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Dear Emmie (51 months),

____________________________________

Hi Ms. School Girl!

Preschool year two is going much smoother than preschool year one...well, I guess I just mean the start of the school year. Last year there was a day where I had to peel you off my leg and leave you angry and screaming crying with the teacher...this year on the first day you looked at me when you had been settled in for about 2 minutes and said, "K, mom, you can go now..." Maybe it was because we had an awesome morning that day together...we just started having Kathryn babysit on Tuesday mornings so we left her with Chase and we went and picked out a first day of school outfit and then we went to get you some shoes. Apparently the sparkly bright style is in this year because that was pretty much all that was on the walls. You picked out a really cute pair and then we put them on your feet, they're called "Twinkle Toes," only to find out that they have some AWESOME bright lights that flash...you said, "MOM, it's like a PARTY on my feet!!"

I thought maybe the next day you would be onto me and ask me to stay longer...but you did another, "MMmmmkay, bye! You should leave before Chase starts biting people..." So drop off has been easy! You still want your hug and a kiss and leave me with one...but you love your teachers and you're starting to talk more about who is who and who you played with. The director told me this year was more about friends whereas last year was all about the teachers and I can see that trend starting!

Sadly your middle of the night wakings are always in high gear when school first starts (usually just means you get up around 4am and climb into our bed)...it feels like when you were tiny and I would be gone for a wedding all day and you would nurse all night. They call it reverse cycling...at least we have a kind sized bed and you're easy company....you don't talk at all and just snuggle in close. Too bad sometimes that snuggling comes with some really cold toes...perhaps we should start putting socks on your feet.

I can't believe how fast you're growing and learning...you have some BOB books which you READ all by yourself...things like Dot has a hat. Dot has a dog. Dog has a rag hat. Etc...you sometimes try to make the sentence more complicated than it is making up your own version, "Dot is looking in the mirror at her beautiful hat with feathers..." HA! I think they're boring, too!! When I remind you to just read the words on the page you groan and say, "Oh all right...but my story is better." You also started to swim for about 10-15 seconds at a time without any assistance...no vest, no noodle, no mommy holding you. You were so so proud! And then a few days ago you came over with a piece of paper that said, "HOUSE," and a picture of a little house. You saw the word and copied it, knew what it said, and drew a picture of a house. Then the next day were BAR (bear) and RABT (rabbit) with pictures to go along with that.

You and Chase are playing more...actually you often pretend to be your Auntie Jenny and Chase is Uncle Scott and you go on many adventures together. Actually you've been going on adventures outside by yourselves while I cook dinner. I can see you out the window at the sink while you're at the swingset and you come to the backdoor with an announcement about every 2 minutes..."Scott is cold," or "Jenny is thirsty," or, "WE NEED A SNACK!" Actually that's usually what you and Chase say right before dinner...it's like hunger hits at 5pm and you can't possibly wait until 5:30pm when dinner will be ready and you both blow through a few cucumbers and tomatoes and then you both look at dinner and if it is something you like scarf it down...and if it's not on the hit list then you're both "full."

We have a pretty awesome list of books that we've read together...you're still into chapter books and we've finished a lot of Junie B. Jones books, and we've added some Ramona, you still talk about the BFG, and we just got the Boxcar Children and you loved it! We also read some of these weird fairy books about pet fairies that save the day...you loved them...I'd rather not read them so maybe we'll save those for when you're in 3rd grade reading on your own. We've also made a weekly habit of going to the library more and getting about 10 picture books, a new chapter book, a DVD each for you and Chase and some books on CD for the car. I am LOVING reading with you!

Hmmm...what else? I feel like so much happens day to day that I want to remember...funny little sayings or moments where we roll around on the floor laughing so hard I think we're both going to stop breathing...but then when I sit down here to write those little moments slip away and I can't remember them. Just know that everyday you amaze me and think of funny things to say or remember little things that I never would expect you to remember...you're just an awesome kid and I love you!!!

Love,
Mama

Dear Chase (29 months),

Friday, September 10, 2010

_________________________________________

Hello Mister-Roo!

