Colin at 21 months

We're still calming down from Anna's fourth birthday but got to celebrate 21 months with Colin today. He has become quite the chatty boy although I can't quite seem to get it on video! Tonight he sung the whole alphabet song and all of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," counted all the way to 13, said "grasshopper..." and when I tried to turn my phone's video camera on, he became silent. Darn it! Suddenly every utterance has changed from one or two words to three or more. He's become more adventurous in trying to pronounce words. Although he's not always completely successful, he's trying to say words like "caterpillar" and "helicoptor." The are becoming more and more intelligible - it's so fun to watch!

Colin seems to be changing physically - everyone has remarked lately how much he looks like a little boy instead of a baby. He's getting stronger and stronger - constantly climbing stairs, hanging from bars, and swinging bats will do that. He's become less and less picky with food which means he's beefing up a bit - good thing he is active and I have to run all over trying to prevent him from hitting anyone with a baseball bat! He is absolutely obsessed with baseball - it's what he wants to play at most times of the day.

This month we got to go back to the East Coast to visit our families in Philadelphia and Maryland. The kids were thrilled to get on a plane! Colin and Anna did pretty well on the trip considering they were sleeping in three different places and getting used to many different environments. Colin got to visit a fire station with his Pop-Pop and although timid at first, he warmed up and was able to get up in and on the truck. He also got to visit Sesame Place and meet Elmo and Big Bird. When we returned from our trip, all he said at daycare the first day back was "Elmo!" He'll tell you he touched "Big Bird nose!" He got to see his cousins Nicholas, Logan, and Nathan (who looks very similar to Colin!)

We are back to our school routine as of this week. We're happy to be back on a schedule but will miss the freedom of summer.

Take a look at this month's pictures, which include a few from Anna's birthday party:

Colin at 21 Months

Anna is 4!

Anna is four years old! And oh my how she's grown! She's reading on her own, writing short notes to her friends and family, dancing, playing soccer, swimming, and starting her first year at Sacred Heart with Karen.We've had a fun, busy summer (more on that later) and, although it's sad to see it wind down, we're all excited to start the new year.

 

Anna spent the spring preparing for her first dance recital, which occurred in June. She did an excellent job!

Anna's first love is reading - no matter what, she is always happy to read a book. She is now capable of reading books at the third grade level.

Anna got to travel to Monterey with her family this summer and see the famous aquarium there.

She enjoyed her trip back east to visit her grandparents. Here is a great picture of her at Sesame Place.

Here Anna is enjoying the Howard County Fair in Maryland with her brother and cousin.

Anna starts preschool at Sacred Heart next week and is very excited for new friends and challenges. She's signed up for swimming classes and gymnastics. We'll celebrate her birthday with a party in our courtyard - we're expecting quite a crowd! We'll be sure to post some pictures.