My Amazing Kiddos

Having three children under the age of three can be both a challenge and a blessing.  I love every age and stage they go through, but right now seems like such an interesting time for all three.

I started blogging because I always said that I wanted to scrapbook or at least record memories of the children as they grow up, and I figured that an electronic medium was perfect for me since I'm a computer-nerd.

I noticed that I tend to write more about the activities we do then personal notes on the children, so I'd like to start blogging here and there about all the phases the kids are going through.  If you read my blog for ideas of activities to do with your kids, you can skip the personal posts.



I'll start with Baby H....

Baby H (who I don't mention much in this blog), will hit the 6 month milestone this week.  I feel like this age is a lot of fun because the tiny helpless babies somehow turn into self-aware beings.  H is really developing very quickly, not only observing everything around him, but starting to interact with his environment in new and intentional ways.  He started enjoying tummy-time and playing with his toys for long stretches.  It's hard to explain, but there is definitely a change in how he entertains himself and engages with others. He doesn't "do" much, but he's such a cool little guy.   His neat personality is shining through, and it is such a joy spending time with him.


L (31 months) -

L is currently in a stage where she wants to do everything by herself.  If I pick up her teddy bears off the floor and hand them to her, she insists that I put them back in exactly the spot I found them so she can pick them up herself.  This applies to pretty much every object and task in the house - except one situation:

Me: "L - will you help me clean up the mess you made?"
L: "No.. I busy.  Mamma, you do it!"

Of course I don't let her get away with ordering me clean up after her (we do it together), but I have to give her credit for being a smart little cookie.  The other night I had the audacity to rinse her toothbrush when she was done with it.  The result?  A full-blown fit and L insisting that I put toothpaste back on her toothbrush so she could brush her teeth again and then rinse off her brush all by herself!  Yes, I'm a bit of a push-over for complying, but I think that establishing independence is great for kids, and I'd rather pick my battles.

Even as she's asserting her independence, L is still very sweet and loving.  She always thanks me for the little things like making her favorite meals, and gives great hugs and kisses.  Academically she's always impressing me with how quickly she soaks up new information.  She's cruising through her Kindergarten-level math workbook, progressing with reading, and starting to write letters.


E (31 months) -

E has gone through the biggest developmental jump over the past couple months.  She's suddenly become receptive to working with me one-on-one and doing more focused activities (previously, L was the one who would always cooperate with me, while E did her own thing).  Her fine motor skills have caught up, too, as demonstrated by her use of scissors and gluesticks, and her math and reading skills have progressed by leaps and bounds as well.

E has such a kind heart and genuinely loves animals and babies (even her own baby brother who always reciprocates her affection with a smile even when he's in the middle of crying).  She always points to illustrations of animals in her books and tells me how each one is feeling.  Each week she has a new favorite baby animal that she cares for and takes everywhere.

E shares nicely with her sister and always shows concern for her.  If L is hurt or upset, E will always come up to her and ask her what's wrong and give her a kiss to make her feel better.  On occasion she will even cry in sympathy too - such a sweetie!

I'm such a lucky Mom!