Just some notes...

Keelyn: (Pointing with intent.) Luh-le.

Me: Hailey, aren't you so excited that Keelyn finally has a name for you?

Hailey: Yeah, but I thought she was going to call me Princess! Maybe when she's six she can do that.

Apparently she never let go of that idea.

***

I realized looking at the calendar today, that Hailey is a mere three months away from being four. FOUR. As in her birth was four years ago. As in one quarter of her way to the driver's seat of a very beaten up, very rusty, not-going-over-30mph, ugly-so-her-friends-won't-want-to-ride-in-it, car. As in she's been peeing on the potty for almost half her life now. She has an opinion about everything, a question about everything, and a question about the answer to the first one.

And while we're talking about nice square numbers, Keelyn is 16 months old. And basically, she wants to be Hailey, and all of her almost-fourness.

***

Hailey loves to have "special time" with Mommy and Daddy in the evenings after Keelyn goes to bed...even if we are just cleaning up.

Keelyn currently walks around the house with a blankie, two Emmits, and Emmit's cousin Bunny. On a rough day, she also carries Baby Tilley, and a bunny blanket. Paci or milk in mouth. If you are picturing a tiny person with way too much stuff to manage and more time being spent balancing objects than actually getting somewhere, you've got it.

Hailey rarely wears normal clothes around the house. Normal for her is a princess or fairy dress, with matching shoes and jewelry.

Both kids carry handbags everywhere...full of important things, of course. Like play food. Or seashells. Or stickers. You know, in case the need arises.

Keelyn loves to run and hide from me. She thinks it's very funny. Sometimes it freaks me out because I can't find her. Don't ask me why. There are only so many places she can go in the 700 square feet she has on our chosen floor at any given time.

Hailey loves chocolate milk. And all fruit. And fruit, dipped in chocolate.

Keelyn loves cheese, which she is no longer supposed to be eating, so that's unfortunate.
**The short story here, since I mentioned it... apparently I was wrong. Basically, after a fun little trip to the allergist, we now know that she is in fact allergic to milk, and also eggs (though all the other original positives, were negative). Apparently she gets hives with only some cheeses because of the fermentation process, and the proteins produced. And there's the yellow dye thing, but we won't know that conclusively until she grows out of the milk allergy...which she's expected to do in the next few years. So, even though she seems to tolerate white cheeses, organic yogurts, and scrambled eggs, we are supposed to cut them out of her diet. Fun for a little one who wants everything her sister has. I'm trying to get creative. Thank goodness for soy.

Back to the fun stuff...

Hailey would watch So You Think You Can Dance, or Dancing with the Stars, over any cartoon, any day. She knows the names of the styles, and she critiques the dancers.

Keelyn loves Mickey Mouse.

Hailey likes to tell stories. Especially ones about things that happened a long, long time ago.

Keelyn likes to take my hand and guide me around the house to show me what she needs. This usually involves the refrigerator or the pantry.

Hailey knows the schedule, and she keeps up with plans. If we veer away, she calls us on it. If we forget something at the grocery store, she calls us on it. If we make a promise, she holds us to it.

Keelyn is extremely perceptive. She knows exactly what's going on, and makes herself a part of it. The other day, I was buying Hailey a new pair of sneakers. We tried a few pairs on, picked the favorite, and tried to continue shopping. Then I got a nudge from the little one in front of me, grunting as she showed me her foot. "Do you want a new pair too?" I asked. "Yeah!" she squealed. And we left the store with two new pairs of shoes, for two happy girls, after she tried each pair on and picked her favorite, just like Hailey.

Hailey regularly fills me in on what Keelyn's thinking. It's adorable.

Keelyn likes to count to two. It's particularly amusing when I am in the process of counting to three as a discipline tactic, and she chimes in with a smile. Kinda hard to enforce things when I'm laughing.

Hailey loves to perform. She dances for us every day.

Keelyn would spend her entire day outside if possible. She would never, ever come in.

Both girls love to snuggle. They love to sit on my lap and read. They love to sing. They love to do projects together (like pulling all of the toys out of a particular box and throwing them about as quickly as possible) (or, like jumping across the pillows on the floor) (or, like helping me fold...and unfold...laundry).

Keelyn loves to pretend to cook in the play kitchen.

Hailey loves to play with play-doh, or color, or draw, or paint.

Keelyn absolutely adores her big sister, and mimics her every move.

Hailey adores her little sister, and pours on hugs and kisses so thick sometimes they hurt.

***

Don't know why, but I just had some random things I needed to write down. While I'm covering the random...also...it was a year ago that I gave my blog this look and name, and since then, I've added a lot of ways for you to easily keep up. Just in case you haven't noticed, on the right, there are many options...you can sign up for email feed, subscribe through your own blog reader, or become a follower through Blogger. So please, feel free to add yourself to a list if you would like! Thanks for keeping up with me and my crazy kids. It's such a treat to write about them!