If I could freeze time I think I would. My kids are at such a fun age! Just so that I can remember in years to come, I thought I would document a little about their personalities at the ages of 2 and 4.
Kellen:
You will eat just about anything and everything! Anna has figured this out and will offer food to you that she doesn't want, 'Keyn eat it?' Sometimes you will ask to eat things off her plate after having cleaned your own. What am I going to do with you when you are 13?!?
You have mastered many of your fears this year, including various climbing skills at the park (and on your bunk bed), swinging on your belly, being around our dog :) and, most recently, you are working on swimming.
I would certainly classify you as a READER!!! We have been working on phonics for about 15 minutes a day since the first of the year and you are learning super quickly! Having taught Special Ed in my former life, it has been a new (and wonderful) experience for me to work with a student who actually remembers what they learn from day-to-day. Here are a few sentences from your reading lesson today:
"Trish is a yo-yo pro. She can swish and twist the yo-yo so fast! Trish can fling the length of string and then catch the yo-yo. She is a whiz!" And, Kellen, you are a reading whiz!! Daddy and I are SO extremely proud of you!
One thousand questions an hour is a good way to describe you, son. Your brain--and mouth--never rest!
Transformers, Finn McMissile, Buzz Light Year, puzzles, board and card games, books, and drawing are some of your favorite things.
You enjoy having a "job," so emptying the bathroom trash, putting away the silverware, feeding the dog, setting and clearing the table, and putting away folded laundry keep you occupied. Sometimes you will even randomly clean Annie's bedroom just because. A boy after my own heart! :)
You are a thinker and seem deeply moved by spiritual things. Riding in the car just least night, you looked out the window and said, "It looks like Jesus is behind those clouds." Your comment resulted in a long discussion about the second coming and heaven. Your questions and comments keep Daddy and me on our toes.
The first thing you say to Daddy when he gets home every evening is, "When can we wrestle?"
You enjoy listening to country music in the truck with Daddy--because it is louder than my car. "1, 2, 3 Like a Bird I Sing" and "Tank Tops, Love Handles, Tube Socks, Jesus Sandals" are your current favorite songs that you will sing on command. Probably should get a video one of these days...
You are convinced that we spelled your name wrong. "It should be K-E-L-L-I-N." Yes, that is the way it sounds--sorry we didn't consult you before filling out the birth certificate. ;)
Sunday School and Kid's Club are the highlight of your week.
Most of the time you are more aware of our location than I am--telling me that we need to turn around before I even realize we have missed our destination. :o)
Annie:
You still love caring for, rocking, and feeding your babies. At any given moment throughout the day I can look up and guarantee that you will be pushing one or more of your babies in your stroller or shopping cart with a purse on your shoulder. And no matter how hard I try, I cannot keep the poor babies clothed. As soon as I dress them, you disrobe them.
You have never been a cuddler, and that has continued during your second year of life. "No sit yap (lap)," you say nightly, while shaking your head, when it is time to read a story before bed.
Books are of no interest to you unless you are stalling before bed time.
You adore your big brother! The "L" sound is still hard for you to pronounce, so when you call him by name it sounds more like, 'Keyn." He out-sleeps you almost every afternoon at nap time, but you take care of that by running into his room yelling, 'Keyn! Wake up, Keyn!'
You have no fear of strangers. At the park you gravitate to the largest group of children and try to join into their activity.
You are fearless, which has resulted in more skinned and re-skinned knees than I can count.
Daddy calls you the master manipulator with your facial expressions. And he is correct, you have mastered the art of using your eyes to quickly change Mommy and Daddy's mood when we are reprimanding you. Stinker!
You never really called me 'mama' or 'mommy' but went straight to 'mom.' Kinda makes me sad!
Food is a daily battle, unless it is sweets or bread. We require you to eat one bite of everything on your plate, which you know and do fairly willingly now. However, you store unwanted food in your cheek for as long as possible until absolutely forced to swallow it. All the while, batting your master-manipulator eyes. :)
You enjoy singing, but thus far seem to have no talent in that area. :o) Daddy and I keep meaning to get a video of your singing because it is so stinking cute--and off key!
Like most females, you like lotion. We have caught you rubbing globs of Vaseline all over your cheeks and large amounts of shampoo on your hands. Both times, when asked what you were doing you innocently replied, 'yotion.'
Church nursery is one of your favorite places! We have to start transitioning you into 'big church' soon and you are not going to be happy.
TV still has no appeal to you. However, coloring and drawing circles provide hours of entertainment.
Shoes! I guess it comes with being a girl, but you find great enjoyment from putting on and taking off shoes. And it doesn't matter who's shoes they are. You seem to especially enjoy Kellen's--probably because they are easy to get on and off, yet you can still walk in them.
It appears that you, luckily, did not inherit my directional skills but your fathers. :) When we are driving and get within a couple of miles from home (from multiple directions) you holler, 'Home, Mom!'
Love you guys! So glad to be called your mom!
