March in our house

Some quick updates on the kids.

Heidi is learning so fast it is scary. I am sure every parent thinks that. If I learned at the same rate I would be so smart! Her favorite games right now are "What is that,' "What does___ start with," and make-believe. The first one is a favorite in the car. I will hear this constant stream of chatter in the back seat about Mater, Mac, and Teh bear. Then all of a sudden, a demanding: "I said, What is that!?" Then I have to guess what she was pointing at 2 blocks back. The other games she plays by herself which I love listening to. It is so strange to hear every thought she has. She does the typical two year old things. "Go away, Daddy!" We are torn between laughing, letting it go and getting her to speak more respectfully. Mostly we just let it go and laugh about it when she goes to bed. When she is older it won't be acceptable, but I don't think it will be a problem then either. She loves playing with Mason and beating up Mason. It always shocks her when he cries.

Mason is learning to hold his own though. He always has a tight grip on his toys and I have seen him swipe back at her. He is also learning so fast. He walks now, not all the time, but enough. He loves chasing toys that move by themselves and pushing little cars or balls around. He loves peek-a-boo, lift the flap books, patty-cake and trot-little-horsie. No matter how much Heidi may pick on him, he loves her and is always trying to do what she does.

Heidi and Mason love to play with the tricycle. Our house has a large island in the middle and their favorite activity is going around and around on the tricycle. Mason usually rides and Heidi is chased by or chases him. When I say Mason rides, I mean I push him around, obviously.

I do other things besides push a tricycle. I am in the young women program now and still trying to figure out what I am doing there. I sometimes forget that the girls are still in their teens they seem so much more mature than I was. I spend most of my time on my kids though. I don't think we will put Heidi in preschool, but I want her to have some of the fun oppertunities they have there, so I spend a lot of time reading child development books and preschool activity books. I have read so many I could teach a class! In my free time I am working on a wall quilt and working out.

A lot of people asked if we go star gazing. In Sitka, if you want to see the stars you go out on a cold, clear, winter night. By about 6:30 or 7 the stars are beautiful. However, it is usually so cold that we don't get the telescope out or even stay out that long. In the summer, it is way too light out to really see the stars. And because Sitka is a rainforest is is usually cloudy. Needless to say, there is not an astronomy group here. :)