19 Months Old

Kayla:
-  Has learned that pushing Matthew will move him away.
-  LOVES coffee.  With hazelnut cream in it or without - she doesn't care!
-  LOVES eating corn.
-  Doesn't like to wear socks and shoes.  It's not uncommon to see her running around in bare feet.  She gets frustrated when she's wearing tights.
-  Likes to pull Matthew's socks off.  She knows to stick her finger in between his ankle and his sock to get it started.
-  Had her first hair "cut" (i.e. trimming her whispy hair behind her ears) just before church on Sunday, September 30th.
-  LOVES walking around with her two blankets and her stuffed animal.  If you ask her to put them away she knows that the knit blanket goes on the rocking chair, and her fuzzy blanket and stuffed animal go in her crib.
-  LOVES walking around with my hairbrush, brushing her (or Matthew's) hair.
-  LOVES pulling a toy boat around the house.  I had bought the boats at the end of last  summer so that Matthew and Kayla could use them in Penticton/Cultus this summer, but they didn't really understand what to do.  Since summer has ended they now understand what to do, and can always be seen pulling random toys around the house in their boats.
-  Knows how to go "cheers" with her cup (thanks to Candice)
-  Can touch our door knobs and can pull the door open/closed, but doesn't know how to turn them.
-  Loves jumping on the trampoline
-  Loves playing with mega bloks
-  Loves playing with dolls and barbies.
-  Had her nails painted (by me) for the very first time on October 14th.
-  Words:  Ma (Matthew), Ba (Ball), Buh (Button)

Matthew:
-  His feelings get hurt when Kayla pushes him away or takes his toy.  His cry is so sad!
-  Still keeps his last bite of food in his mouth.  I had given Matthew and Kayla a thin slice of raw red pepper the other day while I was cooking (yes, I was cooking, not Jon!).  They took it and went back to playing on the deck.  A few minutes later I hear crying and saw that Matthew had fallen backwards off of the kids picnic table.  I picked him up, and noticed the front of his tongue looked chewed up.  My first thought was, "Oh shit, he bit the front of his tongue off!"  I quickly brought him inside, and then he started to cough due to his sobbing...and then out flew a chewed up red thing onto the ground.  My first thought was, "Oh shit, his tongue is on my floor!"...but upon closer inspection I noticed that it was just his last bite of red pepper, all chewed up but not swallowed.
-  Knows how to nod his head to say, "yes", but only when prompted to.
-  Did a summersault on his own on October 4th.
-  Loves to give open-mouth kisses.
-  LOVES pulling a toy boat around the house.  I had bought the boats at the end of last  summer so that Matthew and Kayla could use them in Penticton/Cultus this summer, but they didn't really understand what to do.  Since summer has ended they now understand what to do, and can always be seen pulling random toys around the house in their boats.
-  Walked down my parents two steps (from the kitchen to the family room) without holding on to anything/anyone on October 12th.
-  LOVES walking around with my hairbrush, brushing his hair.
-  Can touch our door knobs and can pull the door open/closed, but doesn't know how to turn them.
-  Loves jumping on the trampoline
-  Loves playing with mega bloks
-  Will willingly play dolls or barbies with Kayla
-  Will imitate my "fire truck" sound
-  Loves the lawn mower.  As soon as he hears Jon or my Dad on it he whines for a ride.

Our schedule:
7:15am  Wake Up & Breakfast.  I gave them cheerios in milk for breakfast, and they ate so much.  Ever since, they have been even worse at eating their baby cereal.  I think it's time to stop doing baby cereal.

7:45am  Bath time.  I typically wait for Matthew to have done his morning poo before giving them a bath :)

9:45am  Snack - some sort of finger food.

12:00pm  Lunch - between half to a whole slice each and then a fruit of some sort.

12:45pm  Nap Time

3:00pm  Wake Up & Snack Time - typically yogurt or a smoothie

5:30pm  Dinner.  Jon and I have set some new rules about dinner time, after Jon was quite embarrassed over Matthew and Kayla's refusal to eat at my parents and constant whining at the table on October 12th.  Now, they MUST eat all of the food on their plate before they can leave the table.  Matthew's protested this once or twice, but quickly realized that once we finished all his dinner then he could play.  Kayla, on the other hand, likes to protest it at every meal.  Eventually, she ends up eating it all...even if it's an hour later.  If only one of them has finished by the time we leave for my parents' for a cup of coffee, then only that one child gets to come with me, and the other stays behind until they've finished.  I'm hoping they'll become great eaters out of this (and by great I don't mean that they have to eat a lot...they just have to eat it all)...and maybe they'll put on a few extra pounds?  :)

6:30pm  To my parents' for a cup of coffee

7:45pm  Bottles, Teeth Brushing, and Books

8:00pm  Bed-time.