A Mother's update to her children....

Dear Carter and Logan,

Mommy was making some observations this week regarding your development and growth and decided that it was a good time to update you on the things you are doing.
- You both love board books, but are still tempted sometimes to chew on them. Carter, you also love to see how the pages will bend. It's cute, but most of your favorite books aren't going to last very long.

- Carter, you've started to walk (or crawl occasionally) backwards for no reason other than you feel like it. Your balance is very good and you are a confident walker.
- Logan, your walking is good as well, though when you get tired or excited you start to stumble like a drunken sailor. This is very entertaining, but has caused more than one bruise on your poor little forehead. You run into stuff nightly in your flailing enthusiasm but many times you bounce back and take the blows in stride.
- Logan,  you are getting very efficient with your spoon and INSIST at most meal times to scoop your own food while mom or dad holds the bowl. It makes for some very messy meals, but I'm proud of you anyway. You do drive mom a little crazy when you pick food off your tray and toss it on the floor though. You've also gotten very good at climbing/scaling the chair at the table and getting yourself into a high chair.
- Carter, you're not as interested in spooning your own food, but you do like to practice when your brother points out that he's better at it than you. You are much more patient at mealtimes but if you are hungry you usually let us know.

- Carter, you are also getting very good at showing affection and you now offer kisses all the time. A couple of days ago you even consented and gave your brother one for the first time! You are very sweet little man. You are understanding more and more every day and have started to go get things and bring them back to me when I ask. You like to play keep away when you get to me, but the progress is still there, and you think the game is very entertaining.
- Logan, you have begun coloring all the time and for the most part you avoid eating the crayons. When you aren't coloring, you have begun pushing the step stool up to the sink in the kitchen and "washing" dishes for more than 20 minutes at a time. This is very cute, but you have a tendency to eat the bubbles. Dad thinks this is hilarious. The decision has been made that as soon as you are efficient, this will be your first household chore.

- Both of your eyes light up and heads snap towards the stairs when I ask if you are ready to go upstairs and take a nap. Usually you will both race to the bottom of the stairs and wait for me to remove the gate, then fling yourselves up the stairs in a mini race. However, if one of you gets ahead you will typically turn and wait, encouraging your brother to catch up. Rarely are you willing to go anywhere without your other half, which mommy and daddy both appreciate right now.

- Carter, you've got the sign for "more" down by pointing one finger into your other fist. Logan, you just point and whine, but both methods get the point across. As neither of you are really using any words, this is the most consistent form of communication so far. However, you are both talking constantly and your words are so close to forming. Logan, you like to say "Ga-den," which sounds like garden with a Bronx like accent, and sometimes you yell "DUT!!" at things. Originally we thought you had "duck" down, until we realized that this is just your favorite sound.
- Carter, you finally had a haircut last weekend. Mom couldn't stand it anymore and you were actually confused for a little girl which finally convinced me to do it. But Dad insisted on getting to do the first haircut, not a bad idea, but not the greatest. You look like a young man now instead of a little baby, very cute, and a big change from your long-haired appearance. You cried for a bit and were a little freaked out, but since daddy was doing it you seemed better off then had we gone to a stranger.

You are both doing a very good job of adjusting to your new surroundings and developing into mommy's little men. You are showing more and more personality every day and clearly you are becoming more intelligent little people. Soon we will have made the switch to one nap a day, and you feeding yourselves something other than crackers and finger foods. Maybe at that point daddy will get his wish and you can start doing yard and house work. For now, congratulations on doing this well, and we love you very much.

-Mommy