I heart these two

Makai is my big helper around the house. He does his chore chart and is really getting good at some of them. He also helps me babysit the neighbor kids once a week—I'm glad to know he will be great to have around when we have a new baby. He goes to preschool in the neighborhood and also goes 2 days a week to a district early intervention program, so he rides the bus and loves it. In both groups of kids, he just towers over them. He wanted to know why people always makes the comment, "Wow, you're tall!" when they learn he is 4. I reminded him that it's a good thing we're all different, some brown/white, some tall/short, fat/skinny, old/young, curly hair/straight hair. His summation? "Yeah, Dad is brown, I'm tall, you're fat, and Ame has curly hair." Well, then.
Ame loves to look at books and magazines. The girl is coloring 24/7. We just have to watch what she colors on (thank goodness for Magic Eraser!). She had fun doing the seasonal clothes switchout last weekend, declaring what was too small, too big, "for hot," or "for cold." When we were finished, I gave her a high five, and she told me:

Ame: Mom, we're best friends.
Lindy: We are?
Ame: Uh huh, I'm Velma and you're Daphne, and we're best friends.
Lindy: Wow, thanks, Ame!
Ame: No, wait, you're Velma, and I'm Daphne…yeah.

She had to rethink that little situation there…see, even kids know that something is inherently wrong with Velma (not that Daphne isn't a little freaky). I love to watch Ame and Makai play pretend; they are always assigning identities then playing them out. My favorite is when they play 'Mom and Dad' and Makai comes home from work and Ame kisses him and says, "Here's your dinner." Then Makai gets a call on his cell phone from his boss and says he'll have a long day tomorrow. They just giggle and laugh. It's too cute.

This is their other favorite thing to do, even though I hate it because they never clean it up!