Life has changed a bit since my last post about the boys. Michael turned four, Sam made some invisible leap from toddler to little boy, and we welcomed our pup Evie into the family. Things got really chaotic really fast, but we are so happy to have this little critter! Samuel is unfazed - he is neither afraid of Evie, nor excited about her. He likes her, but he pretty much acts like she has always been here. Michael, on the other hand loves Evie and wants to play with her and hold her and run with her all the time. And the feeling is mutual. Evie is thrilled to chase, lick, be held by, bark at, roll over for, and follow the boys all the time. She is so good-natured and so playful, I sometimes can't believe how well she has fit in with our family. I feel like God hand-picked this girl just for us. There have been messes and chewed up toys (and a disgusting mouse murder just a few feet away from Samuel), but mostly she is pure sweetness in a furry little Muppet-dog body. We call her Evie Girl, and we couldn't love her more.
Michael - 4 years and 1 month
Latest skills: drawing his favorite characters, writing simple words without help, zipping up his jacket, helping me wrangle Evie and sometimes Sam, buckling his own car seat
Loves: playing chase with Evie, wrestling with Dad, playing with friends, playing outside, playing Baymax, pretending, building forts, reading, writing books (with help), having undivided attention, learning about science, movies
Best way to make him laugh: get Evie to chase him, watching Evie run around really fast, trip over something and fall
Doesn't love: 4 year old shots, being bugged by Sam, unwanted attention
Habits we're trying to break: being bossy when playing with other kids, venting frustration by yelling, taking forever to eat
Words: "You look beautiful, Mom!"
"My body is made up of cells. That's where my energy comes from."
Tim told him a riddle (What falls down and never gets back up?), Michael answered correctly (rain), then thought about it for a minute, and said it wasn't right because rain does go back up when it evaportates.
His spirit: passionate, a dreamer, has strong opinions about almost everything, very sure of himself, persistent, adventurous, thoughtful
Aspirations: currently doing chores and saving up to buy a Baymax action figure, begs often to return to the Shedd aquarium in Chicago so he can play in the life-sized submarine again, wants to dig up dinosaur bones in Montana this summer
Samuel - 1 year and 9 months
Latest skills: singing ABCs, counting to 13, jumping off of furniture and his truck, feeding Evie, dragging the little red chair around the kitchen to access whatever he pleases on the counters
Loves: doing things himself, being tickled, sitting in our laps to read, playing with Mikey, cantaloupe (cannamope), most foods, playing in the yard, Gigi and Papa, hugs, toys with wheels, going to Bible class
Best way to make him laugh: tickle him
Doesn't love: the vacuum cleaner, the lawn mower, sitting still in church, sitting still for movies or TV shows
Habits we're trying to break: still throwing food and drinks on the floor, disobeying Mom and Dad
Words: "I do it!" (wants to do everything himself)
"My turn!"
"Ready? One, two, fee, four, five, six!" (preparing to jump off of something)
"Look, Mom, look!"
"Thank God Daddy and Mikey and Daddy." (saying what he's thankful for before prayers)
His spirit: thankful and appreciative (almost always says thank you, often thanks us for doing things for Michael too), concerned about others (always says "bless you" when someone sneezes, asks if we're okay when we cough, etc.), friendly, strong-willed
Aspirations: to do everything Mikey does, to do everything himself
