Year-end stats

Riley and Luke had their annual well check exams today.  Dr. Morkeberg was happy with their health and their growth over the past year. The fact that neither Luke or Riley had to get shots was frosting on the cake! Here are the stats:


Luke- 6 years 1 month
Weight: 57.2 lbs.  90%ile
Height: 51 1/2"  >95%ile
BMI: 15.25


Riley- 3 years 2 weeks
Weight: 36.5 lbs  90-97%ile
Height: 39"  90-97%ile
BMI: 16.75


The first question I asked Riley when she woke up this morning was if she knew who she was going to see today.  Her response was "Mokaburg".  She's such a smarty.  :) It's been a long time since I've recorded notable things about Riley's development.  Here's a short list of things we're sure we'll never forget about her. I feel compelled to write them, just to be sure.


Booty Butt.  Not sure exactly where she learned it, but it's ingrained in her memory and is a regular part of her day.  It's not uncommon for her run around with her undies on and shaking her booty.  She sticks it out and looks over her shoulder with a sly smile, which makes it impossible to scold her for her inappropriate behavior or language.  


That smile.  At 3, Riley has already figured out how to use her beautiful smile to slither out of trouble.  She's brilliant.  She'll demand us to do her biding and when she realizes that it won't work, she'll tilt her head, flash a big grin and say, "Pleeeeeze Mommy?"


The steps.  At our house, the steps leading upstairs are the time out area.  On the rare occurrence we send Luke to the steps, he bawls and carries on.  When Riley is naughty, she will walk herself over to the step of her own free will and sit there silently.  When we approach her and ask if she is ready to apologize, it's not uncommon for her to say, "no".  She's a girl who operates on her own terms.  A trait that will serve her well in the future, I hope.  :)


The copycat.  Riley does everything Luke does.  She loves him so much and he is SOOOO patient with her (almost always).  She's also insanely competitive.  Everything is a race or a contest.  Everything.  And, Riley epitomizes the spirit of "the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat".  I can hardly wait to get her on a volleyball court.  She will be unstoppable.  And probably receive the most yellow and red cards on the team.


"I'm happy!"  Riley wakes up in the morning and from naps repeating the same phrase every time.  She associates being being awake (or not wanting to be asleep) with being happy.  Works for us!


"I want to eat ______."  Riley says she wants to eat EVERYTHING.  Chairs, people, cars, toys, etc.  It will come out at the most random times.  It's weird.  She's weird.  :)  Daddy has taught her the word cannibalism.  Eating other humans has never sounded cuter. :)


Riley's "friends".  Riley will often read stories to her friends.  The books are always different but the text is usually the same.  "Brown bear, brown bear what do you see?"  She'll look at the picture in the book and replace "Brown bear, brown bear" with what she sees in the picture.  It's so much fun to listen to her expression, but I've learned not to act interested in what she's doing or, heaven forbid, interrupt her.  It almost always evokes a swift, "NO, MOMMY!".  


Riley brings us so much joy!  Her moods take us on a roller coaster daily.  Typical 2 & 3 year old behavior, I guess.  It's amazing to be able to see so Riley's personality emerging at such a young age.  She's a special girl.  A spitfire.  A charmer.  A persistent, focused, beautiful little girl.  Truth be told, I love it when people say she is just like I was as a child.  It's the ultimate compliment (even if it means I was a little stinker sometimes)!