Rory- 22 Months

Oh Rory Jane. Here we go again

- Your newest cute phrase is "Thank you much", its pretty much the most adorable thing.

- You have a growing love for kitties, you point them out everywhere and will "meow" for forever after you see one.

- You are very independent and you love to play by yourself and read by yourself. You are very direct and will tell someone no or mine or to move if they are too close to you or want to play with what you are playing with. You will also read out-loud to yourself like you know just how the story goes and what every word is, you even use the same inflections at times.

- You are a screamer that we are trying to tame, wooooo it's loud at times

- You are starting to speak in full sentences and have full thoughts and carry on conversations. We can ask you more complicated questions and you answer with more than yes and no.

- I love that you say "hold you" when you want me to carry you down the stairs

Rory- 21 Months

Life with you has been SILLY lately. We had a pretty eventful month and you have just sort of rolled with whatever we were doing.

- You still love your "sassies" (paci)

- We switched your crib to a toddler bed this week. Not sure if we are crazy or if this will help us with traveling. Hoping the latter. So far you have done pretty well with it. We tried giving you a pillow but you weren't sleeping well with it so I took it out of your bed and you have been sleeping great, like before the transition. we will see.

- Your sister had a week of camp this month and you definitely noticed she was gone, and asked for her when you would wake up from your naps. I wonder how you will do when she is gone for a whole week next week.

- You copy EVERYTHING Caroline does. I was laughing just watching you follow all the things she was doing at the Splashpad. Now, if she gives us a kiss, you give us a kiss, if she throws something, so will you, if she has a toy you want it (not in a selfish way just in a want to play way) etc.

-You discovered the big kid swings at cousin camp. You just wanted to sit and swing all of the time. You are growing up way too fast.

- "Camp" was fun for you, you really liked going to see and feed the chickens, you even got to pet one. I think you will be pretty disappointed next time we go to Grandmas and her chickens won't stop long enough for you to get close. You were also the smart one of the group. You went and gathered all of your new favorite toys and just found a quiet spot to sit and play and be away from the rest of the crazies. I think you could have stayed there several more days and been perfectly content to just sit and watch everyone.

- You will say "Lexa" (alexa) when you want to hear music and when we ask you what song you will say "bus" (wheels on the bus) or "Me" (me by taylor swift) or "hop" (rockin' robin) or "La La Lu" for your lullaby.

- You are starting to really like dress up which is fun, and you tend to gravitate toward the Minnie Mouse costume or this rainbow tutu that is part of a Princess Poppy costume. It's fun to watch you really try and decide what to wear. You also prefer the blue Cinderella dress up shoes to any of the other pairs.

-We took you to your first Astros game this month. I was skeptical as to how you would do but you were great! You loved to clap and cheer for the home runs and you liked walking around the concourse. You were a trooper after too while we waited for Caroline to run the bases.

- You ask for us to put your hair in pigtails now, it is definitely your signature style.

Rory- 20 Months

Another Month has come and gone and I am finding it harder to think of things to write so quickly. I cannot believe we only have one week left of June, we have been busy. Here are somethings that I want to remember from this month with Rory.

- You were starting to climb out of your crib so we took the metal mattress support out of you bed so now your mattress is on the floor with your crib surrounding it. It seems to be working so far and we hope it will for a few more months...or maybe years ;-). You are taking a long nap in the afternoon now so I don't want to mess your schedule up just yet, trying to move you into a toddler bed like you sister did at this age. It was an easy transition with her but now that we are in a two story I am not ready for you to wander the house and try and navigate the stairs in the middle of the night yet.

- This last month was a lot of end of the school year things for your sister. You now have playmate for the whole day every day ha, we will see which one of you calls Mercy first.

- We took your second trip to the Frio River this month and a good time was had by all. You especially enjoyed this year's trip and I cannot wait to take you back next year! We figured we would be chasing you all up and down and around the place and made sure you had a life jacket on because we figured you would just take off. But Concan worked it's magic on you and you were so happy, content and relaxed. You loved to just hang out on the shore and watch everyone do there thing. You liked taking little float runs with Mommy and even just hang out floating around in a tube where we were all sitting. Daddy would take you out into the water to float and you loved just standing facing up river feeling the current around you. River Girl after my own heart!

- You are talking and singing so much now, you will say anything we say. New words that have changed...I am now Mommy and Daddy is now Daddy (most of the time) I was really hoping the mamas and dadas would last longer.  You used to call your paci a paci but now its "sassy"
You also love to sing and dance, you will follow directions like if the song says to clap or twist etc.

- You like the song Apples and Bananas right now and think its funny.

-You have started saying prayers with us and trying to make the sign of the cross. You will babble throughout our prayers like you are trying to say them to and you always end with an "Amen" and clap your hands together.

-If it's ever just me and you in the car you will have conversations with yourself that you have had with Caroline before, complete with giggling in the right spots. You are really noticing when she is not around now, and you ask about her.

Rory- 19 Months

Things to Remember:

- One of my favorite things you do right now is say "Umm" When we ask you to decide between two things or to pick something out (toys/food/clothes) you always say "Ummmmmm" like you are really thinking through your choice. It's the cutest thing.

-You have discovered chalk and like to draw with Sissy and sit on your creations.

