~ Reese still has 8 teeth only ... 7 of which came through in 5 or so weeks this summer. She's been teething hard these past 2 weeks, has the acidic poops, drooling, red cheeks, and the "I'll chew on anything" symptoms to prove it. Poor girl! Come on teeth, break through!!!!
~ Reese is very opinionated and it is quite hilarious to hear her voice her opinion!! If she has something and one of the kids try to take it away, she "chirps up" and runs away! I wish I knew what she was saying, but I have a pretty good idea ;) And her grip is like no other. Really, I can't believe how tight she can hang on to something?! Super grip strength!!!
~ Reese is still very, very cuddly. I love it :) She's cuddly to most everyone in her life, but most especially to Mom!! I think it's because she pretty much slept in my arms for her first 4 months!! I hope she doesn't lose that cuddliness :) She will randomly come up to me for a hug and then go off and play again, totally melts my heart. Her running hugs are great too!
~ Loves watching other kids! At the Y, I often see Reese walk up to other kids and watch them intently. Like she's observing what they're doing, but super close to them!! I think personal space is a lesson learned a little later in life ...
~ Loves dolls!! L-O-V-E-S ... way more then Emerson did at this young age, but that could be because Reese has been exposed to them since the day she was born?! She carries them around, hugs them, pats them, it's all very cute! I especially love when I witness her selecting which dolls she's going to play with - she often picks 2 dolls up, looks them both over carefully and puts one away!!
~ Last week Reese did the coolest thing - I put goldfish on the kids table for her and she went to the kids cupboard, picked out a bowl, brought it back to the little table and put all her goldfish in it. I was amazed!!! I think that is pretty darn smart for a 1 yr old ;)
~ Reese has mastered going backwards down the stairs!!! PHEW! We have a lot of stairs in our house and we use all the levels of our 4 level split, so it was a relief when we saw Reese turn around and go down the stairs safely. She has taken a few falls, but overall is very safe on her own. I can't wait until we no longer need any baby gates!! She's been going up stairs for months, but going down is a harder task to learn!
~ Where Reese gets her dance moves from, I do not know!!! I've been trying to capture her dancing on video for months, but have not been successful thus far :( Her hips can sure move though! Boy oh boy ... it is SO cute. I just wonder where she learned that?! I see belly dancing in her future ;) (not!)
~ Today Reese officially earned the title of "Monkey" ... she climbed on top of the coffee table and climbed on top of the kids table in the kitchen and was trying to climb onto the island. OMG! OUR kids don't do this ... I mean, Blake and Em didn't ... but apparently turkey-butt does!!!! What a goof, she is so stubborn and determined sometimes!!! REALLY determined, hope that serves her well as she gets older :)
Emerson:
~ Emerson is enjoying her new gymnastics class! She has the same Coach as last session and has mastered the forward roll :) We could have put Em in unparented lessons (the Coach from last session recommended it) but we couldn't find a time that worked for us. Next time!
~ We've pre-registered Emerson in a pre-Kindergarten program called 100 Voices. It is a new program in the Edmonton Catholic school district. My friend's son was in it this year and they loved it, so she recommended it for Emerson. And even better, it is the same hours as Blake's kindergarten, in the same school! I'm not entirely sure what the criteria is to be accepted, but they will be in touch with us in the spring.
~ On the way to gymnastics last week Emerson said, "I don't want to see those kids." I asked which kids and she said, "The kids in my gymnastics class." I asked why and she said, "I'm not very interested in boys." She paused for a moment and then said, "Well except for the boy at home." I asked if she was talking about Blake and she said she was!! She then went on to say she doesn't really like kids. And this would be why she needs to go to preschool next year ;) What a girl!!!
~ Em asks to put on a dress, pretty much every morning!!! So now I've convinced her to wear a cardigan and leggings or tights with her dresses ;) She also is usually wearing a tutu when we are at home! The instant she puts on one of her numerous tutu's, she starts prancing around and doing her "ballerina dance!!" It is very cute :)
~ I look at Emerson every day, multiple times through out the day and can't believe how beautiful she is. She's really grown into her looks and has such gorgeous eyes and smooth skin, it's hard not to tell her a thousand times in a day, "You're so beautiful Emerson." I do tell her sometimes, but really that is not the message I want to send our little girly girl! So instead, I take a line from The Help and twist it a bit ... I try to tell Em (and Reese too!), "You're such a nice girl Em (Reese)! You're so kind and smart! I love you!" But boy is it ever hard to not just look into their eyes and say, "You're so beautiful!" a trillion times a day :)
~ Emerson is so excited to start unparented swimming lessons ... she talks about them a lot and says, "Without you Dad! All by myself!" Hopefully she's as excited on Day 1 :) Definitely a change from when Blake started and we had to psyche him up for them!!! I guess it's different for her too, because she looks up to Blake and see's him in unparented lessons. We told her we're not going in the pool with her, but we're all coming to watch on the first day :) (not until March BTW)
Blake:
~ Blake is growing!!! And growing some more! That boy is so tall for his age! He had his preschool immunizations the first week of January and is in the 97th %tile for height and somewhere around the 90th for weight!
