Updates

Dear Lily and Rio,
It is becoming increasingly difficult to take time out to document your lives on this blog.  I am no longer going to do monthly updates but I will try to post pictures of our activities and will write something from time to time.

A note to Rio:
My little baby boy is growing fast.  I want to capture who you are at this moment as a 2 year old child in writing, but every attempt I make seems to miss the mark.  First of all, you are very sweet (especially to me).  You demand to snuggle with me everyday except you say "nuggle." Now we all say "nuggle."  You will come find me and say "mommy nuggle couch sit" or "nuggle me!"  I can't turn down a request to nuggle.  You are extremely affectionate towards me.  I get showered with kisses and squeezed like a bear many times each day.  You are not as sweet and affectionate to your sister but you are very good at hugging her after you hit her on the head.  You two fight over toys sometimes but over all you are very protective of your sister (and she is protective of you).  You have to know where she is at all times (you say "where ih-ee's?).

Here are your current interests: robots, baseball, anything to do with a ball, star wars, light sabers, legos, airplanes, and cars.  Those are your favorite things but you also are known to play with your doctor kit, train table, coloring, mr. potato head, and play doh.  Anything that is long and skinny is a light saber in your eyes.  You have started to do a lot of pretend play.  You and Lily will act out stories (she is often a princess and you are a robot or star wars character).  You play so well together.

You like music and are almost always singing a song.  You don't dance much but you really enjoy singing.  You know all your colors and shapes.  You know your ABCs.  You can even point out a few letters.  You can point out on a map where you live vs. where you were born vs. were mommy and daddy were born.

You are a silly little guy that makes everyone of us laugh every day.  I love watching you grow!

A note to Lily:
So far, in your four years of life, you know what you like and what you don't like.  I love that you don't get distracted by other people.  You are who you are and you own every bit of it.  You have been going to many birthday parties for kids in your class.  I watch as entire groups of girls will follow one or two other girls around. You generally don't want any part of that.  You know what interests you and you follow that.  Often times other girls will become interested in the activity you created on your own and want to join.  You continue to come up with stories every day.  You act out stories with your little toys or put a puppet show on for us.  It is fun to watch your creativity unfold.  You can now draw actual pictures of actual real things.  You can draw houses, trees, people, and rainbows.  You can read and write a few words.

Your interests are pretty much the same as they have been for the last two years (princesses, fairies, ballerinas, etc) but your depth of play with these things have really changed.  Sometimes when Rio goes to bed early you get to play a board game with me and Daddy.  Daddy takes you to baseball games sometimes (just the two of you) and you think that is the greatest.  I love watching you think and play and express yourself.

You are very affectionate and loving.  You tell me you love me every day and that we will be best friends forever.

I love you both!
Mommy