2 Years, 6 Months, 1 Week, and 6 Days

Charlotte & Ruby are 2 years, 6 months, 1 week, and 6 days old today. With a little help from the Letter Factory DVD, they have memorized the basic sound that each letter makes (the A says aah, the B says buh, etc.). They have also started pointing out words, naming the letters, and then asking us what it says, which shows their understanding that letters create words together. I'm also happy to announce that their daily naps have resumed. Enjoy the photos!

Using the wooden guiros from Uncle Trevor:

Charlotte's current favorite book is a Dick and Jane early reader (we are starting to transition away from toddler board books and introduce paperbacks):

Ruby decided that a polar bear should drive the tractor:

They are very proud to eat applesauce by themselves:

Pretending to go bird watching using prism blocks as binoculars:

2 Years, 6 Months, and 6 Days

Charlotte and Ruby are 2 years, 6 months, and 6 days old today. We have had a couple days where it has warmed up above 50° and we were able to take advantage of it and go outside for a bit. Until they got sick, that is. Bob brought home a horrible cold and then shared it with his daughters. Ruby's feeling somewhat better, whereas Charlotte is still miserable, especially all through the night because of the congested cough. At their 30 month check up, Charlotte was measured at 35" and 30lbs. Ruby was measured at 35" and 26lbs. I'm not sure how accurate those figures are, since they were put on an adult scale for the first time and were a bit shaky on it, trying to hold onto Bob or me. I think they are each a bit larger. Both are equally healthy (this was before they got sick) and on track with all of the developmental milestones (surpassing some in the phrase/sentence area). Enjoy the photos!

I gave them buckets with shovels & rakes to go dig about in the dirt, which they were not quite sure how to do at first so they sat down on the step next to the planter:

After some brief coaching, they were happily digging and saying "I am having fun!":

Charlotte filled her bucket up faster than Ruby:

Charlotte chased some geese in hopes of hugging them:

After I explained why geese don't want to be hugged, she waved to them instead:

Ruby and her imagination play happily with little figures while creating intricate scenarios on her own:

The day Ruby fell ill, it started with a fever that left her wiped out and she fell asleep on the couch before dinner, using the giant Ikea dog as a pillow:

Playing with a wooden farm:

They were very excited to see and use their new Ikea play kitchen:

Earlier in the week, before sickness hit, Delia & Lucinda came over to play one morning:

30 Months Old!

Charlotte at 30 months old:

Ruby at 30 months old:

2 Years, 5 Months, 3 Weeks, and 6 Days

Ruby & Charlotte are 2 years, 5 months, 3 weeks, and 6 days old today. Tomorrow morning we will be going to their 30 month check up at the pediatrician. The past week has been a bit rough for Ruby. First, she was briefly sick (vomiting), then she was helped by Charlotte to fall over the side of the couch which earned her a bruise & rug burn across the bridge of her nose. Later that day, after putting them to bed for the night, I heard the pain cry over the monitor and rushed downstairs to find Ruby bleeding all over her chin, the carpet, and then me once I picked her up to assess the damage. Once again, with Charlotte's help (her forehead), Ruby split the inside of her lower lip open in the perfect impression of her teeth. If that was not enough, the next morning they were playing their new game of crashing and falling off their motorcycles (very slowly and on purpose), Ruby caught her cheek on the handle and scraped it. Needless to say, she looked like she had been in a bar fight. In contrast, Charlotte had no injuries to report the entire week except a tiny, almost invisible to the naked eye scrape on her big toe that she kept pointing out to us. Enjoy the photos!

Stick horses!

Ruby (after putting on a "helmet") running about with her new stick horse:

Charlotte (after putting on a "helmet") gives her stick horse a hug:

Working on a color matching snap cap picture with Ava:

Ruby draws on the chalkboard:

Charlotte works on a magnetic puzzle book:

Choke-hold hug:

2 Years, 5 Months, 2 Weeks, and 6 Days

Ruby & Charlotte are 2 years, 5 months, 2 weeks, and 6 days old today. Grandma Doreen came for a short visit, but we made the most of it with many activities while she was here. Naps continue to elude us for the most part, unless we are in the car for more than 30 minutes in the afternoon then there is a high probability that Charlotte will doze off, and a much lower chance that Ruby will too. Enjoy the photos!

Working together on a Look & Find book:

At the children's museum with Grandma Doreen:

After baths, Grandma Doreen read bedtime stories to them:

Ruby dancing like a ballerina:

Charlotte dancing like a ballerina:



Playing with their new wooden castle, complete with royal family, knights, and horses:

2 Years, 5 Months, 1 Week, and 6 Days

Ruby & Charlotte are 2 years, 5 months, 1 week, and 6 days old today. They have been in time out a lot more lately, as they have started to plot ways together to achieve items that are off-limits. If I need to go downstairs, be it for laundry or something in their room, they immediately decide to misbehave. Upon my returns, I have found them standing on their train table, jumping on the couch, and in one instance, they pushed their blue table up to the kitchen table and used it as a stepping stool to reach pens I was using to write out postcards for their Uncle Trevor. As soon as they hear me open the gate, they scramble to stop whatever they are in the midst of, as though I won't catch them in the act despite looking right at them. Enjoy the photos!

Sifting through their magnetic letters:

This actually happened, with no prompting or guidance from an adult. Ruby found 2 letter "O"s, and held them up saying that they make the"oooo" sound. She remembered this lesson from an episode of Word World. She then looked for 2 more letters, and once found, ran over to the refrigerator to build her word:

Continuing to remember the show where Monkey needed help fixing his home before a storm, she spelled "roof", all by herself:

Charlotte decided that sitting inside a mesh basket, without a shirt on, is a wonderful spot to read:

Charlotte made a rainbow using the interstar rings:

Working on adding the right shapes to the pattern block pictures:

Gathering all the magnets with Ava:

Charlotte was quite interested in meeting and inspecting Ava's new brother, Jacob (they have never been this close to a baby before):

Whereas Ruby found it best to hide behind my leg and avoid any contact with him at all: