Updates

• Evelyn is a very independent little girl.  If she catches us following her when she 'runs away,' she will run back and push on our legs until we take two steps back.  Then she'll give a satisfied little grin and run off - looking back to make sure we are not following too closely!
• Max has a placemat that has all of the presidents on it.  He thinks Buchanan is a hilarious last name, that Roosevelt was our best president, and can name the first seven presidents off of their pictures.  He's a hoot!
• Evelyn's favorite game is strapping her baby (and sometimes herself) into the doll stoller over and over again with its straps.  Max loves this game because he can push Evelyn in the stroller all over the house when she's buckled in!
• Max's post-church conversation keeps us on our toes.  He told us he can't wait to go to heaven so he can meet James Buchanan and a real Red Coat soldier.  He's also quite interested in moral relativism - were the pharaoh's soldiers as bad as the pharaoh? 
• Evelyn is a fiercely independent child.  We are working on encouraging her to use words, and when she does not want to participate, she will walk away from slides, toys, and games in order to avoid having to cave in to our guidance.
• Words!  Evelyn has a few now:
• Mommy
• Daddy
• bay-BE
• ba (ball)
• BO (bow)
• huff-huff (dog barking)
• Mah (Max)
• mine
• Max's birthday is tomorrow.  For the last week, he has updated us each morning and night on exactly how many more days he will be 3.  Feeling the pressure to do something 'big' now, he's learned how to strap himself into the car seat this week.  
• He's also planned his birthday meals.  He'll be having pancakes for lunch, chicken with ketchup and carrots with hummus for lunch (with a cookie as a special treat), a chicken burrito from Guapo's for dinner, and rainbow sherbet from B&R for dessert.  
• Evelyn loves to mother her dolls.  When we were reading in her chair last night, she pointed to baby's bassinet, said 'baby,' then climbed down, grabbed baby, and brought her over to read with us.  When I said 'ok, it's time for bed,' she climbed back down, put baby in the bassinet, and then crawled back up on me, grabbed her blankie, and rolled up in a ball on my chest, her ready-to-sleep position.
• Max has started to help tuck Evelyn in on nights only one parent is at home.  He leads her in her prayers, and then sings her lullabies (Simple Gifts, Saints of God, and Hush Little Baby) all by himself. 
• Max's reading is coming along.  We're using the BOB Books, and he's already through book 7 and has learned his first sight word - the.  He's very proud of himself, though gets frustrated by the slow going at times.