Growing Growing Growing

Three and a half! Where has time gone? I took the lower picture this afternoon, during a picnic the boys and I were having... when I downloaded them, it looked awfully familiar. The top picture was one of the first shots I took with my first DSLR (about 9 months ago)! It is still one of my faves, I might add.

It's funny how with your first kid, you are very precise when asked their age. After you have a few, though, you seem to just answer the year they are, vs. the months/ half-years, etc. It wasn't until the other day when I was asked if Kid was three or three and-a-half that I realized, wow, he's officially three and-a-half!

So, a half-year update:

Sigh. This has been by far the hardest, yet rewarding six months of your life, Kid! You have been challenging everything, you had huge issues with being particular, and the language of "Whinese", which you struggle with occasionally has been in full effect.

But, that being said, we worked hard and our hard work has paid off. We worked through it. I am proud to say that you can gain control so quickly now, you are aware that it is a decision and even tell me that you are proud of yourself for gaining control! You also are more aware of your emotions and others. Case and point: The other day we were trying to get out of the house for something (I'm sure it was very important as I otherwise would not be so tense--wink wink), anyways, I had to repeat myself with you to get your shoes on, when I repeated myself, I said, "Carter, I don't want to say it again, GET YOUR SHOES ON, PLEASE", in a somewhat yell. Your response? "Wow, you are really really really frustrated!". Yes, I was. But that statement again allowed me to realize that you are growing up and you are so aware!

Lots of developments. You can recognize a lot of letters and their sounds. You show so much interest in school and anything big kid related. You can count somewhere past twenty. You talk NONSTOP. Sometimes I don't realize it until Daddy Mock comes home and asks if you have been this "talkative"... and then I realize, you are, in fact, talkative. Nonstop. Even when playing on your own, you're always talking.

Lately, within the last month, strangers will comment on your manners and your level of "enthusiasm". We've explained to you how when someone asks how you are doing, it is always important to ask them back, to make sure that they are okay as well. (another thing I remember from my childhood!)... My heart has been filled with joy lately when someone asks you how you are and you respond, "fine, thank you, how are you?"

You are usually loving and inclusive with your brother... of course there are moments, as with any siblings, but you do enjoy his company and choose to include him in almost all that you do. The latest is making up games and having him participate in them. You found a magnet in the shape of an X today. For an entire hour you and your brother played "Slide the cross across the board" on your train table. I was having so much fun listening, I joined in!

Thank you for working through your emotions and learning to control them! Thank you for your patience with me as I have been so tired, sick, and edgy with this pregnancy. Thank you for all of your snuggles, affection, and overall enthusiasm. You are one special boy!

Monkey Business

Have you ever browsed the isles of Trader Joes or Target, watching those loud and obnoxious, and thought, "Thank God those kids aren't mine", or even worse, "My kids would never do that". Guilty. To both those counts. Even being a mother and having that instant sympathy that one may posses, I still believed you can, in fact, avoid the public disgrace... be it through child rearing, training, bribing, you name it.

Today Kid and Bee proved to me that I eat my words, yet again.

We had a busy day of normal walk and park dates, grocery shopping, and naps. I worked hard and fast at organizing the remaining amount of my new office while the boys napped. They both woke fairly happy and we decided to venture to Target to return one small item and buy post-it notes. Do you think that small of a task would have created such an episode? I surely didn't.

I was gracious and let the boys sit in the crazy-germ-fest double cart, you know, the one as long as a train but accommodates two toddlers?

I never let them use it but today I decided to be the fun mom. Wrong decision.

Immediately Bee decided to start kicking Kid, then pointing to his facial features, then poking his eye, hard (meanwhile, a lot of tattling and whining is taking place). Kid is not naturally as tough as Bee, so this caused some major crying. Through the isles, the sound of both of my sons' voices echoed... I say both as often times when Kid's reaction turns to tears, Bee feels so badly, he usually joins.

Splendid.

Thankfully we were successful in leaving the store with "happy hearts" and no bribes were needed. I did learn, though, that it's inevitable, the public meltdowns will, indeed, happen, and those other mothers out there experiencing them will get my true and heartfelt sympathy.

Yes, Bee was not ecstatic to be wearing that of a monkey costume. Fortunately his brother has other plans for him to be a warrior this year, rather than a sweet, rascally monkey.