April Snapshot

Officially 4 for 1 whole month, here is the latest snapshot:

Ryan:

Biggest new accomplishment: Buttons.  He's obsessed with them.  Once he figured out the trick, he was ecstatic.  Where, formerly, he only wanted to wear clothing the sported pictures of his favorite car, now he begs for buttons.  Pajamas with buttons, shirts with buttons, coats with buttons - anything and everything to practice and perfect this new skill (note: Allie would like to do the same, but it turns out we have almost no clothing with buttons for her to use to practice).
Playing outside on a rare, sunny, "Spring" day.

Favorite Phrase: I've been waiting so long!  I've been waiting (insert number here) years!  I mentioned it with the drums, but he has suddenly started saying it about so many things - with a different number of years each time.  Almost always more years than he's been alive.  He got a helicopter toy from the dentist, "I've been waiting 6 years for one!"  He (finally) tried a few bites of a type of chicken that Lucas and I enjoy, "That's my favorite meal ever!  I've been waiting 30 years for you to make it!"  When a new episode of Dinosaur Train (we've now seen almost all of them) comes on, "This is my favorite episode!  I've been waiting 10 years for it!"  Clearly he had a lot of pre-birth aspirations.  It makes me think of this monologue :)

Former dislike turned love (or, at least, tolerable): Milk.  I attribute it to the first 2 years of their life being allergic to dairy products, but Ryan has never developed a taste for them.  He doesn't like cheese or yogurt or milk.  Honestly, ice cream is the only milk-based food he will eat.  He loves soymilk though.  I talked about it with his pediatrician, and she said to use whatever mean necessary (even resorting to chocolate milk) to get more dairy into his diet.  Not wanting to convert to chocolate milk (if I do it for one, the other will want it, and I didn't want to ruin her healthy love of regular milk), I just told him that if he wants to grow big and strong, he has to drink milk.  Now he requests it at least once a day.  He still has a lower than normal quota, but we're getting there.

Favorite pastime: Anything sport related.  If we are outside he wants to play baseball or "racquetball" (where he hits a plastic baseball with a tennis racket), or race.  If we are inside he wants to play basketball, golf, or throw the football.  He is constantly wanting to practice his aim, form, and accuracy.  He reminds me of a mini-Lucas.
They love racing.  Every race started like this (notice the hand holding)

And it's every man for himself!

Allie:

Biggest New Accomplishment: Drawing.  Every day, her drawings look more and more like what she tells us she is drawing.  Her favorite thing to draw lately has been dinosaurs, and we have been so impressed at the details she includes that make it easy for us to tell which dinosaur that she is drawing.  I'm keeping them and plan on making her own little dinosaur book.
This was before we decided it was too cold for just a fleece, and she is "cross-country skiing" with 2 bats...and no skis...

Favorite Phrase: Isn't that amazing?  Her enthusiasm and encouragement overwhelms me often.  I constantly overhear her showing things to Ryan or her "babies" and asking them, "Isn't that amazing?  It is.  It is so, so awesome."  I also often her her encourage others - Ryan, her "babies", and her friends, by saying things like, "You did it! Wasn't it amazing?  I knew you could do it!  Great job!"  It often cracks me up to hear her teaching, encouraging, and motivating others by using the same words, phrases, and intonation I use with her!  

Former dislike turned love (or at least tolerable): Being clean.  The girl loves to make messes.  The messier she can be, the more she loves it.  Sometimes, I'm happy to let her make messes to her heart's content.  Sometime, I encourage the messy play and all of the good things that go along (sensory stimulation, small and large motor development, etc.).  Sometimes, I just need her to stay clean (like when she's wearing nice clothes.  There are some things that even oxiclean can't get out, or get out well).  So we've been working on knowing when it is okay to be messy, and when you need to stay clean.  She doesn't like it, but she seems to at least be getting the point and understanding the importance.

Favorite Pastime: Anything artistic.  She loves creating.  All she needs is some paper and crayons to entertain her for an hour.  Add in some scissors and another medium, and we might not hear from her all afternoon!  She is constantly creating things - beautiful pictures, clothing (she'll get bits of yarn, and is convinced that, one of these times, she will be able to create a beautiful outfit), decorations.  You name it, she's probably tried to create it.  I'm looking forward to trying out some new painting techniques with her once it gets warmer.  She also loves making up her own songs and dances.  The girl is bursting with creativity to share, and I just know she is going to be an artist of some sort someday.
Going 'round the back.  By this point, someone has pulled into the lead...

...and the one behind starts to cry.

Other Random Snapshot Moments:

 - They had their second dentist trip this month.  Once again, they did great.  They absolutely love the dentist and get so excited about going!  I had my appointment later in the week, and they were so sad they couldn't go again with me.  The best part this time was that their appointment was the same day as the big NCAA championship game.  They both were sporting their Michigan gear.  As they were getting dressed they said, "We hope Dr. Ryan (their dentist) likes our shirts.  He loves Go Big Blue, you know."  Suddenly, I was worried he might actually be a State fan.  Not only did he immediately notice their clothing AND comment, but he was wearing his Michigan gear too because he went to school there!  As did our dental hygienist!  I knew we picked a good dentist!

- Their swim lessons have been getting more and more difficult.  Their teacher (who is incredible, by the way) has been challenging them to try doing more and more things on their own - front float, back float, and diving under the floaties (where he will catch them) instead of on top.  They aren't quite there, but each week they get closer.  And, again, their amazing teacher both challenges and encourages them with the best balance.  He has brought them so far so quickly.  I've been so impressed.
The last class of this past session, the teacher had them swim the length of the pool and back on their own (obviously, with the pool noodles under their arms).  They LOVED it.
(Note: Allie is the one with the blue noodles, slightly behind, at the beginning.  Ryan is the one with the yellow noodles, slightly in the lead, when I pan over).

- They are getting desperate to go to the beach.  They talk about it every day.  Even they are starting to feel desperate for warmer weather and summer days at our beach.
And every race ended like this...

It's hard to believe that almost a third of the year has already passed!  We're looking forward to the warmer weather that is coming...we hope.  Right now, I'm typing this during a downpour while we wait for the tornado watch we are in to pass...so we can go back to cold weather.  Sigh.