Kiddo update... Fall 2011

Nicholas at 6.75 years old:  Nicholas is LOVING first grade.  I mean he LOVES it.  He adores his teacher & repeats the words she says (he created a "social contract" with Math, he talked about adding new vocabulary words to his speech, etc).  So far, he is still struggling with talking during transition times.  His teacher has given him "lots of compliments" (his words) on his reading skills  - his confidence is soaring!  He is still a bookworm - currently reading Harry Potter for the sixth (?) time through.  Nicholas also went "shopping" through my old 4th grade books today - it was like a kid in a candy store!  He willing does his homework and chores each night, and enjoys helping his brother learn new things (ABCs, writing, etc).  Nicholas still desires to be perfect.  When he falls short, he sabotages whatever he might be doing.  Rather ruin it for all than lose.  We work on this continuously.  Lately he has really enjoyed telling & reading jokes.  I think this stems from realizing that he can get the attention and approval of people around him by being funny.  He is a sweet boy, making books and cards for teachers and friends.  This past weekend, he had a garage sale to earn money...and spent some of the money buying Christmas gifts for his siblings.  He often thinks of others and that is one thing we just love about him.  He isn't too old to snuggle with or hug his mom, and you can occasionally hear him call us "Mommy" and "Daddy" (it's getting a bit more rare...).  Sibling battles are in full swing.  The brothers often yell, hit, and fight when they don't get their way.  We are working through the issues... and helping the brothers to solve problems together without intervention.  It's a battle for sure!  Nicholas is still a magnificent eater and often talks about the importance of eating all his fruits & vegetables.  He has long since surpassed me in the eating category - watch out Dad!

Where we spend lots of our time: baseball fields!

Matthew at 3.25 years old:  Matthew is such a sweet, funny little boy.  His smile, shoulder shrug, and eye lashes get me every time!  And he knows it.  This little stinker tries to get away with everything with just a head tilt & smile.  And we try not to let that happen.  Matthew started preschool this fall, and talks about no one else in his class except "One Boy" (name not included to protect privacy, of course!).  This "One Boy" rules our world.  What is "One Boy" doing right now?  "One boy" is my friend.  Etc.  I mentioned this to M's teacher.  She laughed and said she says "One Boy"'s name all day, every day.  Uh oh.  Matthew replied, "Yes, 'One Boy' is naughty in preschool all day, every day".  Uh oh again.  Matthew is relatively laid back unless he is hungry or tired.  And he is often one of those.  Or both.  Since preschool started, Math hasn't wanted to sleep in his bed.  We don't particularly care where he sleeps, so he is currently sleeping on the floor of his room.  Works for us.  He says he is done with sleeping.  As if that was a phase and now he is moving on!  The boy loves to eat.  I can only imagine how much trouble we will have down the road since he wishes "sugar" were a category of food.  People love to feed my children & watch them eat.  Yesterday (at the garage sale), a neighbor was selling lemonade.  Math said it smelled funny and requested milk instead.  She politely told him she wasn't selling milk!  Matthew is such a cuddle bug!  But lacks a little interest in learning.  He is starting to pick up on letters (Apple starts with "A", and listing other words that start with a certain letter) and rhyming.  Not hitting his brother is another skill we are working to master.  He is a very physical boy, throwing left handed (very well, according to Dad), wrestling brother or Dad, and just running around all the time.  He still cries often when he doesn't get his way - we work constantly on using his words!

Completely captures his personality

Katie at 3 months old: Predictable is the one word I can use to describe Katie-bug.  She is a scheduled girl for sure!  She MUST EAT at 8am, 12pm, 4pm, and 8pm (actually a little flexible at 8pm.  The other 3, not so much).  She poops once a day at the same time every day, give 15 minutes or so (sorry, too much information).  If we forget her reflux meds (as we did last night) she repays us by waking up, a lot, for no particular reason than torture!  Her morning nap MUST BE SHORT to ensure a long afternoon nap.  Got it backwards?  Prepare to pay!  She is a discerning smiler.  Don't expect her to flash her adorable gums at you just because.  You must work for it.  It helps if you are family.  Mom, Dad,  or a cute big bro can usually get a big smile from her.  She doesn't particularly care for tummy time, but we work on it often.  Dad wants her to grow more hair.  Mom wants to just freeze time.  She vocalizes often - starting to make consonant sounds along with the oooh and aaaah of babyhood.  We just love our sweet girl!

Smiley girl!