Big boy cups!

Daniel is now using regular cups! He is so good at drinking from them. He has actually been able to do it for about a year, but now has the motor skills to hold it without spilling it. He can say "water" now and it comes out so cute! He gets the biggest smile on his face when he drinks - he knows he is a big boy!

Last night we were at Toys R Us and they have a big display of cold drinks near the checkouts. I was letting him walk last night - a whole other adventure - and he went right up to them and said, "Pop!" and signed please. I had a coupon that I needed to get to $25 with and was close, so I let him get a water in a bottle. He was so happy with that bottle, you would have thought I got him the best treat ever! He drank it so well - he doesn't put his whole mouth over it, but does it right!

Tonight I was putting Daniel to bed and he said, "Mommy, rock." He was just trying to stall, but it was still so cute! Then he tried to get me brush his teeth again and get him another drink. Oh boy, he is a fast learner!

Kat (not meow)

Katie has been experimenting with her name this year at school. First, she wanted to Katherine. When I went to the Halloween party, all her classmates were calling her Katherine - which was funny to me. It is so formal - which she most definitely is not!

Last night I was supervising the homework process and she was writing Kat on her papers. She said that was her new name at school. Then, after Kat she wrote"(not meow)." Apparently her teacher said if her name was Kat, she would have to call her Meow. So now she is writing Kat (not Meow) on all her papers.

We are really seeing Katie's creativity blossom this year. She has her own comic strip - Wormo - and each installment is something to look forward to. She is being challenged and encouraged at school to develop her writing and drawing and we are just loving seeing what she comes up with.

Katie is also eagerly looking forward to our new daughter, Kristen, coming home from Korea. The other night she drew a special picture for Kristen. I have been so touched by her love for her new sister!

Daniel is talking!

It has been so exciting to listen to Daniel really take off with talking the past few weeks. Mommy, Daddy, bubble, and truck are so clear now! He is trying to say lots of things and making lots of new sounds. Katie is of course thrilled with him trying to copy her now, we will see how long that lasts!

Even though he has just started saying more things, he knows just how to get things! He uses traditional sign language for some things and has his own "signs" for many things as well. His funniest one is for drink. He takes his index finger and wiggles it against his head. It is kind of close to the sign for drink...

I am loving getting to "hear" more of what is going on inside his head!

KLW - She can do it!

I am so proud of my girl! She has learned how to ride her two-wheel bike! Mommy accidentally ran over one of her training wheels driving into the garage. Plus, her two friends are riding their bikes without training wheels. It took a few tearful tries, but she got it in just a few weeks!

Quote of the day - "Dad, is it good manners to have good manners?"