These days

These two...

- wait in anticipation for the other to wake up each morning and after naps; they continue to surprise me with who wakes first

- can be found arguing over a toy more often then not; the little man plays the role of instigator and the little lady the antagonizer

- would rather be together disputing than alone in peace

- begin their early mornings on the couch with soft blankies, bed heads, and squinted eyes

 - differ on the significance of milk in their young lives; she favoring it above all other liquids and he accepting it only with meals

- would consume multiple packs of fruit snacks in a day if permitted

- are thrilled to still be sharing bath time; squeals of delight, shouts of enthusiasm and thunderous splashing can be heard while they soak in the tub (thank the good Lord, the doctor continues to supervise this activity, as I don't prefer the sudsy chaos)

- support one anothers interests, she encouraging his love of all things transportation, and he joyfully viewing episodes of Olivia, playing dress up, and dancing

- race to the window to view screaming sirens as they whiz by on our busy street

He...

- cozies up to my side throughout the day for a spontaneous squeeze

- can be found thumbing through vehicle books in quiet and contented solace

- shouts out "snack" all day long as though he's never satisfied

- requests "wabe" (water) when he really wants juice, and is frustrated when I repeatedly offer him a water cup

- stirs early at 5am letting out muted moans until I lay him back down (often repeating the cycle over the course of an hour)

- cannot stand the thought of leaving his sister behind at school, when he would really enjoy staying and playing with all of the stimulating toys

- no longer enjoys clothing, requesting to be stripped of shirts and pants as soon as he wakes (and I thought being shirtless was a problem...)

- finds Thomas the Train to be his preferred choice of entertainment

- enjoys cuddling in the crook of my arm while being read to (truck books, of course)

-  excitedly shouts out "truck" "bus" "choo choo" and "car" during each car trip

She...

- has adjusted to the rhythm of school days, arriving home less tired and more pleasant

- loves attending her Sunday school class and organizing her green Bible binder each day

- requests to hear Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" so that she can sing along, belting out the chorus and often striking random objects to the beat

- continues to mention her imaginary friends, but less frequently now that she has real school friends

- finds great pleasure in playing with her daddy alone in her room each night before I tuck her into bed, creating games such as "Target," "pool," and "store"

- has finally overcome her fear of the toilet and now confidently goes both #1 and #2 by herself without fuss

- absolutely loves sharing the news of her bathroom success to anyone with two ears

- continues to play in a very organized and creative way

- finds great satisfaction in spelling out words, identifying the first letter in words by their sounds, and asks how words are spelled

- responds with a sweet and courteous "of course" when asked to help around the house (about 80% of the time)

- continues to be very empathetic and considerate of those around her, especially when others feelings are hurt