"I Do It Self"

The kids are in a difficult stage (but I should say that I have a very, very annoying cold that doesn't help my disposition). They are testing out their independence and they want to do everything by themselves. If you make the mistake of helping them down the stairs or into their carseats, buckling anything, or helping them take their jackets off you are rewarded with instant crying and whining about "want to do it self," and then them asking to put things back on, walk back to where you picked them up, etc. so they can do it over on their own. I am usually ok with it, but it can drive you crazy when it is raining (or snowing more likely lately), when you are in an hurry, or when they are just being defiant when you have something you need to do. As much as their newfound, even more pronounced defiance toward us is frustrating - their new appreciation for each other is absoloutely adorable. This afternoon Tyler hit his eye with a book and asked me to kiss it and make it better. I was driving and couldn't so he looked at Katie and said - Katie kiss it. Katie blew him a kiss and said all better Tyler and he said thank you Katie it IS all better. So sweet, and just one example of how they are interacting lately. They are having more "conversations," and playing together with less (I know that it could just be for right now) fighting and whining. They are definitely in a tv stage - a few shows absolutely mesmerize them and they are starting to interact with them when Dora asks a question or Yo Gabba Gabba teaches them a dance. All in all everything is pretty manageable and the tv distraction admittedly helps and is a new consequence to throw at them for misbehaving, but if this is just the beginning of why people say 3 is worse than 2 then we are in for it!

Some random photos!

One of our only pics from the circus.

Tyler insisted on wearing his undies with his raindrop boots (that is what he calls them because of a book we read). We aren't working with him much, but Katie is doing great. She doesn't have accidents as long as we remember to take her to the potty - a step in the right direction, now if we can just get her to tell us when she has to go!

Katie in the rocker in Gatlinburg.

Whack-A-Mole was fun for our destructive twosome!