It seems like Autumn just woke up one day and started talking like crazy. She uses sentences and can pretty much tell you everything she wants and doesn't want. She copies everything Parker says and somethings sound co cute coming out of her little mouth. Lately, she has been using the word, "Sure," to answer my questions. It just makes her seem so old when I ask if she wants cereal and she says, "Sure." She was very excited about her first piggie tails recently and will still let me put them in occasionally, although they don't last long. She loves to says prayers. In fact, we usually have to say at least 2 prayers every time we pray. One for the person that Paul has called on to pray and then, Autumn gets a turn, unless of course, Autumn is chosen (which is definitely the case when we are in a hurry to eat).
Autumn is all girl, yet she still wants to do everything Parker does. So it becomes a little bit of a contradiction when she wants to play football, but she has reconciled it by playing "pink football". Which brings me to my next note; she wants everything PINK. If there is something pink (or even purple), then she assumes it is hers. A few weeks ago, Parker, Autumn and I were playing a game outside where they pretended to be different animals, cars, trains, and even different cartoon characters. I would tell them what they were and then they would run around the grass acting like that person or thing. When they were tired of that thing, they would come back to find out what they should be next. Sometime during this game it became this:
Me: Now you are Zebras!
Parker: Yeah!
Autumn: I want to be Pink Zebra.
Me: Now you are going to be Cars!
Parker: Vroom Vroom!
Autumn: I Pink Car.
Me: Now you are Diego!
Parker: Diego! Go Diego Go!
Autumn: I Pink Diego!
At this, I started laughing. And she laughed because she thought she was so funny! Since then, she has wanted to have pink everything and it makes us laugh. For example, a pink football jersey, pink any toy that Parker has, pink shoes, pink spoon, pink bike, pink chicken nuggets, pink Mom, pink Dad and continues on to things that are even funnier. When Paul found out that he passed the Bar, he told the kids, "I passed my big test!" Autumn immediately responded, "I pass pink test." We all laughed!
Autumn is 2 years old and it is very apparent because everything is "Mine!" Although she has entered this trying phase, she is still a sweet, snuggling, Mama's girl. It is hard when she wants me to do everything and I feel bad when she sometimes won't even let Paul do things for her. But generally, I love that she wants her Mom. She loves story time at the library and is really into singing action songs. She loves music and to dance. She recently got a pink bike for her birthday and now is already learning to pedal. Paul and I recently realized that she no longer sucks on her two fingers. I am happy that we don't have to break her from this habit, but it is sad to realize that our Baby Girl is growing up!
Parker is our fun, cute, active, smart and funny 4 year old boy. Parker has always been more of a Daddy's Boy and I think Paul loves it. Lately, he loves to play fight all the time with his Dad. Parker often tells us different things he wants to be when he grows up; a fireman, a truck worker, a squad leader (Paul was a squad leader for a while during his training), a football player, etc. He always starts the conversation by asking, "Can I be a fireman and a Dad?" When I answer affirmatively, he says, "Okay, then I want to be a Dad and a fireman (or what ever is his current occupation of choice). He has a great Dad and wants to be just like him.
Parker is now officially allergic to peanuts. We finally had him tested, but are still hoping he will grow out of it.
Parker got a bike for his birthday, but it was too big for him to ride. After going through a few bikes, we have finally found one that fits him and that he will ride and he loves it! He continues to amaze us with the things he knows and remembers. I have tried to put this to good use and he recently memorized my cell phone number, in case of emergency. Hopefully, we can fill him up with more things that are useful. He loves to learn new songs. If I am singing a song that he doesn't know. He will listen and stare at me. If I stop, he will say, "What is that song? Where did you learn it?" Then he will ask me to sing it again so he can learn it. Parker has been in the "Why?" phase for a little while now. It is fun and draining at the same time. The Why's never end.
Me: Parker, please go get your shoes on.
Parker: Why?
Me: We are going to the store.
Parker: Why?
Me: We need to get some food.
Parker: Why?
Me: We don't have very much food. We need to get more.
Parker: Why?
Me: Parker, when I ask you to do something, please don't ask why. Just do it.
Parker: Why?
(And he still does not have his shoes on.)
Parker and Autumn still share a room, but that doesn't keep Parker from being scared on occasion. One night after putting the kids to bed, Parker called for me from his room. When I checked on him, he said he was scared. I reminded him that he could say a prayer if he was scared and Heavenly Father would help him to feel safe. I asked him if he wanted me to help him say a prayer and he said that he would do it himself. As I closed the door, I heard him begin so I stayed to listen; "Dear Heavenly Father, I'm scared. Can you help me? In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." It really is amazing how the simple prayer of a child helped me remember that I, too, can pray to my Father in Heaven when things in my life get hard or scary. The other day while we were eating lunch, I thought that I heard someone outside, so I turned around and looked out the window to see who it was.
Parker: Why did you look out the window?
Me: I thought that I heard a voice out there, but no one was there.
Parker: Wait, Wait, Wait. Was it a soft voice?
Me: Yes.
Parker: (Excitedly) Oh I know who it was! It was the Holy Ghost!
A few weeks ago, Parker and Autumn and I sat down to eat dinner. I got them their food and was dishing up my own, when Parker said, "Mom, Your soup is the best soup. Thanks for this delicious soup!" How did this little boy learn to make me feel so special? What a cute boy!
