanted to sit in the main part of the cart

-I let him

-then he screamed like an angry pterodactyl any time I tried to take "his" space by putting something in the cart

-he proceeded to chuck my groceries overboard

-it was one of our finest moments

-even though he's determined, he's as sweet as can be too

-he's learning to kiss

-sometimes you end up cheek to cheek

-other times you just get an open mouth against your face

-just watch out for the times he decides to use a little tongue

-no longer walks but RUNS everywhere

-loves trucks and balls

-other favorite pastimes include sitting in the drivers seat of the van and playing with the dash

-also singing to himself, slides and swings and underdogs

-he's all boy and I LOVE it!

Jack, a photo story

Back in my 4-H days, we learned to snap series of pictures that together told a "photo story." Last night at dinner, it just so happened I had the camera in hand to capture one such photo story, a typical night with the kid, really. You just never know what is coming down the pipe with him and sometimes your best approach is to sit back and watch it all unfold. I'm pretty sure he thought no one was paying any attention. If there's one word that describes this kid it's DETERMINED!

Mission accomplished. And then it was time to PARTY!