Kids Update

William:

• Favorite books:  Barnyard Dance; The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  He asks for this and gets excited to see them.  
• Talks in sentences sometimes, including using "I" sometimes.  
• Continues to show interest in sitting on potty like Natalie and I, but no results.  
• Loves rocks.  Likes to collect and carry them.  
• Starting to enjoy more boyish toys like cars and blocks, but still has no reservations to wear girly shoes and headbands all on his own.  
• Loves his dress up hats.  
• Very contrary.  Says no, but means yes.  Says he's done eating, then grabs more.  Resists getting a kiss goodnight, then calls out for Dada to come back.  
• A few weeks ago a switched seemed to go off making him more hyper, especially in the pushing, hitting, and grabbing department.  
• Sings the alphabet song getting about half the letters right.  Recognizes letters as letters and different from pictures.  
• Can go up and down stairs on feet with a railing.  Can go up several stairs in a row with no railing!
• Can count to four pretty consistently with help, but usually "counts" 1, 2, 4, 10.  
• Can put his shoes on and off alone, especially likes to do it in the car.  Can take off his shirt if you get one arm out.  Working on pulling down pants, but the diaper always catches.  
• Can get out of car seat on his own, but has trouble climbing in.  

Natalie:

•  Continues to love playing with baby dolls.  She is very protective of them and can play with them continuously all day long.  She also enjoys smaller dolls, and newer is playing with furniture and other accessories.  
• Repeats sarcastic comments, but I don't think she knows its sarcastic / mean. 
• Wants a toy as soon as William starts to play with it.  Has a hard time letting him touch things she's set up and walked away from.  She has a hard time not grabbing and pushing him right away.  
• Has gone back to napping in the afternoon many days, and thus has some accidents.  
• Loves to play with new toys, but returns to her favorites.  
• Loves playing outside, particularly making "mud pies."
• Excited about growing flowers.  
• Excited to get her twin size bed.  
• Huge repertoire of songs she knows and loves.  Particular favorites remain Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, and new likes are Kelly Clarkson and Keshia. 
• Knows all the letters and can identify the starting sound of most words (mostly its the really tricky ones she has a hard time with such as c/k, j/g, etc)
• Starting to have very basic understanding of addition and subtraction, locations, and time.  
• Talk about when she was a baby often.  
• Pretends to be someone and insists that you call her by that name.  (Two of her best friends also currently do this).