My Three Little Pigs

I have been so busy these days that I am really falling behind on the blog. I think of things I want to post, but I forget them before the day is over and I have a moment of peace. I just have too much going on in my head, I guess. So here is a mini update on each of the little ones with some pictures I have taken lately.

Hannah

Hannah's been learning to cut out shapes at school. She brought home a perfect heart today which she plans to decorate and send to her daddy. Her teacher today said that her Deutch is improving. Yea! She continues to progress in her reading, and is starting to get more confident. We still have a lot of "exception to the rule" problems so far, but we are still a ways from finishing her lesson book. She is so great with Isaac! She panics if there is anything left on the floor that is too small for him. She loves to play with him, make him laugh, and clean up/organize his toys. She enjoys "babysitting" him, as she calls it, while I cook or help Genna with something. She continues to amaze me with her cleanliness.

Isaac

See his super chubby legs! He can only go backwards in this walker so far. He is trying to say "Up" , but it sounds like "Uh." (The girls said it like "Puh" instead.) I recently noticed that he looks when and where I tell him to. For example if I point to something and say "Look, Isaac" he will look at the thing I am pointing to. Or if I say to him, "Isaac, look at Mommy" he will do that too. I don't know exactly when this started though. He is starting to enjoy me reading books to him now. He really didn't before. I always read him a story before nap and bed time, but he used to just try to take the book away or close it. However, now he listens and touches the "touch and feel" pictures or helps me with the flaps. He enjoys the "touch and feel" books more than the girls did. He definitely has a shorter attention span for books than they did too. His favorite games right now are playing ball or tickling. We are working on "Blanket time" right now and the ever present battle to teach obedience!

Genevieve

She has been having some trouble lately due to her sudden decline in sleep. She has always been my late sleeper (9am or later) and is suddenly up at 6:30 or 7am most days. She also is not napping everyday anymore either. So all together this is about 4 hours less sleep that she is getting, and I have no way to make her sleep later or force her to sleep during her rest time. (Sometimes a book on CD works.) SO I get to deal with an overly tired, cranky 3 year old with a (usually rare) fiery temper. Not a good combo! On the more positive side, she is doing much better in Mass again (closer to how she used to act-pre-daddy leaving!) I hope that continues because it is hard enough having three fairly good behaving kids under the age of 5 all by myself. I don't need a troublemaker in the mix! :) Also, Genna is learning letters and sounds. She is super proud this week of her latest accomplishment, buckling all the car seat buckles by herself, and unbuckling the top part only, something Hannah only recently learned. This is a huge help to me. So "Yea!" She is very sweet to Isaac and takes care of him too! She talks really cute to him. She gets very excited when she can make him laugh! Her main "job" with Isaac is to keep him awake in the car if I need her to. Although I am trying to think of other ways she can help out with him because she recently expressed to me a desire to help more, like Hannah does. She actually asked me (after I had just asked Hannah to get me something,) "Why don't you ever ask me to do anything?" This, of course, is an exaggeration (she's a big exaggerater, where does she get that from?) but made me notice how much more I ask of Hannah because she is faster, not necessarily because Genna can't do something. So I am working on that! Genna is back on track at school too. I am not having to stay in the mornings anymore. I have to give her "three hugs and three kisses because I'm three," she says, and then wave to her at the window and make funny faces. (I bet some of you'd pay to see this crazy American mom!) Then I have been having something small for her to look forward to if she is good after school, a juice box or a popcycle or something like that. (For all of you Hannah advocates out there to keep me fair, she gets one too, of course.) I am picking them up earlier too at least until I think she is really adjusted, but possibly through the summer since it is nice to have them around to have time to go do summer fun stuff.