We are so blessed, and so glad to be starting the new year with things calming down, for the time being...the pool construction finished up, we aren't traveling anywhere anytime soon, and the house is almost clean again!
Drew is growing more and more into a bigger boy, and for some reason, he just seems to really have grown up while we weren't looking lately. Partly, he's grown about another inch at some point, but also his maturity seems to have stepped up a notch. Don't get me wrong, we still have our fair share of tantrums, attitude, bad choices, etc. But there's just something different about him...it's exciting and sad - he's not a little boy anymore! His imagination is growing just as fast as his height it seems and his comprehension of ideas is really improving. He can be such a great helper and listener, more often than not, or at least alot more than before. He talks ALL the time! There are days it seems he doesn't stop talking from the time he wakes til the time he sleeps! He's picked up the phrase "Aye Aye Captain" and we hear that alot lately...what a goof!
Drew is starting to sound out words and letters more and more now, which we try to encourage as much as we can, without being pushy. He seems to really enjoy it, and loves it when he gets to 'correct' us when we get it wrong! He is learning, and sharing, more songs with us at home - those he learns from church and school...always lights my heart to hear that! He still enjoys books, but he's got to be in the mood. He really likes going through magazines he gets with mazes and games...he seems to really like that kind of thing right now.
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| A drawing of a robot Drew brought home from school one day |
It's fun to realize what activities, etc. Drew can participate in now as he grows and can be a little more responsible/accountable/appropriate...Matthew was excited to try out his remote controlled boat he got for Christmas with both boys this month once the pool finished up...Drew loved being able to try too! And Mommy and Drew went to Mother/Son Bowling with our church for the first time this year and had a blast! It's funny we sometimes have to remind ourselves to let him try things or that he really is at an age where lots of things are beginning to open up and not let our thoughts of him as a little boy hold him or us back!
I mentioned last month how much Drew is loving to play video games now. So he begs all the time to play, so we (Mommy) came up with a bargain to let him play video games on school days (for this year at least) and Saturdays, and to not ask on the other days. It made sense at the time, not sure it will for long, but at least he's not pestering all the time anymore. It also makes him extra excited for school days! HA!
We enrolled Drew in a gymnastics class this month and have really enjoyed that so far. He has always loved Tumblebus at school (one week they did a roly poly and turned into a crab!) and he was real wishy washy about what activity/sport he wanted to do next, but when he mentioned gymnastics, we both loved that idea and found a way to make it work! He gets to work on true gymnastics equipment, including parallel and uneven bars, balance beam, work on tumbling, all sorts of fun things! What a great and fun skill to enhance at this age...all they want to do is jump and climb anyway! So we will enjoy this for a season!
Sleep, or lack thereof, has been interesting once again this month. I feel like Noah has been recovering from something every other week...just so tired sometimes...making for a clingy, cranky, Momma's boy! Between the traveling, weekend away, getting a few random fevers/tummy bug, add in the onset of some bad dreams and being scared of the dark and he's really been having a bit of a rough time. Drew on the other hand is hit or miss with naps these days it seems and is getting a little bit better about falling asleep quicker at night, but he's had some hard nights too...fever and bad dreams being the culprit as well.
The boys still enjoy playing together and really can have fun when they both are in the mood to be with one another. And then there's times they seem to be in the mood to make the other one cry...I can see them looking for ways to make the other one mad...that is incredibly infuriating, as any parent knows I'm sure! But they like to play role playing things back and forth, and it's really funny to hear what they come up with most days. They love to play with all their superhero action figures, cars, trains, Legos, typical boy stuff!
The boys had an extra special weekend this month...Daddy and Mommy went to Granbury for a Marriage Retreat our church hosted and Grandma and Papa kindly offered to take not only our boys, but also Luke and Jacob, so that Katrina and Joel could also go! We had a great time away, and the boys had the time of their life together! We know how noisy that house was all weekend...and it looked like chaos when we came to pick them up...with Grandma and Papa cool as cucumbers! No doubt they were tired from it all, but I think they loved having them all...more to come in the future, but not for awhile! :) There was very little sleep for anyone really, so we can only do that so often. But Drew loved having a sleep over in the big room with Luke. And Noah wanted to also, but turns out he was a bit of a rabble-rouser, making all sorts of trouble, so got to sleep in Grandma's room! :)
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| They passed out on the couch on Sunday before dinner - they were so tired from all the fun they had! |
We are also seeing that typical 2 year old behavior really peaking too...he will ask for one thing, we'll give it to him, he'll immediately start screaming, asking for the opposite of what he just asked for/was offered, and this could go back and forth for quite some time, until Mommy or Daddy gets fed up with it really. Those are really fun moments! :/
We don't see this often at home because he usually is mixed up with Drew in some way or another, but Noah can be quite content playing by himself at times...books, games, toys, puzzles...something strikes him and he can really focus in. It's so great to watch him when we catch him in these seemingly rare moments to see how his little brain is learning and working. He still loves to line things up or find some order of things. But it is one of my favorite things, to watch him play and see his mind at work with no outside forces.
He is liking to play games more and more as well. There are days he just asks to play game after game, getting whatever he can out of the game closet. Of course his version of playing games is like no other, but it keeps him happy and it's a start! He does like to role play with his toys, as he learns more and more from Drew...it's funny to hear the 'Drew phrases' coming from Noah...such an influence for him!
He continues to be quite the little climber, loving the opportunity to climb around in the car when given the opportunity, Mommy is apparently a wonderful playground to climb all over, still loves to play in Mommy and Daddy's bed as a substitute trampoline/ball pit essentially, etc. He will start gymnastics at the same place as Drew next month...a spot finally opened up for the class at the same time, so he should really enjoy that! He too loves Tumblebus, so this will be even more fun!
Two cute little stories about Noah...one Saturday morning Noah went to Grandma and Papa's for a short bit by himself. They were taking down Christmas decorations that day and had Noah help them. Well, according to them, he was quite the little helper, earning a dollar bill, and getting quite upset if either of them tried to pick something up that HE was supposed to get! The other is at bedtime, his favorite books lately have been "If Animals Kissed Goodnight" and "I'm NOT Scared!" - he has started to run his finger along the words and jibber jabber as if he's reading the story...so adorable!
