Miles
*You make friends so easily. When we go to swimming lessons, there are always different people there and you make friends with all of them, whether they are, or aren't, your same age, gender or have the same interests as you do. You've played basketball with a 12 year old girl, jumped on the tramp with 3 boys that are about your same size, and befriended a cute 3 year old boy. It's heart-warming to see you interact with all of these different kids. It comes so naturally to you- to just jump in to their conversation and not skip a beat, or cheer for them when they make a basket and you didn't, or to help them fish their soccer ball from under the deck. It makes me insanely proud. I love it when all the moms say, "Oh Miles is your boy?? He is just the cutest!"
*Some of the teeth you have lost are finally starting to grow back in. You're definitely going to need braces. :)
*You're really close to meeting your goal of having $100 in your fun money account. Last time we made a deposit, we told the guy about your goal and he said, "That's awesome! What are you going to do once you have $100?" And you just shrugged and said, "I just want a 100 dollar bill." :) Your other goal is to have enough money to buy an RV. Don't know where that little obsession came from. I've told your many times how ridiculously expensive they are, but you seem undeterred to own one someday.
*Money is a major motivator to you. We have been easing back into school, earlier than normal because we plan on taking a break when baby gets here. We had been mentally prepping you all for the return of school for a couple weeks, and everyone seemed on board. Well, the first day I said, "Ok, let's head downstairs!" You immediately returned to your whining and complaining about school. It was completely disheartening to me. So we had a long talk about it, and then we implemented a new strategy. You have a jar of pennies and you can earn more by having a good attitude about school, or lose them by complaining. You get to keep all the pennies in your jar at the end of the month. That sure got your attention. :) Working like a charm so far.
*I love seeing the wheels turn in your head. Today you were pretending that the spatula was your robot hand. And then you asked, "What if I had a real robot hand?" I said that we'd figure it out and make the best of it. And then you said, "Wait a second. How do people with real robot hands work? There aren't any nerves in robot hands, so how does it send messages to your brain?"
We had our first official science lesson of the year the other day. It was all about how God created the universe, and what's out there in space. I can't remember how you phrased it, but you were basically asking what came first, the universe or God. You couldn't wrap your brain around the fact that God created the universe, but God had to be somewhere when he created it, so...where was He?
*When we read scriptures at night, sometimes I think nothing is sinking in. It's usually hectic and you guys aren't listening in the way we think you should be, and Dad and I are exhausted. But you've surprised me lately. You've been picking up on things! For instance, we just got done reading about Alma the Younger, and the advice he was giving all of his sons. You paused and said, "Wait, we already read about an Alma, and he did this and this etc. Is this a different one?" We explained the difference quickly, and you caught on and can now tell the stories better than I can.
*Your nose wheezes when you sleep. :) It's not quite a snore, but there is definitely some noise going on. It cracks me up.
Gwen
*Within the recent past, you've attended two different birthday parties for girl's in our ward. They live on "the rich street" in our ward boundaries, and so their parties have been...let's say more elaborate than we do at our house. (Real pony rides, inflatable water bouncy houses...etc..) When I came to pick you up from these different parties, both Moms commented on how content you are. "She didn't complain about when she got her turn or what color _____ she got. She didn't ask, "What else?" or "Is this it?" She just seemed to happy to be here." That makes me giddy.
*You are taking your little Karate class and it was so fun watching you today. It was your first class and we were late because I went to the wrong rec center. I was stressed beyond normal and kept anxiously saying, "Let's go! Hurry!" etc. I was afraid you'd be frazzled and not want to participate when we finally got there (because that's how I would feel if I had been in your shoes) but you just jumped right in and smiled the whole time. You were the only girl, but you weren't intimidated at all.
*You always seem to have a smile on your face. You can just light up a room! It's been so fun watching you do swimming and karate, and seeing you smile almost the entire time. And it's such a genuine smile, not something that's been plastered on. You are full of joy!
*You have us all cracking up with your songs lyrics. You'll sing these songs, and if you're not sure what the words are, you just fill it in with whatever you think it sounds like. The other day is was "Hakuna Matata" and you said, "It's our problem free....With lots of these!!....Hakuna Matata." Another time it was "Video Killed the Radio Star" and your lyrics were, "Oh-wa-Oh...Massachusetts! Oh-wa-Oh...what did you tell them." (instead of Oh-wa-oh, I met your children.)
*Dad and I have noticed a tendency you have to flip out when you're really tired. It doesn't happen a lot, but every once in a while when you get really exhausted, you're so tired that you can't even fall asleep! And you have these, what look like, panic/anxiety attacks. You just get completely hysterical. Sometimes Dad and I have a hard time being patient with you because we know it's just because you're tired and if you would only go to sleep, it would solve the problem! Dad has been really good about walking you through these relaxation techniques to help you calm yourself down.
