Memorable Milestones

At least I want them to be, which is why I am writing them down. This blog is intended to be a scrapbook for my kids. At some point I am going to have it published and bound for them. There is actually a company that does that. Cool huh?! I have just been realizing how quickly they are growing up and how little I actually post about the things they like and can do. So I am going to start today and hopefully do it more often so I (and they) can see the growth and changes they are making. Here it goes.

Things about Annabelle who will be 2 and 1/2 on June 29, 2009.

1. She takes random words and phrases and makes them into a song. Last night it was,

boogies in my nose

boogies in my nose

blow it

blow it

peanut butter, peanut butter

jelly, jelly

2. She can spell her name if sung in a song. Video to follow.

3. She can count consistently and in order to 13 and will continue to 20 but may skip or add a number here or there.

4. As of this past weekend she is able to pedal her tricycle long distances and can steer. I have to nudge her once in a while to get up a hill or over a big crack in the sidewalk. Today she went around the block twice. Woo hoo!!

5. She tells me when she is going number 2 and if we hurry, we can get MOST (not all) of it in the toilet. I might start potty training on her 2 and 1/2 birthday. We'll see.

6. She picks out A's for her name and B's for Bennett's name on everything...t'shirts, signs, magazines, etc.

7. She talks and talks (in long sentences) and also loves to copy Bennett.

8. She got her first black eye this past Thursday when she ran into the handle bar of a large, old fashioned tricycle.

9. She's quiet around those she's unfamiliar with and will often give them an angry glare if they try talking to her.

10. She loves to dance, dress like a princess, and call her daddy when she does something she's excited about. Today she called to tell him she ate all her green beans.

Things about Bennett who will be 3 and 1/2 on May 30, 2009.

1. He loves to make us laugh by making up his own jokes and he tells them over and over again. And we laugh over and over again.

2. He uses my vacuum attachments as swords to fight dragons and monsters. And he also enjoys "hunting" for deer and red tailed hawks. He makes sure to tell us that he got them "right behind the shoulder blades."

3. His real friend Mykenzie from preschool often becomes an imaginary guest at our house. We've had to, pull up a chair for her at the dinner table, make sure we told her she needed to ask to be excused, and scoot over in bed because I was laying on her pillow. Hmmm...

4. When counting objects (last night it was meatballs at dinner) he can tell us how many would be left if we ate two or if we put three back, etc....the start to adding and subtracting.

5. His favorite activity is to work in the yard or garden.

6. He's been able to spell his name for a while now and can write it fairly consistently. He needs a reminder here and there.

7. He likes me to tell him what letter words start with and what they sound like. We think of words that start with the same letter and do, pp-pumpkin, pp-pipe, pp-potato, (for example).

8. When he counts to ten, he will often hold up his hands and put up the corresponding number of fingers.

9. He knows his first and last name, his city and state, and just so many other things!

10. He's a jumping kid. He wants to jump off of EVERYTHING!

I should have done this long ago. I feel like I've missed so many important things and writing them down now seems insignificant. Oh well. I've learned my lesson! Here are a few pictures and a short video.