A snapshot of the girls right now

Even though I tell myself I'll never forget these years, I know I will someday.  Here is a snapshot of the girls as they are are today, at 4 and 22 months.

Marin:
favorite food: "basketti" with just a little bit of sauce, and parmesan cheese
favorite activities: gymnastics, ballet, swimming, singing, making up singing and dancing shows for the family to watch, playing dolls, reading books, doing art
favorite shows: Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Doc McStuffins, Sofia the First

other:
* she likes to floss her teeth, often asking to do it right away, "so the cavity doesn't start to grow."
* she likes shoes and accessories
* she still takes a nap, and asks for it every day.
* she loves Norah, and especially likes to give her treats.
* is a huge helper to me
* she loves to color and is really good at staying in the lines.  She concentrates so hard, and can do it for hours.
* she knows all of her letters and how to write them, and is learning to spell and read small words.  She remembers how to spell all of her friend's names.
* her memory in general is crazy, insanely good.  Way better than mine. She reads one whole 20 page hard cover book to her sister at night word for word.  She even read it last night perfectly and we hadn't read it for at least two months. 
* she loves school!

Emilie:
favorite food: "maccheese"
favorite activities: singing and dancing with Marin, tot rock, going to the"liebree" (library), playing dollies
favorite shows: "Mickey", "Steins" (Little Einsteins), "Why" (Super Why)

other:
* she is a spit fire and a pistol.  Emilie knows what she wants, and if she has to fight for it, she will.
* she idolizes Marin.  She wants to do absolutely everything that Marin does, except use the potty.  When I ask her if she wants to sit on the potty, she says, "No.  and then, "Diaper" as if to tell me, "Silly mommy, I wear a diaper and it will always be like that, right?"
* she's the great repeater.  She repeats everything we say, mostly one word at a time.
* she never forgets to say thank you- even when I do. When I give her breakfast, for example, she'll say enthusiastically, "Oh! Thank you, Mommy!"
* If someone hurts themselves, she asks them, "K?" for "Okay".
* The other day she looked in a Target bag at an enormous maternity swimsuit that I bought and was generally unexcited about.  She said to me, "Beauful, Mommy!" 
* she says, "Love vu"
* before I close her door at night she says, "Night. Love vu."
* she's a huge snuggle bug. she'll snuggle in close to us and say, "Mommy best" or "Daddy best"
* she loves "Gamma" and "Bampa", especially Bampa, her favorite person in the world, next to "Mehn" (Marin- and yes, it sounds like she saying Men, when she calls her name).
* she knows "abc" and knows her numbers up to 13 with a little help.  She also knows the colors pink and orange. 
* she loves to sing, but only sings the last word in the phrase.  When Marin sings "That's what makes you beautiful", Emilie chims in for the "beautiful" part, but says, "beauful".
* she insists on doing everything herself, saying, "No, do it!" or "Got it, got it!"
* she loves to give Norah pets, which ends up being more like smacks.