One Word

One word to describe your child. Is that possible? How about one word and a follow up paragraph? I started thinking about how to end the blog for this year. Of course this should have been done on New Years Eve but it fell off my long list of want -to-do's during this holiday break. I was able to check a lot of stuff off my list, updating baby books, sorting and donating toys, putting Christmas decorations away, cleaning house...BIG thanks to Jeff for not only putting up with my list but helping me complete it. The only thing left undone was putting Christmas on the blog and a concluding post. Again I mean to publish this blog, our life so far, and this year it might actually happen. So, I started looking around to see if there were any lists of questions I could use to help describe my boys, where they are, what they are like, at this point in time. That's when I came across the task of describing your child in one word. Can I do it? Probably not. But, I can do it if I include supporting details!

Luke, 4 years-7 months

Thinker: Luke is a thinker. Not a talker. He did not talk until he was two, not an intelligible word. Oh he'll talk to me, he's not quiet all the time, but elaborate stories? that's not him. Luke will play for hours with his trains. The sweetest moment for me is when he asks, mommy, will you play trains with me? Or sometimes, I'll play with Eli while Luke is playing trains so that Eli won't bother Luke's trains. This always gets a 'thanks mom, for playing with Eli so he won't get my trains.' I know he's listening and learning and taking it all in because the times come when he'll say or do something that lets me know he's been listening. It's kind of hard to describe really because if you know Luke, you would not really describe him as quiet. He talks but it's not really chatter, it's about something he wants you to know or a question he wants to ask. Luke is kind (other than the typical brother stuff) and loves his brothers. When I do the old, OK Nathan, I'm leaving, see you later routine, Luke is quick to holler, NO! Don't leave him. Luke is sensitive. That might have been an even better word to describe him. He's sensitive all around but in particular he's sensitive to change, change in our schedule, our routine. He tells me, let's just all stay home together. He's excited to go home and play. Even though he gets annoyed with Eli, he loves him. He kisses and hugs him, brings him toys and tells me things he thinks will make Eli happy. He is also rambunctious at times. He can run around the house with the best of them. Soccer is still up for debate. He goes happily but mostly enjoys running around with the other kids, playing with Coach Steve and the gum, the gum is a big deal. He seems to make friends easily and plays with most kids, even the annoying bossy girl in the class who no one else will be center partners with. When I asked him what he wants to be when he grows up he says a construction man (and I say oh, an engineer?!). No, I mean the man driving the tractor. Or, sometimes, it's a race car driver. Both sound good to me. Luke's not a cuddler. But, sometimes I can still steal a quiet moment with him and get a soft, I love you too mommy.

Nathan, 3 years-6 months

Pleaser: Nathan is a pleaser. Is he perfect? NO! his teacher would shout. (The second word to describe Nathan is mischievous.) But, Nathan loves to help and bring me things and get Eli things and read with me and rock with me and remind me that he's obeying when Luke is not. Nathan puts his arms around my neck in the early (pre-dawn!) hours and tells me he loves me. Nathan is also a talker. When I want to know something, I ask Nathan. I will get a long and somewhat confusing story but he'll do his best to tell me what happened, at school, on a tv show, in a book, whatever. Nathan is all boy. He loves sports and cars and trucks and sitting on Eli. He is not sensitive and I can count on one finger the number of times he's cried going to school. He goes in and gets busy playing. He loves his friends (and girlfriends) and talks about them all the time. He makes connections from books to life and life to life and amazes me with the things he says. He does not know his letters or numbers and does not really care to. He's too busy playing or tackling or getting into time out. But, his heart is very loving and I can see him being a loyal friend. And the dimples. All I can pray is that he uses his powers for good one day. Nathan wants to be a monster truck driver when he grows up. That's great I say. My cousin wanted to be a big rig driver when he was small and now he's a marine biologist who travels the globe. There's time.

Eli, 1 year-10 months

Changing: If you had asked me about Eli a couple of months ago, this description would have been really different. Well not really different, but different. Eli has been an amazing third child. He is very self sufficient, plays alone or with the other boys for long stretches, sleeps GREAT and very easy going. But now, he's starting to change a bit. Not so compliant Eli anymore. Very opinionated, even about his pajamas lately! But, mostly, he's still happy and loving and loving Thomas more every day. He loves to read with me in his rocker, before bed. And when we start to rock, he gives me a sweet, sleepy smile and lays his head on my chest, even when he's rammed me with his head a little earlier because I did not do his bidding. He's talking so much lately. He's even mastered phrases like 'I don't want that!' while flinging his milk off the table. Pretty good for a 22 month old. He's patient too, being the recipient of many ill placed kisses and rough hugs from two big brothers. He's pretty fearless on the playground but still cries sometimes when he goes to school. He's my baby who is becoming less and less of my baby each day.

Another year down. Too quickly passed. A lot of fun squished in with a lot of hard work.