My sweet Preston is also growing so fast. He has always been quite a handful, but he's also so much fun. He litters cars and airplanes all around the house and stacks them in different formations and shapes. He loves playing "monster trucks" and making jumps out of whatever he can scrounge up (empty boxes, magazines, cooking utensils...) He loves blue and thinks that everything blue in the house belongs to him (which drives Adelyn crazy).
Speaking of Adelyn, she and Preston are the best of friends (and they of course fight like cats and dogs too). But he just adores her. He always wants her to kiss him when she leaves for preschool and is just brokenhearted if she ever forgets. They play everything together from cars to Barbie's and of course love to just hang out on the couch too (see below). They make forts and secret hide-outs, conspire to get out-of-reach treats and forgotten toys put in time-out, help me cook (whether I want their help or not), and make up all sorts of games. It's pretty hilarious to listen to them playing.
Preston is very head strong and opinionated and begs to go to the park everyday, even in the middle of a snow storm. He loves to hear imagination stories and enjoys telling his own: "Once upon a time there was a car and a dinosaur. The end." He has an EXTREMELY hard time sitting still and doesn't have a clue how to whisper, but he loves church, especially "nursery time."
Oh, and he loves pajamas. He's going through the "I-want-to-wear-my-Cars- (Spiderman, dinosaurs, spaceships, or dogs) pajamas-all-day-long" phase. Gosh, maybe the kid has too many pajamas and that's the problem? Anyway, he also enjoys being naked, so getting dressed has become quite an affair lately. But he is doing great with the potty, although he still prefers his little potty to the normal one (which I suppose is fine for now since I'm not prepared to teach him how to pee standing up yet).
Ryan is Preston's biggest hero. He wants to do everything he does, including shoveling the walks (even with a garden shovel). He is seriously like a miniature Ryan. They have so much fun wrestling and playing around. Ryan can get him to laugh like no one else can. Anyway, I love this little guy.
Adelyn started taking ballet at the beginning of this year and she thinks it's the best thing in the world. She has the most amazing teacher ever who has such a creative way of teaching children. They use all the real French words (so of course Ryan approves), and you can often hear her practicing around the house: "Sauté, échappé, sauté!" It's pretty amazing.
She wants to take ballet until she becomes a "princess ballerina" like the ones she sees on the ballet posters (in costume and on pointe). But she also really wants to take gymnastics and play soccer, so we'll see.
Adelyn is never happier than when she is making cookies (I think she got her sweet tooth from me). And she really does love to help me around the house. While Preston sleeps, we have worked out a little system for having fun while still being productive. We do a chore together and then play a game or read a story together, then do another chore and play another game, etc. She has become quite handy at putting away the dishes, folding the laundry, and cleaning bathrooms. It's nice to have a little cleaning companion.
Adelyn also loves to play on the computer and always wants to print out a craft to color and cut out. She has redecorated my house with the craft assortment she has taped all over the walls. She is really enjoying preschool and is getting much more comfortable with reading and writing. Yesterday she drew a picture with the caption: "Adelyns DafuDil Flaowr." I just love to watch her figure out the world and become more confident. She constantly asks me questions about different things and then repeats what she just learned to Preston like she has known it all her life. She is such a little character and I love her so much!
