The Big Kids

The difference in age between Owen & Rebecca seems soooo much less than Rebecca and Maggie these days even though its pretty much the same. So, we talk a lot about "the big kids" and Maggie.

Here are some recent big-kid-isms.

Owen

A super-cool train track he designed and built (he is really in to drawing the "plans" for all his building projects - tracks, pillow forts, etc. - first).

He recently told Kyle that he had finally decided what he wanted to be. He had been saying "a doctor and a builder" for a long time. But he informed Kyle about a month ago that he had decided to be a doctor because "there is less traffic". (Clearly he has heard Kyle talk about one of the perks of his job being that he goes to work and usually comes home at non-rush hour times. This - more than any other perk for either job - was the deciding factor. Practical little dude.)

The other day Rebecca wanted to show Owen a drawing she had made and she kept trying to get his attention - Owen, Owen! - Look at what I made!  and WITHOUT looking up from what he was doing he sad flatly "oh. wow. that is awesome". Oh my goodness he must have learned that form me! (Sad mommy moment.)

Owen learned how to snap. He snaps all the time now. All The Time. Incidentally - his snap is way better than mine. 

Big parenting lesson: sometimes it's easier to do things for your kids that they could and probably should be doing for themselves! Case and point - Owen can give himself a bath. Yippee!

Rebecca

Sometimes we have "quiet play time" after lunch, and sometimes (when I can tell morale is low) Rebecca will still have nap time. And sometimes, QPT turns in to naptime all on her own. When it does, it looks like this. :)

In a parking garage with Kyle - she told him it was "creepy crawly" and "boooooooky" (spooky). 

Kyle doesn't know this, but I'm wondering how long it will be before we cave and finally put R in some sort of dance or gymnastics class. This girl is constantly moving in, shaking it, contorting it, twisting it, spinning it, tumbling it, jumping it, balancing it, diving it...Look at me! Look at me!

She ends most of her sentences with - Okay?

Owen, come with me, okay?

Hey guys, come over here! Okay? (Yelled to total strangers at the grocery store.)

Maggie, eat your broccoli, okay?

Momma, I can paint my toes, okay? (No, not okay.)

It's the age/stage where R is having to really work on learning to ask permission BEFORE doing things and is spending a lot of time in time-out. Let's just say there have been a few tantrums. It's a little dramatic around our house these days. But one afternoon a few days ago Kyle sent her to time out and she was SO GOOD waiting quietly on her stool for him to come talk to her that we both totally forgot and she was in there for 20 minutes. If she could just show that kind of self control at other times! (It's good for Daddys and Mommys to have to say sorry to their kids every once in a while - this was definitely an opportunity!)

That's it for the big kids for now. Preschool has started back this week so we'll have an update on that soon...and the house...which is UNDER CONSTRUCTION! YIPPEEEEEEE!