Nora turns TWO!

My Nora girl,

You're two years old! I couldn't be more in love with the girl you are growing up to be. You are so full of sass. You've already got a full eye roll going on and one of your favorite words is no. All your facial expressions kill me. You've got the cutest little petite body with a big ol' belly. When you build a tower with blocks you stand up and say "uh ohhhh" and then bump your belly into it to knock it down. You've been known to use that belly to hit your big brother with, too. And can we just take a moment to talk about your bum? I know this is going to embarrass you someday but one of my favorite things is watching your nakey bum as you run for the bath. It's just so cute. People ask me all the time if I've cut you hair because your once crazy mullet has grown into the perfect natural side swept bangs with perfect little curls in back. And your voice!  When you were 18 months old I took you into the doctor so worried because you could only say two words and now you have a vocabulary of more words than I can count. I still can't tell the difference between "bink" and "drink" ("dink") or the difference between fork and work ("towk"). I love that you have never called James by his name. It's always "beeb!" When he is doing something that you don't approve of it's "BEEB! BEEEEEEEB!"  And Owen is "Oh-hen!" and boy do you love your big brother. He calls you "such a little copy cat". You could follow him around all day doing everything he is doing. When we are eating a meal I see you watching him. When he takes a drink, you take a drink. When he dances, you dance. When he falls down, you fall down. When he laughs, you laugh. You want to be just like him and I think it's so sweet. I love that you think the sole purpose of pockets is to hold candy. The moment you reach down and notice that the pants you are wearing have pockets you get so excited "pocket?! Nany!!" You love to sit on laps. I can count the seconds between when we all sit down for dinner to when you are shoving your plate and cup towards mom or dad saying "lap! Llllllap!"  And you love Curious George so much. You are constantly bringing me the tv remote begging for "OoOoAhAh! OoOoAhhhhhhAhhhh!" Oh, I'm going to miss my little one year old Nora but I think Owen is right when he says that he thinks I will like little two year old Nora, too. 

Love you to the moon!

Mom

Owen is FOUR!

It's been over a month since our big boy turned four! I'm slacking on this little blog.

We were lucky enough to spend Owens Birthday in St. George with my family. And then a couple of days after we got home we had family and friends over for cake and ice cream. He insisted on it being a "surprise" party so we took him over to my family's house until everyone got here and then brought him over so everyone could tell surprise! Ha ha. Funny kid. 

Owen,

You are FOUR! It feels like you've been a part of our lives forever, but really your life if just beginning. You've brought this family so much joy. We love your crazy ways and constant chatter. there is literally not a quiet moment at our house from the moment you wake up to the moment you fall asleep at night. Your preschool teacher, Miss Jill, told me that you are so quiet and shy and I was shocked because at home you are anything but. She said she'd love to see you be loud, and it made me laugh because your grandma says my teachers said the same thing about me. I love that we are the same in that way.  You are the best little sunbeam.  Not a Sunday goes by that someone doesn't come up to tell me how well behaved you are. I love being the Primary Chorister so I get to see you. You are such a wild thing. I have to tell you over and over again to be gentle, don't hit Nora. Don't hit James. "But they are love hits, mom" and I know they are. You love so fiercely.  Oh, Owen, you have such a tender heart. You love all your "baby animals" and I wish I could bottle up the sound of your voice when you talk to them. The other day you were so sad because you found a rolly polly bug and you wanted to keep him so badly but you also wanted him to be able to go home to his family. You cried and it was the sweetest, saddest, cutest thing.  You can't wait to be a Grandpa someday. "I can't wait to have a baby and for my baby to have a baby so I can be a Grandpa". And boy are you smart. It always surprises me when you say things like "look at the crescent moon" or "you need to pick an item" and "We better get on I-15". You have quite the grown up vocabulary. I love when I ask you something and you say "You bet me, mommy!"  or when you say "oh gwacious!" Your little brother and sister love you. I hope you know how much Nora looks up to and wants to be just like you. She copies absolutely everything you do and say. If you run in circles, she runs in circles. And the second you fall down, she falls down. You still like me to lay by you until you fall asleep at night. you roll over and lift your shirt up for a back scratch and then after a few minutes you pull your shirt down, roll over to face me, and wrap your little arms around my neck and put your face right next to mine, and it's my favorite thing. You love the mornings when you get to eat breakfast with your dad, and I know that he loves them even more. I love you so much, Owen. You are the one who made me a mom first, and that will always be so, so special to me.

I love you and I don't love you,

(Because I love you a lot and I don't love you a little bit) 

Mom