Offspring Update

Miss Monkey has learned to tie her shoes!  And prefers tying everything else that she can get her paws on as well, I spent an eon of a moment waiting for her to tie the strings on my Thanksgiving blouse.  Little Girl has also decided that she wants a kitten for Christmas. There is hesitation because after all she is 5.5 years old---really, The Man is hesitant, I am all for it.  Santa gives us a tip on where to look for kittens that need a home, set it up that kitty will be here for Christmas morning, and away we go. Learning responsibility caring for another creature is a big deal, and I'm excited for this milestone.  In case Santa had any reservation about bringing a kitten to her, The Firstborn has made him a goodie-bag with a hand made (and much belabored) kitten necklace.  I'm not sure how to feel about this apparent tendency to butter Santa up before asking for what she wants, I need to explore the trend a bit more.  She spent almost an entire afternoon drawing pictures for Santa, adding to the little cupcake sack.  I figure we'll hand deliver her carefully written letter and the goodies when we meet Santa after Family Christmas.  So fun!

She's really been impressing the homeschool Mamas with her social skills in the discussion circle, it's so interesting to see her strengths (and weaknesses) play out.  Watching her problem solving has been amazing lately, especially since we stopped solving problems for her.  F is truly a social wonder, knows everyone in her Sunday class, and now and then laments that we haven't seen so-and-so lately.  It's already a challenge to keep up with the social calendar, I can't imagine what it'll look like in years to come.  The necklace for Santa was especially neat as Miss Monkey apparently when up to the play room with an idea and a plan, then worked so intently that when she finally came to the point of stringing it together and the plan went slightly awry, she needed some calming before she could continue.  She continues to daily amaze me, which means we're on the right track I think.

The Toddleator E has been exploring new areas of expressing herself.  Though picking up new words daily, and echoing much of what we've said, I still have to pay rather close attention to understand the baby-slurred words, and some phrases, coming out of her.  She is too too silly, and makes jokes sometimes at her sister's expense, it's especially entertaining as she mocks big sister when F is having a tough time attitudinal-ly.  Signing has been interwoven with speaking, and I've had to be sure to differentiate between "sign" and "say" when she's attempting communication.  Lamenting hungrily in the kitchen I heard "I-jus'-wan'-eeeeaat!" over and over.  Recently, reported by The Man; Toddleator E heard some gaseous emanation of his, she pointed to his behind and signed diaper change as if asking him, "do you need a change of pants after that one?"

One of E's favorite things to do is throw things in the garbage, "'darge" as she says.  I witnessed her accidentally scattering clothing as she dragged her basket to the bedroom.  I mentioned the clothes sprinkled down the hall, she came right back and picked them up then putting the items in her cabinet.  One of the biggest differences I've noticed thus far, E really likes to have her hands clean, does not enjoy spilling things on herself, and is generally different from her sister this way.  This baby girl really enjoys the sounds that items make, banging, rattling, cracking...when she discovers a new sound she'll pause and repeat the action over and over until she's gotten enough.  Since that day when she joyously and proudly walked 'round the kitchen, she's mastered walking and loves to trot from room to room.  One of the best noises, for us, is that mini-thud-thud-thud of the toddler trot across a floor.  Of course, we run into the little terribles now and then, she is after all a toddler.  I'm a veteran with tantrums now (plus Love & Logic) it's a lot more fun and less work.  She's been Little Miss Contradiction lately, asking for something and then squealing when it's handed to her.  We learned quickly to set things down nearby rather than get sucked into her dramatics.  We have potties strategically ready for the moment Toddleator E decides she's really ready to learning toileting.  Though she'll practice sitting on the potty, nothing has, er, produced yet.  She does however, let me know when she's wet her diaper, then staunchly refuses a change (Contradiction, right?).

Love'em, feed'em, they grow.  It's miraculous, not only that it's truly simple, but that they've their own very particularly individual personas arising that aren't necessarily dependent on my parenting skills.  NEAT-O.

edited to add:  A note about teeth.  The Younger has cut 4 molars just recently and really enjoys using them.  The Firstborn looks forward to losing some, she appears envious when one of her cohorts shows their gap tooth smile.