Kids Updates

So it's still been a challenge to get Micah to get dressed and out the door but it seems to be somewhat better. His teacher at school is really focusing and making them do it themselves. She has now started this "Block Buck" (her name is Mrs. Block) thing where they earn money during the day towards getting a toy so the better they are the more money they get. I totally never thought of that but if he's like his mom and dad then money will work. I think it will help now too since all the winter gear doesn't have to be put on just back to boots/shoes and a coat.

Micah still has problems with hitting, bumping people and such. It might be partly a rough and tumble boy thing but hopefully he will stop soon. The girls are more aware of it and so they tattletail on him so I hope it makes him think twice before he does it. It's just frustrating for me as he doesn't like time outs and I physically have to retrain him in his room. He throws books at the door too so I have to talk to him about that. Then their are other time where he will say "sorry" just to get out of being in a time out. I just hope that he means it. He still has trouble listening to me and I think I'm going to have to be more strict with this. He doesn't listen until I start counting and then he waits until I get to 5. I have heard of the 1-2-3 Magic but I never really read all of it so I think I'm going to have to get that book out of the library again. Someone told me at the grocery store that boys are more work when they are little but then the girls take over when they are older with the moodiness and definancy. Well I guess we'll see.

Micah is also wanting to take his clothes off and run around the house. He's done it about 6 times now. At first all the kids were doing it but now the older girl I babysit isn't doing it (she is good at listening) so it's just the younger one and him now. I have told him it's not appropriate to have his clothes off unless he is in his room or the bathroom by himself or having a bath with mommy, daddy or grandparents. He's still young and doesn't really get it but I had to make sure he knew to tell mommy and daddy if someone else touched his privates. I hope this is just a phase.

Kendra is getting more independant and trying everyday. She wants to put on her own boots and is starting to put her pants on my herself. Somedays she doesn't want diapers so I think I'm going to have to change to pullups even thought they are expensive. When she is playing with her toys she gets upset if she can't lay the dolly in the plastic bed how she wants.

Kendra was cute the other night but she totally new what she was doing. I cuddled her like a baby and called her my baby. So now she will come to me and say "baby" because she wants picked up. Way too cute and I'm a sucker of course.

Kendra does know the family order with the dollies too. She calls the man doll Daddy and the woman doll Mommy and all the kids are babies. Micah never did that at that age so it must be a girl thing.

Kendra also loves trains. I guess that comes from having an older brother. She knows how to distinguish the main Thomas characters for sure and says "train" if she hears the whistle (the train is across the highway a bit so it's very faint but she hears it).

Kendra has a thing for blankets. She is particular about which ones too. I got Micah to use receiving blankets for a "blankie" but she loves the hand knitted ones mostly but she does like her new fleece one from Christmas and the one Gammie made for her big girl bed (I'm just trying to keep kendra in the crib as long as possible). So, she has 4 blankies in her bed and they all seem to come out of their during the day. She gets so upset if not. She does kind of play with them by either covering her dolls or laying under them herself. The stuff animals and pillows usually get pulled out too and they all have to be back there at bedtime. She must get so hot with 4 blankets on her at night though.

Kendra's talking has really picked up. She is talking mostly in short phrases were only 3 months ago it really was one word and not all that often. I was starting to worry but she's talking up a storm now. My mom said that I didn't talk until I was 2 either.

I do think that Kendra is almost ready to potty train. She tells me "poop" when she pees most of the time. She was doing well with the pull-ups pulling them up and down. She sees all the other kids go to the bathroom so she does go sit on the potty, wipe her bum, pull her pants up, flush and wash her hands. So she has the routine all done now to just get her to realize that the pee is actually suppose to go in the potty. I'm thinking that once summer comes I'll see what she does running around naked (although it could be challenging with Micah wanting to take his clothes off).