Man let's talk about that language explosion again because in all actuality I am now sometimes looking for an off switch with the constant chatter of two little kids! You do speak a but of Caveman - "Us do it, mama," but you clearly get your point across more often than not. It is nice to hear about all that is on your mind even if you are often thinking about your p3nis (I'm not going to write it out because I don't want people searching for that to find this blog!!). Yup...I said it and forgive me when you're older and this embarrasses you but you do think about it and talk about it often. You giggle about it and say funny things all the time--I think talking in conjunction with potty-learning = obsessed but maybe that is just the nature of a boy. And speaking of potty learning you're getting there...you do know when you have to pee and will ask to go outside...lol...I feel a bit like you're a dog and I have to let you out...but actually it is easier and less mess! Poop...I guess eventually that will come to and until we have it figured out I have to watch you like a hawk when you're in undies and I can rest easy when we put on a pull-up....you just don't get the concept of sitting down to poop and you know what, that will come! Mommy is being patient and you're learning...that's the best I can ask for!

You're growing a lot (yay growth hormones) and actually grew out of a lot of clothes and your shoes...you've been the same size for a really long time so it this surprising to me! I even think it might be time to up the shoulder straps on your car seat. In addition to the hormone, though, you're also eating and sleeping a lot more than usual which I 'm sure helps. You handle the shot at night like a pro and once you even giggled that it tickled. Most night you might fuss for a minute and then be fine once it is done....mostly I think because you want to go play not stop and sit. So far so good!

Your love of all things with wheels continues but this month you have also branched out to loving Rockets and SPACE and you claim every day that you would like to go there! You even ate an ear of corn and then pretended it was a rocket blasting off! This also happened with a blade of grass. You're really just excited about anything blasting off. You still love cars and lately you will walk through a parking lot saying, "What's dat one, mama?" You're really good at recognizing VW's (especially the BUG!), the Prius, minivans, Honda's and Jeeps. It is insane how interested you are in them. There was a cute little sporty red convertible at the grocery store and you said to me, "Mama, we beep (your word for buy) that car?"

You're a little rough at times...hitting, biting, pulling hair, growling/screaming when people do what you don't want them to do...I can't wait for this phase to be over and I just offer other positive things for you to do constantly. "Please don't bite your sister, you can ask her if she wants to play or you can bit this toy over here." I feel like I am saying it all day long! You're also super sweet with laughs and giggles and you often want to hug and snuggle and give someone a gentle touch on their face. So again, working on lots of things at age 2!

Everyone you meet thinks you are adorable and smart and funny and they are often surprised that you are 2 because you're still a bit small....it is really cute to see such a little guy doing things that you would expect of a bigger guy. You're not at all cautious and Emmie tends to err on the side of caution so sometimes it catches me off guard that you're about to jump off a platform at the playground to slide down the pole...or you're pushing my hands off of you in the pool so that you can "swim" without me which tends to just lead to you dunking and me pulling you back up again. Overall you're just an amazing person to be around, you make me think on my toes, you make me smile, you make me laugh, you surprise me daily in all kinds of ways and I never knew I could love you and your sister as much as I do...and it feels like each morning we wake up I love you a little bit more!

(I still love the pattern your hair grows in on the top!! Too bad you're totally throwing a rock in that picture and then you were sad when I asked you to find a ball to throw instead)

Love,

The mama

(Emmie printed that "invitation" and you wanted it taped on your wall immediately!

Dear Emerson (50 months)

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Hi Dunking Girl!

You're a fish!!! I real live little fish :) You often ask people who are near the water if they feel they are fish or cats...cats, obviously, are the people who don't really love to swim. You're definitely a fish. Daddy is a cat, Chasey is a cat if the water is cold and a fish in warm water...and Mommy, well, I've always been a fish, too! You often refer yourself to a professional dunker, a professional bubble blower, a professional swimmer and you will proclaim that you have professional mermaid hair. You often wear goggles in the tub and dunk and far down as you can go in the tub. You're a little hesitant to dunk in the wide open pool but you like to dunk over at the stairs. But let me, for the record, state that you will ONLY dunk on your own terms. If someone asks you to dunk or suggests it might be a good time to dunk you will often refuse and give me a big pout. You, my dear, have a very strong will and a very strong opinion!

