Arwyn is getting really good at identifying colors in all different scenarios now, for example different color blocks and paints. She's also had a really good week with many good days of potty training. One day she actually cooperated and used the toilet every time I asked her too. And she does seem pretty motivated to do this because even if she's wearing a diaper, she'll often still say she needs to use the potty. Of course, she also really likes to wear her new underwear any time we let her. Arwyn is usually so generous and sharing with her sister, but one day you could tell she was annoyed with Leia for some reason because she absolutely wouldn't share some treat that Leia wanted. I usually try to encourage the sharing (despite the fact that Leia is generally being greedy, having just finished her own treat really fast and now wanting what Arwyn is savoring more slowly) because, as Leia likes to say, "Sharing is caring." This day, though, Arwyn wouldn't budge. Finally I asked if she would share with me, and she did, and somehow that flipped a switch in her brain because immediately afterwards she ended up sharing with Leia after all. It was really funny. We had our very first Thanksgiving dinner with the whole Tahoe family, even kids, this year. Arwyn and Leia (and Emmett) all set very well at the table, and everyone was very well mannered and jovial. Of course neither girl ate a single thing from the Thanksgiving menu except dessert, but we didn't bother to force it, which was why the dinner went so smoothly. The only thing they did eat was the caviar appetizer; talk about expensive tastes! Even after Josh explained that it was fish eggs, they both kept asking for more (and why not, we eat and love chicken eggs, so why not fish eggs!) Arwyn helped make the whipped cream for dessert, and thought her first experience with licking the beater was totally amazing! Arwyn's language skills continue to expand and develop. Josh came back from two weeks away and felt like she was already speaking completely differently from when he left. She still loves her "Hi Honey" routine, and I figured out why she bends over and curls her back in such a funny way when she's talking to her honey. She's imitating how an adult would bend down to child level to talk to the cute little honey, but she can't actually bend down because we are all above her, so it just looks a little awkward.
Leia's creativity and imagination are still going full force. The play names that she decided to use for our imaginary play this week were "Grow-na-fina" and "Dolsay." She's also still so intense with her imaginative play, really bossy about everything that she wants each person to do. It can be really off-putting, especially for me and Josh. Luckily Arwyn goes along with her most of the time, but occasionally she even puts her foot down, and Leia gets all upset. As I mentioned above, Leia didn't eat anything on Thanksgiving except Caviar and also the Pumpkin Pie and whipped cream. I think the only reason she liked that is because they had it at her school one day. We had another snow day this week, and detective Leia was so excited because "now that there's snow, I'll be able to see the yeti footprints in the morning, and then I'll have a clue about them!" We also had another morning of Mommy Time spent outside making snow angels. I really like how she's so fluid and changing with her Mommy Time these days, we really seem to do something different almost every day. Leia has been really into doing art for the last couple weeks, wanting to paint or draw every day. I had a huge back log of all the artwork that I didn't have time to sort or photograph, but I think I've finally caught up. And her art has totally made a new development; she's now drawing whole scenes with lots of little details. It is really cool to see the new progression.
And now the Annual Thanksgiving Family Portraits!
Kishka Kisses!
Arwyn's first time licking the beater...she's addicted now!
The Thanksgiving puzzlers!
Emmett liked the Alphabet Puzzle Train.
Emmett, Uncle John, and Nana were all helping with this super long puzzle!
And now the Annual Thanksgiving Family Portraits!
The Lange Family.
The cousins...and this year they all cooperated and smiled!
The Transue Family.
And another, because it's hard to choose the best.
Our whole Tahoe Clan!
Leia and Arwyn decided to make this one silly!
Leia's got all the great dance moves these days.
Dance Party...to each his own!
Password = Leia
Not much editing on this clip because I just can't get enough of Leia's dancing! It just doesn't seem like a 4 year old should be that coordinated, or be able to choreograph dance moves that are so in sync with the music! And did I mention she hasn't even been to ballet class in over 2 months?!
Yummy feast with the whole family!
Whoa, I guess that blender is loud!
Arwyn's first time licking the beater...she's addicted now!
Relaxing on the Mommy Swing.
Slides = smiles!
The whole crew was completely enraptured making bead bracelets!
Josh's latest Grandpa shrine while watching the game.
Arwyn fast asleep on her back with her hands behind her head...reminds me of a Ferris Beuller pose!
My little snow angel.
Another fun Mommy Time outside in the freshly fallen snow.
Proud sculptor of the season's first snowman!
Arwyn really knows how to both blend and separate her color palate...talk about brilliant!
Leia's learning how to make rainbows. Here's her first attempt!
Leia's second rainbow, this one accompanied by a whole sun and sky scene!
Bigger rainbow, more colors.
Now we have the arcs...Leia's first real rainbow!
Cool painted rainbow.
Always love Leia's fall leaves art; she's such a fanatic about collecting pretty leaves.
Really cool Leia handprint tree with finger print fall leaves.
Leia is starting to make actual objects when she paints. This is supposedly a blue berry and cranberry, among other things.
Arwyn really wanted to make a blue berry and cranberry just like Leia, but then she couldn't help but mush it all around afterwards!
Interesting creature made by Arwyn.
Another Arwyn abstract...she's good with texture.
Leia is starting to get big and bold, keeping her colors more separate, both on the page and in the paint platter.
Arwyn not so much.
I love the color effects Arwyn achieved with this one.
Cool mirror paining by Arwyn, and it definitely breaks away from her usual style!
Lots of good written letters here by Leia.
Fun with glue. And the feathers really work with the whole flower/butterfly theme.
Good job by Leia of writing all the letter of her name in the correct order! (The capital E is sideways, but hey, it's getting so close!)
Cool painted flower. Again, starting to get into painting more realistic objects.
Nice pumpkin paint job by Arwyn.
Pretty fall leaf glue job by Arwyn.
Artistic expression of the wild side of Arwyn.
I like this bold and colorful ring thing that Leia created here.
Good job with her letters, and I like the addition of the bold flowers that really adds a lot to this unicorn scene.
Leia's purple take on Thanksgiving.
Love Arwyn's use of so many bright and beautiful colors.
Not sure what this is supposed to be, but I just love all the little details that Leia has been drawing these days.
Another classic Arwyn.
Again, cool looking objects with lots of small details by Leia.
I just like this one, I don't know why.
Cute little turkey hand!
Cool spotting/splatter design by Arwyn.
This one of Arwyn's is kind of like fireworks.
Here Leia drew a Christmas Tree with decorations, a star on top, and presents under the tree.
This one looks like a Christmas tree with presents underneath a hot pink sun!
Now this one I absolutely love! It's a painting of a caterpillar. Leia has all the parts like grass, legs, and the body, but I also love the way the brush strokes make it both abstract and realistic at the same time.
And this one just screams out "Arwyn!"
Oh and by the way, I narrowed this collection of art down by more than half!! We are talking about lots of artwork these past 2 months!!
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