Camden is TWO!

Camden, my sweet, laid back and handsome thumb sucker. You sing the SpongeBob song. You mimic your Momma by saying, "I know!" You can say most anything just like Grey.
You say "nana (banana)" "meal (oatmeal)" "wa-wa (water)" "yo-gar (yogurt)" "uhn-un (while shaking your head no)" "eew (when something is smelly)" "ba-ree (all berries)" "ap-pal (all round fruit that resembles apples)" "joos (juice)"
Everyday, you guys say more and more words.

It has been quite a while since I took you out to take photos. Every time I sat you down in front of me  and tried to take a photo, you got up immediately. You thought it was pretty funny and wanted to be chased. Needless to say, I have a lot of photos of you in the midst of getting up.

And side views.

You like exploring and being chased. You like to jump and climb like just like your brother. You are a typical boy in that you find burps and farts hilarious. You have already mastered how to burp repeatedly.

You are a good napper. You some times even take two naps daily. You also go to sleep for the night like clockwork.

My two little thumbsuckers. You wouldn't sit still for a photo but for some reason you would sit with Rylie.

You give hugs and kisses and pushes and slaps. You don't care that your sisters are bigger.

Grey likes gadgets and you like the remote control. You have figured out that it controls the television. You like to watch Teletubbies and Sesame Street. And of course SpongeBob.

We love you sweet boys!

Grey is TWO!

Grey, our little handsome daredevil. We love you to pieces! You are the sweetest little boy. You greet your Mom and Dad by saying, "Hi Momma or hi Daddy!" And then you run to give us a hug. You also greet Ariel the same way. You call Ariel and Rylie by name, but for some reason you don't say Cailin.

Your favorite breakfast is bananas (nanas). But then you can eat as many as three bananas daily. So, you don't really just eat them for breakfast. You also like oatmeal. You will eat pancakes, but it must be when you're really hungry, because they usually get thrown on the on the floor. You like strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries ( you call them all bar-rees).

For lunch, you like to eat sandwiches (PBJ), tacos, and chicken. You like meat and will stuff your mouth until food no longer fits.

Dinner is normally whatever we are having. You aren't usually a really picky eater.

You like juice. Do I really need to say that? What baby doesn't like juice?! Mostly you get orange juice and fruit punch. You will try most food. As long as it's on someone else's plate beside your own. You really like playing with food.

You think you are much too busy to take naps. You prefer the play until I drop method. Naps for you,  usually happen in the car. Or when someone makes you lay down. You sleep about three hours, though. When we can finally get you laid down. You usually sleep in our bed. And it seems the minute that I get up- even if it's the middle of the night- you will get up too.

You say so many words, I can't keep up anymore. Everyday it seems there's something else new you're saying. Of course, you say "Ma-ma" "Da-dee" and "Air-yo" Ariel. You say "up" to be picked up. You say "wa-wa" for a drink of water. And "joos" juice, "off" to take your shoes off, "yight" light, "Mum-bo" Mumsil, "I red-dee" when you're mimicking me as I say "I'm ready"

When, I come home in the morning from work, you greet me at the door and immediately ask for my "p-on" phone. Man, oh man, you it's scary how proficient you are at navigating around my phone. You love the phone. You can take photos, you can play games and watch movies. You can literally be on the phone scrolling around until the battery dies.

You second favorite activity seems to be tinkering with the washing machine and dryer. I have to set the childproof lock, to keep my clothes washing and drying on the settings that *I* choose.

Earlier, this year when it was still a bit cold outside. We noticed that the hot water wasn't getting hot. In fact, it was cold. We went the whole weekend with the plan to call someone to come a replace or fix the water heater. As I'm on the phone with the company, I notice YOU up on a stool pressing buttons on the water heater. You little bugger, had turned on the vacation setting on the heater. The water heater was "broken" by you.

I have also caught you adjusting the thermostat too.

I'm just going to say it right now, that I'm betting you have a future in Computer Information Systems or Engineering.

Man, oh man, are you a little daredevil. You like to run and jump. You like to be chased. You taunt us by saying "Na-na-na-na!" That makes you laugh and take off running. 

You like to watch "Elmo," "Barney," and "Teletubbies." I hear you randomly singing the song "Tinky Winky, La-La, Poe; Teletubbies; Teletubbies; Big hug!" That is so unbelievable cute and amazing.

You count "1, 2!"

You like to jump on the ground as well as off things. And you're a climber!

Here, you're supposed to be sitting near me so I can take your photo. You much preferred running away. We love you sweet, sweet baby boy!

28 months old (or since that sounds odd 2 years 4 months)

You are getting to be such a big girl. You say so many things I can hardly keep track anymore. You definitely know what you do and don't like. You have to be in the mood for having your picture made.

And clearly today you are not!

You like to explore and love going to the park. I feel a little bad because we haven't been outdoors nearly as much as we should because pregnancy and heat do not mix for me!

You are really expressive and perfectly capable of telling me what you do and don't want. Pouting is what I usually get when you don't like what I ask you to do. You also say, "What Momma!" repeatedly when I ask you to do something that you don't want to do. It's kind of funny because it's your way of delaying doing the task.

You love the park and are definitely a dare devil. On this picture you are, at least six feet in the air and are contemplating whether you can jump or not. This is in stark contrast with Ariel who was always so careful to keep from falling or hurting herself.

