Bennett is almost 4 and Vivian is almost 2. Here is what they've been up to...

Bennett

-He is talking one million times more than when he turned three.  He speaks in complete sentences and is pretty easy to understand.  He still struggles with turning his thoughts into words.

-is surprisingly polite.  He always says "thank you" and "excuse me" at the appropriate times, but still needs reminders for "please."

-loves Angry Birds in Space

-loves loves loves anything to do with Thomas and trains in general

-can get himself dressed 90% of the way, still needing help getting things on the right direction

-continues with OT and ST at school as well as both privately.  He has grown to love both his private therapists.

-enjoys going to preschool and always tells his teachers that he has missed them.

-getting more patient all the time.  Bennett still does best with a set schedule/routine and warnings when things are changing or are different.

-pushes Vivian down every chance he gets.

-sucks his thumb and is attached to blankets

-has just started to shape actual letters

-has the most amazing brain for memorization that I have ever encountered.  He has Skippyjon Jones books memorized and can spell at least 50 words.

-struggles with socializing and playing with other children.


Vivian

-talk, talk, talk, talk, talk.  If only I understood more than 50% of it.

-is a mimic for everything.  That's a new experience for us.  I've heard her say "shit" a couple of times recently.

-is a shrimp.  She is short and weighed 22 lbs at 18 months.  I don't think she'll pass 23 lbs by much at two.  She's been in 18 month clothes since the 1st of April now.

-twirls her hair just like a Fagg woman.  In fact, we had to chop it short last week because she was tying knots in it and losing chunks daily.

-plays amazingly well by herself.  It's a good thing, since Bennett mostly ignores her if possible.

-loves Hailey

-loves shoes, specifically wearing two different ones.

-is attached to her Gabba blanket

-loves dancing and is beginning to sing along to music in the car

-started going up and down the stairs on her feet without holding on to anything this week.  I have about 7 heart attacks daily.  She still prefers to go down the slide on her tummy.

-is extraordinarily strong-willed.


Family

-I need to paint Bennett's room and maybe post some after-move pictures one of these days.

-Bernie had a great time hunting in North Dakota and we all had an overall fun vacation.  Surprisingly, there are a ton of things to do with kids in Bismarck.  They had the best pumpkin patch ever, the zoo, and one of the best kid's sections in their public libraries that I have ever seen.

-I am starting to plan a co-party for the kids on November 10th.  They are just too close together to have separately every year.  And I'm having it catered.  Whew!

-Spanish is going well.  I am starting the second class on Monday.