The Kids Lately

My babies....you guys, they are growing up.  Carter is a month from being FOUR and Landry Kate is 20 months old now...two is creeping up on us.  I feel like every time I blink they have learned something new or grown another inch.  So I wanted to get in writing some of the things they are doing/saying now.

Carter man had his first soccer practice this week!  Just call me a soccer mom, I mean I have the minivan and everything! ;)  He was very hesitant at first, but after about 15 minutes, he jumped in and gave it a shot.  We just have to work on not using our hands!  Brent is helping coach, so we'll see if we can keep him from getting too competitive with these poor kids.  We had practice number two last night and Carter seemed much more at ease with it all and jumped right in.  It should be interesting to watch the games!

We have been working on letters with him and he is really picking up on them.  I was so proud when I wrote his name on his dry erase board and he was able to write it himself below it.  He recognizes several letters, too...it's something we are working on slowly but surely.  He has really taken to memorizing the prayers we say lately too.  He has the blessing before meals, the Lord's Prayer, and "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep" down word for word (or at least close!).  I think I am the most proud of him when I hear him praying!

He has mostly gotten over the rough part of the three's.  Most of the time, he will listen and rarely throws a complete and total fit (although they definitely still happen when he is super tired).  He is so very sweet with Landry.  He really was made to be a caring big brother to her. Don't get me wrong, they have their fights, but honestly they are pretty minimal and usually just over a specific toy or something silly.  I hope they can stay this close as they grow!  

Some of Carter's favorite things lately are dinosaurs, salads with lots of ranch dressing, mustard on any and every thing, jumping and flipping on his new trampoline (an early birthday present!), guns (I know!!!), and pretending to "work" outside (digging in the dirt in his "work boots").

And my little Landry Kate...she has really started using words the last couple of weeks!  It amazes me the things she can say so clearly after all this time of not saying anything.  Some of the things I have heard her say lately: tractor, backhoe, dinosaur ("di-di"), Carter, milk, snack, TV, shoes, bow, cheese, please ("peas"), and so many more that she has repeated after us.  She still doesn't necessarily use them when she needs something, but she is definitely getting better at communicating.

She has turned into such a daddy's girl lately.  Granted, he has been around more than usual since his hours have been cut back some (finally!!) and I think that has something to do with it (him just being more familiar to her).  But sometimes, she will jump out of my arms to his and it is kind of nice after having her glued to me for so long.  

Landry is totally TV-obsessed, with anything dinosaur related being her favorite thing to watch.  Carter got us started on Jurassic Park, but I think now Landry likes it WAY more than he does!  Sometimes, I will turn on a cartoon or something and she will whine at me until I turn on dinosaurs!  Thank you, Jesus, for DVR at times like that!  Carter was so uninterested in TV, so we are always so amazed by her love for it!

She is also shoe-obsessed.  She loves to put on any pair of shoes she can find around the house.  But her favorite, by far, are her new pink rain boots. I'm pretty sure she has worn them pretty much every day (rain or shine!) since we bought them.  It's really not even worth the fight with her to force her to wear anything else...the girl is opinionated!

She still loves her fruit and most veggies the best.  She is usually a pretty good eater unless she overdoes it at snack time (happens to the best of us!).  She is still taking her good, long 2 or 3 hour nap in the middle of the day and sleeping around 11 hours at night, while Carter has all but dropped napping at all.    

I'm sure I'm leaving some things off, but we have a busy weekend ahead and I need to get moving.  Carter has a big ring-bearer job in our friend's wedding tomorrow...can't wait to see how that turns out!  And then, this time next week, we are taking a kid-free vacay to the beach!!!  We seriously cannot wait.