You are very friendly and make friends everywhere we go. All it has to be is a little person around the same size as you and you will go up and grab their hand or say, "Hi". I love you so much my little toddler. I can't believe that it has been two years!

Sleepy Time

Jerry took these pictures of Cailin. He says she was up laughing, playing and making faces at him one minute. Then literally within the next few minutes she was asleep!

Jerry took this picture as well. I've been meaning to take pictures of her playing with them. I found this teapot set at IKEA and she loves it. She pretends to pour cofffee and tea. She will bring me a cup and ask would I like some coffee, tea or even soda. She also brings me a "snack" as well on the saucer. She asks would I like some cookies or potatoes. It's so cute and I have been noticing that she plays pretend more and more.

My Little 2 year old

You love being outside. It doesn't matter if it is 100 degrees or 40 degrees. You are always ready to go. You say so many words it hard to keep up, but you are definitely stringing 2 and 3 words together and well on your way to talking in complete sentences. You are well mannered saying "Bless you" when someone sneezes; "Thank you" when given what you ask for; and "Move" when someone is in your way, although when prompted you will say "Excuse me." Your favorite phrases by far are "Airplane gone" and "No way" when you don't want to do something.

Your favorite foods are still bananas and yogurt, but you have added one thanks to Ariel and that is chocolate chip waffles. You love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, avoiding the crust of the bread like the plague. You give it back to me and announce, "I don't want it."Ariel gives you 2 sometimes 3 waffles most mornings. You call every meat "Chicken." And if it has a sauce, you are guaranteed to double, triple, and quadriple dunk with every single bite. Or you just sometimes will eat the sauce. If it is ketchup then it is guaranteed to be gone before your french fries or chicken nuggets are eaten up, as you will just use your finger and eat all the ketchup.

You sometimes call your Dad "Jerry" and Mom "Keshia", especially when we are calling each other. You are tickled pink when you do it.

You love to take baths and showers and want to everytime someone goes in the bathroom. When any of us stand at the sink, you next phrase is always "brush teeth." You love to brush your teeth. I wonder will that always be?

You put on your shoes about a one thousand times a day. You still continue to put them on the right foot. You know to put them on when walking through the house, but take them off when in your room or jumping on the bed. You jump on your bed while singing "Jump, Jump, Jump!"
So far you are not that interested in using the potty. It is sitting in the hall and I put you on it frquently, but I don't push as this will just frustrate both of us. I always tell Ariel she was the experiment child to tell us what to do later. I definitely learned with Ariel that I should wait until she is ready before pushing it, because once she got it there was never any accidents. But up until that point it was pure frustration and a battle of wills. So I guess you will use the potty when you use the potty.

You sing your ABC's to the letter G. And count 1-2-3. YOU also sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"; "Mary had a little Lamb" and "I love you" by Barney. Not that we here all the words but we definitely can make out the melody.

Something funny that you do to Ariel, is when you here her sing you say, "Hush Arrow" hush Ariel. Although she doesn't think it is funny.

You are such a touchy feely toddler. When you are next to me (or anyone), you rub my leg and when I hold you, you rub my face or stick your hand under the arm of my shirt and rub my arms. You still sleep touching somebody and wake sometimes if they move, especially if it is close to morning. Although we are now able to place you in bed for your noon nap and you go to sleep just fine. Although Daddy tends to let you stay awake on the weekends while Momma is working until you pass out or are falling apart because you missed your noon nap and it is now 3pm.

You say "I love you" and it's the sweetest thing. Although recently when you are upset you grab on to my leg and are crying and repeating "I love you" over and over. This is a little concerning as I'm hoping you don't know what it means because I don't want to believe you think I don't love you when you are being naughty. I love you my little Cailin!

My Future Entomologist

She is such a bug person. She even picks them up! She absolutely tortures ants. She tries to pin them down while they are running around frantic trying to avoid her finger. Then she will squash them with her finger. I try to tell her that we don't kill bugs outside and that the outside is their home.

I have no idea what she is doing here, but this is the picture that I captured when she was done exploring.

My Precocious Little One (of course I may be biased)

Don't you just love this age and the innocence of it.

"What are you doing Cailin?"

"Everything I can think of Mom besides being still and letting you take my picture!"

The Wonders of Little Feet

We live in flight path, so daily airplanes fly over our house. At least 10 times a day, Cailin tells me "Airplane gone." As in the airplane has just flown over head. Although she sometimes tells me this when no airplane is seen or heard. Then I say, "Did you see the airplane?" She shrugs her shoulders and raises her hands and repeats, "Airplane gone."

She is such an inquisitive toddler. Everything is fare game to be played with and figure out. I put her on this rock to take her picture and she stood up and looked for airplanes and then she bent down to examine it. In the process, she discovered that in the crevices of the rock were collections of water from the earlier rain shower. So now her attention was again occupied.
Hats off to child photographers! That they photograph this age group all the time is simply amazing.

But I finally was able to get her to sit still and look at me. And you know what? I think this was the best picture of the day.

"YOU!"

Cailin will hold up that finger and then....

she points it at you and yells "YOU!" very accusingly. I have no idea what this means or why she does this. But it's funny, anyway!