Baby K Blog: Fall Fun

A lot has happened in the last four months. Words first, then pictures.

In August, we went down to Hocking Hills with some Notre Dame trombone friends and their families. It was an exhausting and fun trip, and the kids got along famously.

Rose turned four at the start of November. Her four-year-old well child checkup, since it was the first time the doctor spoke directly to her instead of to us. Rose also got her first eye chart and hearing tests at that visit.

Rose also started preschool and loves it. She's making new friends, and more importantly starting to remember names. She doesn't always remember (or reveal) what she did at preschool when you ask her, but later that day she'll say something or start singing a song she's learned. Her class is learning the alphabet in sign language, one letter per week. Our first parent-teacher conferences went well, and we learned that Rose has already moved up from bingo daubers to tracing letters and cutting shapes. Right now she's practicing the songs for her Christmas concert.

Rose loves to help around the house, either in the kitchen or with Daddy's tools. And of course she's still an active, energetic kid who loves to run and dance.

As of our last update, Jacob was rarely talking. Well, the switch has gone off, and not only is Jacob picking up new words left and right, he's also starting to string words together in phrases. He loves playing with "Play DOH!" The Notre Dame logo is "Dada football." Rose's doll is "baby Ro Ro." Dirtbike racing is "choo choo football." Bowling is "bowl ball." On Thanksgiving, he kept asking Daddy to come play with his cars and tracks by saying "Dada choo choo slide." In addition to cars (all cars are "choo choos"), Jacob LOVES watching football. If Rose asks to watch a specific show, Jacob will always respond, "No! Football!"

Most impressively, Jacob can even recognize and name a few letters by sight. Jacob is also an active kid, running after his sister wherever she goes. He's even started to get some height when he jumps. Everyone comments on how friendly and smiley Jacob is, but they may not feel the same way if they had to put him to bed each night....

Enough of the wall of words. Onto the (somewhat chronologically ordered) pictures.