Liam: 3 yrs (6 & 7 mo)

Well, I've been a slacker this summer with the kids updates...But, I just wanted to write up a quick one before Liam returns to school tomorrow.  I can't believe the summer break is already over!!  I really am not ready for Liam to go back yet. We have had a pretty fun summer, and I'm not looking forward to him coming home sick again. But, I'm hopeful that we were exposed enough last school year, that our immune system is better equipped this year.  

Anyway, our spring/summer started off with raising some butterflies and ladybugs. It was so amazing watching how quickly they grew.  We took the butterflies over to Thanksgiving point to release them. With the second batch, Liam helped one of them out, and he was very gentle with him.  

 

The kids have really enjoyed their swing set and bounce house too this summer. It will be hard to give that up in the winter!  (Although, I do think the bounce house can be set up inside). Liam has enjoyed a couple of visits to the aquarium.  Once with mom and dad...and another time with our friends Julie, Justin and Landon.  He also got to go to the zoo with Rainier.  He enjoyed several visits to Thanksgiving point too.  One where we got to dig for fossils too!! While we were digging, he saw the horse carriage go by, and he decided he wanted a ride too.  So after that, I took him over to the Farm for his first ever ride on the carriage.  He was always too scared before, but it seems our little boy is growing up!  

 

We have worked on his letters, sounds and numbers this summer, although not as much as I would have liked. It seemed that his bedtime kept getting later as the summer went on, and so I tended to skip the flashcards if it was really late. But, I do think he is starting school with a better grasp on everything.  He can write, spell and recognize his name.  He LOVES to color, and has colored stacks of Thomas pictures over the summer.  He knows the names of ALL of the trains too. His obsession with Thomas has been less as of late though, ever since he discovered Phineas and Ferb! He has a crush on Isabella from the show, and wants the kids from the show to come play with him.  He had a total meltdown one night when dad broke the news to him that they did not live in our neighborhood. 

 

A phrase Liam has used lately is 'Do you remember when...'  He also told me one time when I wasn't feeling well, 'Don't worry Mom, when I grow up, I will give you some medicine'.  Sooo cute and sweet.  He is also very concerned with Rowan, and how she is doing.  Although, sometimes he does get jealous, and is not so nice. Perhaps the sibling rivalry is starting to flare up...but I would say, for the most part, he still loves his sister, and even wants another one....named Penny.

 

So that is our summer in a nutshell.  It will be interesting to see what the new school year will bring. We look forward for him to have a new teacher and new friends.  Here is to hoping there aren't any kids to push him, or bite him!!  When we went to meet his new teacher last week, it seemed a bunch of his previous teachers commented on how much he grew over the summer. I guess it's harder for us to notice since we see him every day, but we have noticed that he feels heavier!!  We weighed him on our home scale, and I think it was around 33 lbs, which is up 5 lbs. since his 3 yr. check up last December.  He hasn't grown too much out, so he really must have grown taller!!

Rowan: 19 & 20 months

Rowan has changed a TON since the start of summer!  She is a whole new kid now.  When we started to take her outside in the spring time she clung to me and would scream if we tried to put her on the grass or tried to swing her.  She slowly warmed up to the idea of outside, and now she asks (more like demands) to go outside all the time now.  She was pretty good with the slide, but never wanted to swing until one day about mid-way through summer she asked to swing....now she LOVES it!!  Although about a week ago she discovered she could climb the rope ladder, and now she is more interested in climbing to the top of the clubhouse and hanging out up there...only problem there is we have to be up there too!!  She does not understand edges and falling off yet.  She runs a little now, although thankfully is more cautious than her brother was at this age and mostly walks around.  She loves the bounce house too now, and gets so excited when she hears even the mention of it.  We have to spell it out, or use code words, but then Liam catches on to it and says it out loud, and then the cat is out of the bag, and we HAVE to put it up : )  Same goes for stuff like going for a walk, going outside, bath...all things she loves!!  Speaking of things she loves, she absolutely LOVES Liam.  She says his name all the time now.  She actually says it better than he did at 2.5 ;)  One time as I was picking the kids up at Grandma's house after work, we were waiting for Liam and the sun was right in her eyes, so I backed out of the drive way, and she totally lost it!! She started crying and saying Liam's name.  I think she thought we were leaving without him.  I don't know how soon sibling rivalry starts, but I am loving that they adore each other so much.  She loves babies too.  Whenever she sees a baby on TV or at the store, she smiles and says 'Baby'.  Her twin baby cousins came for a visit in June, and she was so sweet to them.  She kissed and hugged them, and brought them toys.  She was so adorable with them.

 

She is starting to say so many words now!!  She will say 'it's hot' and 'it's cold', although I don't think she quite knows the difference all of the time.  She asks to wear her Elmo shirt...If I pull out a different shirt, she will look at it, realize it's not Elmo, and say 'Whoa'.  It's pretty funny. If it is an Elmo shirt she squeals with happiness.  She says 'Oh dear' all of the time.  She loves watching Elmo, although lately she has been asking for Thomas.  Liam seems to be done with Thomas (for now) and loves watching Phineas and Ferb.  She enjoys the show too, and calls them 'Berb'.  She has said Phineas a couple times though.  And she calls Isabella, 'Bella' and we love how she says 'Parwee' for Perry.

 

It's been a really fun summer watching her change so much!!  It's hard to believe that she is going to be 2 years old in just a few months!!  It is just crazy how time has flown by?!  It just doesn't seem that long ago that I was planning Liam's 2 year birthday party, and was pregnant with her.