So what are Alex and Ari up to at 23 months?
Ari has developed into quite the independent little lady. Her favorite new word is "mine" and she uses it often to let Alex know what toys she considers "hers." Luckily, Mommy has been teaching her to be nice and share, giving Ari stickers (her favorite!) whenever she catches her doing something nice. Ari has caught on, so she tries often to be "nice" by sharing and kissing and hugging her brother. Ari is also the fashion diva, picking out her own outfits in the morning and letting Mommy know if she doesn't like a particular article of clothing. Ari recognizes several letters of the alphabet, including "O" (her favorite- she also finds it on the telephone, in books and on signs), "B," "A" and is learning "S" and "T." She likes talking on the phone, especially to Nana and Daddy. Ari's favorite free time activities include coloring, playing with stickers (she likes to put them on paper and then take them off and put them on herself!) and reading. She has started putting several words together to form short sentences, like "Alex, books please!" when she wants Alex to bring her some books (she often demands Alex bring her something or other...)
Alex takes after his daddy and has an excellent sense of direction. He will often tell us where we're heading or what we are passing (school, the grocery store, even Mommy's old high school) while we're in the car. He amazed Mommy one day by remembering where his school friend Matan's house was, weeks after we visited and in a totally different context. Alex has been forming lots of two-word sentences and is communicating very effectively. He also acts as the little disciplinarian, telling his sister, cousins, and friends "NO!" when they do something they shouldn't be doing. He got over his initial skepticism of school and now runs into the building every time we go, pushing and holding doors open for Mommy and Kira on the way to the classroom and pushing the buttons on the elevator (he knows that "B" is for basement, where their classroom is located.) This week he got his first boo-boo in school when he fell during indoor playtime. He was none worse for the wear, however, and by the time Mommy came to pick him up at the end of the day, he was happy and running around again. Alex loves his baby sister and enjoys entertaining her and helping Mommy take care of her. His favorite activities are reading books, building towers and playing with Play-Doh. Oh- and making mischief with his sister.
Speaking of which, it's been so much fun watching Alex and Ari become best friends. They really look out for each other. The first person they ask for in the morning (usually after Mommy or Daddy) is each other. On the way to their school classroom, they now insist on holding hands as they walk. If Alex lets go of Ari's hand, she reminds him with a stern "Alex, hands!" They seem to have their own language and inside jokes, as often they'll crack each other up while Mommy and Daddy look on in confusion. They like to run around the house playing chase and hide and seek and peek-a-boo with each other. If one is crying, the other often will come over and hug or "make nice." So while they have their fair share of times when they bicker, more often they are having fun with each other. And as Kira gets older, they have started to include her in the fun, showing her the ropes, offering her toys, reading books to her, making her laugh, joining her on the play mat, and explaining the toys on the exersaucer to her:
Alex and Ari both know that they are going to be "two in March" and they're looking forward to their big day- especially because they know that birthdays mean cake!!
Don't worry...we haven't forgotten about Kira. We'll have a full update on her tomorrow, her four month birthday!
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