When Life is Just Playtime | NLW turns 8

NLW continues to have an enthusiasm for nature. Paired with his insatiable appetite for books and impeccable memory, we easily default to him for all things animal trivia. :) When you're not drawing animals for the zoo in your room or reading (typically graphic novels or animal encyclopedias), you're enjoying outdoor activities like mountain biking, skiing, and swimming. You can't help but roll around in the sand at the beach or look for frogs, fish, and turtles whenever you're near water. You're the reason we keep a list of animals spotted on all our vacations. You continue to be joyous, curious, and friendly, and we love your laugh. Turns out you're just as Norman-y as ever. :)

Favorite Color: Any shade of blue, from teal all the way to navy

Favorite Animal: Marine iguana

Favorite Show: Octonauts
Favorite Movie: Ice Age

Favorite Song/Soundtrack: Ice Age

Favorite Book: Dragon Masters and Gumluck the Wizard

Favorite Playground: Alki Elementary

Favorite Activity: to read books

Favorite Thing to Play: Minecraft

Favorite Toy: Legos
Favorite Food: Fruit
Favorite Treat: Hi-Chews

Favorite Store: Safeway
Favorite Story: Fantastic Mr. Fox
What do you want to be when you grow up: Zoologist or a conservationist
What my mom thinks I'll be when I grow up: Natural Resource Specialist
Anything else you want to say? My favorite place is Washington, I like to draw and read when I have alone time.

You're our favorite eight-year-old and we all love you big bunches!

Hooray for October 21, 
- SJW

Year Seven
Year Six
Year Five
Year Four
Year Three

Twice as Much Cake | Twins Turn 6

From the same family that brought you these cute 5-year-olds, we're introducing two new six-year-olds!

The past year brought lots of new opportunities, and it was a joy to watch them grow in independence, confidence, and gain new skills. Biking with gears, skiing down the bunny hill, learning to swim, and losing teeth — it was another big year of growth and development. Preschool brought playdates, parties, and a love of school and learning. They can both sound out BOB Books and are excited about my first reading challenge: read Go, Dog. Go! out loud all the way through, and we'll get a new book at Pegasus Books!

CCW continues to be charming, clever, silly, loud, funny, and creative. He's always designing, constructing, or creating something! We have plenty of pictures of him standing next to a new Magna-Tile creation. :) He's also math-savvy and a genuine card shark! His blonde, wavy hair and curious nature remain unchanged. He loves playing board games, building Legos, and going to soccer practice.

Favorite Color: "I have like a couple. One is purple, orange, aqua, that's my last one."
Favorite Animal: "I have a couple too. Tiger, puffin, penguin. I think I have one more. Butterfly."
Favorite Show: Octonauts
Favorite Movie: Octonauts: Ring of Fire
Favorite Song/Soundtrack: My playlist and KPop Demon Hunters
Favorite Book: The Bakery Dragon and Goodnight World: Animals of the Native Northwest
Favorite Playground: Hiawatha, Walt Huntley, Holy Rosary
Favorite Activity: Soccer and swimming
Favorite Thing to Play: Board games
Favorite Toy: "My soft platypus, which her name is Platty!"
Favorite Food: Chili
Favorite Treat: Donuts, cupcakes, and cake
Favorite Store: Met Market
Favorite Story: Heidi
What do you want to be when you grow up? Artist
What my mom thinks I'll be when I grow up: Creative Engineer
Anything else you want to say? "My favorite texture is bumpy. My favorite kind of material is markers."

EDW is our snack-happy, homebody, cuddly, ticklish, silly, reserved, fashion-minded girl. She still loves dress-up, and we had lots of fun experimenting with different hairstyles this year and coming up with names for them: Mira or Rumi (from KPop Demon Hunters), unicorn, bunnies, piggies, three-horse tail, bubble hair, ballerina hair, and more. She loves coloring, unicorns, her best friend H, and going to ballet.

Favorite Color: Purple
Favorite Animal: "Can it be make-believe? Unicorn."
Favorite Show: Octonauts
Favorite Movie: Snow White
Favorite Song/Soundtrack: "Let It Go"
Favorite Book: Rescues Princesses
Favorite Playground: Holy Rosary
Favorite Activity: Drawing
Favorite Thing to Play: Monopoly Deal
Favorite Toy: Coloring books
Favorite Food: Mango
Favorite Treat: Cake
Favorite Story: Heidi
Favorite Store: Costco
What do you want to be when you grow up? A ballet dancer
What my mom thinks I'll be when I grow up: Not sure but she would make a fabulous professional dancer 
Anything else you want to say? "Favorite costume is black cat. What's your favorite material? I love markers! What's your favorite house? The house we live in right now."

We love watching you change and grow through the seasons.
You make a great pair, and we love you more every day. <3

For their birthday cakes this year, CCW requested chocolate cake with lemon frosting, while EDW requested chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Just one more example of how they're each very much their own person. :) Mimi was in town this year and decorated their cakes. <3

Six looks good on you!

- SJW

More "Double the Fun" posts here:
- Twins turn 5.5

- Twins turn 5
- Twins turn 4

- Twins turn 3
- Twins turn 2

- Twins turn 1
- Twins turn 6 months
- The Three Toddler Summer
- Crib Days