The Kids

I feel compelled to do an update on the kiddos - especially since I bashed them in the last entry and especially since this blog's purpose is to keep track of what they're up to. It's not the let - mom - rail - and - complain - about - everything - blog... (been kinda, sorta getting off track with that lately...)

So anyway - we will start with the lady.

Lillie is now 15 mos. old and she is into everything! She loves to scavenge in the trash cans, go outside and dig in the dirt, flirt with total strangers and friends alike, wrap her brothers more tightly around those chubby little fingers and she tries everything she can do to get into... I mean do... what they are doing.

She loves sucking her thumb, snuggling into your chest or rest her head on your lap (for just a brief second), and is beginning to say a word or two. She's kind of a late bloomer in that realm (I guess). Isaiah was too - I remember when he was 15 mos. having multiple people cooing over him and asking me what words he was saying and I eventually just began to lie and tell them the simple words he was *supposed* to already know... I got tired of seeing their worry-stricken faces every time I answered the truthful "none." But he very quickly began to speak and seemed to leap into having conversations in complete sentences. So I'm not worried... and I digress.

Lillie is saying "mama"... a lot... repeatedly... to the point that at times I am thinking of changing my name. She also says a form of "Isaiah" that comes out kind of like "eye-ya" - and she seems to use it interchangeably for all her brothers.

When we moved into the new house we left the crib at the old place and she went straight into a twin sized bed with rails and also got a bunk mate - Avery. And it's really working out well. She usually lays right down and doesn't attempt to jump out of bed multiple times like some other brothers we know that shall remain nameless *lipread Huston and Avery here* But Avery has been a bad influence upon her. the two of them play and giggle and jump on their beds until we pop our head in to tell them to stop - and then the moment we open the door to administer discipline the two little monkeys fall flat to the mattress and pretend they had been sleeping the whole time! It is so funny to watch Lillie look up at you with those great big awake eyes hoping to convince you that she is in fact sleeping.

Now onto the bad influence - Avery.


He has taken on a lot more of the big brother role. While his heart has softened tremendously toward his baby sister (he used to simply repeat no, no, no every time she crawled near him) he also will be the first to plain ol' knock her down and tackle her if she's getting into something that's off limits for sister. But for the most part he does show lots of loving-kindness to that little gal and calls her Lillie Frances a lot which I think is very sweet. I anticipate that they will be great buds.

Avery also loves to draw and will finally sit down at the table and do something quietly for a good chunk of time and really the drawings he comes up with look like what he calls them. He also writes the initial letter for his name and the name of all his siblings... here are some examples of his work...

A turtle

A dragon

Huston

the letters... H, I, A, and L

He is a very sweet boy and loves to tell stories, loves to sing songs, and loves to give his mommy lovings and I love that!

The next in line - Huston.


Huston is a very considerate boy. He is the first to pick me a flower or offer me a drink or out of the blue come by to give me a hug. I wouldn't say that he's up to tons of new stuff right now. He is my even-keel kid when it comes to the day-to-day development stuff. (not necessarily even-keel when it comes to coping with day-to-day sibling issues though!) He will begin Kindergarten in the fall (or since we home school, officially he's in kindergarten now). He easily makes friends and has a few good buddies that he likes to visit with... and come to think of it he actually is a magnet for people in general.

Huston is getting braver with the swimming thing which I am glad to see (especially since we have that pond now...) I am thinking that he will need another round of lessons though just to convince him that he can do more than he thinks he can. I will be sitting down with him and maybe Avery as well to see if we can tackle this reading thing. I think he is ready - just needs me to give him the attention that he needs. And let me tell ya he loves having attention and will talk. your. ear. off. if you get him one-on-one and his ultimate goal is to get you to laugh.

The firstborn - Isaiah...


and he's growing up way too fast and I need to figure out how to stop that. He is going to be in the second grade this year (ummm... when did I have a second grader, really) and is beginning to become quite an independent reader - I will tell you a trick that I have concerning/promoting that in another post....

He will attend church camp this summer... without parents, staying overnight, and will be gone for two days and his response to all of this was... and I quote... "I just need to get away from you guys for a bit." Well sir, get away you shall! (Can I take a trip somewhere just so I can get away from these guys a bit... please...)

He is a really good big brother and God knew what He was doing when He made Isaiah the oldest. I know that he helps me out a lot. He and Huston are now sharing a room again here at the new house... remember his solitude was our gift to him at Christmas - but he hasn't batted an eye at all and has transitions back to having a roommate really well. Truthfully I think he was more lonely at times than relishing his space (but now he does feel the need to escape to church camp to get away from us....hmmm).

Anyway, that's the kids in a nutshell - and from now on I will try to be better about documenting their strengths along with their... I mean my... weaknesses!