March 2016

Graham 3-
Loves to use the word just to describe everything "You were just reading?" I was just doing something"
Very emotional, needs a lot of snuggles, on his own terms.  In school he has been showing a lot of attachment to mommy.  Needing her to sit with him and circle time, needs extra hugs when things do not go your way. 
Has such great enthusiasm for things.  LOVED looking for eggs this year.  You opened your eggs so excitedly and were happy even with just a few at a local easter egg hunt. 

K- 5.5
You are more than halfway through kindergarten.  You do like going to school now, and have a lot of friends.  You are your own person and are content to do your own thing, even if it means not doing it with friends.  Though you do wish they would do what you would like.  We are working on compromising with friends. You do love to share your (well, mine too) gum with all of your friends.  You are enjoying girl scouts and look forward to the planned gatherings and earning badges. 

Both were just recently sick and needed lots of rest.  Both still come in mommy and daddy's bed every night after midnight. 

Katelyn has a rattling noise in the back of her nose, saw the ENT and put her on a prescription and she sounded great as soon as it was done.  3 days later it was back again.  The ENT seemed to thing that surgery would be the next step if it returned.  He said it could be an allergy which makes me nervous since it started after we moved into the new house.  Not much we can do about the things we have in the house now.  Celiac is also in the back of my mind.  Not sure if I should get that retested before the surgery just to rule that out as a trigger for it. 

Graham

"What that?"
"It's potatoes." - Daddy
"Oh! Tatoes?!  I like tatoes!"
"Would you like some?" - Daddy
Scrunches face "Noooo.  That's yucky!"

So much to update

Graham is talking so well now.  Still needs help using S's at the beginning of words, and F's, but I can understand him most of the time and he has been putting together some long sentences with 6+7 words.  He loves to end a sentence with "so, that why" or "long time go"  He is excited about entering pre school and talks about playing with the toys.  He is still very laid back most of the time, but he has been getting frustrated now when he knows that he cannot have what he wants.  He scrunches his face all up and almost growls.  He still loves cars and trucks, "Let's play cars!"  He has been showing a real interest in trying to read lately.  He likes to "read" books to us, but becomes frustrated because he can't remember the words and he knows it isn't the way the story goes.  He had a blast when we took him to the beach, but generally does not love swimming.  he will swim sometimes, but given the choice, he would rather play in the sand box.  Still no interest in potty training.  Although, Katelyn has gotten him to sit a couple of times, but no activity.  He actually laughs when we suggest it.

Katelyn has grown up so much!  She is much more cooperative and helpful that she ever has been.  Going to a store is so much easier now.  She stays right by me in the parking lot without needing to hold a hand, she can buckle her own 5 point harness (just last week!), and she is able to follow most of my instructions when we are out.  She is still a kid and gets distracted by things while we are out and sometimes forgets an instruction I have given her.  She plays on her own remarkably better also.  She has been kind with Graham, but they do get into many fights now that he has started resisting her play ideas.  We are working on ways to help her mediate those with words, but she has come a long way.  We are working on sight words, and she can now read see, the, and, a, cat, dog, mom, dad.  She is so eager to learn and I've had a lot of fun just spending that time with her.  Neither of the kids sleep through the night which has been hard, but moving in with Grandma and Pop soon they will share a room, so we are hoping that it will stop.  She is excited and a bit anxious about starting kindergarten.
  She still loves dogs and cats.  she has also been eating so much better lately.  She has been back on gluten again for a year now, but I do notice a reaction from food dye.
Funny things she is saying.: "did they have phones in the 80's?  Or did they just use cups and strings?"

Graham

Latelyn you have been getting up earlier than we would all like.  And it always seems to be 6:40-6:50 which is weird how punctual it is.  Yesterday morning we snuggled in the chair and you make a gaggy sound and say "Mommy breath poopy."  LOL!  Morning breath is no joke!

A few weeks back I hear you toot.  A few minutes after, I tell you it is stinky, to which you start sniffing the air around you and go "No, yummy!  Mmmm!"  We "argued" back and forth about it for a bit and had a good laugh.  You recently had some kind of a bug and had a few days of really light tan poop which started to concern me by the 5th day of it!  Pooping 6 times a day during that time did not add to the fun of it either!

Too long

It has been too long since I have updated.  Katelyn turned 4 and Graham is 2. 

Katelyn had a pool party at grandma's house with all of the family.  She had such a blast with all of her friends and was so polite while opening her gifts.  She received a Sophia the first play set and exclaimed "Oh my Gosh!  I really care about Sophia!" The sweet thing about that is that she does not like Sophia the First, so she was being adorably polite. 

