54 months (plus 6 weeks) and 23 months

We celebrated Abigail's 4.5 birthday last week at school.  Technically, that occurred on February 10th, but we were in WDW and Abigail was not ready yet.  She finally expressed interest.  So I asked her teachers if we could celebrate on Friday March 20th.  Abigail wore a beautiful dress, I braided her hair and Daddy shined her shoes (her requests).  She brought her moving kitty cat toy for show and tell and she choose cake pops.  She loves the strawberry ones but asked that I also get chocolate for those who might not like strawberry.  She and John and I picked them up before school.  While we waited for the classroom to open, I noticed how she walked with poise and smiled and greeted her friends demurely -- the normal lunging hugs and falling twirls were gone.  (Note -- fancy dresses, shoes and braids are the way to go).  At lunch, John, Mama, and Daddy joined the whole class and she was wonderfully behaved, and ate her lunch, then helped me pass out cake pops.  Afterwards her friends sang silly Happy Birthday -  replacing every first letter with "D".  It truly was a sweet affair Matt and I were so thankful for sharing with her. 

Favorite activities - arts and crafts, trips to the zoo with John, earning good reports and money for her piggy bank by cleaning her room, practicing writing her name and helping out.  Favorite TV - Cloe's Closet, Blaze, Octonauts, Paw Patrol, and Jake and the Netherland pirates.  She really is not much for movies these days.   Favorite foods - strawberries, cheese, lemon bars, lunchables.  Great friends - Brooklyn, Bobby, Audrey, and Catherine. 

 

 John at 23 months has become a very independent toddler with a tremendous vocabulary.  This morning, at breakfast, Matt mentioned that he had eaten well.  John says, "Daddy, Jelly Beans please.  Go get them right now!"  We giggled -- not sure if it was the declarative sentence or his hilarious little cajun accent.  May I never forget that little voice saying "Orange juice." 

 

 Favorite toys - water hose, water bottle, vacuums, drill, and Daddy's toys.  Loves fluffy - monkey fluffy over lion fluffy.  Favorite foods - jelly beans, fruit chews, oranges, corn, Railhead turkey, donuts.  He is much more adventurous eater and he wants variety.  Enjoys music and little gym class where he is very polite and really participates in the group activities.  His favorite TV show is Little Einsteins -- Bad Knight, Blue Jet, and Jump for Joey.  He cheers on the bad guy like his Daddy (Darth Vater jammies). 

  

This positioning is common at our home.  Usually their heads are touching and they are both pushing forward.  Here they are exploring a few bulbs to water.  They are close friends and are always watching out for the other.  I often see John trying to make Abigail and I giggle during a sometimes tense morning routine.  And on weekend mornings, Abigail creates amazing play adventures for them to do, she and he team up in the afternoons to find snail shells, and she even builds him castles so he can knock them down!