This may be mostly for me. I need to get some of this stuff down so I don't forget. You're welcome to marvel at how amazing my children are as well...
Finnigan
- Amazes me every day. Recently he has (so sad) lost just about all of his "babyness". He is officially a little boy. And he loves it. He LOVES to run around with the bigger kids. I just melt watching him play. When we go to the playground he is always so outgoing. "Hi what's your name? My name is Fin. Do you wanna play with me?". He has so many little friends he has know his whole life basically, as well. It's awesome to watch them play and interact now!
Fin and Noah at the Denver Art Museum
Fin and Noah making a clay pot together (so proud of him for getting his hands dirty!)
Running around outside the cupcake shop with Dante
He is still (always) our little performer. We constantly play "Funkyphino band" (Daddy's band), Music class (where he plays the role of his music teacher Miss Maureen) and James Brown. He adores performing for anyone willing to listen. The other night at a restaurant, we sat in an area that was elevated from the rest of the restaurant. Fin spent 90% of our time there singing and dancing for the rest of the customers and wait staff. He is SUCH a ham.
Favorite songs and singers currently are ABC's, Itsy Spider, You are my sunshine, (ahem) James Brown - Sex Machine (as far as he know the song is called "Make it Funky" and he sings it "Lovin Machine"), so a little more appropriate.
He also still plays guitar constantly. He knows all the different types, though he prefers his "coustic". Unless we're playing Pretend, then he plays a Stratacastor. The other day in the car he says "Mommy look at me!" (I look back and he's tapping and rubbing his fingers on his head really fast) Me: "what are you doing?" Fin "I'm playing hair guitar!" (I'm fairly sure he misheard someone say "Air guitar"! It's funny though, if you ask him what he is going to play when he grows up like Daddy, he'll tell you he's going to be a drummer. I feel bad, I'm probably stifling him but we just cannot put a drum set into our tiny little apartment.
Awww, his first tattoo. Just like Daddy. Its crazy that just a few months ago he freaked out when I tried to put a temporary tattoo on him. I had to scrub the itty bits of this one off after I couldn't take it anymore 2 weeks later. He was not pleased with me.
For Halloween this year he was a Doctor. Which is what his long term career plan is. I think it's a great idea. He asked to be his Pediatrician Leanna at Ellie's last appointment. So cute. I'm so glad he likes her. I think he has a little crush ;). His joke for Trick or Treat is: What's a healthy insect? .... A Vitamin Bee! We hear this 50+ times a day now and have been instructed to laugh hysterically each time. Too bad, we found out after teaching him his joke that they don't do jokes in Colorado. Darn it!
Dr. Finnigan Peoples
"Checking Ellie's checkup"
No, he did not get to keep any of his loot. But don't feel too bad for him, I got him some "healthy" goodies that I swapped him for. He didn't mind a bit. And THANKFULLY didn't tell any of the people that they had "yucky candy".
My camera went nuts here, but here he is getting ready to go through the "haunted" maze we helped a very wonderful Mom at our garden construct. It was refrigerator boxes with strobe lights and doll heads hanging inside. Pretty creepy actually. Fin did not realize that doll heads are supposed to be scary. I went through with him the first time and went he came to the big head you had to go through he kissed her and said "oh HI!". :)
Very proud of his Fin pumpkin
Speaking of crushes, I cannot express how much he adores his Music Class teacher, Miss Maureen. She is his whole world. So of course he acts like a totally different kid around her. He either gets a little naughty or just acts really goofy. At home Nathan just silently mouths her name to him and he gets all red and yells "aaaaahhhh no STOP IT DADA!" So embarrassed. It cracks me up. But besides that, he loves Music Class. Lately, we've been going each Thursday to the Siblings class. It is really wonderful. The kids each get a turn to play the auto harp, the guitar and a GIANT drum. Songs all have motions with them and involve lots of running/jumping around the room. They get parachute time, bubbles and there's even the occasional accordion. As long as I remind him that "Miss Maureen loves it when you listen and follow directions and she really loves it when you sing", Fin is a great leader in class each week. I am so proud.
Costume day at music class
Playing the big drum with Miss Maureen
His other favorite things to do are play Hide and Seek. This is basically a game of bossing. "Mommy you hide HERE and then I'll count - OK, now help cover me up in these pillows and then you go count. Don't count until I say go. Don't find me right away, look in the kitchen first... etc..." It's not often very fun for anyone but him but he could play 24 hours and day and still find the same 5 hiding spots wonderfully entertaining.
On his new clubhouse loft bed/stage
He's so smart, it absolutely blows me away. Right now he:
knows the whole alphabet, recognizes every letter and probably knows about 90% of the letter sounds. He's even starting to sound out words. (a very little bit), like F-I-N or M-O-M. He's very good at figuring out what letter words start with. I think it's amazing.
He counts to 20 on a regular basis, but can count to 30 if he's in the mood.
Knows my whole phone number.
He's very interested in cars and can tell you what everyone in his immediate family drives ( Like our car is a Honda Odyssey)
He catches everything. Everything. I feel like I would be the smartest woman on earth if my brain absorbed even half of what his does everyday.
He started using sarcasm, which completely freaked me out and then made me laugh. He told me after I bumped him on accident "Hey thanks a lot for pushing me Mom". Geeeeeeez. He's done it a couple of times. So funny.
He is awesome at baseball. He crushes the ball when using the tee. Lately Nathan has been pitching to him and we couldn't believe how often he hits the ball. He really gets hold of it too. This is his favorite game with Daddy, they play nearly everyday now. He knows at least 5 players on the Rockies by name and loved going to games last season. I wouldn't think a 2 year old would like sitting through a whole baseball game, but he really enjoyed it. We are very much looking forward to the NBA season as well. I know he has dreams of being basketball player - I hope he starts to grow soon, because at this rate, it's gonna be a little rough.
New haircut
Playing at the mall
Driving a "boat" at the mall
Lately he has been noticeably stressed by the amount of attention that Ellie requires. It shows itself as Fin resorting to a lot of baby activities. He likes to play "Ellie" and rolls around on the floor, bites, says Dadadadadada and that sort of thing. It breaks my heart. I know he doesn't get nearly as much attention as he used to. Especially since E turned into a monkey that doesn't sleep and requires 19 hour a day supervision. It's gotta be hard on him. He mostly handles it so well. He's always the first to jump in and try to make he laugh or sing to her when she's upset. He talks for her constantly in a very high pitch voice. It's very funny. She says all kinds of things and has very strong opinions that usually mirror whatever Fin's wishes are. Today he started asking to Nurse, again. Hopefully this is short lived. He hasn't nursed since September. So it is breaking my heart for him to bring it up again now. This age definitely has it's set of challenges that are complicated by having a 1 year old sister. Not quite a baby and not really a 'big' boy yet...
I can't imagine a smarter more wonderful little man though. He is nothing like the little boy I though I would have. He's so much better than I ever could have dreamed. He is growing up faster than I can wrap my brain around. He is nothing like anyone I've ever known and still the spitting image of his Daddy and me. I see so much of each of us in him. It's pretty awesome. I might have to go now sneak in a few kisses - because I think - yes - he's finally asleep ;)