You're taking swim lessons on Monday and Wednesday and you love your class and your teacher and the pool at One Stop Fun. You throw and retrieve little puffer fishes, kick playing red light green light, scoop ice cream in the water with your arms, swim ALL.BY.YOURSELF (with a noodle or a kickboard...lol!) across the pool and even in the deep end! You also loved the ocean and really really wanted me to keep bringing you out deep where the waves weren't crashing so you could just hold my hands and kick your legs. You liked the river in NH because you would swim (with your vest) and start to drift a bit down river and I would have to scoop you back to us...and you LOVED the kiddie pool at Attitash and the water slide. Have I mentioned that I think you might be part fish? Actually you will complain that you just want to be able to breath under water...and you even asked me how the fish can do it...and we talked about how they have gills that help them get the oxygen from the water and then you wanted to know where you could buy some gills. Funny girl! In these pictures you're wearing your swim vest because you can swim, explore the water off on your own, feel what your body can do to make you move...and you're mostly safe as long as I'm nearby so I can wrangle Chase and you can still enjoy your body moving in the water while keeping safe.

So yes, you love swimming...and this month you've fallen in love with country music and ask for it often. You like to sing along and one of the songs that gets stuck in your head goes like this, "Rain makes corn, corn makes whiskey, and whiskey makes me honey feel a little frisky." Thankfully you don't really know what whiskey is or what frisky means other than being silly...but it's funny to watch other people react when you're singing it. You're also still a pop fan and the song of the month is one about, "I'm going to break break break break break your heart..." and this lead to many discussions about heart break and what that means and when it happens. You certainly do ask a lot of poignent questions for a 4 year old and I feel as though if you're big enough to ask the hard questions you deserve the answers...so we talk. You were a little bit nervous about heart break and also integrated it into your vocabulary pretty quickly telling me one night when I was going upstairs to make some dinner when you really wanted me to play that I was just, "Breaking your heart!!" So cute.

You're a bit bossy at times, a bit whiny other times...but you're 4. I think you're supposed to be those things at 4. You're also very funny, and witty, and cute more of the time than not. You're fun to be around and say some of the darndest things. Sometimes we differ in opinion and I've learned that you're just as determined and stubborn as I am...and I'm ok with that...I like that you know your wants and needs and have a voice to declare what they are. You don't always GET what you want, but at least I know loud and clear what that is and can discuss with you. You're mostly very patient with your brother even though he sometimes kicks and pinches and we're working on letting him know in a clear loud voice that you're not ok with that and you often come up with a suggestion for him as to what he CAN do and the funny thing is? He'll do it! I think he might be your biggest fan. He will copy you until the cows come home and he is happy to do it. If I really need him to do something and he's not compliant I can ask you to show him and then bam, he'll just copy you and do it. It is so wonderful to watch you two grow and learn from each other and form a relationship that will last a lifetime.

Dear Chase (28 months),

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Hi Mr. Talkative,

Talk about language explosion, Mister. You can now repeat mostly anything we say and you're staring to talk to us about things you're thinking about in cute little sentences instead of the cave-man speak we have gotten used to. You do still sound a bit like a cave-man, but some of the things you say are just adorable. You like to say, "Good job, mama, good job," when I give you a yummy lunch or get you a sippy of chocolate milk. It's funny that this little person is telling me that I've done a good job! You're also starting to say sorry...it's funny because usually we don't use sorry too much around here and opt to check in on the person we've hurt with an, "Are you ok?" and then see if there is some way we can help make the other person feel better...a pat on the back, a hug or a snuggle, a special picture to hang on the wall...but you'll say a pretty adorable, "Oh, I sorry, Mama, I sorry," even for little things like when you step on my foot. You are still so rough and tumble yelling when you don't get your way or feel as though someone is standing in the way of you getting something you desire...hitting and pushing and pulling hair and biting when you feel unlistened to....but it's getting to be more words and less violence here and there. You have developed a "look" though...and sometimes when we say something you don't like you'll give us the look...and you've also started giving the look to people you don't know who say hi to you...it's kind of a funny little death glare with furrowed eyebrows and a cute little scowl...and I'll say to you, "Say 'hi' Chase," and you'll break into a huge grin and say hi to them and move along.

