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| Matching, more of less! |
It's not horrible, really, but I can totally see why he said that. I'm thrilled that my kids are so tuned in. I do wish they would choose daylight hours to be engaged with the world as opposed to the bleary-eyed hours, but I suppose we can't be picky.
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| 3:00 a.m. (Okay, maybe I exaggerate: I think this was closer to 9:30 a.m.) |
And so, in our most desperate moments of exhaustion, Matt and I try to convince ourselves that all their alertness must be due to sheer genius, or at least brilliance.
I have no idea if that's true. But we must believe it if we are to keep going. Sometimes I think they really should just watch more TV.
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| Elise's best "baby penguin" face, playing with the "igloo." |
Daddy spends his day learning about agriculture, business, and how the two relate. On his way to and from work, he keeps up with current events. In the evenings, he reads about anything from politics to the economy to farming methods to carpentry to bunny keeping. He has also recently learned how to apply conditioner to girls' hair, since he's had to step into the role, temporarily, of hair washer while Naomi refuses to learn how to fall asleep and stay asleep at night, even though she's perfectly happy to for naps (IT'S NOT THAT HARD, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!!).
I am learning, too. Even more about infant sleep (it can be really bad even if you pretty much do everything right), and how to use a Kindle (yay!). Also, how to make those little paper woven heart basket thingies, how many animals you can make out of a kid's handprint and some imagination, Spanish, all about the Entitlement Epidemic that's plaguing our children, and several ways to use kale.
But really, it's the kids who are doing the really good learning.
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| Elise's favorite part of snow: snow cream! Yum! |
But she really is, in fact, making "big girl" progress all the time. Thumb sucking, for instance, is almost a thing of the past. In fact, I thought it was when I bought her a reward Care Bear (and one for Kalina!) a week ago, but she has since relapsed a bit. While I've been putting a bug in her ear about quitting ever since her dentist appointment last August, it was actually her resolve (and a bloody, swollen, dried-out winter-weather thumb) that made her want to quit virtually cold turkey, using Band-Aids to help remind her (she can, by the way, do a big-girl job of putting the Band-Aids on by herself). It's painfully hard for the poor girl, as it would be for anyone quitting an addiction like that. Heck, I can't stay out of the chocolate, personally. She occasionally consoles herself with a water bottle. As long as it isn't anything stronger. Like juice.
And Elise can get herself dressed! Except her purple sparkle tights, which probably rules out about 1/4 of her outfits (we have two pairs, because they are so fantastically Elise).
She's also learned, recently, to skid-steer her training wheels while riding her new bike in her living room, and how to crack an egg. She knows most of her ABCs, and some of the letter sounds, and can spell her name and Kalina's name. The girl has also recently learned to count to the thirties or so, skipping only a few of the teens and most of the twenties, and Kalina's teaching her numbers and colors in Spanish.
Elise will also tell you that she can read! At least one book! She uses the "memorization" method.
And of course, Elise is learning plenty of things that we would prefer she didn't. For instance, to be afraid of any tiny noise she hears in the basement (which sends both of the happily playing girls charging up the stairs), and that even snow Mommy has said is "dirty" tastes good. Blech. On a sadder note, Elise has recently learned that even if she shares a bite of her cookie, that does not mean she will be shared with and in the meantime, her cookie is now smaller (Mommy and Daddy always share!). It's a cold, hard world out there sometimes.
Three seems to be the perfect age for learning, in fact. While Matt and I (and Kalina) have worked on various topics with her, Elise also seems to learn best by listening in on conversations.
She's also learned, recently, to skid-steer her training wheels while riding her new bike in her living room, and how to crack an egg. She knows most of her ABCs, and some of the letter sounds, and can spell her name and Kalina's name. The girl has also recently learned to count to the thirties or so, skipping only a few of the teens and most of the twenties, and Kalina's teaching her numbers and colors in Spanish.
Elise will also tell you that she can read! At least one book! She uses the "memorization" method.
And of course, Elise is learning plenty of things that we would prefer she didn't. For instance, to be afraid of any tiny noise she hears in the basement (which sends both of the happily playing girls charging up the stairs), and that even snow Mommy has said is "dirty" tastes good. Blech. On a sadder note, Elise has recently learned that even if she shares a bite of her cookie, that does not mean she will be shared with and in the meantime, her cookie is now smaller (Mommy and Daddy always share!). It's a cold, hard world out there sometimes.
Three seems to be the perfect age for learning, in fact. While Matt and I (and Kalina) have worked on various topics with her, Elise also seems to learn best by listening in on conversations.
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| Kalina's favorite part of snow: the "playground" she made! |
Academically, I've been printing off 1st-grade phonics worksheets and activities for her. They are a bit of a challenge, but only a bit. Nevertheless, learning to read is actually a very low priority for her. I've tried to convince her that I will still read to her every bit as much as I do now, but either she doesn't believe me or she just doesn't want to learn to read. She can read, she just chooses not to unless forced. I try not to push it too much and back off for months at a time if she needs a break.
Kalina is learning piano and Spanish, too. And how to use my new Kindle, and ride Elise's new bike. But one of her favorite things to learn about is babies! Mostly, to hear stories of when she was a baby.
Some of what Kalina learns nowadays is rather abstract, such as, how to "sell" an idea without being bossy (I told her about my advertising days, and she could totally relate), that it's okay not to be perfect, and strategies for surviving a party in which you only know the birthday girl and are shy (Strategy #1: Find someone who's not shy, and will do most of the talking for you--for instance, your sister. Strategy #2: Realize that anyone else who's shy is probably more scared of you than you are of them.).
Kalina is also learning that mommies often smell like chocolate, especially during stressful times. "Mommy, what's that wonderful smell?" "Mommy, you smell great!" I always play dumb. She needn't know the secrets of the maternal chocolate stash until she's at least a teenager.
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| Naomi's favorite part of snow: making a baby snow angel! |
Poor Naomi has also learned that once we start shoving her into her carseat, there's no return: a carseat is inevitable. She has taught us, however, to do this as rarely as possible. We have been good learners. We have also all learned that the swing is more optional than the carseat if the protests are strong enough.
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| A different perspective on Naomi. |
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| Triple story time! |
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