Not So Little

I had a disturbing realization. These two are not so little any more. I was not ready for this to happen. Before you know it, they'll be really old! (How is it that I never seem to age but they do? Please, no wise cracks.)

Beth now insists on her independence: dressing, feeding, helping, wiping, you name it. She has the greatest personality. She matches what you offer, her mark for mark. If you yell, she yells right back. If you're calm, she's calm. What an incredible mirror.
She continues to have a wonderful smile and engaging personality. She is sweet, especially with her brother (except when she's tormenting him). She can turn on the tears as well as her smile at will. We love having her with us.

A few Eric-isms:

1). Eric and I were heading down to make breakfast and discussing what we should have. I suggested muffins and he asked what needed to go in them. I started to list off flour, eggs, milk... and so on. He thought for a minute and said, “We don’t need any eggs… just chocolate chips.”

2). Last month we went up to Ikea with my sister Mary and Uncle Sam. On the way home we stopped for a snack from McDonald's. Eric and Beth were eating chicken nuggets in the back seat when Eric pipes up, "Hey! Wait! I think there's chicken in here!"

3). Eric is our sweet and sensitive boy. He is loving and kind and excited about life. He still loves his trains but will play for hours with just about anything. He craves dirt. Maybe it really is built into little boys. When the weather is nice I put him out back with a bucketful of potting soil and it keeps him busy for hours. Because the weather is less friendly right now we compromise by playing at the kitchen table with a cookie sheet full of dried beans. He loves it! And we love our Eric!