You are kind of working on potty learning....you LOVE undies...you have some Thomas the Train ones, some from the movie Cars and some "robots" from Yo Gabba Gabba and you enjoy picking a pair to wear, you tell me you are cute when you put them on, and I would say for the first half of the day you're great at letting me know when you have to pee. Usually I just give you a choice if you have an accident...undies or diapers and sometimes you choose one and sometimes the other. So totally non-pressure because you're not even 2.5 and I hear boys just take longer...so the choice is yours but man, you do look cute in the little boy undies! You're very character driven, actually, you love Buzz Lightyear and Woody and insist on wearing your Toy Story jammies when you see them...and if it has someone from "Cars" on it you WANT it. There was a little boy at the beach this weekend with a Cars bathingsuit and you would have liked him to take it off and give it to you. You definitely have a really strong opinion and make it heard!

You're also such a sweetheart...if you see Emmie sad you'll often try and make her feel better with a toy, a hug, a kiss, surrender of what you're holding...if I pretend to cry or like today when we were pretending a stick was a dinosaur and he was biting my toe you get sad for me and tell me, "No cry, mama, no crying, I hug you..." and you will give me hugs and kisses and check in that I'm ok. And on the other end of that stick you will get a little overzealous with the loving and it turns to pinching or head butting or biting...so we're working on it! Right now you're playing with your sister on the couch...belly bonks. You make people nervous because you're so small but so confident in yourself...you'll climb so high and so fast and at Emmie's swim lesson there is a big climbing structure and all of the parents will go running thinking you may fall you've been pretty good at climbing your whole life so I watch and reassure them that you're ok.

You loved the beach, we went this past weekend, and you liked playing in the water, running in the sand, and building things so that you could stomp and smash them. You were hesitant to go too deep...but you would have chased a seagull a mile down the beach without looking back at me if I hadn't redirected you to another one closer by. You usually don't nap but the sun and the wind and the water makes us all really tired so you would crash around 2pm with your head on my shoulder and whisper, "hold me," and I would sway with you a bit near the edge of the water and you were out in a minute. I would lay you down on your Lightening McQueen towel and you would sleep in the tent with Daddy for 2-3 hours and wake up ready for more. We went crabbing one afternoon and you didn't like the sharp rocks with barnacles or the pinchy little crabs we were getting, but you watched your three snails crawl around in your bucket for a loooooong while and loved it.

You're a mischief maker...always getting into things when I least expect it. A bottle of windex that daddy left behind the TV after cleaning the screen turned into a car wash for your monster truck and then you dumped the rest of the bottle on the carpet. You pulled the chair over to the refrigerator while I'm in the shower and played with the water and ice dispenser to the point that there were about 50 cubes on the ground in a big puddle of water. You sprayed a film of hair spray all over the bathroom while I was in the kitchen making some zucchini bread. I mean, man, you used to just sit and play with your toys...now you're up to things in a big way!!! Funny that I have never felt like I needed to gate you in...but there is a part of me now that wishes I could! As it is I'm just making sure there aren't things out that you can get in trouble with and checking on you often!

Oh, and did I mention that in the last few months you've grown 2 inches and gained 2 pounds? Thank you growth hormone...and BTW you don't even cry anymore for the shots...you just pick your spot and we do the shot and you're off and running again.

I love you mister-mister!
Mama

Dear Emerson (49 months),

Wednesday, July 14, 2010 _____________________________________

Dear Ham,

You seriously cannot get enough of the camera when it is pointed at you...you pose, click, pose, click, pose like it is your job. You pose and change pose more than some of the models we've worked with and that is crazy. I was shooting a bunch of kids from playgroup, I think there were 6 of you under the age of 4 all on a couch together and out of the corner of my eye I see Chase chatting on a phone cannot be bothered that I am taking pictures and out of the other corner of my eye I see you smiling and posing away. So yes, you're my little ham bone and I'll take it!

