Big Kids Update

Over the years I've written various posts where I report how much the kids have grown and how big they are. It's fun for me to look back on the milestones and think back to times when I thought the trio holding their own bottles was the greatest development ever or when Jackson's potty training put him as "official big kid status". I feel more and more like the kids really are kids, not babies or toddlers anymore.

Jackson is starting to really make sense of letters and numbers. His teacher this year told us to expect homework throughout the week. He seems so young, but not when I think about him being in kindergarten next year and learning sight words. It's fascinating for me to see how he processes things. He can consistently write and recognize numbers 0-9, but he'll say something like "Is twelve 1 and 2?" He's making progress so quickly. He completed his homework independently today and gave himself a sticker. I have flashbacks to doing the same thing as a young child. Jackson is surely a teacher-pleasing, school-oriented, learning-loving child.

A friend of mine dropped off a variety of toys, cups, and games for the kids today. (My house is Goodwill drop off for my friends!) Jackson loved using the dry erase marker to practice letters and numbers. He can make the sounds for many of the letters and will randomly whisper things like "B. Buh, buh, Batman".

Jackson isn't the only big kid in the house. James, Amelia, and Maddie are growing up faster than I care to admit. We're finally making progress in reducing pacifier use. They only get pacis for nap and bedtime. It's harder to take the pacifier away after their nap, but they're very good about giving up the paci from 8 am-2 pm.

The other exciting thing is I've been forgoing the stroller more and more. They've held my hands and walked across the parking lot to walk Jackson to school, to go to the gym, and to run into a store. Amelia and Maddie are good at holding my thumb and pinky finger, whereas James needs a whole hand or to be carried.

I organized a weekly playgroup for the trio and a few other two year olds. The other toddlers are the younger siblings of Jackson's former classmates. Jack was a bit jealous when he found out I took the trio to his friend's house without him. It's definitely a shift for us to realize James, Amelia, and Maddie can have friends separate from Jackson. They've spent the past two years tagging along to whatever Jackson wants.

My babies aren't babies anymore!