~ Every week Blake seems to skate faster and faster! And he's carrying the puck now too! He continues to have fun at hockey and skating lessons and swimming too :)
~ Blake came with me when I registered him for Kindergarten a couple of weeks ago. He was very quiet ... sat in the chair as I filled out the forms and asked questions ... walked along side me as we toured some of the school. Afterwards he didn't have much to say about the experience! Typical Blake - I have no worries about him in K next year! He'll do great I'm sure and I think it will be really great when in a few years he'll be speaking, reading and writing English and French! Oh, and he'll have a Christmas concert and be able to celebrate the reason for the season vs. a "Winter Celebration"
~ Blake loves his sisters ... love, love, love. SO cute and sweet. Until he and Em start fighting ;) Or until Reese wants nothing to do with the millionth hug of the day!!! Thankfully there's more loving then fighting going on and it melts my heart to see and hear them playing together so well. Blake often gives in to Em to keep the calm in the house but sometimes Em gives in too!! I love hearing, "Okay Em, we can do that!" or "Okay Blake, you can have it." So cute, so nice to love your siblings :) One of their favorite games to play is, "Going on vacation!" They pack their little cars, pack bags (teddies and blankies of course!) and go on vacation. Usually to Fort McMurray!!!
~ Blake is also LEGO crazed ... he reads his lego maps multiple times through out the day and dreams of all the LEGO he might one day have
~ Last week at preschool his buddy asked him over for lunch. Blake thought for a moment (there was a pause) and asked, "What are you having?" I found this very funny, because I know Blake wasn't going to agree to lunch if it wasn't something he wanted!!! (side note: neither had asked their mom's if they could have a lunch date!)
~ Blake makes up words and Em copies him (surprise, surprise!). His latest is moss-weigh-hey. Not sure on the spelling, but that is exactly what is sounds like. Now that I think about it they mostly say it when they are excited, i.e. when I tell them Dad is almost home, if I ask them if they want lunch, to go to a playgym, etc, etc. moss-weigh-hey everyone, to me it almost sounds like "peace out" or something kind of "chill" ?!?
~ Blake had an optometrist appointment at the beginning of the month and all is well. There was something small the Dr. mentioned to Cal, I can't recall what it was ATM but nothing to be concerned about yet, which is all that matters :)
There's a not so quick update on our hearts and souls :) Love these little ones like crazy, and crazy is sometimes where they take us ...
Cal and I are doing great as well!! Busy, busy! I started a new exercise class on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. I am LOVING it! It feels so good to get out and burn some calories and do so with a girlfriend :) And the instructor is beyond amazing ... checkout her website. I'm trying Hatha Yoga, should be interesting ... I seem to have lost some of my flexibility over the years!!! (some = pretty much all!)
Hope you are all well, not sure where the last 23 days have gone?! I can't believe I haven't blogged!
xo
~ Last week Reese did the coolest thing - I put goldfish on the kids table for her and she went to the kids cupboard, picked out a bowl, brought it back to the little table and put all her goldfish in it. I was amazed!!! I think that is pretty darn smart for a 1 yr old ;)
~ Reese has mastered going backwards down the stairs!!! PHEW! We have a lot of stairs in our house and we use all the levels of our 4 level split, so it was a relief when we saw Reese turn around and go down the stairs safely. She has taken a few falls, but overall is very safe on her own. I can't wait until we no longer need any baby gates!! She's been going up stairs for months, but going down is a harder task to learn!
~ Where Reese gets her dance moves from, I do not know!!! I've been trying to capture her dancing on video for months, but have not been successful thus far :( Her hips can sure move though! Boy oh boy ... it is SO cute. I just wonder where she learned that?! I see belly dancing in her future ;) (not!)
~ Today Reese officially earned the title of "Monkey" ... she climbed on top of the coffee table and climbed on top of the kids table in the kitchen and was trying to climb onto the island. OMG! OUR kids don't do this ... I mean, Blake and Em didn't ... but apparently turkey-butt does!!!! What a goof, she is so stubborn and determined sometimes!!! REALLY determined, hope that serves her well as she gets older :)
Emerson:
~ Emerson is enjoying her new gymnastics class! She has the same Coach as last session and has mastered the forward roll :) We could have put Em in unparented lessons (the Coach from last session recommended it) but we couldn't find a time that worked for us. Next time!
~ We've pre-registered Emerson in a pre-Kindergarten program called 100 Voices. It is a new program in the Edmonton Catholic school district. My friend's son was in it this year and they loved it, so she recommended it for Emerson. And even better, it is the same hours as Blake's kindergarten, in the same school! I'm not entirely sure what the criteria is to be accepted, but they will be in touch with us in the spring.
