Getting bigger

 This week has been filled with a number of "oh my! they are growing up!" moments with my kids. All three of them, really.

The in utero one is wiggling and kicking and head-down and getting stronger by the day. It's getting exciting!

The oldest one is increasingly competent and independent. She can organize herself simple meals and snacks, she can set up craft projects by herself, and she can spend a good hour working on one of these self-starter activities. This week she asked for marshmallows. I was skeptical at first (assuming she wanted it for the "snack" category, but in fact she wanted it for the "craft" category). Then she asked for toothpicks. Then she spent an hour making a bridge. I was gob-smacked.

 

Her competency level is increasing such that when she helps, she really helps instead of just "helping". Today we graduated Callum to a "big boy bed", and both kids helped. Well, one helped and the other "helped". But the former was able to "go and get the h-shaped piece from the lounge and bring it to daddy". The latter just stuck Daddy's screw driver in a hole and broke the tip off :-)

And she's funny! As soon as she arrived in the room and announced the successful retrieval of the h-piece, she proceded to point out we had overlooked another good use for this piece: it made for an excellent "rocking guitar" (her words!)

And as for my little boy.... well, he's becoming a big boy. He tells us so frequently: "Yook I stwong and wifting piwwows. I a stwong boy!" "I need go potty: I a big boy" And along with this have come sudden little mini-declarations of independece: "I don't want to. I don't want that. No!" (even when his behavior is compliant, he still seems to need to say that). This morning we were trying to get him dressed after showering, but he took off in the opposite direction shouting "I naked boy wunning away! I naked boy wunning away!" : giggling as he boasted of his speed, nakedness and freedom. I thought: "yep. nascent manhood, right there".

But for all that, he is growing up. Today saw not only his graduation from crib to toddler bed, but also his first "buzz" hair cut. He did admirably :-) Compare the mop above with his new "do", while he demos just how high this big boy can jump in his new big boy bed:

And finally, they are old enough to be one anothers true best friends.  They are ready to be "co-big siblings" to Little. Always ready to snuggle. Always ready to chat to each other or start up a game of "tag". I like it. This is the sweet life, for sure.