... and babies make four: Our life with twins. : Landon aka "Buddy"

Are you ready for the “Landon update?” This kid never ceases to amaze me. He is ridiculously inquisitive with a mind like a steel trap. He asks a lot of questions and then remembers ALL the answers. My google search engine is on fire multiple times a day because most of the time I don’t know the answer. He loves to be able to explain things to anyone that will listen, so be prepared if he sits you down for a conversation, you will be committed to a solid length of time.

Landon had an amazing first grade year. Kindergarten was rough as most of the second part of the year was spent at home on the computer. Landon loves electronics so he had no trouble getting on the computer, the difficult part was finding work that was challenging for him. He seemed to get bored and distracted easily taking forever to complete his assignments. First grade has been a bit of the same. He loves his math especially and fortunately for him it comes very easy. He soared through the first-grade material and has been doing math on a 2^nd/3^rd grade level. He absolutely loves to read and reads to me each night and then reads a couple chapters on his own. Great for him but I keep missing sections of the book- ha ha. He was invited to attend an AIG camp this week and I am hopeful that he enjoys himself. He is excited for next year and we have opted to have them in different classrooms again so they can continue to grow as individuals and not worry about a comparison to each other.

Landon definitely prefers his video games over his sports. He did play baseball this past spring and he enjoyed himself and I saw improvement overall. He struggled a bit though because the coach was very much about winning and Landon just didn’t have the same attitude – he wanted to have fun. He absolutely loves to roller skate and he literally flies around the neighborhood. He has chosen to play soccer this Fall. I don’t recall him enjoying soccer the last time he played, but he seemed to have fun practicing with Riley and wants to try it again. Now he did take breakdancing this past year and the recital was glorious! He was adorable up on stage and he loves to dance around when given the opportunity. His biggest recent accomplishment is swimming. We joined a local pool and the first couple times there Landon refused to take off his life vest and also took 30 or more minutes to get “used to” the water. After more time at the pool and some lessons, he now jumps right into the water without hesitation and is even jumping off the diving board without his vest on. He is able to swim short distances and has gained so much confidence in himself – which in turn helps me to be more comfortable with him in the water.

Landon continues to be a struggle with dinner. He takes forever to eat his meals and is unwilling to try anything new without encouragement (ie Minecraft time). His current favorite food is macaroni and cheese, but he will also eat chicken nuggets and pizza pretty easily. His breakfast drink of choice is Pedaisure. We started him drinking those daily over a year ago when getting him to eat breakfast and get out the door in time for school was a struggle. The added bonus is he has had very little episodes of reflux since we started this so I consider it a win. His second favorite drink is my dark chocolate almond milk that I use for overnight oatmeal. He doesn’t snack as much as Riley, but his preferred snack is cheese-its or dry cereal. As for TV his favorite show seems to be Pokemon lately or he still loves to watch Bluey. He told hem tonight is favorite song is “Big love happens in the small moments” (actual title is “Big Love, Small Moments”) and I absolutely love watching him sing this song. He has made his own hand motions and it is adorable. Speaking of “adorable” that is currently his favorite word and he uses it to describe just about everything from babies to puppies to dragons. Dragons are his current favorite animals and we have a dragon named “Airon” that seems to go everywhere with us – along with a stuffed Pikachu. Last night he wanted me to “battle” with his dragons so I had to make up my own dragon powers and “attempt” to “fight” his dragons, but there was no way I could beat that imagination.

He loves to make people laugh and attempts to make up his own jokes. He has an infectious smile with one front tooth that seems to have been missing forever. He has lost 5 teeth and his molars are yet to grow in, but I see them coming. Landon has a huge heart. As I mentioned about Riley, she has a lot of anxiety and gets worried quickly. She was worried yesterday about spending the night with a friend and he reassured her several times that he would be with her and then he went and got her comfort stuffies from her overnight bag and handed them to her. He likes to give me back massages and asks to do them daily – which I will allow, even if they are a little rough. He likes to help Pat with projects around the house – particularly if they involve building. He still asks me to cuddle in the mornings and sometimes just wants to cuddle before bed as well.

All in all, he has had a good year both developmentally and socially. I think he has gained confidence in himself and I have noticed he wants to play more with the neighborhood kids now – he used to prefer to play by himself and tended to stay inside. He is still a tad socially awkward with the boys, but considering they are mostly 5 years older than he it is challenging for him to be on the same level. He loves to meet new people when we are out and introduces himself to everyone and will play with anyone. He especially likes it when he can teach them something. I am excited to see what second grade and the year to come brings for him.