December Update

"I used to think being a kid on Christmas was the best thing ever but it turn out having kids on Christmas is!"  ~Growing a Jeweled Rose

December was such a fun month.  James and Claire had a blast with all of the Christmas related festivities.  I don't even think they knew that there would be presents to open.  They just enjoyed the lights, decorations, music and events.  We didn't "do Santa," but we still had Santa decorations and read Santa books and sang Santa songs; we just treated him like any other fictional character and didn't pretend that the gifts were from him.  This didn't diminish their Christmas in any way and I'm pretty sure Claire didn't spill the beans to any fellow three-year-olds (who probably wouldn't have believed her anyway).  In addition to the Christmas events that were pictured in other posts, we enjoyed the Walk through Bethlehem at the church where Claire attends preschool and a few Christmas parties.  Claire and I attended a Christmas concert at our church one night.  She was very excited to wear a Christmas dress and hand the man her ticket at the door.  She wiggled a lot and was in and out of my lap the whole time, but actually stayed pretty quiet and enjoyed the music.  We watched several Christmas specials on television as "movie night."  Rodolph was the favorite and the kids talked about it and sang the song all month long.  Claire had many many questions about each movie ("Daddy, why was the Grinch trying to take Christmas away?").  James had fun announcing every Christmas decoration he saw in the car, such as: "Look! Giant! Snowman! With! Hat!"  The month ended with Matt getting to take two weeks off.  We all spent time in Tennessee and then James and Claire stayed a few extra days so Matt and I could get some work done around the house.

Ethan may not have enjoyed the Christmas festivities much this year, but he is becoming more and more observant.  He notices when I leave the room now (and usually isn't very happy about it).  His main goal these days is to grab something and put it in his mouth, and he's becoming more efficient every day.  He no longer likes to be held like an infant, but likes to be upright.  He's not sitting unsupported yet.  He has rolled a few times (each direction) but I don't think he knows that he can.  He has discovered his feet and likes to hold on to them.  He is a big fan of the pacifier but we don't let him have it in his crib.  He doesn't nap well at all.  It's usually three 20 minute napes each day.  He has had some great nights where he will sleep 11 hours but it's not consistent yet.  He gives lots of big smiles that will melt your heart.  No teeth or solid food yet.  He's wearing size 9 month clothes and size 2 diapers, but not for much longer.

James is beginning to enjoy pretend play--especially when Claire is involved.  He continues to like his trains and trucks and has recently added dinosaurs into the mix.  James is always wanting to know what everyone is up to by asking "Wha-doing?"  After the answer he usually says, "oh ok" and walks off.  When I ask him to do something, he will often say "sure" before completing the task.  He's quick to screaming and crying when things don't go his way, but he's also quick to smile and laugh.  He and Claire have complete back and forth conversations now.  When he says her name, he draws it out "Cway-er."  He's usually all over the place, but when he decides to focus on something, such as coloring or a puzzle, he can stick with it for quite awhile.  James has learned how to play "Memory."  He still sucks his thumb, but only while sleeping in his bed.  He's better about eating and trying new foods.  He probably averages 5 naps a week, each lasting about two hours.  He sleeps 11-12 hours every night.  He wears size 2T clothes and size 5 diapers.

Claire loves pretend play, dolls, books, and dress up.  She likes to be the leader when around James or younger friends but will also follow along if around older children.  She can be quite dramatic and pitch a fit about most anything, but she's relatively easy to console.  Claire is beginning to write letters.  We got her a LeapReader for Christmas to attempt to make learning to read and write a little more fun because we've known she's capable for awhile, she just hasn't wanted to sit down and try.  The LeapReader seems to be working for now but Claire frustrates easily.  For example, she was very frustrated with her inability to make the vertical line on a "E" perfectly straight.  We are making progress though, but only in short little time increments.  Claire is very social and always asking to have friends over, but she's also content to play quietly in her room for about two hours every afternoon.  She loves her brothers and likes to have them around, even though she and James often struggle to share.

Matt has been very busy around the house with projects such as painting, staining, and finishing off some storage closets.  He is also traveling a lot for work.  Taking care of the kids and house pretty much keep me busy these days, but I still get to enjoy weekly Bible study, my MOPS group, and gym membership.  We are looking forward to 2014 as a year where we continue to marvel in the growth and development of our sweet babies. 

Thank you to all of you who read the blog.  I appreciate all the feedback and comments.  It's a lot of work to maintain and it often feels like a burden to me, but I am so glad to have this record of my family and to get to share details and pictures with you.  Happy New Year!