I like 4 1/2

SHE LOVES playing with big kids!

 

 

I remember when my boys were tiny little babies and strangers who had twins would approach me at times and I remember on a number of occasions people telling me 4 – you got to make it to 4, that’s when they start to get easier.  At the time, that seemed very far away and here we are!  In my short years of parenting, I’ve quickly learned things never get easier, they just get different.  And though many days I feel exhausted or overwhelmed, I’m always happy they are still at the age where we are all under the same roof and they don’t have driver’s license (so not ready for that!). 

Anyway – back to 4. I can’t say the start of 4 was anything easy, actually I think we were by far tested the most we had been tested as parents on an entire new level that I did not even think existed.  For us going from two to three was challenging and the boys didn’t do so great with all the changes.  We still have our really hard days, but lately it seems like more good ones than bad ones.  Lucky for us Olivia was a really good baby! Regardless, I still feel like we are a bit of a train wreck anywhere we go these days.

The past few weeks I’ve noticed how much more independent they have gotten (sometimes too independent).  For the most part, we are through the “running off” stage – provided I can keep them in our yard.  They seem to think all the neighbors yards are fair game.  But they are at the age where they don’t get as sick as often, so not as many doctors’ visits.  And generally they can tell me they have something or another, a vitamin seems to do the trick.  They can tell me what’s wrong or what they need.  They are fun because it’s still totally OK for them to give me a big hug and kiss when I drop them off at daycare.  Of course all these things they can tell us are great – but they also like to repeat things back to you.  I just heard Dylan tell Keith he didn’t like his attitude.  So you must be careful with your words at this age.  I love their perspective right now and all the things they like to tell me and their thought process.  You can teach them so much at this age, which is neat to see.  They can be a bit silly in the way they try to make conversation at times.  Last night our neighbor was walking by with his bike helmet on and Carter wanted his attention a bit, so he told him not to forget his helmet at his friend’s house.  Totally random!  I love their little conversations between each other.  Even though they fight sometimes, I hope they always remain as close as they are.  They really are inseparable, they will sit on our huge couch side-by-side, often times overlapped.  Sometimes too close as I’ve seen them pee together at the potty on a number of occasions.  They have this new language we didn’t have as kids.  One day we were watching TV and they said something about the show was downloading.  I’ll hear a dot com here and there. Yet they don't totally get it.  I told them I was going to order something from the Internet and Dylan asked me if it was going to pop out of the computer. For the most part they are easier to dress (still pretty darn picky), but I remember days where it was such a process to convince them to get dressed – getting shoes on, that’s still a battle!  They are still picky eaters, Dylan has been getting better about trying things.  Bedtime can still have its challenges, but nothing like we once went through nightly.  So a lot of fun right now and I’m holding on tight because I am so not ready for them to be big school kids yet!  They start the last room at daycare next month – the one before kindergarten!