Van Patter Happenings: We're Two!

I know this is basically 2 months late. I have not been the best at keeping up on this blog, but I am here posting now. So, Derek and Keith are now 2! Can you believe how fast time has gone?!? They have been growing up so fast and so quickly that it's hard for me to keep up. I love watching their little minds think and work out new problem solving techniques. They are still best friends and worst enemies (frienemies). They know exactly what to do to get the other one upset and crying. Most of the time it is Derek causing trouble (can we say Alan's son?). Keith is pretty content with just one car or plane out of the dozens we have. Derek is a hoarder and likes to have ALL of the planes, trains, cars, whatever it may be. He will wait until Keith has set his one little toy down for a drink or food and come in quickly to snatch it up. However, Keith has gotten smarter and will either ear or drink with his toy in hand or set it down while keeping a watchful eye on Derek. If Derek gets close then Keith will stop what he's doing to save his toy.
These boys do show their love very often, though, for me and each other. Keith is scared of the dark so there are 3 night lights in their room. He has gotten to the point where he will sleep directly under the nightlight or right against the door (preventing anyone in or out). When I go to check on them before I go to bed I always find Derek right there next to Keith and just tonight while taking a bath Derek just decided to give Keith about 10 hugs in row followed by him saying "Sorry Kee" and patting him on the head. They have also gotten to point of giving huge bear hugs to me and Alan, which we love and hope they never grow out of.
They have learned and taught themselves so much this past year. We have mastered recognizing all uppercase letters along with the sounds they make. Derek knows the lowercase letters and Keith knows about 3/4 of the the lowercase. Derek can now count to 10 in sequential order. Keith can put together a train track on his own. They both enjoy reading, coloring, swimming and just being a kid. It still seems surreal that I am a mother to two two year olds and as hard as some days may be they do not come even close to the great ones I've had with these two. They have taught me how to love more (towards others and myself), how to translate baby/toddler talk to others, how to laugh at the same thing over and over and over again, and most of all how to enjoy each moment I have as they slip so quickly away from our grasps.

Here's to two years and many more to come.

(Clockwise starting in top left: Mine and Alan's engagement photo, Keith and Derek
2 days old in the hospital, Derek and Keith at age 1 in Galveston, Keith and Derek at a park.)

Here are some more pictures showing how we celebrated their 2nd birthday. I still can't believe we have two 2 year olds!

The boys had not received a hair cut for months, so I took them to Snip-Its in HEB. It was their first professional hair cut and they did pretty good ... as long as they had a lollipop :) The first 3 pictures are of Keith. The rest are of Derek.