She started nursery school at Cato Christian fellowship and has been doing so well.  She has a lot of friends there and really enjoys her time there.  Her best buds are Lillian and Paige, but she also plays with Bella and Elisa a lot also.  One day when we arrived late to school, 3 of her friends were standing on the stairs waiting for her and screamed with excitement when they saw her.  Cutest thing ever!  We went to Nana and Papou's for Thanksgiving and she had a blast playing outside and hanging out with everyone.  She is a bit bossyw ith Graham, but they spend a lot more time playing together and it is so sweet to see.  She will say Let's go do ____ to Graham and he will exclaim OK! excitedly.  They have their spats also and kick and fight back and forth until they are broken apart.

Graham is repeating everything now!  It took a while before he was interested in talking, but now he does all the time!  He is obsessed with cars.  Whenever we accelerate a lot in the car he yells "WOah!  It pbast (fast)!"  He likes to say "Like it _oranges"  Or "Not like it _oranges_" to whatever it may be (using oranges as example) He is still a sweet boy, but we are starting to see his opinions and temper.  He crosses his arms with a lough "hmmph" when he is mad or frustrated, and not always for any real reason.  When he gets very irritable he points angrily with his finger and juts out his lower chin with his teeth clenched.  For a little while this summer if he didn't know someone's name he just referred to them as Carol (music class instructor's name).  He does not say his name if someone, instead he points to Katelyn and says "It Cake Cake!"  Today he even said, "Name, Cake Cake!"

Katelyn said to me tonight "Oh Mommy!  I just want to marry you!  You are so remantic!

Graham's words:
Said on his own in correct reference:
Ahh (all done, on, and off)
cup
Up
teek (thank you)
Bah (bubbles, bath)
Shh (shake)
Repeats after we say them:
ca-ca
cah (car)
Pop
apuh (apple)
fuh (fluff)
Go

Graham you are such a good boy.  You have such a silly, sweet personality.  You are much calmer than your sister, but you do get a temper sometimes.  Picking up things to throw when you are upset.  You are very sensitive, especially lately.  You are suddenly afraid of the fan (sometimes when it isn't even on), and do not like loud noises.  You stick your little lips out when you are focusing on something.  You have always been excellent with a spoon and are great with a fork also.  You whined one day for one when you were about 13 months and have been using them no problem ever since.  You will pee on the potty and poop if you need to at the time.  I imagine that you could potty train somewhat already, but I am not sure I am ready to dedicate so much time to it yet.  You are still an awesome sleeper.  You get a little song (goodnight sweetheart) and go right in your crib with the door shut.  You whine when you want to get up in the morning.  Typically nights are 8:30pm-7:30am, and nap is 1-3.  You are a snuggly little guy and you love to tuck your little arms under your tummy when you are getting comfy.  I couldn't imagine our family without your sweet little personality in it!  You are very good at building with blocks, cars, and love to figure things out.  You just started enjoying books also.  You love when I sing wheels on the bus and you will do a few of the motions.  You know where your head, feet, belly, eyes, nose and mouth are.  When we brush your teeth you love to imitate Ariel's song voice so I can see in your mouth.  You love to mess up mommy's laundry piles and you just think it is so funny!  We have really been working on you not sitting in a W lately.  You love to make shakes with pop pop, and you will go and get the quick and point to the blender anxiously until someone comes to get it.  You will come running if you hear music and you love to dance!  You do a little kick dance :)

15 months

Graham you are still such a good little boy!  Your bed time is such a piece of cake with just a quick snuggle and short song (goodnight sweetheart) you lay right down without a peep and I shut the door for the night.  You have been better about not crying when you wake up which has been nice.  You love to wander around and explore!  You spend so much of your time at Grandma's house just walking an walking.  We had your 15 month appointment and you were a really good sport about the shots.  The first one you barely flinched, but the ouchie one did make you cry.  You still do not say words consistently, but I am not concerned because I see you soaking in so much!  You went up to Uncle David today and shouted "EVER!" which is what K says to him all the time to him.  It was so cute!  You love to make milkshakes with Pop pop and even just overhearing Pop talking about making them you started whining to get up on the counter.  You watched your sister doing a magic trick with U. David disappearing behind a blanket, so you started putting the blanket up and pulling it down expecting an applause, which you did!  You are good at signing "all done," waving, blowing kisses, and pointing.  I gave you a spoon last week and you picked it up and used it like you've been using it forever.  I had not given you much to practice with it before that.  You love to figure things out.  You love Wheel of Fortune (for the clapping) and Jeopardy, lol.  You are just so much fun!