Miles
*I love watching you grow up kid. A favorite these days are the freckles that are popping up on the bridge of your nose and right under your eyes. They are very faint, but they are so adorable. You are getting more tan, what with all the time outside these days, and your hair just gets more and more blonde.
*We've had to start doing quiet time a little differently these days. You always want to be alone, and Gwen always wants to play together. So we switch off days. On the days that it's separate time, you like to be in your room. I ask you if you want any specific toys brought up, or books or art supplies, and usually you say no, hop on your bed, lay on your belly and watch out the window. That's what you do at night time too, as you're winding down to go to sleep. I imagine you're thinking great thoughts and making big plans.
*We've been reading a lot for the library summer reading program and you are really improving and gaining confidence in your reading skills. It's so fun to watch! I'm hoping by the end of the summer, you'll be able to read most things independently. It would really help me out once the baby gets here and the school year starts.
*Your hatred for piano has intensified, even though the push for it has been almost non-existent because your teacher just had a baby. I think we're going to take a break for the summer and pick it up again when the school year starts. I hope that helps and that you enjoy it more. It's one of our only sources of contention and attitude with you.
*You've started swimming lessons and rec center soccer. You've always been eager to swim and have never been intimidated at all by the water. You just jump right in and go for it. After only 2 lessons, they moved you up to a more advanced class. When we went to try out soccer for the first time yesterday, I was a little nervous because you've never had any experience with it, and all of the kids on your team had. Again, you just jumped right in and didn't seem worried at all. You were a natural leader and did your best.
*You have always been, and continue to be, concerned with doing what's right and pleasing those around you (especially your parents). I'm not saying you're without fault ;) but you are always eager to please and do what you know you're supposed to. I'm very grateful for that attitude. My only concern is hoping that that sense of responsibility to the right doesn't ever weigh you down. I hope that you always find joy in your duties and responsibilities and not drudgery. So far, so good. I am starting to depend on you more and more, and I just never want to put too much pressure on you. So I'm trying to be aware of that. It's so handy to have a big helper though. It's not unusual for you to be up, dressed, bed made, prayers said, teeth brushed, and table set for breakfast, all while the rest of us are still dragging ourselves out of bed. I think you are aware of this, and are starting to use it to your advantage. For instance, the other day, you brought to our attention that you do more of the bunny work than Gwen. (True statement) And you feel you should get paid more when we sell a bunny. :) We agreed.
Gwen
*As always Gwenny, you are such an interesting and beautiful mix. You are fearless and incredibly brave. You are the first to climb trees, want huge under-dogs on the tire swing, and make new friends on the playground. You seem so much older than 5! But other times, you are this shy and timid little girl who doesn't want to go all the way under water at swimming lessons, and who still regularly comes in our bedroom at night to sleep on the floor because of another scary dream. Sometimes I feel like I'm too hard on you because you are so capable that I forget you are still small. (Thank goodness!)
*You have such a unique beauty to you. You are requesting to grow out your bangs and your hair, which I have mixed feelings about, but you're cute no matter what so it really doesn't matter. My favorite physical thing about you these days are your legs. For one, you actually have some definition in those babies! Must be all that dancing around the house. But my favorite thing is that they are so beat up. :) They are full of scrapes and bruises that you've earned from running around the backyard carting bunnies around and trying to "learn" how to roller skate.
*You are taking swimming lessons like Miles and you love it, but are still fairly timid in the water. Even though you get scared, you try really hard and push yourself. After your first swimming lesson, you found a poster board downstairs and made a huge poster for your teacher that you gave to her at the next lesson. It said that you were so happy to be in swimming lessons with her. She LOVED it. You are equally excited to do Karate later in the summer. You love to "practice" karate in the bathtub with the shower curtain closed. You warn everyone not to come in, because they might get hurt, and then we hear you shouting "Yah! High-Yah!" over and over again.
*Your ability to read still astounds me. It comes to you so naturally. You are also really good at inferring, which can sometimes make it more difficult. When you turn the page of a book you'll look at the pictures for a while before you start to read. Then when you get to a tricky part, you just make it up based on what the pictures are showing you. Usually it's pretty close! :) You could read all day. This morning, you and Lindy woke up first and while I was in the bathroom you two nestled yourself on the living room couch. When I came out, you were patiently reading books to her. It melted my mommy heart.
*You are doing great at your garbage can job, and only require minimal help. You still like to find ways to wiggle yourself out of jobs, but you're learning how to work, that's for sure. Even if there is some whining involved. :)
*Babies are a magnet for you. As soon as you see a baby, you must be right next to it, talking to and tickling it. It's so fun to watch you light up around babies. It makes me excited to see you with your new baby brother. I'm sure you're going to be such a huge help to me!
Lindy
Oh Lindy. You are such a character and are growing up more and more every day.
*You are getting so much more gentle with babies and those who are smaller than you, which I am immensely grateful for. I still don't trust you around babies by yourself yet...but there is so much improvement! Maybe this baby boy coming will survive after all! :)
*You are gaining a real love of books and are starting to request certain ones at bedtime and starting to memorize and "say" the lines as we read them. You love falling asleep with a book in your hands.
*You are, by far, my most independent child yet. I am all for a healthy dose of independence, but man, sometimes it's exhausting. Today you even refused holding my hands when we walked places and said, "No, I walk!". You want to pour things by yourself, choose the CD at bedtime, get on the potty by yourself (which is still really tricky considering how small you still are in relation to the potty), push ALL buttons....the list is never ending.
*You only want to wear a "pretty dress". Even at bedtime. You love wearing fancy, flowery things. You also rotate which shoes are your favorite, and want to wear them non-stop. Right now it's your white Sunday sandals with the flower on them. You won't even take them off for naps! It always cracks me up to see you in these frilly outfits, and then watch you walk around with your very determined, not at all feminine, walk. :) You don't have a lot of fear and are willing to jump right in with whatever your siblings are doing.
*You love to sing. :) You are verbal, in your own ways, but most people can't understand you yet. However, you are stringing words together in sentences that I can translate and decipher and you understand and communicate SO much. I love when you sing songs with us at dinner, or bedtime or in the car and you know and "sing" the words. You always sing with lots of feeling. You ALWAYS want to sing "The Miracle" at dinner and bedtime. You call it, "Jesus a Water!" Because the first line is, "Jesus walked upon the water..."
*You are my child that has the most awareness of her body, at this point anyway. You have been the easiest to potty train and stay potty trained. You completely understand what your body is trying to tell you. I never have to ask you if you need to go potty. You always tell me and always make it to the potty in time. If I ask you if you are done yet, I can trust your answer. If you say yes, you hop down and we wash hands. If you say you're not done, all I have to do it wait a minute or two, and sure enough, there's more. Ha! You and Gwen are both doing really well at staying night-time dry these days.
*You are the first to wake up these days. You come in our room, climb up on the bed and come snuggle with me for a half hour or so until your siblings wake up. It's a fun moment of my day.
*I love your upper lip. :) Ever since you were a baby, you've had the cutest upper lip. It's still ridiculously cute.
*You and Gwen have your fair amount of fights, but you want to do everything she does. You copy her meticulously.
