She's SUCH as sweet baby, tons of smiling. She seems to be pretty social, smiles at everyone she sees at the grocery store, etc. She gets very excited when she sees Barron- even when we Face Time him at work. Her eyes are still blue, and she's getting a tiny bit of hair. She's so fun and sweet and I am soaking up all these moments with her! The boys adore her- she makes them laugh, and they make her smile. She fits in perfectly.
Davis is doing really well in school. In the past month or two, he seems to have physically grown a lot and is definitely looking like a big kid. He's showing independence in more ways all the time. Things like getting money from his piggy bank to take to school to buy things in the school store- all on his own because he knows when it's open, etc. He remembers his own library book on library day- things like that. When we run on a regular schedule, he does very well. He still has to be pushed and prodded to do certain things, but overall, he's becoming more helpful in a real way. He's smart as a whip- I don't know how smart- I just know that I'm constantly surprised by what he knows, what he retains and what he remembers. He recently explained the way banana trees grow to me using words like "rhizomes" - I had no idea what he was talking about so I looked it up, and he was completely right about all of it! He saw it on TV a while ago-- I was pretty impressed. He loves math and words-- constantly doing math problems outloud, spelling words outloud- he watches a show called Odd Squad (focus on math) and he retains it all. He is getting into games like Battleship, Bananagrams, RobotTurtles, Jenga, Connect Four and others. I am working with him on not being a sore loser :) He just wrapped up basketball season, and he improved a lot over the season. He is still fairly uncoordinated, and only half understands what's going on around him. This surprises me given his understanding of other games and his memory, etc. It was a good experience for him and he had a number of friends on the team. Not sure that we will continue basketball- we will probably let him pick his favorite sport next year, then mix it up with something else he might be interested in- instrument, language, etc. Baseball season has just started, but with the cold weather, he's only had one practice. He's on a team within one we really know, but he had made several friends by the end of the first practice. He's starting to get a bit of an attitude, which I am working on with him. Rolling his eyes, groaning, expressing discontent when told what to do- very teenager-ish. The flip side is he is absolutely the sweetest kid and has a huge heart for others. We went to a class dinner at Cheeseburger Bobby's recently, and we were a little late arriving. Several of his friends were sitting together in a booth, and one boy was sitting at a table alone. Davis sits at the same table in school with that boy, and doesn't really like him. The boy gets in trouble a lot and antagonizes others. Anyways, Davis went and sat with that boy at the class dinner. I discreetly told Davis he could go sit with his friends, there was room in the booth. He whispered back that he would sit with this boy because no one should have to sit alone. So very thoughtful and kind. I love his brain and his heart!
Jack is in the stage we're calling "three-nager." When he's happy, he's very happy and good and sweet. And when he's not, he can be a downright grump. Jack needs sleep like I need food-- push him too far and you pay the price later!! I have really enjoyed the extra time I get with Jack after he gets home from school and before Davis is home. He gives me the best hugs still, and is always happy to see me when I pick him up from school. He's learned to write his name, and can write most of the letters in the alphabet. He loves to draw and can stay entertained with paper and markers for a long time. He's very patient with Davis- Barron and I agree that being Davis's younger brother is a tough, yet rewarding role. Davis is really good with Jack, but sometimes, he's a lot to handle. He just has an intense personality and I love how Jack is so good with him. Jack does have his line in the sand, and stands up for himself when needed! I try to sneak as much one-on-one time in with Jack as I can- he often goes to the store with me on Sundays while the others stay back at home. If Davis is around, he speaks for the both of them. So without Davis, I am able to really hear what Jack has to say, and try to teach/show him the same life lessons Davis got by being the oldest. Jack is funny- sometimes he tries to be too silly, but mostly, he's just fun to be around. Unless, he's tired :) I have many pictures of him passed out in the car or at home when he's just had enough- unlike Davis, Jack will tell you when he's tired. Jack is very content playing by himself or with others. He is strong willed and likes doing many things by himself- like picking out his clothes, getting dressed, selecting his cup for the day, etc. He's particular about a lot of things. That said, when I'm one-on-one with him, he's very easy going and fun to be with. I love going to the store with him- he points out interesting things, shares his smile and is helpful and sweet. He can be shy, so I am always trying to get him to speak up to others, and the grocery store is a good place to practice. We play a game in the morning at school drop-off. I challenge him to be the first one to say good morning the the teacher opening his door. He usually does, and he always has a big smile. I try to tell him that he has a gift of making others smile by sharing his smile. He smiles with his eyes and it's contagious. His lashes are to die for, and women love it :) He's starting his first season of t-ball and is really excited to not just be sitting on the sidelines and watching Davis. He's pretty good already, and is playing on a team with a number of kids from his school, including his best buddy Finn.
I'm out of time for the updates- I need to write down more, more often. I am thankful when I look back at old posts that I took the time to write a few things down, it seems like you'll never forget the small stuff, but you do!!
