Kiddo Update

I found the draft of this post - pictures only - neglected deep in my post list. I uploaded the photos a while back intending to do a general kid update and never did it. Then looking at my list of kid-notes I realized its been so long since I've done an update like this that I don't even remember what some of the notes mean! So, bear with me.

OWEN

checking out a lady bug - did you know they can bite?

Figuring out the neighborhood swing (it appeared hung from a tree in a median at Christmas with a note saying for the kids of Brykerwoods - how cool is that?).

• In a very self-aware moment told me all about how he likes to try to like things that his friends like so they'll have something to talk about - specifically superheroes and spiderman. How old are you?
• Titaniboa. Documentary. Thanks Bee!
• Have you ever had to try to explain "digital information" to a 5 year old? I have. In detail. We're talking down to 1s and 0s people. He was not satisfied with my answer - and I can't blame him - so if there are any techy people out there that want to give this a try with him I would seriously appreciate it. 
• He beats me at chess. Consistently. Have I mentioned I hate chess? :)
• Excited about kindergarten. Overheard Kyle and I talking about different extra-curricular activities offered and he quickly narrowed in on...you guessed int...chess club. 
• Soccer - finished a great little season. I think he had a lot of fun and enjoyed being part of the team. Best quote - telling me his thoughts on how a particular game went - told me that he "just can't find the path!" (through the herd of children at the ball). The boy needs a game plan people!

 Enjoying the swing w/ his sister.

REBECCA

Back in the old house - made a sunbutter and jelly sandwhich all by herself. Without my knowledge. Even cut the crust off using a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Proudly displaying over her head.

See the bread on the floor above? And the bread on the pile on the counter? The perfect sandwhich takes trial and error. And an entire loaf of bread.

• R has been doing some speech therapy this spring to work on a few things that were a little bit behind - wanted to nip it in the bud before it slowed my singing, story-telling, chatty little girl down. She had a lot of fun working with Miss Heather and made a lot of progress. We'll reevaluate in the fall but are probably done. Yippee!
• Wants to marry daddy. Only wants to grow up if she can marry daddy. Kyle and I both agree this is a good plan. 
• Was obsessed with Kyle's birthday and what type of cake we should make it and where it should be (not at our new house, she said). 
• Can't remember the preceding remark, but to Nana: "Nana, you talk like Chicken Little!"
• Hasn't happened since we moved so hopefully we left this guy at the old house. But for several weeks Rebecca was having VERY vivid dreams about "the little green man." You could tell this was not a story she was making up. He was real to her. He had a long neck. And was small. And would sneak into the house and sneak around. She was very much afraid of him. Tears. One night she said that someone shot him. Learned quickly not to tell her he wasn't real, but rather that mommy and daddy were there to take care of her and that we have a big, awesome, strong God so we really don't have anything to be afraid of. Parenting crash-course.
• gives "monster hugs" 
• plays with her hair alot. especially the front sections - she puts them in her mouth (we're mostly over that) and curls them and twists them and nots them up - like how you would make dreadlocks. She says she's "making curls" to which I reply that she already has a beautiful head of curls. And if she keeps doing that and makes tangles I'm going to have to cut her hair short like daddy's. Harsh, but we had to get the point across. 
• Likes to store her socks and undies in her toy kitchen.
• When I told her that she and Owen were going to get to do 2 days of a little tumbling camp over spring break she replied, without hesitation - But I need gymnast clothes! (I hadn't even used the word gymnastics.)
• On more than one occasion has yelled "I give my word to you!!!" in a very angry voice at Owen - she thinks its an insult. He giggles and tells her that's not very nice. 
• Loves lemonade - she calls it lemolade. So, we call her our little Lemolady.  

Pushing Maggie on "the bee"

MAGGIE

Enjoying a little help form daddy to master R's scooter. Has since really gotten the hang of it - used to just ride when we pushed her or walk with it in between her legs, but now can sorta scoot!

block time

Loves to have her picture taken. The quinty-eyed crooked smile to the right is when I say - say cheese! Now, its our little game. I just put my hands up to my face around my eyes like I'm holding a camera and she immediately cocks her head to the side - sometimes a lot - and smiles big - and squints even bigger.

Maggie can hold a pen/pencil better than a lot of five year olds. And no one taught her. So, she's basically a genius. :) Here she is doing a little homework.

• MAGGIE ALERT! MAGGIE ALERT! MAGGIE ALERT! MAGGIE ALERT! That's what the kids start yelling whenever she's getting into something dangerous. Or just bothering them. Totally devised by my 3 and 5 year old. But I come running. Its being abused a little bit now because they know I'll come running. So, what used to be a signal for 1) she's climbing the stiars (pre-gates), 2) she's playing in the potty (still a truggle) or the ice maker (getting better)...has now evolved into 1) she took my goldfish, 2) she's standing in front of the tv- kind of stuff. 
• We've had a couple of biting incidents. But she's kept it in the family so that's good I guess. The worst was when she came up to Owen asked for a hug (hu, hu, hu) and laid into his side. Not only totally unprovoked, but really sneaky.
• In the car she sings like a whale. Seriously, google an audio clip of whales singing and this is what Maggie sounds like. 
• Its summertime in Austin and that means mosquitoes. And they LOVE Maggie. Her legs and her poor cheeks. And she cannot keep her hands of the boo boos. She's had some that have been there for weeks because she picks and picks. And she picks off bandaids. Ugh.
• I should have started asking her to do this a long time ago but I forget she's old enough sometimes! She started copying O & R and taking her plate to the kitchen counter after meals. She can't reach. And she doesn't have very good balance. So we've had lots of spills so now I help her out a little, but its sooooo sweet to see her trying so hard to be a big girl - and it was her idea! My favorite part is she pretty much insists on a high-five after each plate delivery! Yea! High Five!
• Major milestone - she is crawling out of her pack 'n play. Why did I not say crib? Well, her crib sorta brokey during the move so she's been in a pack 'n play. And one fateful night she through one of those meaty legs over the edge and the rest is history. So, until we get R a real big girl bed and move M into the toddler bed she's sleeping in her camping tent. And she LOVES it. It'll be a hard transition.
• Words: Owie, Bepbep (Rebecca), Mah-eee, wah wah, ball, ish (shoes), dit do (thank you)...we think she says a LOT more, like complete brilliant sentences, because she talks all the time and really looks like she believes she's telling us things. But we don't understand. It's probably all us. :)