~ On the way to gymnastics last week Emerson said, "I don't want to see those kids." I asked which kids and she said, "The kids in my gymnastics class." I asked why and she said, "I'm not very interested in boys." She paused for a moment and then said, "Well except for the boy at home." I asked if she was talking about Blake and she said she was!! She then went on to say she doesn't really like kids. And this would be why she needs to go to preschool next year ;) What a girl!!!
~ Em asks to put on a dress, pretty much every morning!!! So now I've convinced her to wear a cardigan and leggings or tights with her dresses ;) She also is usually wearing a tutu when we are at home! The instant she puts on one of her numerous tutu's, she starts prancing around and doing her "ballerina dance!!" It is very cute :)
~ I look at Emerson every day, multiple times through out the day and can't believe how beautiful she is. She's really grown into her looks and has such gorgeous eyes and smooth skin, it's hard not to tell her a thousand times in a day, "You're so beautiful Emerson." I do tell her sometimes, but really that is not the message I want to send our little girly girl! So instead, I take a line from The Help and twist it a bit ... I try to tell Em (and Reese too!), "You're such a nice girl Em (Reese)! You're so kind and smart! I love you!" But boy is it ever hard to not just look into their eyes and say, "You're so beautiful!" a trillion times a day :)
~ Emerson is so excited to start unparented swimming lessons ... she talks about them a lot and says, "Without you Dad! All by myself!" Hopefully she's as excited on Day 1 :) Definitely a change from when Blake started and we had to psyche him up for them!!! I guess it's different for her too, because she looks up to Blake and see's him in unparented lessons. We told her we're not going in the pool with her, but we're all coming to watch on the first day :) (not until March BTW)
Blake:
~ Blake is growing!!! And growing some more! That boy is so tall for his age! He had his preschool immunizations the first week of January and is in the 97th %tile for height and somewhere around the 90th for weight!
~ Every week Blake seems to skate faster and faster! And he's carrying the puck now too! He continues to have fun at hockey and skating lessons and swimming too :)
~ Blake came with me when I registered him for Kindergarten a couple of weeks ago. He was very quiet ... sat in the chair as I filled out the forms and asked questions ... walked along side me as we toured some of the school. Afterwards he didn't have much to say about the experience! Typical Blake - I have no worries about him in K next year! He'll do great I'm sure and I think it will be really great when in a few years he'll be speaking, reading and writing English and French! Oh, and he'll have a Christmas concert and be able to celebrate the reason for the season vs. a "Winter Celebration"
~ Blake loves his sisters ... love, love, love. SO cute and sweet. Until he and Em start fighting ;) Or until Reese wants nothing to do with the millionth hug of the day!!! Thankfully there's more loving then fighting going on and it melts my heart to see and hear them playing together so well. Blake often gives in to Em to keep the calm in the house but sometimes Em gives in too!! I love hearing, "Okay Em, we can do that!" or "Okay Blake, you can have it." So cute, so nice to love your siblings :) One of their favorite games to play is, "Going on vacation!" They pack their little cars, pack bags (teddies and blankies of course!) and go on vacation. Usually to Fort McMurray!!!
~ Blake is also LEGO crazed ... he reads his lego maps multiple times through out the day and dreams of all the LEGO he might one day have
~ Last week at preschool his buddy asked him over for lunch. Blake thought for a moment (there was a pause) and asked, "What are you having?" I found this very funny, because I know Blake wasn't going to agree to lunch if it wasn't something he wanted!!! (side note: neither had asked their mom's if they could have a lunch date!)
~ Blake makes up words and Em copies him (surprise, surprise!). His latest is moss-weigh-hey. Not sure on the spelling, but that is exactly what is sounds like. Now that I think about it they mostly say it when they are excited, i.e. when I tell them Dad is almost home, if I ask them if they want lunch, to go to a playgym, etc, etc. moss-weigh-hey everyone, to me it almost sounds like "peace out" or something kind of "chill" ?!?
~ Blake had an optometrist appointment at the beginning of the month and all is well. There was something small the Dr. mentioned to Cal, I can't recall what it was ATM but nothing to be concerned about yet, which is all that matters :)
There's a not so quick update on our hearts and souls :) Love these little ones like crazy, and crazy is sometimes where they take us ...
Cal and I are doing great as well!! Busy, busy! I started a new exercise class on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. I am LOVING it! It feels so good to get out and burn some calories and do so with a girlfriend :) And the instructor is beyond amazing ... checkout her website. I'm trying Hatha Yoga, should be interesting ... I seem to have lost some of my flexibility over the years!!! (some = pretty much all!)
Hope you are all well, not sure where the last 23 days have gone?! I can't believe I haven't blogged!
xo
