2014 in Review

Since this year flew by with hardly a post from me, I figured the end of the year would make a fantastic time to summarize it all! Over Memorial Day weekend we did a family photo shoot with our wedding photographer. We hope to continue to do it every couple years - she is really great!

Spring and summer were spent going to a lot of baseball games and playing in the pool. One of the pictures of the kids at a baseball game was even featured as a Fan of the Game pick during a broadcast the next week (turn up your volume and you can hear that the announcers commenting on the photo!).

Late summer brought a family vacation to Pennsylvania. Cate loved the singing cow ride at Hershey Park. Max was, naturally, partial to meeting Elmo. We also enjoyed one day at the beach in Maryland.

Fall meant football games, although we did slack off from previous years. Cate and I also ran the Rock N Stroller 5K for the second year in a row. Next year I expect Cate to actually run it!

October was a busy month with a Nationals playoff game, Frozen on Ice, and Halloween.  We also hit the pumpkin patch and a fall festival along the way!

Of course, we also had the kids birthdays, which meant an annual height/weight check. Cate is tracking right along the 50th percentile, weighting 37lbs and 39 1/2 inches at four years old.  Max still hasn't hit a growth spurt and was 30 lbs, 32" (okay, I measured so that may be off!). His head is still at the 97th percentile!!  Cate made her second trip the dentist and is cavity free.

Cate finished up taking classes at the gym and started tennis class. She wants to continue tennis and swim lessons in the new year and Max will head to the gym!  We are still hoping Max will potty train soon. Although he has been using the potty sporadically for about 7 or 8 months, he doesn't seem ready to give up the diapers.  Erick had the kids do a painting of their feet, hands, and butts (just like he and Aunt Cami did at a similar age!)

We rounded out the year with a trip to Hawaii for Erick and I, Army-Navy, and a great Christmas. Cate decorated the kids tree, full of wooden ornaments, with a few breakable ones up at the top. We attended Christmas Eve service and made our annual trip to a friends house in DC for a Polish Christmas Eve dinner. Family friends were in town for the weekend, so we got some time with them and trips to the animal farm and zoo.

I will try to keep up better in the New Year!! Love to all!

Spring is Here!

Spring means warmer weather (hopefully!), flowers, Easter, and baseball!! '

The three of us have already been to three baseball games, including the Home Opener. Erick also took Cate to one, just the two of the them. Cate just uses it as an excuse to eat TONS of junk food (and play on the playground, of course!)

The day before Easter, we did the neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt. Max did very little work, but reaped the rewards of Cate's efforts. On Sunday, we went to church and then off to another baseball game!

Max has been talking more and more, saying new words everyday! He signs a lot (slow start, but knows a bunch of signs). He also is starting to figure out his colors (when in doubt, say blue!). He can also point to all the major body parts. Beware if you visit - he loves to zerbert! His favorite thing to do is go "ouside" and blow bubbles. If we say no, he wants to know if it is "dark", "rainy" or "wet"...if not, no excuses! If outside isn't available, he wants to play in the kitchen sink instead.

Cate has been learning to write her name at school. Apparently learning to write "Cate" and then fitting the "herin" in there isn't the easiest thing to do!  She can count to 100, with the just occasional slip-up. They even have weekly pop-quizzes.  She knows the days of the week (with a cool little song) and even the months! She definitely can tell left from right waaay better than me! She is learning her multiplication tables; well, she can at least memorize the numbers when she sees them on a computer game at school. Cate loves to rider her Stryder Balance Bike all around the neighborhood like a champ! She is still in a sport/tumbling class right now, but this summer she will take a tumbling class and a swim class.

At about 18 months, Max weighed in at 26 lbs 14 oz (65%) with a height of 31 1/2" (25% - we're moving up!) and, naturally, a head in the greater than 97%!! At the same age, Cate was 23lbs, 9oz (35%) but also 31.5" (50% for girls). I made a note at the time that I didn't really think she was that tall.  I measured Cate just for the heck of it, and at 3 1/2 years she is 3' 2" and 35lbs.