combined with counting

and writing

and practice of the one to one correspondence skill

all the while a little brother imitating him.

I love the age these two boys are with discovery and learning around every corner.

as soon as she wakes up I must cuddle her up.

After a nap she has these warm rosy cheeks

and still some snuggle left in her.

If her brothers have been happily playing

they know to head for high ground

(i.e. the bunk bed)

if they want to continue without interruption.

Tonight I can say they were sharing well

and using their words.

While I get started on dinner or dishes

she will entertain herself as the youngest,

and tonight that was the babbling loudly

at the same time as banging on the side of the oven.

She has been doing this adorable ‘scoot-scoot”

but tonight I saw a lot more crawling

which is also cute

because she can go about two feet

before her little arms give out

and then she will take a break

to suck her thumb or roll onto her back and giggle.

Tonight is ideal, after a bath they fell asleep one after the other.

Henry at 6:45 (he’s still not feeling well),

Olivine at 7:05,

and Paul stayed up a little later.

Joe is goes to class tonight

and I have a little “me” time.

part of my parenting is the on-going practice,

the chance to learn patience.

Like with Henry

at a birthday party on Sunday

and having to leave early

because he fell in a bucket of water

while walking backwards.

This meant I didn’t get to taste these yummy cupcakes a friend made

but I did get to practice patience.

As we were leaving the party,

he was crying from being wet,

meanwhile Paul was crying because we had to leave early,

and there she sat

with her calm and contemplative presence

reminding me to relax.

I also have on-going opportunities to

improve upon my imagination.

Paul is increasingly fascinated with Mister Rogers

and is wanting to role play the different places he visits

and people he meets from the show.

I have never, not even when I was a kid, been very good

at imaginative play,

too much of a realist.

He is giving me this gift as an adult:

to discover the power of suspending reality.

remembering how much effort it takes in the process of learning.

I watch him form letters and numbers

with such determination.

I enjoy sitting with him and seeing up close

the newness in learning to reading and write.

It does not really come naturally to anyone.

We are together, side by side, learning that mistakes are okay.

When he wrote “on” with an “m” his first request

was for a new paper.

He gets it from me, a bit too hard on himself,

but we are taking advantage of the chance to “let it go.”

There has been plenty going on around here

like trips to see Koi fish

at the Japanese Garden

and crazy shenanigans like insisting on wearing sunglasses.

(This funky attitude is highly influenced by our friend Travis)

Then there is a little one who is using her muscles

to climb stairs at the jungle gym.

It is always a treat when I get home

to a little boy waiting

and waving

Then today we had tons of fun at the playground

in the sand

she is barefoot and not really into the sand.

Up close I realize we are looking the same:

me and this little pumpkin.

I will say this is how I happily spend a

Saturday morning.
Back at the house we had a jam session/show/ play with tickets.

India is a natural

and so I am convinced

they need to hit the road together.

All the songs and stories and funny quotes has me

really wanting an audio recorder.

(joe…hint, hint)

We are looking forward to February

and there are only a few more days until someone has

her first birthday.