I see two in there...: December 2011

We had a wonderful Christmas and Brad and I both took a week and a half off of work so we are enjoying our time at home together. Right now, Jack and Maddy are at an indoor playland with their auntie Cait and Nana. The house is so quiet...I'm not quite sure what to do with myself! I am forcing myself to spend this time NOT cleaning or putting away the Christmas decorations, but instead doing absolutely whatever I want to.

Jack and Madelynn are changing every day. They are very strong on their feet now so they are walking around and getting into everything. They can climb the stairs, climb onto chairs, the couch--you name it, they want to climb it. While they are finally sleeping better, the physical exhaustion of chasing around two toddlers has reached a new level. They are so much fun, but boy are we tired. They love the dog water and dog food, the kitchen cupboards and drawers (one of the many projects for this week is to do more childproofing). Jack's best friend is the dog. He follows her around everywhere and tries to play tug of war with her and is always feeding her little bits of his snack. He wants her to play with his toys and he gets very upset when we tell her she can't have them. Jack also loves his sister Madelynn. He is so kind to her, always sharing with her and giving up whatever toy or snack he has so she will be happy. They have learned to hug and kiss each other too, which is so precious! Madelynn loves Jack too, mainly because he is so entertaining and makes her laugh. She is not, however, as good at sharing and often snatches things away from him. They have learned to sign "milk," and "all-done." Madelynn has learned how to sign "more," and "please." It is so nice to be able to communicate with them a little bit and to be able to understand a little more of their needs. They are both so smart, and often I will find Madelynn sitting in a corner flipping through books and Jack will be turning all of his toys upside down to figure out how they work. Jack is very helpful when he wants to be. He likes to pick things up and hands me little pieces of paper or garbage that he finds and he puts all of his toys back in the box when he is done with them. It is so amazing to think that they are really no longer babies. They are active little toddlers, and while it is so exciting to think of what the future holds for them and our family, it is a little bittersweet. I feel like the baby stage just went by so fast. So, for now, I just treasure every moment with them. Here are a few pictures from this Christmas...