Super Kids

We just uploaded our pictures from Superbowl Sunday. Any day with special snacks is bound to be a hit with these two, and the Superbowl did not disappoint. Patrick and Fynn had a ball waving their terrible towels, and our tiny cheerleader loved seeing her friend Ella. Donald and I got a kick out of the Volkswagon Darth Vader commercial; that little boy in his costume using the "force" on everything in the house reminded us of someone we know very, very well.

Time and Memory

It's the two-year anniversary of the blog. When I started writing this blog Patrick was about Madeline's age, which seems impossible. The pictures of him two years ago look like another child. As a friend recently put it, they are growing up heartbreakingly fast.

We've preserved a lot of memories in this space, but I am astonished by all of the other ones that have slipped away. I'm consistently stumped by the questions in Madeline's baby book: when did she fist coo? when did she recognize you for the first time? When was the last time I fed her baby food in a jar? I wondered as I cleaned out the kitchen cabinets the other day. One thing you forget to put in a blog are some of the wonderful little moments you have every day: the thrill/dread of hearing little feet pounding down the hallway at 6 am; the simple joy of an unexpected hug; the momentary confusion of finding six dinosaurs in your bathtub when you pull back the shower curtain; the feeling of accomplishment when everyone is fed, clean, and sleepy in their pjs; the heavy stillness of a baby as they fall asleep in your arms.

Patrick and Madeline remind us that every day is special, new, and exciting. Thanks for the memories, kids, are here's to many, many more.

Hanging Around

We've been having a lot of fun just hanging around the house this winter. It seems like there is always something new to do!

15-Month Checkup

Madeline got a good report from the doctor on Wednesday. She has a big noggin (99%) and is 25 lbs and 31 inches long. She showed the doctor how she can scribble with a pen, put blocks in a cup, and point to her ears, eyes, head, and belly button. She knows about 20 words. In addition to the usual toddler repertoire of "milk," "socks," "more," and "up" she's quite proficient with "Batman," "Robin," and "Buzz" (Lightyear) thanks to bubba Pac-rick. We particularly love her enthusiastic "night night" before she goes to bed. She waves and bids "night night!" to everyone and everything in the room, even the living room couch. She's still saying "night night!, bye bye!" as we close the door and head back downstairs.

Madeline wants to do everything that Patrick can do. Last weekend at a birthday party she insisted on sitting next to Patrick to eat pizza and cake, and threw a fit when I tried to cut up her pizza; she wanted to hold the whole piece like the other kids. At cake time she was determined to use a fork (two actually) and stayed at the table long after the other 3-year-olds had left as she maneuvered crumb after delicious crumb into her mouth. She also still loves sitting at her perch at the kitchen island. When she woke up from nap early a few days ago I put her up on a stool while I worked next to her and she sat there happily for about half an hour, simply looking around and surveying the world from new and exciting heights.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day was a beautiful day, and after sampling a Gymboree class (which she loved) Madeline and I took a walk into Old Town for lunch with baby Ella and her mom. After nap we went to Patrick's Valentine party at school, which was a brief, sugar-charged affair followed by lots of running around on the playground. Three days later Patrick still remembers exactly who gave him each of his Valentines, and loves dumping out his bag to admire all of his cards.

Every day is pretty much a holiday for Patrick and Madeline, but they were both particularly delighted with their cards and treats: Maurice Sendak's Nutshell Library for Madeline, and a Batman and Robin action figure set for Patrick. Patrick has been toting Batman and Robin around all week, and while he's been pretty good about sharing he makes sure to clarify to friends "you can have this NOT to keep" when he hands over his precious Robin for playing.