*You are every bit the mini-mama I thought you would be to Benson. You're constantly asking to hold him, and you do a really good job. You feel so confident holding him that sometimes we have to reign you back in because you want to walk around with him etc and he still can't hold his head up so it makes us nervous. I know I can let you hold him, even when he's crying, and you won't get frazzled or worried. You just pat his bum, sing him songs, etc. Today you came home from church, and Benson had just prematurely woken up from a nap and was crying. You went in and read him a story, put another blanket on him, and left the room. He totally calmed down and went back to sleep! You can almost change a disposable diaper all by yourself!
*You have a bit of a lying problem. Trying to figure out how to remedy that...
*You frequently pick out words from a book we read, a song you've heard, something Dad and I said in conversation, and ask "What does _____ mean?" Even if the word was barely mentioned, you have this ability to pluck it out, and then understand it. It's so cool to me.
Lindy
*You call every meal "dinner".
*I'm realizing that I'm going to have to do things differently with you and school this year. Last year, you didn't care to participate at all really. I could just manage you, while I helped Miles and Gwen. But now, you are starting to take an active interest in what they are doing and wanting to be treated the same. Both Miles and Gwen have their own "school box" with supplies they need. We got you one this year on a whim, and when I presented it to you today, you were over the moon about it! You colored for a good thirty minutes and kept saying, "Nee-Nees!" (Translation: Lindy's!!) After the kids read aloud to me, you always interject, "My turn!" and then you pick up a book and make us all listen as you "read" it to us. You had us all cracking up today as you "read" us a BOB book that apparently was a cross between "The 3 little pigs" and someone who kept peeing the bed.
*You are making longer sentences these days, and it's so fun to communicate more with you. There is this song by Beethoven that was on a Little Einsteins episode once, and it scared you. So the kids like to sing it to tease you. We checked out a Beethoven CD from the library the other day, and it was the first song. As soon as you heard the familiar riff, you immediately grimaced and then said, "Mom, no! Dun-Dun-Dun-Dun a-scare a-me!" It surprises me how sensitive you are to "scary" things. Even if you don't understand the story line etc, if the tone of the narrator's voice gets low, or the music becomes more foreboding, you're instantly scared. You're also very sensitive to light, and get scared if it's even a little dark. Tonight we were at Grandma and Grandpa Garner's house for Sunday dinner and the kids were out jumping on the tramp. You wanted to go out, but the sun had just started setting and you were terrified to go out. It's also happened that we'll be driving home from somewhere at night, and you HAVE to have the car light on because it's dark outside and you're terrified.
*This past weekend, Aunt Makenna took Miles and Gwen for the weekend to sleepover. Which meant that there was only you and Benson at home with Mom and Dad. You had way more undivided attention than normal and you completely ate it up. It was almost like a switch had been flipped and you were on your best behavior. No whining, no grumpy faces, nothing. Just a smiley, happy girl. Only a few minutes after your older siblings got home, I was breaking up fights with between you guys and having to put you in time out again. Hmmm...Looks like we may have to carve out some more time with just you Lindy. :)
Benson
*First time including you on one of these updates! How fun! You are almost 3 weeks old (as of today, Sept. 18th) Here are some things we're learning about you, our newest addition.
*You are still waking up about twice a night. Not horrible, but we are tired! You make us work for your sleep. I don't remember at what point we turned this particular corner with the other kids, but I feel like I should be able to feed you, change you, and then lay you down for a nap. But you like to be wooed to sleep. You want to be held, rocked, coaxed, put on your belly, etc and then maybe you'll sleep. Usually it means that you'll nap during the day for about 15 minute and then wake up. So then we have to go in and coax you back to sleep, and on and on. Hopefully this improves quickly. You're super cute, but that routine is gettin old kid.
*We took you in for a 2 week check up and you surpassed your birth weight! Go Benson! You have been my easiest nurser. The entire nursing process has been so much better this time around. I'll take it!
*We were also going to circumcise you at this 2 week check up, but the doctor found an issue with your little man parts. :) It's called "Penile Torsion", and it basically means that your penis is turned. This will require surgery, any time from 6 months-2 years of age, and we'll just do the circumcision then. Fun stuff, eh buddy?
*You are really good at holding your head up already. You love looking around. Dad and I love it when you are content and just looking around, taking it all in. You aren't smiling responsively yet, but you can see lots of emotion behind those eyes of yours. It's like I can see the wheels in your head turning, trying to make sense of it all.
*As of today (the 23rd) I think we may have turned a corner. For the past couple of days, your napping during the day has been so much better and more predictable. I still have to work a bit for it, but it's becoming easier, thank goodness.
*You still hardly ever spit up. You are my best nurser so far, and least messy eater! Diapers are another story. You are constantly peeing or pooping out of them and you love peeing all over me and the bed when I change your bum. :) Little stinker.
*We LOVE you SO much!!!
