I've a couple of stories about my kids to tell. Not so much because I think they're the best thing ever, but because I want to remember these moments. It's easy for me to get wrapped up in the business of running the house and forget to experience my kids, and enjoy them for who they are.
Nathanael:
He loves trains. LOVES them. In addition to his wooden train tracks, he now has some old collectible train catalogs that we picked up at a local train store when we were out adventuring with Nana and Papa. They are his magazines. He flips through them daily. He also lets us know that he wants a train signal. With an X. And lights. And an arm. Anyone have a spare they could loan us for a while?
He's so serious sometimes, and so sweet. My precious boy. His smile lights up the room.
He is playing at being "Sporticus" a character from a show on TV. He runs around the room, jumps, kicks and does all kinds of "tricks" on his way to rescue people. Relatedly, you better watch out, because he might use his Karate on you.
If he doesn't understand something you say, he asks, "What you said?"
Instead of "I am," it's "I man."
We have an impala, the car that EVERYONE has. When Nathanael sees a car like ours, he says, "That car's a shape! A shape as ours!"
So many questions and statements end with an incredible increase in volume and pitch. His whole face gets big, eyes wide open, as if he can hardly believe whatever is is he just said. "We're going OUTSIDE?? To play in the GRASS??"
Elizabeth:
So smart, so observant. She has so much to tell, that sometimes it's hard for her to listen. She is very sensitive to tense or scary moments on TV. She runs from the room, and waits around the corner until it's done. We need to be very careful what she sees and hears, because things will stick with her forever. They don't just pass through without effect.
She has a keen sense of understanding how things work, and she can often explain them better than some adults. Other times, she totally makes it up, but it sounds logical or convincing. Don't argue with her, because she has some sound reasoning skills. "Because I said so" has become a parental line of defense.
She fake laughs, and it's so funny to hear her do it. She really gets Adelle laughing when she fake-laughs, which quickly turns to a real laugh, and they just feed off each other.
Her dolls are her constant companions. Mermaids. Princesses. All things make-believe and magical are the things she loves. That, and her tea sets. She has more than one. She would get more if we let her.
Her favorite color is red, but pink will do, too.
She's quite an artist. She draws lots of pictures, and she even wrote me a book called "My Mom." (It's mostly about her, but it starts with a picture of me.)
She will proudly tell you that she knows how to make toast, crack an egg, and pour milk. She impressed herself by being able to count to 100.
Her eyes are very expressive. It so interesting to see how her eyes, and the way she uses them, have remained the same, while the face has changed around them.
Adelle:
Her smiles have been blossoming all over the house.
She leans towards whomever she wants to pick her up. She has the one-eyed blink when she's tired. She has a dimple that comes out of hiding every once in a while.
She loves to hear the sound of her own voice. Except when she wakes up from a nap. She's usually very quiet then, and trying to get into some kind of (fun) trouble. But, if you're there when she wakes up, first thing she does is bless you with a giant smile, while she waits to be unwrapped from her swaddle. Then she stretches very big, smiles more, and waits for you to pick her up.
She loves to chase (and eat) paper. She doesn't seem to have a favorite toy, but she prefers to go after whatever her siblings have. We should just ditch the baby toys, since they are clearly of little interest to her.
She likes go for a "walk" with mom or dad, holding on to fingers. If we disengage and help her sit down, she turns around and climbs up our legs looking for hands to hold so she can keep walking.
Family moments:
In the car, everyone singing along to the best of their misheard-lyrics ability, to radio songs.
At the restaurant on the beach at the lake, playing in the sand. Adelle kicking her feet in the water, stomping on the sand. Nathanael helping build a canal in the sand, and floating boats down the canal. Elizabeth making friends with people of every age.
Visiting an antique car show, and going on a tractor/hayride (though it was simply driving through a suburban neighborhood, it was still tractor related!)
Taking in an outdoor concert of the Gin Blossoms, narrowly avoiding being drenched by a big storm on our way out of the festival grounds
Going to the movie theater at 10 am to catch a kid flick (Puss in Boots). Our first theater show as a family of 5.
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