-You love to take baths. You will say buh buh bubbles when you want a bath. You also like to roll around in the tub and float on your back. You look like an alligator in a death roll spin sometimes.

- You have been super cuddly lately. And have been taking turns sharing your cuddles with everyone.

- When I tell you we need to change your diaper you will go ahead lay down for me, and you will say "stinky- stinky"

-One of your favorite books is The Pout Pout Fish and when we get to the part where he realizes he is a Kiss Kiss Fish you turn around and give me a kiss, every time. I love it.

-You are starting to sing a few songs from the radio like Thy Will Be Done "be done" but also like Old MacDonald and Wheels on the Bus "All Through the Town"

- We went for snocones the other day and you took two bites, you were NOT interested. You still would prefer something savory or salty to sweet. You made us laugh when you loved some jerky Papaw bought and some cold cuts Daddy was eating.

-You are definitely just along for the ride these days taking Caroline to all of her activities. You take it in stride for the most part but sometimes you are ready to be out of the car, and I don't blame you one bit!

- You went flower picking for part of my Mother's Day present. It was so sweet of you and Caroline to hand pick some flowers for my bouquet. I think we will have to make this an annual tradition but I might have to join yall next year!

- We took you to your first Aggie Baseball Game this month. You enjoyed the popcorn but that's about it haha. We were in the general admission lawn section and you cannot be contained. It was also hot so we spent the three innings we stayed there walking all over the shaded part of the stadium. You learned to say Aggies, Gig'em and Howdy so all in all a successful trip. While we were there we drove out to George Bush Library to show you and Caroline where Daddy and Mommy got enjoyed. You liked seeing all of the pretty flowers.

Caroline's 5 1/2 Interview

Rory has taken over this monthly recap blog but it's Caroline's time to get a little attention. Every six months I try and remember to interview her just so I can remember how much changes from year to year. Some of the things she said surprised me, so I might have some notes so I can remember the actual true answers haha.

What is your name: Caroline

How old are you: five and a half

Favorite Color: Pink and Purple

Favorite Animal: Horses
          follow up question, not unicorns?: no mommy, unicorns aren't real

Best Friend: Elisa (she has also been loving Madeline, Ava, Jack and Mikey from her class, we have been getting together every Wednesday after school for a park playdate.)

Favorite Food: Pizza

Favorite Drink: Chocolate Milk

Favorite thing to do Outside: go swimming and um kicking my ball. (I am surprised she didn't say tball or the splashpad. She hasn't been swimming very often and not since last summer)

Favorite Toy: My Super Girl Doll

Favorite Move: Trolls

Favorite TV Show: Vamperina (she hasn't watched this in months she usually asks to watch Pinkalicious)

Favorite Song: Pocahontas Songs (she usually asks for Alexa to play her Disney Music or Whatever it takes by Imagine Dragons haha)

Favorite Book: Charlotte's Web (she likes the movie, but we haven't finished reading the book. She has been asking me to read Ada Twist Scientist, Rosie Revere Engineer and Iggy Peck Architect more often.)

What are you scared of: Thunder (she should have said getting her teeth pulled, there was some major drama there)

Where is your favorite place to go: The Cheesecake Factory (can't say I blame her but she loves to go to Target haha)

What do you want to be when you grow up: Saint Elizabeth (cue the proud tears)

What do you like to do with Daddy: Play Zingo and go with him to get breakfast

What do you like to do with Mommy: Go to Target

What do you like to do with Rory: Play

What are you looking forward to most about Summer: Sea Camp

What is your favorite thing to do at school: Centers

What are you looking forward to most about Kindergarten: Meeting my new friends

Is there anything else you would like to say? No (ha)

Quick Update:
Caroline is finishing up preschool and could not be more excited about starting Kindergarten. I can't believe this is our last summer to really live it up before the educational system takes her every day. Sigh. She was a little nervous when we went up to her elementary school to register her, but I think she is going to have a great time.

She is really enjoying T-Ball this spring, Mikey and Ava from her preschool class are on the team and Ben is assistant coaching. She really enjoys having people she knows participating with her. She throws really well and would make a good first baseman in my opinion.

She is also still involved in gymnastics. We switched gyms last fall to one that is closer to our new house and she has loved her Coach, Sarah. She just moved up this week to the kindergarten group instead of preschool and I think she feels like such a grown up kid being in a different part of the gym with a new coach. They had a showcase this spring where she got to show off her skills. Parents were allowed on the floor to take pictures and she was really excited about Ben being able to be there to watch her.

Caroline has now lost a total of four teeth, and these last two were more dramatic than the first. She did NOT want us to pull them but they were just so ready to come out we did. We had to go get an ice cream treat after that last one, but now that they are gone and not bothering her anymore she is so proud of being toothless.

This summer we are looking forward to a lot of fun things. Our first big trip will be to the river where I know she will have the best time with her cousins that we don't get to see as much anymore. Followed by Vacation Bible School, Gymnastics Camp, Cousin Camp (which will hopefully become a fun new tradition) and Nan Camp (which is a week by herself with my parents, which she has been talking about doing again since last summer.  The days in between I forsee being spend at various parks around the neighborhood and of course at the splashpad and pool. It should be a great summer.