So Long '11, Welcome '12

Another year clicking by. Watching kids grow is the surest way to feel the passage of time. I can look back on this blog and see the changes in the kids so clearly. Molly continues to grow, change, learn, delight, challenge, and amaze us. She's now spent almost a whole year in speech therapy and we're seeing the improvement. We hope those pesky "sh" "z" "j" and "ch" sounds will be conquered soon. She has entertained us with her dancing and singing, blessed us with her many terrific watercolor paintings, irritated us with her constant excuses for why she won't do something we'd like, impressed us with her fortitude on nature hikes and zoo trips, and surprised us with her cleverness and keen memory. No more promising something and thinking she'll forget about it later! She has also been a great big sister to Henry. Seeing their relationship (with its ups and of course its downs) has been a real pleasure for us. They can fight and whine with the best of them, but then have real moments of tenderness and affection that melt it all away.

Henry's changes are in many ways more obvious, given the rapid growth kids go through at his age. He's gone from a babbling baby to a real live toddler. His verbal skills are evolving on a daily basis. Not to brag (or, well, TOTALLY to brag), but he is by far the most verbally advanced child in his room at daycare. We think that makes him a favorite of the teachers as well, since he can express exactly what he wants to do, so he generally gets to do it! He's the teachers' helper and is the best participator in the class reading and singing activities. His love of books is evident to us at home as well. He's a very engaged listener while we read, and asks questions about what's going on in the books and answers our questions about the books as well. With all this self-expression comes the dramatic meltdowns and screamed demands as well. His first response to practically everything is "No!". But his next most common response? A sweetly chirped "OK!" And despite his endless fights with Molly about sharing (or his lack of sharing), he is clearly devoted to her. He lights up when he sees her and says "Where is my sister?" when he is missing her.

We had some great adventures this year -- many trips to the zoo, paddleboating, vacationing in Maine, visits with the all of the grandparents, the wonderful farm stay with kittens and baby cows, the five cold and dark days after the Halloween snowstorm, and our lovely holiday season when we got to see so much of our families. 2012 will bring many more adventures, including Molly starting kindergarten in the Fall.

As much as I sometimes can't wait for the day when the kids outgrow their irrational, illogical, kid-brain insanity that can drive me out of my tree, I know that it does all go by too fast. Here are some of my favorite pictures of 2011, which allow me to hold on to the memories just a bit longer.