Helpful Siblings

Oh how fun it is to watch Demitri growing into the big brother role. 

Gender Roles

The experience of having a boy and a girl is a necessary rite of passage... 

I LOVE raising a boy and LOVE raising a girl!

1. Learning to be a "Man"

My son has always been a very independent child. And I relish in any chance that I have to help him not struggle to do something (like wear pants as his shirt), but unfortunately today his independence won out. He had decided he was not going to ride in the stroller; he could walk just fine. "Fine Mom, Self- Fine!" 

Alrighty, we only had half a block left on our walk which took so long that both the girls fell asleep in that short distance. Turns out rush hour traffic is never a good time to venture outside the home with a boy even if you are not crossing the street. 

Demitri loved watching all the cars and could not walk until each string of cars had passed. He would watch and get all excited when he would see a truck. "Hi, Big Truck!" And he would wave real big. Not very many trucks waved back, but all the soccer moms in the mini vans waved with big smiles clearly thinking my son was the sweet friendly type.... My son EVERY SINGLE TIME snubbed them; he was not waving at mini vans or cars only trucks. He seriously would look at them like why in the world are you waving at me.

Then he found a stick which he proceed to have some sort of inner desire to point it aggressively at each car. I wish I knew what was going through his mind! 

2. Learning about Women's Role

Thanks to Daniel the Tiger, television series my daughter has been wanting another baby since Paisley was like a month old. She is constantly nursing her stuffed animals and has even set up an area that is the doctors, so that she can go give birth to the animals. I have tried not to get too involved because I know where that leads. 

But alas in the vehicle the conversation started...

Daph- "Mom, how do the babies get OUT of your tummy?"

       I repeated the question so that she could affirm that was what she was asking. I really try to answer her questions, but not give more than what she is asking. This was also my chance to breathe and decide she was finally old enough to know. 

       We began talking about how they exit "naturally" or on occasion the doctor has to cut the tummy open and get the babies out. C-sections are much easier to talk about... I made reference to her twin cousins who had become tangled and had to be removed by C-section. 

Daph- "So, [A] and [B] twins were fixed because they cut their hair?"

        -wait no... where did I lose her? 

"Oh, so they were not Rapunzel; they just were stuck! Does that makes since Daph?"

Daph- "Yeah, but now I want to know how babies get IN the tummy."

         (You give a mouse a cookie :D)

          Okay so don't worry some answers were meant to be at least stalled... 

"Well a mom and dad have to first decide that their family is ready to grow."

Daph- "So have you decided yet?!" 

Talent Show

They are so skilled!
Daphney sang to us all the way home from church and put the siblings to sleep. Who needs an actual songbook?

Demitri and Daphney are both practicing using scissors. We have a little ways to go yet but we understand the desired objective.

Our last trick is from Paisley and her new favorite thing to do is purse her lips and spit. Proud Mom!

Watch out King Julian you've got competition!

Warning with this video I am only trying to show you what is in like the first 15 seconds.

Baby makes Three

 Okay clearly we all love our baby!(She has a multiple posts just so we can see her cute baby cheeks) -4 months

Unfinished blog post from three weeks post Paisley- "Look out world I am now a stay at home mom of three. Some moments are really hard and I feel spent like if one more person asks anything of me I just might crack. 

And then subtle things will happen and I am reminded that I love this crazy life. Yesterday we went to the park in a stroller built for two. Demitri is in a stage of I am too big for stroller which would be great if he wasn't a pin ball darting in every direction. After a few failed attempts of trying to hold him onto my back I gave up and put him on my shoulders while I pushed the girls in the stroller. His sweaty little palms smashed my hair across my face and eyes, he pushed against my head causing it to be cocked, and he kept putting the stem of his leaf in my nostrils on accident. Cars slowed and stared or laughed as they drove by. And their happiness reminded me of how lucky I was. I wouldn't trade the opportunity to be the one who gives all that I can to these kids."

                       First two teeth did a number on sleeping but who sleeps at slumber parties?  -5 months

Demitri took this photo. He had a lesson on aiming. This was one of very few that didn't have the ceiling in it, but Paisley was ready for it!

She has proven to be quite durable and patient with all of us. Demitri is constantly kissing her and hugging her and Daphney has turned into quite the protective sister. 

Million Days of Winter in the House

So I feel kind of like rocket man; the fact is that I love my home and everybody in it so much that we could survive a long time in it. However, sometimes we have to be creative in our activity choices, but this was a good one. 

This video was sent to me as a high light reel. 

How did my smart phone know I would love this?!

- ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE?

When they paint there is never any white space left; and then after one side if full they simply turn the paper over and paint the other side.... It does wonders for the kitchen table. 

I am amazed by my kids art! 

PS- We love their cute paint aprons my sister bought them!