Update on the kiddos

I should be keeping better track of the things the kids are saying and doing and what an incredible experience being a parent to them is. They change and grow really fast. It feels like we're just getting used to one stage when another is already upon us. It's such a whirlwind experience. Here's an update:

Atticus is a few months past three years old. He will gladly announce this to you at random times: "I'm three now!" He knows his birthday, his parents' names, the alphabet and sounds, counting and some numbers, and bits and pieces of his favorite poems and books. He really loves reading and has a long attention span for stories. He's good at puzzles and loves to play games too. He is very imaginative and sometimes seems to live in a few different alternate realities. We catch him talking to himself in play and creating elaborate characters and scenes. There's often some dose of real life in there too--like when he takes his rocket ship to Costco. He loves playing with other children, big and small. He usually follows other kids around and exactly mimics their behavior and language, which can drive me crazy. He is generally good at sharing and taking turns, but has been known to swipe a toy or two from Violet. She is very good-natured about this. Atticus is mostly sweet to her and adores her, so maybe that's why. I doubt her patience will last forever though. Atticus's other favorite things are probably his bike and the chickens. He is in a stubborn phase (please tell me it's a phase) and also prefers to do the opposite of what we suggest. Some things are always a battle and we trying our hardest to parent with "Love and Logic" and whatever other strategies we find in the stack of books on my nightstand. He isn't aggressive or manipulative, and he wants to be helpful and involved. For that, we are grateful. He's just fiercely independent. Atty is really affectionate and loving. He looks up to the Cub Scouts and loves going to their activities. He also loves the outdoors. He's a pretty good hiker and thinks playing in water, throwing rocks, and roasting marshmallows are the best possible pastimes. He is a handsome brown-eyed boy with long eyelashes and much lighter brown hair than when he was a baby.

Violet will be two this summer. She is growing taller and thinning out. She really looks like a big girl now. She gets comments on her pretty red hair all the time. It's certainly her most notable feature, though I just love her hazel eyes too. She is really good at entertaining herself and plays by herself much more readily than her older brother ever did. Violet likes to tinker with things and try them out in different ways. She is actually pretty creative. She loves reading stories, but she has a much shorter attention span for it than Atticus did at her age. Still, Violet's memorized bits of her favorite stories too and is adorable when she fills in the words for us when we read to her. Most of the time she's a mover and a shaker. She gets into everything, tries new things pretty readily, and is a little too fearless. She likes to organize things too. She likes to have things in their places (most of the time) and enjoys creating patterns and piles and stacks. She's an extroverted little girl--very social and friendly in most settings. She loves to be tickled by her daddy and has the best giggle ever. It just melts my heart. She's learning more words all the time and is very talkative now. Most of what she says is not recognizable words, but she is quite the conversationalist. She knows lots of animal names and sounds and probably 100-200 other words. They get mixed in with the gibberish. She loves babies and will no doubt dote on her new little brother when he arrives.

They keep us busy and happy and we are grateful to have them.