Colby 4 years and Maci 19 months - Nov. 6, 2012

My kids are getting big.  Time to take pictures!

These were taken at the old barn on our dairy.  Worked out well!

 

 Colby Sutton - 4 years old

 You got to read about his point of view in his 4 year old interview post, but here's my take on my handsome boy...

STATS: 41.25" tall and 43.5 lbs.

Super Mario - obsessed.  We have to limit his time on the video games or he literally would play 24-7.  He wakes up in the morning and tells me that he was dreaming about super mario.  When he decides to make up his own bedtime stories, they are about a little boy named Mario and his friend Luigi.  Oh dear.  I try everything to distract him from it - he still is obsessed.

Preschool - likes, not loves.  At first he loved it.  I think now the new-ness is wearing off.  He likes to go, but there have been a few mornings in tears that he didn't want to go to school.  When I pick him up he always says that he had a fun day, that they learned about Jesus and that they played outside.  That's all I get.  No specifics on what crafts, books, songs, games, nothing.  I try to pry information out of him, but mostly he'll just make up something to please me that I find later did not actually happen.  From what I hear this is pretty typical of boys.  They aren't into the story-telling and details.  His teacher, Miss Kellie says he is great in class and I get lots of cute crafts sent home, so I know he's doing something!

Sleeps - like a rock at night-time.  In bed around 8:30-9:00 and up at about 7:00. Once his official birthday hit (11-15) his 4 beloved blankies were banned to his bed only.  No taking them around the house, no taking them in the car, etc.  He has coped very well with the new change, something I didn't expect.  He still naps about 75% of the time, if I lay with him to get him to go to sleep.  Oh boy does he need the nap!  Our bedtime routine: brush teeth, good night Daddy, read a story, say a prayer, hug and kiss, and "Mommy, if I get scared in the middle of the night or in the morning can I come and lay with you?  And mommy, after you're done putting Maci nigh-nigh can you come check on me?  And when you're done with your work will you come and lay with me?  And in the morning can you get me some chocolate milk?"  Every night it is the same exact script.  Then he's asleep.  I never have to lay with him at night to get him to go to sleep.

Eats - fairly well.  He's not much of a snacker.  He likes to eat his three meals and he's good.  Don't try to feed him right when he wakes up though - it takes him a good 20-30 minutes if not an hour before he wants to eat anything.  Makes it tough for those school mornings when we need to be out the door by 7:35.  He will eat vegetables at dinner because I make him, not by choice.  His favorite is broccoli - cooked, NOT raw.  His favorite meal is a hamburger and french fries or tater tots.  So healthy!  He loves getting donuts on Daddy's days off and always picks chocolate with sprinkles.

In general, Colby is a pretty helpful kiddo.  He is always willing to do "jobs" for Mommy.  Sometimes it takes him quite a while to finish them, but he's always working on it.  I have him help with the laundry, feeding dogs, cleaning up toys, dusting, dishes, etc.  I appreciate his help and doing the work helps him earn some Mario time or helps him get away with not taking a nap.

He loves to play in the backyard.  He'll stay out there for hours if I let him, digging in the sandbox, climbing up the treehouse, finding sticks and rocks, and bossing the dogs around.

We love our Colby Sutton.  It is becoming more and more real to me that he will not stay little for very long.

 

Maci Kay - 19 months

 STATS: 32.25" tall and 25 lbs.

Oh, Maci girl.

Wild Child - she is into everything.  If I let her go un-interrupted, everything will be out and on the floor.  My purse, the baking drawer in the kitchen, the learning drawer in the office, the coloring crayons, the bathroom cabinets, everything.  She also climbs, so anything on the tables is not safe! 

Little Sister - She thinks that she is big like her brother and copies everything he does.  If she's not copying him, she's bossing him around.  They are finally starting to play together now.  Colby will say, "Maci, lets go play in my room" and she follows excitedly behind him, willing to get into any sort of toy he will share.  They make a huge mess, but it's almost always worth the happy moments of fun play and not getting into all of my things :)

Loud - This girlie is slow to warm up if she's around people she doesn't know, but once that shell comes off, she cranks up the volume!  She loves to laugh loud, cry loud, shout loud, scream loud, sing loud, you name it. 

Performer - no, not for a crowd, but she's got it in there somewhere.  She goes around pretending to be a little Mommy.  Carrying bags around as purses, talking on whatever phone (real, not real, or random object) she can find and waving bye as she pretends to rush out the door on important errands.  She loves to sing songs.  Currently it's Happy Birthday, Choose the Right, Away In A Manger, and the ABC song.  Really anything she can catch the tune of gets repeated immediately.  And there's usually dancing to go along with it.  The booty shake is her favorite move.  Whenever she discovers she can do something that will get any sort of reaction out of whoever is watching, it's "Mommy, a me!" (translation, "watch me!") over and over and over again.

Coloring is one of her favorite pass-times.  She will sit with crayons and paper for an hour just as happy as can be.  I just have to watch that the crayons don't end up coloring on other things in the house - like the furniture, walls, or floor!

Maci loves to go outside as well, just not without Mommy being there too.  I've tried to let her play in the backyard with Colby as I watch out the office window from the computer.  NO WAY!  She doesn't feel confident enough to do that yet.

Her language skills are improving.  She tries to repeat anything you tell her.  I can understand about 75% of what she says, but I'm with her all day long.  Most of her words are pretty recognizable and she is starting to put them together into sentences.  "Momma hol da bebe" (Momma hold the baby) came out of her mouth just the other day.  Common phrases for her: "Mo bites," "Tank oo," and "Bubba owie" (which means that bubba may or may not have given her an owie that she wants sympathy for).

Can't wait to see all of the learning that the next few months brings.  This age is my absolute favorite!

 

Oh, children, please freeze.