Sibling Snapshot - Xavier 6 years, Audra 18 months

It's been a while since I've been on here for an update of the kids.  Audra has changed so much since her first birthday!  She's copying everything we do - putting everybody's shoes on her feet, she tries (and often succeeds) putting her leg through every piece of clothing she finds laying around, she repeats every word we ask her to.  We constantly are told "she's the happiest baby!"  Xavier started Kindergarten last week and we are all adjusting to the new routine having a nanny in the house with the kids full time.  Xavier just stopped taking naps when K started.  He had a busy summer with two weeks of Safety Town and three weeks of summer camps at Wellington (polar opposites, time to get messy where he cooked and played in mud, and space camp).  He will tell you he had two girlfriends this summer, Collins and Emily.  :)

So let's get to it!

Xavier

Age:  Just turned 6 years old two weeks ago!

Clothes:  Boys small/medium.  Favorites are clothing with super heros, space, Mario Bros, and Under Armour.  He also loves funky socks pulled up as high as they go (which actually is the fad!)

Favorite Foods:  chicken nuggets, broccoli, lettuce (we have to take it away from him!), Daddy's instapot carrots, pizza, oranges, grapes, apple and peanut butter, fig newtons, oatmeal cream pies.

Favorite Games:  Monkey in the Middle, Candy Land, Uno, Don't Step In It, any Mario video game, and any game where we have to keep score.

Least Favorite Activities:  Writing, coloring, drawing, and reading.  He says these activities are boring, which makes sense coming from a guy who is so active! haha!

Xavier is Mr. Social.  He can make friends faster than anyone I've ever met.  Watching him interact with others makes us so proud.  He's polite, caring, and kind.  Also funny and quick witted, always up for initiating a game.  There's never a dull moment with Xavier around.  He talks a lot and even says to me "I'm a talker".  The other day he told me "I literally cannot stand silence." haha!  His Kindergarten teacher says he's "an amazing student" and his pre-K teacher told us she's "going to miss all of his stories."  Everything is more fun with Xavier around.  Even if it's a trip to the grocery.  We have our best talks on the way to our Saturday morning breakfasts at Fox in the Snow.

Xavier is into video games, loves playing basketball, tennis, t-ball, gymnastics and most other sports.  We are signing him up for boy scouts this year, basketball through the school, and soccer in the spring.  He loves staying active and social.  Xavier always asks me if I wish I was a kid again because he has so much fun.  He also told us that his 6th birthday party at Wendy's gymnastics was so good that it wiped out all his bad dreams and good dreams.  It's my goal to raise happy, confident, sociable kids.  I guess we are doing something right!

Audra

Age:  18 months

Clothes:  Wearing mostly 18-24 month and 2T.  She is wearing size 4-5 shoe and is loving taking everybody's shoes and putting them on her feet while she says "foot" or "soo".  She pulls random things off the floor (socks, her pants) and puts her foot through them.  She does a great job and can always get shorts up to her hip!  Lover of playing dress up.  Just yesterday, I introduced her to mittens and she cried when I took them off of her.

Favorite Foods:  blueberries, oatmeal, string cheese, goldfish, oranges, fish filet, chicken nuggets, pizza, Daddy's signature meatballs, most Italian food that isn't heavy on noodles.

Least Favorite Foods:  Anything green, all vegetables except sweet potatoes, pasta.

Favorite Words:  "oat. meal. pize" (oatmeal pies), "soo" (shoe), "noce" c sounds like c in nice (nose), mommy, bubble, doggy, oh boy, aw man, uh-oh, bye, hi (the most cheery greeting when we enter a room). 
Favorite Songs: ABC song (Dr. Jen said she's never heard another 18 month old recite the alphabet, but Audra can!), Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Row Row Row Your Boat

Favorite Activities:  Oh where to begin!  She likes standing on the bed or couch and falling down while screaming, stacking blocks, reading her books while baby babbling the story, opening cabinet doors, playing with food in her kitchen and pretend washing her hands.  We rarely turn the TV on for her, but she loves the music to SpongeBob and Mother Goose Club.  She's also super anal about putting things back in their place (ooh, do we have ourselves a little auditor in training?!!).  Putting on shoes and crawling around the house (cutest to watch).  She loves to dance to music and throw her food down to the dog when we leave the room.  Rebel!  Audra for the most part is very careful and a rule follower.  When she wants to reach for the outlets, she goes for it, then stops.  Same with other things we've told her "no" for.  She also has learned how to turn her body around and go feet first off the couch!  I only showed her once!  She loves to play like big people, especially cards.  She is so careful around a deck of cards and does not destroy the deck.  She carefully places each card back on the deck, or holds a few in her hand... at 1.5 years old!  She also is careful to put everything back in its place, books and toys back in the basket, etc.


Prefers People magazine to the tablet. :)

Favorite Things:  Right now, she mostly copies what Xavier is doing, but she also loves her baby doll and all stuffed animals.  If she hasn't seen it in a while, she always gives it a hug and pats its back.  So cute!  When she hugs us, she always pats our backs.  She loves to dance to music, put on stickers, read her books, and is starting to try drawing with crayons and sidewalk chalk.  She loves plowing head first into the couch pillows. 

Signature Moves:  When she stands up in the bath, she looks at me, waiting for me to tell her to sit.  Then she repeats "sit".  Giving hugs to her brother on demand.  Patting our backs when she hugs us.  Giving her toys and snacks to the dog while he's in his bed.  Always speed crawling to see who's at the door, stopping, and greeting us with the most enthusiastic "hi" when we get home from work.  Laughing when we laugh.  Handing us her book when she wants read to.

Milestones:  Audra has started not liking being strapped in to her high chair and stroller and wants to be free!  She can count to 5 perfectly, and to 10 with a little help.  She says "poop" when she stinkers and goes in her diaper.  She's also very curious when I use the potty, always investigating to see what I'm sitting on!  Uses a brush to brush her hair, stands up on her own, and eats with a fork.  She likes to put the shapes through the cut-outs in her toy picnic basket and does a great job with it!