We got snow this week too, which meant a fun morning of snow play that involved lots of driving on "roads" in the backyard made from repeated laps around and around. Too bad the snow melted that afternoon!
Dad did get one day off, so per Micah's request, we went for a hike in the woods in Clifton Gorge State Nature Reserve. Ezra hiked a bit of the trail before opting for a lift, but Micah hiked the whole thing and had a blast looking at the ice hanging from the cliffs and watching all the water tumble down the gorge.
Micah and Ezra are just exploding with new things they learn daily. Watching them just absorb everything around them is so amazing. Micah, through no formal instruction, has learned all of his letters and numbers up to 10. I didn't even know he could recognize all the letters until he put all the foam letters up in the bathtub, in order, and sang me the alphabet song as he pointed to each one! And he loves to count and tell me how many of different things there are. And listening to him lead his brother has got to be the sweetest (most of the time) and most hilarious thing (he sounds like me sooo much). "Ezra, come this way, let's get our bike and truck and ride around."
Ezra has become a routine pro and can basically tell you everything you need to know. A typical conversation:
Me: "Ezra, did you poop?"
Ezra: "Uh-huh"
Me: "Are you done and ready to be changed?"
Ezra: "Yesssss"
Me: "Go back to your changing station and let's get changed then"
Ezra: walks back to changing station and waits for me to pick him up and put him on the changing pad
He brushes his own teeth, gets his own socks and shoes, and is just a generally all around great listener throughout the day. I can tell he loves the ability to communicate so well and do so much for himself now because the frustration tantrums have gone way down and he thrives on the independence. He also loves walking and can walk about a half mile on his own two feet around the neighborhood before tuckering out.