First Recital

Ry is gearing up for her very first dance recital! She has been taking ballet and tap since January (last semester it was more of a creative movement class) and the recital is next month! Yesterday we had dance pictures and here are a few I took of her in her costume. I can't wait to see the show! I just leaned it's a tap routine and I almost died!!! 

When I tell people that I have three boys and one girl, they most always say, "Oh! A princess?!" Um, no. Nic and I describe her as the Pink Power Ranger. While she likes the color pink, she definitely has a Power Ranger mentality (beating the heck out of her brothers with a sword, for example). But she does love to dance, and I'm cherishing this time before she decides she would rather play football and baseball like her brothers!

Cam is SIX!

Cam was so excited for his birthday this year and as a mom, that's so fun to experience! 

It's hard to put into words how proud I am of my Cam-bone! This boy has grown up so much in the past year and has gained confidence in himself. He is doing great in school, has good friends, loves playing baseball and is a kind and patient big brother! 

Cam was getting extra help with reading on school and I received this email from his teacher:

Cam was dismissed from LLI yesterday because he is reading at exit level Kinder! We are so thrilled because his growth was AMAZING!! Thank you for your support at home with this. Cam is so adorable because he reads so loud and proud during our independent reading time. His confidence is at a super high level. We are going to continue his growth through guided reading.          

GO CAM!!

Nic dropped him off for a kindergarten performance the night of his birthday and he ran right in, stood on the stage and performed just like he was supposed to. Who is this kid?!

Cam is playing baseball this year and practices 2-3 days per week! He doesn't complain about going and is constantly throwing, running, dribbling and catching all kinds of balls around the house. 

He loves playing with Avery and they have fun wrestling with each other. He is also really good at pretend playing with Ryane, although he knows how to get under her skin, and they can bicker quite a bit. 

Cam has good friends at school and loves Walker and Gregorio the most. He also loves to go outside and play in the neighborhood with some of the neighbor kids (all quite a bit older than he is). They play hide and go seek, four square, soccer, basketball, and they make up games about building things out of materials they find outside. Pretty cool!! 

Happy birthday to this big, cute SIX year old! I love you so much and I couldn't be more proud!

18 months

Avery weighs 27 pounds 11 ounces (85%) and is 34 inches tall (80%). 

Avery is wearing size 5 diapers and 18-24 month clothes. 

Each month I write that Avery is into everything. And each month, I don't know how, he gets into more and more. He's my only child who drags chairs to reach things on counters and the only one who's ever opened my china cabinet. 

Avery has earned the nickname No No Little Joe. This is from a tv show the kids watch where a little panda gets in trouble and they tell him, "no no, little Joe!" Now, before he does something he's not supposed to do, he will either say "uh uh uh" or "no no little Joe!"

He thinks it's funny that he's bad!!

He gets frightened very easily! He's scared of some of the talking apps, big rumbles from trucks, thunder, Elmo and Kaden's nerf bows. He comes running and crying, "Mama? Mama? Mommyeeeeee!!!"

He can count to six!!!! No joke!!! I have it on video!

He is obsessed with buses. Loves singing Wheels on the Bus, loves watching bus videos and loves seeing the school bus pick up and drop off in front of our house. 

He sings! He knows the words to Wheels on the Bus and says round and round, wah wah wah, up and down, shhh shhh shhh and also says all through the town. He signs a Shabbat song and Happy Birthday (hah to you). 

Some new words this month are:

Peekaboo

Peekaboo barn (peeboo bah)

Apple

Sticker

No no little Joe (go go wih dah)

Ribbitt (deep growls voice)

He answers yes and no questions (yeah and nah). 

He tells us when he poops or is pooping. One day he was fussy and we asked what was wrong, and he said, "poop" and pointed to his diaper. Potty training soon???

Avery sniffs Garrison on the nose and Barrett on the ear and sucks his tongue just like Cam and Ry. 

He is so polite and says please and thank you all the time. 

His favorite books are Big Red Barn and Happy Birthday Elmo. 

Avery loves playing with Cam and wrestles with him every chance he gets. 

Avery and Ryane are starting to play with each other and they pretend play really well!

Avery likes to try to walk up and down the stairs now instead of crawl or slide. 

He's cute, funny and smart. What more could I ask for?! Happy half birthday, sweet love! 

Best monthly pictures so far! Thanks to Eric and Sara for making him giggle!! He didn't even try to knock down the blocks!!