Lily turned 8 this month and for some reason it seems SO MUCH OLDER than 7. Her humor, her attitude, how she carries herself, the way she dresses, her interests...all seem noticeably more mature than they did a year ago. She's even given up Mac-n-Cheese, formerly her favorite meal. Don't get me wrong, kiddo still thinks toots are hilarious and still believes in fairies and magical things, but there is an underlying maturity that tells me her childhood won't last as long as I would like it to. There are some bonuses though - this month she's suddenly become much more tolerant of her brother, even proactively playing with and helping him. They're often vinegar-and-oil, so seeing her trying to entertain him, lend a hand and getting him to play games makes my heart sing. She's also experienced a reading renaissance, proof that a good teacher makes all the difference. She still struggles with school on the whole, but there's been a marked improvement and we can see her confidence and skills growing every day.
Speaking of getting older, this month we also said goodbye to the BOB. No, not Bob our dog, the BOB stroller. Next to Matteo's Baby Beco, this was the hardest thing for me to part with. While it's true Matteo's head now touched the canopy and his legs had to bend to stay in, and at almost 3.5 he really should be walking, the BOB represented so much of their baby- and toddlerhoods to me. Walks to the coffee shop, around Green Lake, to see the Christmas lights, going to Chuck's and the ice cream truck. For over 7 years the BOB carted first Lily and then Matteo around town, helping us navigate Seattle's cracked sidewalks with ease and keeping my babies safe, warm and comfortable. It had become more living room decoration than anything else, but still it will be missed.
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| The other Bob |
And more changes....Matteo's growth streak seems to have no end in sight. He was wearing 2T clothes throughout the summer, but now his 3T pants are exactly the right length and will surely be high-waters early in the new year (thank goodness for hand-me-downs!). He's gotten so long that when I sit on the floor for our nightly hugs, his legs have to be folded up. Lily's sweetness to him has also been reaping rewards as evidenced by his reciprocity. When he's doing his "I want my mommy, I want my daddy" back-and-forth he now also throws in a "I want my sister" and when we drop Lily off first, he'll roll down his window to shout "BYE LILY!" at the top of his wee lungs. Small moments, but ones that I cherish. Oh! And I can't forget his quirks. He's still doing the "na-na-boo-boo" thing all the time, but also mixing it up with a steady stream of "knock, knock! who's there?" (no punchline...not sure he realizes it's supposed to be a joke), randomly bursting into rounds of "peak-a-BOO!" at the grocery store, in the kitchen, wherever - of course laughing hysterically the whole time. Oh, and his favorite breakfast is now frozen waffles. Still frozen. Go figure.
But what about the funny things they say....
"STET!" - No idea where Lily picked this up, but she's now saying it all the time. Ironic given the amount of prodding it takes to get her ready to go places.
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| Not to big for market lounging |
Me: "Look at all the cool underwear you have! Thomas and super heroes and trucks!"
Matteo: "I'm not ready"
*sigh*
Me: "Look a the costume for Bob that Lily picked out!
Matteo: "That's silly and bad for business!"
"Look at me! I'm doing it!" and "Mommy mommy over here!" - As his skills and confidence grows, Matteo LOVES showing off his many daily achievements.
"Me thirsty! Me want cake!" - Lily and some of her friends have adopted grammatically incorrect "me" talk to denote being excited and/or enthusiastic about something. Both amusing and cringe-inducing.
Matteo: "What’s that?"
Me: "A cookie"
Matteo: "Oh! I love cookies! Yummy yummy!"
Me: "Do you want one of your own?"
Matteo: "Yes!" (said with a jump for emphasis)
Me: handing him a TJ's oreo
Matteo: "Ohhh! It’s a sandwich! Neat!"
Me: "Who's my greatest guy?"
Matteo: points to self
Me: "Who's the sweetest?"
Matteo: "Lily!"
Well, you may have a point there, pal.
And now - into November!
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He *loved* this costume...till Halloween night.
Visited one house then called it. |
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| Frankie Stein on the other hand covered the whole 'hood |
