Two nuts.

It's been a while, blog! I really had such intentions with documenting all the funny and NOT SO funny aspects of life more, but life catches up with you. You think you have a lot to document with one kid, that you'll never be able to remember it all, then the guilt triples (at least) with two kids doing and saying noteworthy things every single day. You're too busy cleaning up the hurricane of destruction they leave in their wake to take the time to document. Or you're too busy zoning out to Gossip Girl during the daily merciful naptime because you're exhausted from said hurricane. And you feel REALLY badly about it. So, I'll wing it, as usual.
* Avery, I'll often need to distract you while you must endure unpleasantries..  such as mega-uber-disgusting diaper changes, or being buckled into your carseat. I'll either sing something you currently love (right now it's 'How much for that Puppy (insert any animal really) in the window?' or the theme to Sesame Street) or I'll ask you things. Something I ask you that is downright edible it's so cute, is 'Are you my sweetie?' And you smile SO BIG and shake your head yes. I COULD DIE. Every time.
* Andrew, when I am being super gushy with your sister, I always try to give you some extra side-love, to make sure you don't feel slighted. If I'm going nuts over how funny and exaggerated Avery is dancing to something, calling her the best dancer ever or whatnot, I'll ask you if you can dance too (usually your dancing is not as spontaneous as hers, you need some coaxing) and I'll call you a great dancer. I'll gush as much as one can to someone very seriously nodding their head, to no particular regular rhythm.
* Andrew, you're very hesitant to speak freely with non-family-member adults. Your preschool teachers will sometimes ask you a basic question during pick-up time, and you'll stare back at them, wordless.  You'll be smiling huge, of course, because you always are. But a smiling mute, regardless. We had a chat about this, which was kind of difficult because we're getting into the stage of creating a healthy fear/regard for strangers, but I hoped we squared it away. That you answer a grown-up's question if they ask you one. That same day we went to JCPenney. You waved and said BYE! to the clerk as we left, so loud and friendly. You immediately grabbed my hand and looked up at me and stage-whispered, 'Did you see that?!?! I said bye to that lady! Was that good??' :) You now say your goodbyes to your teachers loud and proud. No idea if you're a happy little mute during the day, but I'll take what I can get.

* Speaking of school, we got a note saying to have our kid practice their name and bring it back, if they were sent a handwriting practice sheet home with them in their folder. You've never received a practice sheet. Because you absolutely ROCK at writing your name. I want to brag so much on you about this. I vividly remember just learning to hold a crayon (marker? pencil? I can't even remember) and the just holding it took SO long to master. Much less maneuver it to make.. letters and words! It's kind of mind-blowing to someone who birthed you. No one else, you should probably know this sooner than later, but to me it's AMAZING. You can write! And read! And all of it will amaze your father and I, endlessly.
* Avery, you have the cutest little run. You're sort of precariously propelled forward, and your legs are moving as fast as they'll go..  Anyone watching who didn't know would cringe because you look like you'll face-plant 100% of the time. But you rarely do. See, that's the beautiful thing about being an almost-18 month old. You really don't have to do much to impress us. Your brother is over in the corner, reading and writing, and perfecting his world domination plan...  while all you have to do to gain an audience is run across the room, screeching like the cutest little velociraptor of all time. It's a glorious time in your life, that you should be embracing. Unfortunately, it's hard to indulge in this wonderful time when you've got at least 6 teeth popping through at this very moment. It's a mixture of OH DEAR GOD that looks painful to gigantic relief because THAT'S WHY. That's why you're so indescribably cranky for much of the day. That's why you scream bloody murder, sitting in a pack-n-play FULL of toys, while I catch a pee-break. That's why you hit things, either us or inanimate objects when you realize the hitting of people only cause them to walk away. Poor coffee table.
* It's not all coffee-table abuse over here, Avery, you say and wave HI! every time you enter the room. Regardless of if it's the morning and we haven't seen you in 12 hours, or if you just left for 5 seconds to go retrieve a toy. Doesn't matter. Loves it. And you say BUH-BYE with sweet waves just as enthusiastically. You'll also mirror my volume. A lot of the time at preschool pickup/drop-off, when I yell bye to Andrew, over the sound of other kids, you'll say it JUST as loudly.. which usually causes at least one bystander to go 'awwwww!'...  You'll also bless anyone who sneezes. Immediately after they sneeze, you'll say 'bes you!' You say 'UH OH' about a zillion times a day.. many opportunities there..
You love to say anything with an S or SH sound.. like cheese, rice, trash, mice... etc etc.. You exaggerate the S/SH sound, and yeah, cute. Hundreds of others.. those are the highlights..

* Today I made kale chips. For no one other than myself, because come on. But, on a whim, I put 2 kale chips in your lunch sandwich, Andrew. You like a little crunch in your sandwich, as any good southern boy should, so I tried it. You instantly opened the sandwich and said WHAT. I told you they were kale, they were good and to try them. You put them aside and asked for pickles instead. I said no. You eventually tried them, and YOU LIKED THEM. You asked for more. It was at that moment that I desperately wanted to go tell the Me of 3-4 years ago that it would be ok. This child who only wanted to eat crackers and well.. crackers.. would someday ask for more kale chips. It would be okaaaay! But it ain't all kale-chip glitz and glamour over here. Avery, at this most glorious moment, you were sticking a half-eaten popsicle in your hair.. smashing blackberry chunks into a fine paste. Ahhh. Balance.
* Andrew, you recently got so tickled over a bring-your-bear day at school. You were hysterically laughing, telling about how the bears got into everything while you and the class were outside playing. The teachers had placed them in different places, eating Skittles, climbing the shelf, etc..  You thought this was beyond funny. So, that right there made my decision to do the Elf on the Shelf this year, for Christmas. It's something that I thought definitely would have been a lot of effort on my part, last year, with very little recognition. You were just too young to get it, I think. But this year, it is SO ON. If that $20 Elf can make you laugh like that every morning, then it'll be money/effort well spent. And if you end up with a fear of Elves/midgets/etc, well, it's a totally normal fear that we can someday talk about over grown-up juice.