A little catch up you say? (I realize I'm just saying this to myself) But who am I kidding, there isn't anything little in the amount of time that has passed since I've written. I'm sitting here with a huge scoop of peanut butter on a spoon with a pile of laundry that is actually folded-I know I know-small miracles are EVERYWHERE, and still wearing this morning's work out clothes. This summer we've added another Reid, driven to and from Missouri (that epic road trip deserves it's own post and I will graciously oblige soon enough), made many a trip to the beach and even made it to Gettysburg.
Xman...what can I say? Just a quick run down of my first born....3.5 and is finally able to tell everyone so (it took him all these past 6 months to move past telling people he was 2), is very independent in all the good and not so good ways (read: he is constantly telling me "I can do it myself" but still can't dress himself! Ha! He is a wonderful problem solver, and just because I tell him "no", he is more than likely going to push the chair over to reach what he wants anyways. Just today he asked me to leave the room after I told him he couldn't have raisins, because-well just read the former sentence. He loves his littlest brother and mostly loves his middle brother. When he met baby JJ for the first time he immediately asked to hold him and started whispering in his ear "I got you baby, I got you." MELT MY FROZEN HEART! Seriously! He still is the first to comfort JJ when I'm not in the room, and brings him a pacifier straight away. But he's 3.5 so he knows how to throw a wonderful Oscar winning performance of a tantrum, can get quite physical with Jude and knows how to hit ALL the notes of the banshee-especially in any place public. He's very thoughtful and inquisitive, is fine tuning the art of conversation, loves Despicable Me, is really good at stealing his dad's iPad or phone to play Fruit Ninja and enjoys a good twirl with me. Nothing gets by this kid, he takes it ALL in and will let you know in the most inconspicuous way. Like the time we were helping decorate my friend's wedding venue and he found a pair of scissors and began cutting flowers from her aisle arrangements clearly wielding his green thumb-watch and learn Martha Stewart. He prefers pants with pockets so he can put real keys in his pockets like his dad, among a number of many other objects (rocks, cars, more rocks). My bossiness is becoming his bossiness (whoops!), and there really IS something to the notion that how you talk to your children becomes their inner voice and their really LOUD external voice as well.
"Momma, momma, mommmmmma! Will you read me another story?"
Jude, Baby J, meatball.....the kid is our comic relief. His wide open mouthed grin takes up his whole face, so much so that his eyes squint closed and is always quick to laugh. He is my MORE kiddo. I don't know if I can properly explain it, but his emotions and moods are just magnified on both ends of the spectrum when he's "in" it. He is the kid the definitely marches to the beat of his own drummer, everything is a game and I do mean EVERYTHING...especially his food, it very quickly becomes a car or plane or train. He loves his big brother, and if imitation is the highest form of flattery than watch out Xman, he might just out Xman you! He jumps with both feet and pulls his legs under him, I've never seen a kid jump like that. He talks to himself in the car seat or in his crib and most of the time I have NOT A SINGLE clue what he is saying and it makes me smile because its always happy chatter. His high pitched squeals rival Xman's, and watch out world when they have a scream off-glass may or may not have shattered more than once. He loves a good snuggle, asks for "uppy" and when up gives a great atta-boy back pat. His joy when on a swing could rival that of the Danes. He never ever wants to be left out and therefor makes his presence known everywhere. He likes to throw sand especially as his brother protests and likes to jump the ocean waves more. He is my sensory seeker-touches everything, quite a messy eater, crashes into everything a lot, and has a head harder than titanium (my mom keeps telling "that boy needs a helmet"). He, too, has learned the fine art of pushing chair to reach the strategically placed out of his reach objects. Baby J's face has more expressions than my cable has channels. Even when he is mad or upset and trying his hardest to get his albeit not completely rational point across, it is EXTREMELY hard to take him seriously because he's just so darn cute. He can also be stubborn, so stubborn is drives me a little batty at times- his no mean NO unequivocally. He loves his littlest brother, and by love I mean he loves to smother him in his Incredible Hulk doesn't know his own strength kind of love. Ahhhhh the ties that bind.
Thanks for staying tuned to my snooze of a tome. Until another 6 months....ha!