You're also becoming quite the little master baker. You love to do it all...you actually get quite bossy in the kitchen and sometimes even YELL at the recipe reader that YOU WILL POUR and YOU WILL MIX and YOU WILL CRACK THE EGGS. We're working on the Iron Chef attitude a bunch, but I could probably walk away from from the whole cooking thing and still wind up with yummy muffins and breads in the end because you'd just DO IT YOUR-SEEEELFFF! There is a rumor that when I was little no one could help me or tell me what to do because I wouldn't listen I would just stomp my foot and say, "KATIE-DO," well I am currently feeling the backlash of that from you and Chase simultaneously. I don't know if he is the instigator and you're following his independent lead or if you're just falling into it on your own at the same time. It is testing my patience and my playful and unconditional parenting, but we'll muddy through it, we always do.

You're also my superstar gardener. You like to help me water it, weed (and most of the time you're picking the right weed!) and harvest....although a lot of what you harvest ends up in your belly but I guess that can be expected when we're picking yummy green beans and cherry tomatoes. Might just mean that next year we need a bigger garden...and that would be ok since you love to weed and water. You get so excited every time we go out to visit the baby veggies and you'll hold big heaping handfuls of beans while I get things sorted out.

Speaking of superstar...you have turned into a dunking fool. The funny thing is your favorite place to dunk is in the bathtub with about 10 inches of water (yes we fill it deep) and you'll go under and stay under for around 5+ seconds. You blow bubbles, stick your whole face in (eyes, nose, mouth, even ears) and come up making sure that someone, anyone, saw you. The funny thing is you just finished up session one of swim lessons and in the pool you tell your teacher every time that you don't want to blow bubbles. I finally found out today that you think that the water tastes funny...so your teacher Caroline told you that if you just wipe your lips after you blow bubbles you won't even taste it...and if you did taste it it just tastes a bit salty. Not a minute later and you were showing here what an Emmie bubble blower looks like and I don't think she had believed me when I told her that you do blow bubbles at home in the tub because man was she surprised! You also were a little hesitant to lay on your back while she held you to float until I asked you to just show her your mermaid hair and voila, your head was all the way back and your hair was floating all around your head. You're a funny kind of stubborn and it is all about finding the right buttons to push.

Today we had your 4 year checkup and you're a healthy little kid and rarely see the doctor because you're ill...for a while there you were terrified of going. It happened after one bad ear infection where you just decided that maybe them looking in your ear is what was killing you. I remember when you were 2 and 3 your checkup was miserable and you were a velcro baby sitting in my lap clinging to me like a baby monkey...but in the past two years you've been to so many doctor's appointments with Chase and you've grown up and changed and today you sat on the doctor's table all by yourself in your little Looney Tunes johnny and you answered all of her questions on your own and I was stuck holding a sleeping Chase so you did the whole exam on the table just you and the doctor and to be honest, you never even glanced my way. Sniff...how are you 4!!??

Last thought...you decided yesterday when I was changing your sheets that you were done with the silly bedrail...that you really didn't want to have that until you were like 16 or something (your words) and we could just take it off already. Could you maybe slow down on the growing up all at once? Maybe that's what's making you so cranky? Or maybe today it was because you woke up at 4am for the day and you were hungry and then after a snack you were too awake to go back to sleep...thank goodness that doesn't happen often!

Ok little munchkin, I love you...even when I'm tried and cranky or you're tired and cranky or we're all tired and cranky...even when you push your brother over or when you and him play with the ice maker while I'm taking a shower and I'm frustrated to find 50 ice cubes in a puddle of water and I yell a little bit...I love you love you love you.

Hugs and kisses,
Mommy

Dear Chase (27 months),

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Hi Mr. UPy-UPy UP-EEEEE,

You're such a funny little dude. Really, I'm not just saying that because I'm your mom. You say funny things, you do funny things, you win people over on a daily basis. You are still small but sometimes you talk in this big deep voice (well, deep for a toddler) like if I say to you, "Wow, are you strong?" You'll say, "Ya, tough, good...STRONG." Meaning you are tough and good and strong...there is a Backyardigan's episode with LoLos (motorcycles) and they are rough and tough and good...so funny what you aspire to be! You make very realistic motorcycles noises complete with gear changes and squealing brakes and you swerve your body side to side and twist the imaginary throttle in your hands. You are such a boy.

