Isabele the Big Girl

We have been busy the last two weeks working on potty training with Isabele.  She picked up the idea pretty quickly and was down to 1 or 2 accidents by day 3!  It took us a little over a week to get her to poop in the toilet, and we still have some work to do in that area.  And for 2 nights in a row now, she has been dry all night - 10-11 hours!!  I'm hoping that by the time she is 2 (in 2 weeks), she'll be able to tell me when she needs to go to the bathroom, and that for the most part she will not be having accidents in her underpants.

Her personality is growing up sooo much in the last few weeks.  She expresses her self much better and has 5-6 word sentences from time to time.  The other day she was watching Aunt Hannie (her version of Auntie Hannah - we all say it the right way and she always says it her way) as said, clear as day "What happened to it?" 

Last Friday I got her hair cut.  I was tired of it looking so scraggly.  It's too short for my liking, but I think it will grow out nicer now.  I'll try to get some good pictures soon.  She was really good at the beauty shop.  she sat on her board and held my hand the whole time and didn't cry at all.  And she held pretty still, for an almost 2 year old.

She is also back to sleeping all night.  Still likes to get up before 7.  Now if I can just get Titus to stay in his own bed all night, then I wouldn't mind getting up before 7AM.

Isabele on Lucy.

 pitts

Isabele riding

Titus

 Titus can ride his bike standing up.
Titus is learning how to read.  We are up to lesson 22 and he's doing well.  I can see that things are starting to click in his brain and maybe make a little more sense.  We will keep plugging along, 25 minutes a day and he will soon be literate.
He likes to help Brian in the garage, regardless of what Brian is working on. 
He likes to help me in the kitchen, as long as it's fun stuff, like peeling apples to go in the dehydrator.
And, most of the time, he plays very nicely with Isabele.

Isabele

Isabele can almost run.

She talks all the time and repeats everything.

Today (October 4th) we started potty training and she's doing great!!  

She loves to do everything that Titus does.  

She's so girl.  Loves to wear crazy colors and knows how to put on a show.

She smiles from ear to ear, never just a little.

She is good for Titus.  She pushes his comfort zone from time to time ... 

Rainboots and Bare Feet

The Ft Wayne Zoo

We made a trip to the Ft Wayne Zoo this fall.  It was a beautiful day and the zoo was pretty empty.  Some of the rides were 1/2 off, so we went on the Sky Chairs and on the train.  I think the kids had a good time.  Their favorites were the zebras and the giraffes. 

Rockets

Brian got some model rockets about a month ago to shoot off with the kids.  His brother Mike had recently gotten some and was talking to Brian about them.  Here are some pictures from the first launch day.  Since then, we have gone twice more and both kids like to push the button.  The first day, Isabele launched hers.  It took Titus a bit longer to get into it, but he launched one all by himself on our second outing.  Here are a couple of pictures from the first trip.