weekly portraits

this time right now with the kiddos has been good. we've been taking it slow, and even though our schedule of morning out, lunch at home, nap, playtime, dinner, bath, bed has pretty much stayed the same, it has felt a little less hectic, even on those couple of days where evie wouldn't stop pulling the kitchen gate down and i had to basically camp out in the opening to play with wilder and keep her from falling down the stairs, ha! (we have since replaced the gate and now i can actually cook without worrying about evie getting into mischief;) i have been consciously ignoring my phone more often and spending more face time (the real kind of face time) with my babies. wilder's imagination is exploding, and all he asks for all day is for someone to play with him, so i've been on the floor with him a lot and loving it. it makes us both happier and more content and connected when we ignore the anxious feeling to "get something done" and focus on the important work in front of us. evie really likes trying to play too, and it is so cute to watch her intently observe and try to copy her brother all day long. especially because i know she doesn't really know why we're pretending to eat blocks (cake! made with falafel and stew and blueberries and cream and tomatoes and eggs!;), or making our stuffed animals move while we talk in funny voices, or using his stethoscope to give teddy a checkup.

wilder:
tries to point out "nursery and the 3-yr-olds room" when we are driving around, even though we may not be anywhere near church. i think he is on the lookout because he doesn't like going, haha!
is still obsessed with "the funny bird" and "the broken bird" (sculptures in the yard of one of the houses near us) and has to be prepped far in advance if we are not going to be able to drive by and look at them on our way home. usually we do though.
is hyper aware of the camera, which then translates to this look on his face that makes it seem like he's upset or in a bad mood, but he's really not! just sensitive to what's going on around him.
is OBSESSED with this Melissa&Doug puzzle that we recently pulled down from the closet that is basically an analog form of Endless Alphabet (which he is only allowed to play on special occasions). all day long he asks how to spell something, and then goes and spells it out with the little wooden letters after i tell him. he has always been obsessed with the alphabet, so this is just the next natural progression. i love this kind of activity because it doesn't require me to leap about the room, haha.
is the most caring, protective older brother (sometimes;) and always comes in to pat and kiss evie on the head when i'm giving her a bottle before nap or bedtime.

evie:
acts like she isn't still healing from the second degree burns she got last week and is just as much of a wild woman as before! (i.e., a constant heart attack)
is going through a stronger separation anxiety than wilder did at this age, which i never though she would because she seems so much more independent in some ways.
is starting to want to be read to! which i find SO thrilling, of course.
likes to point at things and say "da-da" which ppl usually think means "daddy," but really she's just asking me to name it.
was devastated when we were playing a pretend game about being at someone else's house and i unthinkingly asked if she wanted to go outside and play on their rollercoaster (which she had just played on), and then i wouldn't let her go outside, because we were at home. :(
doesn't love to have her teeth brushed but is very enthusiastic about spitting into the sink just like wilder does, haha!!
still walks on her tiptoes all day long. it is completely hilariously adorable.
this stage with her is my absolute, hand's down favorite. i cannot get enough.