This month right before Emmie's 4th birthday party you were really sick. Sicker and more sad than you have been in a long time. Your fever got very high, you were shaky, miserable, and you wanted me to carry you in a wrap...you haven't wanted that since you were 12 months old. You were clingy, extra tired, cranky, cuddly, miserable and you didn't want to eat. The fever went on for about a week and finally right before they wanted to test you for mono it broke and my happy Chase emerged on the other side...thank goodness! The only thing is you really have decided that you liked that whole week of mama holding you and now you demand UPy, UP UP UP, UPEEEEEEEE all the time. That's ok, you're only going to want to be my UPEEEE boy for so long and for now I'll take it. You have such a sweet and gentle side to you and then this other side the bites and pinches and hurts...very dynamic...but I could do without the pinching and biting. I feel bad because usually we say, "Ouch, please don't bite, that HURTS," but seeing as we give you a shot nightly that you don't really want because it HURTS I feel like pretty big walking contradiction. You do know that your shot will make you big and strong, but I don't think you care that you're hurting us with your pinches and bites because, well, in your mind we don't care that we're hurting you...so sad. But also such a little phase in life that I know you will one day pass through and come out on the other side not biting and pinching and truly understanding why it is we give you a shot. Until then I'll trying to come up with something to say other than, "OUCH, it's HURTS when you bite!"

You and Emmie are playing a lot together...I know I've said that in the past...but this morning you both were sitting looking at a book with 100 animals in it. She would ask you to find the pig and you would point and she would say, "YES, Chasey, that IS the pig!" It went on like that for a good 20 minutes so I got to take a shower in peace! You're also showing some interest in her barbies...actually just the newest one who has a horse to ride...and she insists they are too special to share with you but she did get a barbie on a bicycle for her birthday and she's ok if you play with the bike...but when you start calling it a motorcycle she gets pretty mad. Actually I'm pretty sure you like making her mad...like figuring out something that can make her squeal is exciting to you and you get this devilish little look on your face and go back for more every.single.time. Today it was the bathroom door. She was sitting on the potty and she wanted the door open, and you kept slamming it shut making her squeal and shriek and then you would open it and she would ask you to keep it open and you would laugh, slam the door, and go running down the hall...let the torture begin, huh? I just wish there was a way to let you know when girls, especially your sister, squeal and shriek you're supposed to stop what you're doing and run fast...I keep reminding her to use her words and her quiet voice so we can hopefully get you to use your words and your quiet voice. Sometimes you scare the kids are the park with your motorcycle noises!

It's been so hard to get you to stay awake all day lately and you've been crashing for these late naps...last night and tonight it took Daddy about an hour and a half to get you to bed which is a little insane. Tonight I heard you singing, talking, and making all kinds of incredibly cute noises while you were supposedly trying to sleep. After our trip to Vermont you fell asleep a few nights singing, "Cow poop, COW poop, cow pooOOooop, COW POOP!" You like to sing a lot, actually, and usually your songs are one phrase or word repeated constantly to a little tune...super cute my friend! Top contender is still, "Angel," but runner up might be, "Baby!"

Some moms complain that their baby won't keep a hat on...with you it is like we cannot get you to take it off, or to raise it enough so we can see your face. You like your new bug hat and want to wear it all the time, sometimes even to bed. If I adjust it you will growl at me and push it back down over your eyes. Taking photos of you this month was a bit challenging, as usual, since you wanted your hat and you wanted the chocolate that I promised you could have AFTER the photos immediately. We got it done, though...complete with a dirty shirt sure to embarrass your daddy and a nice bonk right between your eyes...so you!

So, mister man, keep growing, keep learning, keep smiling and laughing and we will continue to enjoy you for who you are and what you add to our family. You're amazing!!

Love,
Mommy