{ My girls }

I have been thinking for a while that I want to post some random things about my kids because I know I will soon forget the current stages they are in. I'm so surprised at how quickly they grow up and how quickly I forget the great things they do and say as they are growing up. I'll start today by doing the girls:

Myla Jae

This girl is amazing. I feel like I haven't done a very good job blogging her life thus far. I was better about taking pictures and writing about the other 2.

Myla is a character. She has figured out how to make us laugh and she is pretty good at it. She makes the most hilarious faces! She also copies faces and sounds that we make. She recognizes when she does something that makes us laugh and then repeats it. (A trait she inherited from her mother and grandfather no doubt.)

Myla is an incredible sleeper. On an average day she wakes up around 9am. She plays for a couple of hours and goes down for her first nap around 11am. She sleeps for 2-2.5 hrs and then plays for few hrs before going down for her second nap around 4pm. That nap is usually a little shorter, about 1.5 hrs. And even after all that sleeping she will still go to bed around 8pm and sleep a full 12-13 hrs! Any mother's dream come true!

Myla is a beverage stealer. If there is a drink within a 2 mile radius she believes it belongs to her and she will stop at nothing to acquire it. I have learned that I have to hide my drinks, (the counter no longer being a safe zone) especially my protein shake in the morning and any delicious gas station beverage. Her favorites are capri suns, any kind of soda, and anything with a straw. This is how I found her this morning . . .

Which leads into my next topic . . . Myla has become somewhat of a climber. I remember Logan's mom telling us stories about how he would climb all over the kitchen. Sophie is mischeivious so there has always been some element of climbing with her, but Myla is different. She sees anything that is climbable as though it was a challenge extended to her and will stop at nothing to accomplish that challenge. Her most recent climbs are:

The Bunk Bed:

{ mission accomplished }

The Computer Table:

{ mission accomplished }

And let's not forget . . . The Counter:

{ mission accomplished }

She also enjoys climbing up and down the porch stairs (not my favorite), and on and off any bike, big wheel, or scooter she can find. Oh the climbing . . . I won't be surprised if she gives me a heart attack.

She is starting to talk a lot more than sign these days, although a lot of her words are mostly jibber jabber. She will talk your ear off with jibber jabber and by the look on her face you know she means business. Some of her more coherent words are:

"Mama", "Da da", "Ayden", "De de" (her nickname for her special blanket), "dinkty" (this refers to her binky), "ah me" (which she says when she wants something), "hi", "bye", "dee do" (thank you), "eezz" (please), and "ah doe" (there you go). She says "na na" for banana, Nana Jan, and night night.

I'm so glad that Myla is in our family. I'm lucky to have such a fun and easy baby. She was so good all last weekend with all the late nights and long days celebrating the 4th. She is the perfect addition to our crazy family.

Sophie Lynn

Oh this girl. She always keeps us entertained. Not only is she still (on occasion) all kinds of trouble, she is totally hilarious. She keeps us laughing. Some of her recent side splitting one liners are:

"Mom, I know what an orphan is. It's a lonely kid with crazy hair."

"Wow Dad! Myla's diaper smells like a firework!"

She's also very inquisitive. She asks me questions all the time like:

"Mom, why did Jesus make spiders?"

"Mom, did Jesus make my bed?"

"Mom, why do girls have big boo boos?"

"Mom, how did Jesus make houses?"

"Mom, when I'm a mom will you be dead?"

"Mom, why did Jesus make flies?"

"Mom, when you are dead will I be Myla's mommy?"

She is always working through things in her head and trying to make sense of her world.

She still loves anything messy that she can rub on herself. Lotion, sun screen, soap, make up, dirt, you name it. We were watching a show the other day where a girl fell face first into the mud. Sophie busted up laughing and said "I wish that would happen to me! Then I'd be all dirty!" And she really does LOVE being dirty.

Sophie has the best facial expressions. She watches movies and tries to copy the expressions she sees on the actors faces. This is her making the face of Juilet on the movie Gnomeo and Juliet:

"Or a purple hat like . . . like some Wierd guy"

Sophie has surprised me with how smart she is. I always knew Ayden would be smart because he spoke very well at a young age and he was always interested in letters. Sophie has surprised me though, because it all comes so naturally to her. She reads almost as well as Ayden does now. She has an incredible ability to figure out what words are based on their context in the sentence and not just sounding out alone. And the way her mind works, I can tell she is always thinking through things and weighing things out.

Sophie loves to swim and has improved a lot during her second round of swimming lessons this summer. She is so fearless, which is a good thing, but when it comes to water safety a little apprehension is probably better. But at Cherryhill she is a little fish and I can hardly get her out of the water.

Sophie is a great part of our family. She has a lot of energy and brings a lot of excitement. I am excited and a little nervous at the same time to think about her growing up.