Greetings-

We are taking a step back and letting them exercise a little independence. They get more freedom to explore the backyard without us functioning as their shadow. We figure they won’t learn to be independent if we don’t let them figure things out on their own. Plus, I think they like knowing that their parents have faith in them.

They are getting closer and closer by the day. They look out for one another. When it’s time to come in, someone’s always encouraging the last one outside to come back in. After baths, Michaela likes to tell Emma and Christopher to come on (and then promptly slams the gate in their faces!).

These kids are very particular. They know what they want, when they want it, and how they like things. They also know when they’re done.

Michaela

Michaela is a very particular young lady. You’ve noticed if you’ve been following the photos that she has a very peculiar sense of fashion that somehow works. She knows how to put clothes on, and even accessorize. What’s weird is that she has to have certain things in order to feel content. She has to wear at least more than 2 coats, and the top button has to be buttoned or she’ll throw a fit. The same is true if there is a sweater on underneath all of the coats. The other day she told me she wanted shoes, so I picked up a pair of shoes laying on the floor. No! They had to be from the closet. So I grabbed the pair that was closest to the cabinet door. No! They didn’t match what she had on. So I grabbed a pair that matched. No! They weren’t sandals. So I grabbed a pair of sandals. No! They didn’t have the flower on top she likes. So I grab that pair. Wait! Socks! So I grab a pair of white socks, thinking she’d want them to match. No! They weren’t black – she wanted black…haha!!! Michaela’s determination and sense of fashion might win her Most Likely To Succeed and Best Dressed in High School – we’ll see! Michaela continues to be highly organized. She likes to group like items together. For example, one day she collected all of the clothes that were strewn throughout the house and was very happy to be walking around with this huge pile of clothes. But she collects the building blocks or other like toys and takes them in and out of containers over and over.

Emma

Emma is another particular lady. She in insists on carrying something in her hand most of the day. She is particularly fond of small sticks and pebbles from outside. First thing in the morning, she has to have a coloring crayon while she sits on the potty. With food, Emma’s thing is to pick all of the black olives off of the pizza and eat them – every single one.

Christopher

Everyone is off bottles now (yay!) but Christopher would have to have his feet in a pillow like a mermaid. And he’d flap the pillow around. Perhaps it was comforting. Christopher is in to toy cars and trucks now, so he happily sits or lays on the floor and groups them together, sometimes in a single file line. Sometimes he finds them all and brings them to me and just dumps them in my lap – an offering of sorts.

They all have a morning ritual when it comes to me. They usually go out of their way to give me goodbye hugs and kisses in the morning before I leave for work. This morning, I got three kisses from Michaela. Christopher puckers up and I kneel down to kiss him. Emma likes to be picked up and held before I leave. The arms fly up and those sad puppy dog eyes win me over.

When I get home from work in the evenings, I’m usually greeted first by the girls. Emma says “Hi!” over and over, and Michaela jumps up and down excitedly and wants to be picked up immediately.

Seeing them after a long day at the office is one of the best feelings.

This morning they were watching a Leap Frog movie and sounding out the letters of the Alphabet with confidence. It’s amazing to see how far they’ve come. Conversations with them when they can really talk will be comical and insightful. Stay tuned!

M.