Catching up!

ooops, now this is even getting way behind! You guys just do so many cool things that I think it will take too long in the moment to write everything down! Anyway...

Ben, you have 2 top teeth now! Yesterday you were signing "more" between every bite! So cute! Yesterday also, you started a new way of pottying ...sort of like standing to pee ... well at least facing the potty, instead of the other way. I think you signed "all done" a few times, and you instinctively know the "eat" sign without even being taught! You're getting really close to crawling I think -- you definitely move around from original position when you are on the floor. You sit really well, like I am comfortable to move away from you when you are sitting! You love everyone's necklaces! You grab at everything. Carla is still gently in love with you and so protective, and Anna is finally getting better at not being so loud with you. You love avocado, pumpkin, sweet potato, apricot, prunes, oatmeal, wheat, rice (or as Carla says "reese"), potatoes, carrots...everything we give you! You're very interested in food!

Carla -- let me see, some funny things to say: "once about a time", "going home" (means leaving home), you love to watch the workers outside digging, once coming home from Gramma M's you said the sky looks "sleepy" and that the Indians stadium lights look like "big toothbrushes" (and they do!), once I wanted you to pee, and I offered you a chocolate chip, and you looked up at me and asked "pepper?" so cutely (I sure wished we weren't out!), ...

Anna and Carla things: buckle bottom, monster traps, jumparoono (gather all the pillows in the house and jump on them), conica, conikay, ...

Anna: "I never want to watch Dr Oz, but I get stuck on it!", you love everything Leprechaun (ever since one visited your pre-school classroom and you brought home a Leprechaun trap that you made at school. You lost your first tooth yesterday! The tooth fairy came last night -- you got 4 shiny quarters for your age and for your shiny tooth (which I threw away by mistake!). A fairy visit was very exciting!, "Mom, can I take everything off except my panties, and put on a dress-up?"

Buckle Bottom

March is Marching in!

Hmmm, let's see. You guys have all been really good lately :) Ben you have been peeing before and after each time you eat! You laugh a lot at things like when Anna and Carla were stomping on packing bubbles the other day! Your new food is apricot and sweet potatoes and you also tried avocado recently. You like everything we give you. Carla you are swimming great with Miss Brianne, Anna, the triplets, and Cooper! You're such a big girl. You want a big girl bed -- we're working on it! Someone said you were "stunning" in the library yesterday. You love story time! Anna, you're doing great with the "fish oil challenge" and this month we're upping our dosage! You can even swallow the pills without water - though I did NOT endorse this "challenge"! You girls like to watch American Idol! We'll see who your favorites are!?!?! Carla you are really enjoying playing "little guys" and kitchen/cooking/food play, and as always you enjoy baby dolls still :) Anna you're beginning to enjoy playing baby dolls a lot too. Anna you swim really well, better and better, each week, today you went underwater a lot, and you were doing well keeping your feet out of the water -- it helps you go so much faster!

Reading and Math

Yikes Anna! You are having an intelligence explosion! When you were little, you used to sometimes have "word explosions" -- actual baby development term -- for suddenly using lots of new words. Well, you randomly shout out math problems, sometimes adding more than 2 numbers together -- you just see math problems with the toys you're playing with or as you're eating a meal or snack. Speaking of eating, you must being growing! (or maybe your brain is using all those extra calories!) b/c you're eating SO well and so much! You're also very good at not eating any more when you're feeling full, even when treats/desserts are involved! You've been so polite and obedient lately -- I am SO grateful! I love brushing your long, thick, dark head of hair. You don't mind it as long as I am reading you a story. You still love your stories. Back to explosions, you are reading! It is SO cool when you sound something out! Just today, it was cool that you read "end" and also figured out the name "Mariposa" by sounding out "mar". You think it's cool too!

Carla, you haven't been eating as much lately, though you still enjoy most foods pretty well. Your favorite is probably still a cheese stick. You ADORE "Benny" -- so very gentle and loving to him. I love the way you gently push your hair back behind your ears. You don't much like your hair brushed in the last few months (prob b/c Anna), but recently you've stopped fussing over it so much.