The Kids in a Nutshell

I checked my blog today and found several new ones that my friends had written. I'm bewildered at why I seem to be the only person who can't seem to find the time to blog. We have several family members who live far away and check this blog regularly for updates about the kiddos and I'm doing a horrible job of keeping them informed. I think I'll blame said kiddos....well, not Andrew so much as the run-around-the-house-destroying-stuff toddler named Anna. Seriously, that girl can get into more things than I thought possible. We had it so easy during Andrew's toddler days. In a one hour span one night, she put her hand in the way while Andrew was pottying (I about had a heart-attack), which led to me bathing the kids and while Andrew was in the bathtub, Anna threw his PJs in with him. She then dumped the contents of my purse and her diaper bag (her favorite pastime) and then proceeded to put some of those contents in the trash. She makes me tired but I sure do love her.

She's about to be 18 months on the 14th....time is going by too quickly. Her vocabulary amazes me, but I know that's probably because Andrew was only saying 3 words at this stage. She does babble some still which is so cute but she has tons of words she says clearly. (Mama, Dada, Elmo, yamy (which is lamby, her lovey), night night, apple, open (which sounds somewhat like apple), eat, bye, side (which means outside), wee (swing), Andrew, Bubba (I'm trying to steer her away from this), go, corn, eat, juice, milk, cookie and the list really goes on and on but those are some of her favorites). Most recently she said "I love you"....she sort of breezes past the love part but that's definitely what she's saying. She likes to say it over and over to Andrew until he finally responds likewise. :) She is such a spirited little girl and I love that I get to be her mommy.

Andrew is growing up into a little man before my eyes. He started first grade this year and is doing pretty well. It's been an adjustment from kindergarten-toys and playtime replaced with desk time and homework. He's adjusting well and really seems to be learning tons. He does have a bad little habit that we're trying to kick. He's a doodler. All over his work pages, his homework and he even told me wrote in his book at school (he was quite remorseful for that one). His teacher assures me that she's testing him regularly and he's retaining all of the info he's supposed to be and that the doodling doesn't seem to be a problem yet. But I fear it could become one quickly. I asked him one day why he drew pictures all over his work and he said, "Drawing is so much more fun than working." :) I fear he may be a little bored, but I don't really know what to do about that. Right now math and reading seem to be what his teacher is focusing on and Andrew is anxious to learn science stuff. He tells us all the time that he's a science kid and it's so, so true. The kid knows more about dinosaurs and planets than I do. He told me one day that one of Saturn's moons was called Titan and I thought he heard that on a cartoon so I told him that I didn't think that was real. I was made to look a fool when he assured me it was and then proceeded to show me in this book we have on the planets. I won't question him again. :) He is such a sweet kid most of the time....I've never met a kid that loves people more than he does. He was right in this little neighborhood kids' face at church one day and when I asked him why, he said he was giving him a kiss. I told him that was nice but that we shouldn't touch people....especially on the face (I was immediately thinking of what illnesses he might have contracted). He responded, "But I love people, Mama." :) I just love that kid.


So there's a little look into the lives of Anna and Andrew these days. There are definitely trying times but more often than not I find myself thinking how truly blessed we are that God has entrusted us with them.