Don't you just love spring? The weather has been wonderful lately and we've tried to get out and enjoy it as much as possible. March and April have been nice months for us. We've been blessed with good health, very refreshing after a fall/winter filled with ear infections, sinus infections, pink eye, and colds galore. School, sports, ballet, and church activities are all wrapping up in the next few weeks, and of course we are anxiously awaiting our newest family member. James has been asking for months if it is May yet, and now it is!
At 21 months old, Ethan can certainly throw a tantrum as well as any toddler when he doesn't get his way, but for the most part, he's still a happy, easy-going little guy to laughs easily and wants to be involved in anything big brother and sister are doing. He has no fear at the playground and will climb anything in sight. He LOVES to slide and will often find a slide and steps he likes and repeat this loop for long stretches of time. He seems to be a Daddy's boy more than the other two, crying when Matt leaves and saying "Hi Dada!" over and over very excitedly when he gets home. Actually Ethan says "hi" often to strangers and is quick to return a smile to anyone who speaks to him.
Ethan puts two words together frequently now and has made some longer sentences as well. One example is "I see Dada truck!" He tells us to "see" and "look" when he's done something he's proud of. He likes to scribble with crayons now. He is more independent than James and Claire were at this age. He usually prefers to walk over being carried (ok by me!) but doesn't like to hold a hand in the parking lot. We have enjoyed our semester in Kindermusik. He's been somewhat clingy in this setting but happy to play and participate. He doesn't verbalize his colors yet, but anytime the Kindermusik teacher dumps out the large pile of multicolored scarves, Ethan will go out of his way to find a red one.
Ethan loves to help. He carries his dishes over after meals (and sometimes James and Claire ask him to do theirs as well). He always wants a napkin ("nap nap") at meals and will use it to clean up his face, highchair tray, or a dribble of milk on the floor. Ethan loves to play in the back yard, following James and Claire up the hill and all over. If one of them picks up a stick, it will only be a matter of seconds before he has his own stick in hand. He will often share something if asked, but if James or Claire takes it away he's quick to stand up for himself yelling "STOP!" or "MINE" or "MY ____!" Ethan likes to push around toy dump trucks. He calls them "Honk honk beep beep" from one of his books. Ethan no longer enjoys reading very much. He gets antsy and very upset if it's not the book he chose. Trying to read to all three children is nearly impossible these days because no one wants to be the one not able to sit next to Mommy (my lap just isn't an option right now!)
Ethan and James have been sharing a room for about a month now. They have really done quite well with the transition. Ethan used to just fall asleep quietly, but now he usually sings and babbles for a bit. James must just ignore him and fall asleep most nights, although one night he called out "Mommy, can you take E-fin away so I can sleep?" Ethan usually naps for about 90 minutes every afternoon. He eats very well and insists on using his fork and spoon, even though it would sometimes be easier if he'd just pick it up with his fingers. He had his first "lap exam" at the dentist last week. He didn't really like it but we were glad to know that everything is looking good.
James is much less outgoing than Ethan, often hiding behind my leg or shying away from questions from others, but once he gets comfortable he can be quite talkative. He was the first one to arrive at his Tots t-ball/soccer class the other day and I could overhear him telling Coach Lucy all kinds of things. He has really enjoyed that little class and it seems that sports may be a great outlet for him. He enjoys playing on the playground but is cautious, often determining that a slide is too long (even if Ethan's just gone down it) and wanting to swing only at a comfortable speed, not too fast.
James' preschool class put on a little performance for the parents a few weeks ago. In a previous blog post, you could see how well he sang with his Bible study class for a group of at least 100 women. For some reason, the preschool performance was different. It was a room he is much more familiar with and there were probably only 20 adults, but he refused to sing or participate. I'm not exactly sure why, but he had told me he wasn't going to sing, so I wasn't surprised.
James now has his daily quiet time in our room while Ethan naps. He has gotten very good at keeping himself entertained, usually for an hour or more. He likes to play blocks, cars, busy books (with little plastic characters), and LeapReader. After a long struggle, James actually eats vegetables willingly now. He is still my early riser, so we bought him an alarm clock and he has to wait for a "7" before he can come upstairs. Most mornings he appears in our room at approximately 7:00:08, so I'm pretty sure he's sitting there watching the clock. James stopped sucking his thumb at night. We used a clear polish from the dentist and it worked. It earned him a picture on a bulletin board and a gift card from the dentist at his latest visit. The visit was much better this time and he actually got his teeth cleaned with minimal fussing. No need for a trip to the private exam room so other patients don't hear the screaming this time!
James learned how to write his name. I wish that I could take credit for it, but I think he just figured it out on his own. In practicing, he's very hard on himself and doesn't like it when a letter isn't quite right. We have learned that some of James' tummy hurting complaints are legitimate (I still question the complaints that come immediately after I've asked him to do something like clean up) because he has a hernia. We will be meeting with a surgeon soon to determine when to have this repaired.
It's hard to believe that Claire only has a few days of preschool left. She's very excited about starting Kindergarden, especially riding the bus. Claire reads a few pages to us every night at bedtime. She filled up a chart we made by completing 10 Level 1 books and got to go see Cinderella at the movie theater with Matt. Something clicked with Claire and she figured out how to pump herself on the swing. She loves this freedom and is very proud of herself.
Claire has shown improvement this soccer season. Her foot comes into contact with the ball maybe once a game (yes, that's an improvement) but the biggest change has been that she seems to be paying attention better and running harder.
In our house, Claire certainly is the leader, even when friends come over. She likes to make the decisions and organize the playtime. I think she is much less this way at preschool though. Claire loves Barbies, coloring, and using her imagination. Claire can be very dramatic about things. Just today when doing a water color picture, she ran out of paint. She wailed and cried and asked "Did they do this on purpose to upset children?" She often makes declarations such as "I'm never going to eat again!" Is she 5 going on 15? :) At her 5 year checkup, Claire weighed 42 pounds, 6 ounces (75th percentile) and measured 3' 8.5" (95th percentile).
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