Anna Elizabeth and Kara Jane

I haven't done a Kara-Anna update lately, so here goes...

For a month now, they've been able to count to 20 (skipping a few here and there), and prefer to do it as loudly as possible, at random times. They are still very into descriptors when they speak. One time when Anna was running I asked her what she was doing, and instead of saying: running, she told me "Nanny just running circles right now." They are correctly using later, right now, first and then for sequencing (which Kara loves, and pronounces "len"), yesterday, today, etc.

Starting in the last few weeks, they've been keenly in tune with comparisons - "looks like," "sounds like," and "like" in general are very common. (I started realizing this was a trend when Anna told me my legs looked like a triangle a while back (they were crossed in a way that did make them look like a triangle). They especially like comparing to the movies and books that they like. We have some Madeline fans on our hands, so Anna was very excited when I showed her a scar on her finger last weekend in the car ("like Madeline"). They also love these Walt Disney "Silly Symphonies" that we watch on YouTube - Kara's favorite is the 3 Little Pigs (she has to cover her eyes, or sometimes just one when the wolf falls in hot water), and Anna's is called Water Babies.

I've also started noticing their problem solving skills of late, which is what most impresses me. Whenever I tell them (Kara especially) that they or I can't do something, she'll tell me a way that she/I can, often very creatively. Yesterday I was bouncing Kara on my legs and she wanted to go to the kitchen, staying on my legs. I told her we couldn't, and she told me I could walk on my hands. Of course, why didn't I think of that? :) I say "that's a good idea, but..." a LOT.

Tantruming is calmed down a little bit since I started a timing system for that, like with taking turns. I tell them they can cry for 2 more minutes, then need to stop, or have a repercussion (usually just being put in their bed to keep crying)...it surprisingly works really well. I think it lets them feel like they can cry (they do tell me they "just want to cry" sometimes), but get to make a decision about it and be in control. Can't wait till we have 2 teenage girls - yikes.