I want to be able to remember what my kids are like
right now. We are in the last days of being
two. Another year has zoomed by, so I want to be sure that I can remember (or look back and read) about what my kids were like at this age. So this is a "what they are up to" post:
Phillip Rush: Age 2
Personality and playtime:
Rush has the sweetest heart and personality. He is easy-going unless you try to mess around with his cars. Then, he is considerably less friendly. He tells us he loves us all the time. He can be a little bit of a brown-noser. If his sister gets in trouble, he likes to point out to us all of the good things that he is doing and how he isn't doing any bad things.
For example, "Teeta not being sweet. I being sweet, Mama. I sweet and I don't make you sad. Like Teeta do. I not saying sassy words like Teeta. I wuv you, Moooom." With that being said, he loves his sister very much, and he still calls her
Teeta. His favorite toys are his cars and trucks. He likes anything related to cars and trucks. He also loves Buzz Lightyear and specifically asked for a "big Buzz" for his birthday. (He is getting one.) Rush is content to sit and play by himself, and I think he would prefer to do this most of the time. (He doesn't get a chance to do that very much because his
Teeta has a different idea of how they should spend their time.) He really likes to watch TV, and he would really probably watch it all day if we would put on the movies that he likes. His current favorite shows are:
The Backyardigans and
Wow, Wow Wubbzy. His best buddy at daycare is J.R.
Learning:
Rush is a fast learner, and he has a great memory. I am sometimes surprised at how much he can remember. He does not like to "impress" us with how much he knows. If we try to get him to tell us what he has learned at daycare, he will often say, "I don't know." If you can get him to interact with you so that he doesn't feel like he is being quizzed, he will talk and tell you about what he is learning. He knows his colors and can count (although he usually won't). His favorite color is green. He knows some letters of the alphabet by sight. We use letters in the bathtub at night to talk about letters. Sue Sue also uses the "Letter People" curriculum with them at daycare. If you name a letter, he can usually tell you someone's name from his family that starts with that letter. Rush enjoys listening to someone read to him. His favorite books are about Curious George... especially "Curious George and the Dump Truck." (Pronounced
dunk trunk by Rush...)
P.S. Rush is completely potty-trained for both day and night. We are working on being more independent when he goes now. He still needs help getting his clothes pulled back into place after he gets finished.
Eating and sleeping:
He can be a really picky eater. If you fix something he likes, he will eat an adult-sized portion and then some, but if he doesn't like what we are having, he just won't eat it. I will admit that we have resorted to bribing him with yogurt and cookies at the end of his meals if he will eat. I don't care, and I don't feel bad. I just want him to eat. :-) His favorite foods are pancakes, bread, and well... that's about it. He will eat other things like grilled cheese, muffins, mac and cheese, PB and J, chicken nuggets, french fries, etc., but he doesn't feel strongly about any of them. He basically wouldn't choose any vegetable to eat. He will eat green beans, English peas, and corn, but not without some coaxing. He LOVES fruit and will eat almost any fruit. He will eat apples, pineapple, peaches, oranges, bananas, strawberries, and pears. He has been very proud of himself for the last few nights for drinking his milk out of a big boy cup (not a sippy). He still drinks whole milk. He is a good sleeper at night. He just wakes up too early. If he could sleep until 7:00 am or so on the weekends, I would be a happy camper.
Speech:
Rush actually talks a lot, but he can be difficult to understand sometimes if you don't know him well. I sometimes have trouble understanding him. He says a "w" sound for all "l's". So,
light becomes wight..
love becomes wuv, etc. He never makes an "l" sound, and I don't know if that is normal or not for his age. I plan to talk about his speech with the doctor at his next checkup, but I think it is probably fine. At this age, I think there is a wide range of what is acceptable, but the main reasons to worry are related to volume of speech. There doesn't seem to be a problem with that. He does talk less than his sister, but if you know them at all, this is not surprising. You would have to do a hard day's work to fit in more words than Frannie. :-)
I love my sweet little man more than I can say. He has the best smile (and knows how to use it!). I am looking forward to seeing what the years hold for him. I know it will be something great!
Sydney Frances: Age 2
Personality and Playtime:
Syd has such a cute personality! She loves to GRIN at you! She is very talkative around people that she knows well. Around new people, it often takes her a while to warm up. She needs to check everything out before she give you the OK. Once she is comfortable, though, you better watch out! She can talk on the phone like a teenager! She love Rush very much and is probably best described as "bossy". She loves to tell him what to do and "who" he will be when they are playing. I sometimes have to intervene and tell her to reverse the roles to let Rush be in charge for a little while. She loves her family and talks about all of her family members a lot. Where Rush is content to be alone, she usually likes to have someone with her. She is a snuggle bug and wants others to sit with her or play with her. She likes to play with her stroller and dolls. She isn't drawn to one particular type of toy, although her favorites seem to be whatever Rush wants to play with at the moment. :-) She really wants to interact with others more than spending time playing with toys. She loves playing with her friends at daycare. The two friends she talks about most are Bailey and Mary Cara. She will often sit on a bar stool and watch me cook supper (and ask questions!!!!) rather than playing or watching TV like Rush usually does. She does really love to watch
Max and Ruby when she watches TV, though! Sydney Frances is my child that can really push my buttons. She can be very dramatic and will have a "hissy-fit" before you can blink. We work really hard with her on trying to learn how to get what she wants without having to be so dramatic. I think it is just part of her personality, though. She is very SPUNKY! (I'm sure my mother is secretly laughing behind my back because I have a dramatic child. I have know idea where she might get this trait...)
Learning:
SF loves to learn something new! She is constantly saying nursery rhymes and telling me things she knows. She is happy to share everything new that she learns at her daycare. She also gives me a play by play of everything that happened during the day. This is how I know she has a good memory. She doesn't leave out much. She loves to sing songs. She can count, knows some of her letters, and always tries to "write her name". I could be wrong, but my teacher's heart tells me she will love school. :-)SF loves to listen to books, and she has several of them memorized (
Goodnight Moon, Pajama Time, and
What Sisters Do Best).
Eating and sleeping:
She is a picky eater, too, but she will try new things. She loves milk, chicken nuggets, and ranch dressing. :-) Sleeping has been an issue for her the last few weeks. She has decided she is afraid of the dark and wants to have the light left on at night. She also wakes at the crack of dawn. My niece, Kate, sleeps SO late. I wish she could teach the twins a lesson on letting Mama rest a little.
Speech:
On target and full speed ahead... :-)
These two stinkers wear me out, and sometimes I feel like I will never feel fully rested again. So even though I am (literally) by myself for about 1.5 minutes total every day, really and truly, I wouldn't change a thing. I waited a long time to do this Mama gig, and it is everything I hoped it would be. I've got two incredible children! I love them to pieces!!
P.S. I have got to get going! I have no business on the computer tonight! We have a party tomorrow and my house is still a wreck! It's gonna be a long night! Party pictures coming soon!
