As I observed my kids this past week, I can't help but be completely overwhelmed. I feel so fortunate to have four sweet kids. We took a little trip to California this past week. Being away from the house really helped me to remember what little treasures they are! I enjoyed being with them so much.
It was so cute to see them all cuddled up in one big bed in the hotel. Of course Simone and Miles ended up sleeping with us, and Jared and I survived on very little sleep. But aside from the exhaustion, it was a blast!
Simone is so much fun. She is learning to say more words now. For the past few months, the only thing she really says consistently is "mama" and "nooooo". I think I like hearing her little "nooooo" even more than I do the "mama". It is so stinking cute. She can hardly talk, but she has this sassy little intonation when she says it. I love how tiny she is. Although I would feel more comfortable if she were chubby, her tinyness cracks me up. She is a great little climber. She runs, and she slithers off my bed so easily. She even jumps on the tramp with her older siblings. But she is still this little mini person. It is so fun.
She is so incredibly playful. She always wants to play peek-a-boo. She likes me to put my fingers in her mouth where she pretends to bite me. We started playing this little game when I was feeling her new teeth. Now she just thinks it is hilarious. I pretend to bite her fingers and to eat her feet. Hopefully this little routine won't be to confusing when she enters nursery! She has the most adorable laugh. It is so funny.
It is so cute to see that little smile when any of us go somewhere. Jared comes home from work everyday and has these little arms reaching up to him. She even has a big hug for Elise when she gets home from school. I love it! It is the cutest little expression of genuine happiness when she sees any of us.
She loves nursing. A few months ago I was thinking she was going to wean herself. But like my others, she started getting more attached to nursing as she gained more independence. It is like the reassurance that she is still my baby--and I have to admit I love it. She is so sweet when she crawls onto my lap and looks up at me. Then I say, "Do you want to nurse?" and she just starts laughing and is so happy. It is cute. When we are around other people, I put her off, and don't feed her right away. So she has started to bring me a blanket. Like she knows exactly what I am thinking. It is pretty cute.
From the moment she wakes up in the morning, Simone is flanked by her two older sisters. They switch off days for getting her out of her crib. They read her bedtime stories. Giggling at every little thing she does. I just love watching their laughter as they play together. She gets so much attention from them.
Simone loves her stuffed animals--or any animals for that matter. Dogs, cats, horses. She gets so excited to see them. Her favorite book is Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do You See, and Good Dog Carl.
Then there is Miles. He is ever the source of comic relief. The things he comes up with just crack me up. I love hearing how his little mind works. I've especially enjoyed his recent way with words. He has started attempting more adult conversation. A few days ago, he asked my little sister Rachel when she was going to have a baby. I don't know where he comes up with this stuff! A few weeks ago, he asked me the same thing.
"When are we going to get another baby?!" he asked me.
"We are not getting anymore babies Miles, we have four kids already."
"Yeah we are! We have to have one more!"
Jared found that amusing of course and felt the need to probe him. Then he started saying something about having puppies instead of babies. Phew!
Miles has a raspy voice that is pretty low for a 3 year old. He is pretty good at articulating what he is trying to say. He has always been good that way. When he was Simone's age, he was asking me for Chocolate and avocados. Lately, he says "Actually" ALL the time.
Miles has decided that he is no longer three, he is six. And if you say he is three, he will correct you and get pretty upset. So I just say he is six half years. That way Monet doesn't feel the need to correct him when he says he is six.
He is pretty ambivalent about growing up these days. On one hand, he says over and over, "I'm big" and "I'm STRONG" and he wants to be known as a big kid.
But he is also feeling that his childhood is slipping away. It all started when he found his old pair of light up Incredibles Shoes in a box that was going to be donated. He was so upset that they don't fit him. Then, the same day we had a family home evening on missionaries and priesthood, and he got even more worked up. He keeps telling me he doesn't want to get big like daddy, doesn't want to be a missionary, and doesn't want to hold the priesthood. I told him that he has a long time to be a kid. But apparently he is still a little stressed.
In the car the other day, he was so patient with Simone. She was kinda cranky and wasn't too happy to be sitting in her car seat. So she was pinching his arm and laughing. He looks at us and says, "Simone thinks I'm a toy." I was so glad he wasn't hurting her back. He remembers to tell her in his stern voice, "No pinching Simone!"
As I write this, I am brought to tears in laughter. My poor husband was just trying to watch the Lakers in peace when Monet comes downstairs and informs us that Miles, who is upstairs watching 101 Dalmations, for some reason took off his pajamas and is wiping poop on daddy's pillow--so gross, yet so funny, thankfully it was just a little bit! I wish I had a picture of the look on Jared's face. he is very attached to his pillow and his special pillowcase he can't sleep without.
Miles's reaction is even funnier. I can hear Jared talking to him, "WHY would you do that?!" And Miles's response--"I don't know WHY I did it" (I am starting to wonder if he's overheard us talking about the poop smearing episodes from a couple of years ago) and he is so sorry and apologetic--it really is hard to be mad at him for long. He is so great at apologizing for his little messes. "I'll clean it up Mommy!" is the classic response to my exasperation. And he tries.
We hiked to the "Y" a couple of weeks ago and Miles got to pee standing up for the first time. He was hesitant at first, but I convinced him that it was okay because there was no bathroom around. He thought it was the neatest thing ever. When we got home and were doing some yardwork, the first thing he does is take a leak on the front lawn. Today at the park, he was asking again if he could pee on the grass at the park. Yikes. Hopefully the novelty will wear off soon!
Anyway, it is so fun to see all the changes our littlest ones are going through. They are so entertaining for us!
