Waiting out the Winter

It seems like so long since we've seen the ground and suddenly, in less than 24 hours, the snow was melted and we could see the (dead-looking) grass in our yard, the deck, the garden, and the play house. It was nice to be able to go outside with the dog without having the bundle up.

Finn has, in a few short days, learned many new words, so be sure to check the very bottom of this page to see what he's learned. He's so smart! He's definitely becoming more assertive too and isn't afraid to share his opinions. He has the best smile and a wonderful laugh and loves to get into everything that I'm doing; whether it be doing dishes or laundry, he finds a way to get involved. He also is beginning to show interest in using the potty. He takes off his pants and diaper and likes to sit on the training potty. Hopefully this is the beginning, but he being a boy and not yet 2 years old, I'm prepared for this process to be exactly that: a process.

Meadowe is becoming more independent. She loves to take care of herself, and she has to do it herself. No one is allowed to help unless she says it's okay. This includes brushing teeth, bathing, pouring milk or juice, getting dressed, and just about everything. I love that she wants to do things herself, so I'm learning to be patient with her as she learns to accomplish these everyday tasks. She has learned to whistle, and loves to share her talent with everyone. She is also very interested in learning to write. She can write the letters M, A, O, and P, and sometimes she has other shapes and configurations of lines and curves that very closely resemble other letters, like E, V, I, and H. She also can identify the letters X, M and m in print. We were at the grocery and every M she saw she pointed it out to me, whether it was on a package or on the walls of the store. And not just Ms at the beginning of a word, she even found Ms in the middle and at the end of words. As a school teacher and former Reading Recovery teacher, this excites me very much!!!!!!

Here are some more pictures of sledding, craft time, laundry, making food for the superbowl, and general silliness.