Tidbits

New Caleb words:

"Paws" (Because)
"Granana" (Banana)
"Gratato" (Potato)

(He can say these words normally, he just seems to prefer to say them starting with "gr")

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Colin is a really good kid; he is well-behaved and is very sensitive to obeying the rules, and being polite. Yesterday when James had to insist on him heading upstairs for bedtime, Colin let loose a low growl at being cut off from playing. James didn't waste a second in turning around and asking "Did you just growl at me, mister?" To which Colin didn't waste a second in replying innocently "No, Daddy. I was just being a car motor!"

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Benjamin is now in 6 month sleepers. Over the past few weeks, he also started to smile and laugh at us. He is such a good baby. For the most part, he is content to nurse every three hours, take an hour and a half nap in between, and then just sit in his swing or bouncy chair near me and watch as life goes on around him. He thinks the boys are hilarious, and they can always soothe his crying with a rendition of "You Are My Sunshine." We saw with Colin and Caleb how their personalities are evident right from birth. Benjamin seems like he will be laid-back, relaxed, a go-with-the-flow kind of guy. This should be interesting as the youngest in the family. Traditionally this personality type is found more often in the middle child (certainly not so in our family!). It's neat to see how family dynamics develop and play out.

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The soother battle is still on with Caleb. He is supposed to only use it when sleeping, at nap and night time. At first he would just go up, find the soother and bring it down in his mouth. So I started explaining to him he could only have it when he was tired and went to sleep. Then he began saying he was "tired" whenever he wanted the soother. I would allow him to go upstairs to "sleep," but he would only lie in bed for a few minutes and then emerge downstairs with the soother again. So I determined that he could only have the soother for designated nap and night times, and if was tired at other times he could nap on the couch. He didn't go for that at all.

Yesterday after dinner he insisted he was tired and wanted the soother. It wasn't nighttime yet, and so my explanation went like this: "No, honey, it's not night time yet. You only have the soother at night time, when your eyes are closed."

He dashed upstairs. Colin and I were still finishing dinner. Next thing I heard was Caleb very slowly making his way down the stairs. Very slowly, one stair at a time, instead of charging down at break neck speed and at the volume level of an elephant. When I heard him round the hall corner, I looked over my shoulder to see the soother in his mouth, with his eyes closed, as he walked toward the table. Every few steps he would squint through open slits to make sure he wasn't going to walk into anything. He made his way to the table, climbed up on his chair and began to eat (putting the soother back in his mouth between mouthfuls), all with his eyes closed! I guess he heard my caveat about the soother and his eyes being closed, and realized he had finally found his loophole. My children are just too clever sometimes!