we survived!

Well, knock on wood, we are all healthy again, after the WORST stomach bug ever! We are so grateful to be feeling good again, and that no one had to get treated for dehydration. The babies are back to normal, and funnier than ever. I think they are going through a big mental growth spurt- suddenly so smart and into learning anything they can absorb! I LOVE watching it and encouraging it. The best thing that happened this week was on the first day they felt a lot better. Oliver was crying about something- often when he stumbles, I try to give him a few seconds to work it out on his own and recover. I ask him if he's ok and offer him a hug if he'd like to come to me. Anyhow, on this day, he tripped a little, and started crying. He looked up at me, but before I could say anything, Violet was there, wrapping her arms around him and saying, "ok? ok?" (actually it was "k? k?"). I'm telling you, I felt like my heart would explode!!!! However, it was not what Ollie was hoping for and he shoved her off....Since then it's happened twice more, and the last time, he begrudgingly hugged her back. Unbelievably cute.

A few other things:

*Violet is amazingly skilled in animals all of a sudden! Naming them, making their sounds, and matching the sound up with the correct animal. One day, the TV was on and we heard "baa!baa!". She looked at me and said "sheep!" (really more like "sheeeeee"). She loves walking around with her little animals, playing with them, kissing them, and handing them up for me to kiss.

*Oliver is loving hats, or anything that goes on your head or face; sunglasses, headbands, etc. If he finds a hat, he brings it over to us and angles his head so we'll put it on, and says, "hat!". He'll wear it for hours....too cute.

*Oliver now loves corn dogs.

*Violet is learning her ABC's. She likes to "sing" the song along with me, and also will point out letters wherever she sees them. In a book, on a soup label; she points to them and sings the song.

*Violet's language skills are skyrocketing. She will repeat anything (and I mean, anything!) you say to her, and she remembers it! She can read two of her little books after memorizing the words. Oliver is a little more solely comprehensive. He still babbles a ton, but isn't into repeating things. However, if you ask him to go into the kitchen and get the book about Charlie Parker and give it to Grammy, he'll do it.


















Oliver, trying to engage in a little post-bath chat. Violet would rather read, thank you.