It seems like we are sliding through 2010 without much notice being given to the passage of time.  Sometimes one gets so mired in the everyday routine that, without realizing it, events sneak up on you.  Just a few days ago I realized that my daughter’s birthday is in a few short weeks.  And not only that, but she will be THREE.  While often times life does seem removed from those hazy baby days, it certainly does not seem possible that three years are coming to a finish so quickly.  Anyway…

The beginning of 2010 has brought me a 34 month old (see?  still just a wee babe when you phrase it like that) and a 17 month old.  The bigger one decided that, after several months of crocodile tears, we probably weren’t going to let her be a preschool dropout.  I don’t think she could figure a way around the teachers telling us how those tears would dry up about three seconds after we dropped her off.  So this past week, she marched her little self into class (and her speech therapy session) with hardly a wave goodbye.  She also acquired a fan in the 4.5 year old big brother of one of her classmates.  He has taken to wanting to hold her hand and give her farewell hugs and kisses at the start of class.  It’s one of the sweetest sites you can imagine.  Just random kindness from a little guy with a benevolent soul.  It gives me so much hope for sending both my kids out into the big world.

Kailey’s speech is also starting to develop in slightly larger and more noticeable leaps or at least hops.  As she becomes more comfortable with her new voice, she is dropping her signs and using words (or approximations) as her preferred communication.  We hear “more” all the time, which sounds a bit like I would imagine Oliver Twist to say the word, like a little British imp.  Again (gan) is another favorite and she’s on a very familiar basis with Elmo, just calling him her ‘Mo.  It’s indescribable how lovely it is to finally hear her tiny voice, even if it seems she prefers to use it for issuing commands like a little dictator.  I am sure she is already interviewing for replacement (i.e. more cooperative) minions.

Mr. Lucas.  What can I say?  He’s ummm, passionate?  Happy with his whole heart and unhappy with the same amount of enthusiasm.  He’s a smart little whipper-snapper, so there’s really no “diverting” him from whatever he has in his mind…be it wanting to run around with a key in the upward position (i.e. poised to take out an eye, should he stumble) or thinking he should be allowed to eat an entire jar of Dove dark chocolates (though who can blame him for trying?!).  Not being able to persuade him something else is more fun than daddy’s Swiss Army knife has led to many a tantrum.  Whenever anyone else happens to witness his drama, I am always left wondering if they think that was the first time we bothered to say ‘no’ to the kid.  Because, that’s how much drama he displays.  Every time we say ‘no.’  Which is all the time.  The kid is nothing if not persistent.  Luckily, we are more persistent and the Swiss Army knife has stayed out of his little paws.

Lucas and Kailey both have been delightful with their pretend play these days.  Kailey throws elaborate tea parties for Elmo (or ‘Mo) and Horton (a la Dr. Seuss).  She spreads her wooden bread with some sort of pretend confection (probably her favorite chocolate peanut butter spread) and pours everyone a spot of tea.  After tea, any number of baby dolls are strapped into the old stroller and given a tour of the house.  Lucas does a little pretending too, mostly at the play kitchen, stirring pots on the stove and taking things in and out of the refrigerator.  But he’s also quite the little mimic.  He has always loved to watch Bill shave and used whatever toy happened to be in reach to act as his own little razor, but he keeps adding more and more detail to the routine, like pretending to put on deodorant and stepping in Bill’s sneakers to head off to the gym.  They are such fun little hams.

One other thing as of late, is that both kids think it’s hilarious to say no (or sometimes “nah”) if we ask for a hug or kiss.  Guess this is good preparation for the teenage years.  Little goobers.

We are getting into the swing of the current tax season.  I have been dreading it, but so far it’s going okay.  My closest friend and I were talking the other day about how I ended up doing the preschool pickup by myself (juggling both kids) one of the days last week.  As I told her, it went the same as I thought it would (HARD!), but that my attitude about it was better.  That’s what I am working on this year.  Not a resolution.  I don’t make those.  But just part of my continual self-improvement effort.  With two young kids, a very busy husband, a job, a house full of responsibility, etc, it’s easy to get caught up in frustration at times.  But I have realized that not only am I wasting energy being frustrated with things that aren’t going to change (there’s no laundry fairy, right?), but while I sometimes feel better by venting about my day, most of the time it just keeps me stuck in the “argh” mode.  When really, I ultimately get more satisfaction by pushing through and coming out the other side after a job well done.  It’s actually been really easy to make this small change (which has made a big difference) and hopefully it sticks as things get even more hectic around here.

I guess this is a decent (long!) update.  I always have things I want to write, but either I lack the time to sit down and string my thoughts together or by the time I have a few minutes, my thoughts won’t gel.  But life is good.  Really good.