Country cousins!

Okay, I'm as vain as the next woman, and this is a horrible picture of me, but it's so cute of my girls, I had to use it.  Also, please forgive me for how awful my windows are.  Obviously, not a high priority. 

Watching the chickens

"Don't they do anything?"

A country lane, and a bunch of kids-- paradise for me!

So, we recently went to visit our country cousins.  As if we're not country enough, I guess, because they're a lot more country than we are!  Anyway, they have some special needs kids, although they're grown up these days, but they were an inspiration to me, all these many years.  Anyway, we had a good time, and I was energized by the beauty of the countryside, because there are trees where they live (miss those trees!)

On the way home, we stopped to shop at the mall, and the big kids took off to find what they wanted, and I figured I'd be fine by myself with the three little ones, because I'd take them to the food court, and feed them.  Wrong!  Note to self:  teach these little kids to walk in Walmart, before taking them to the mall again!  They usually sit in the cart, and I wheel them around, while they throw my items out of the cart.  That's been my biggest challenge lately.  I didn't find the strollers in the mall until we were about to leave, though, and trying to walk the kids to the food court was amazingly difficult.  Big Girl kept stopping, and waiting for me to notice that she had stopped, and encourage her along lovingly.  This is actually normal for her.  Little Girl wanted to go in every different direction, to explore, which is normal for her.  Little Boy didn't want to hold hands, and didn't want to be carried, so he screamed, and threw himself, and twisted, simultaneously.  Remember how flexible I said he was?  And that he could fold himself in half?  We were a circus sideshow, that's for sure!  Everyone there was relieved that they didn't have three special-needs little kids.  I hate that.  I prefer it when everyone is considering getting their own, because mine are so sweet!

So to update on each kiddo:  Big Girl is getting more and more active, and the other night I watched her dancing around, (almost) running, teasing her big siblings, and hanging off of everything hangable.  This is much more the kind of behavior I'm used to seeing from little kids (not rocking, staring off into space, or manipulating a small toy over and over again.)  She also randomly says entire sentences, never to be repeated, and can --with difficulty-- repeat a word after someone says it to her very slowly.  So, I don't really get the suddenly being able to say a whole sentence when she can barely repeat a word if you ask her.  Almost like there's a wire loose, that occasionally makes a connection, and the whole thing comes out clearly.  "Have a nice day!"

I think we've entered a new era with Little Girl, as she's willing this week to poop on the potty.  This has been an ongoing battle of wills, as she willingly does #1, but not #2 on the potty, and in fact, waits until a diaper is safely in place before producing.  This week, though, we're doing high fives!  Yeahhh!
She's also talking more, and I wish I could understand her, because I'm pretty sure it all makes sense.  I was finishing up a task, and had some paper wrappers in my hand, and she kept saying to me, "mub-buh" and led the way to the garbage can, pointing and saying, "mub-buh."  I said, "Oh!  Garbage!  Garrrr------   (she copied that sound) -----baaaaaagggge (she copied as 'baaaah'.)  Okay!  Put it all together!  Garbage!"  And she responded with "mub-buh."

Little Boy is still his own emperor, but he deigns to allow us to worship him, so it's all good.  He is a pill, 'nuff said, but so cute!  He likes to push the other kids, and throw things, and when he does, he immediately turns away, so as not to be implicated in the crime, I'm guessing.  However, this seriously throws off his aim, and the object often goes far awry, lessening the impact of the naughtiness.  I've been watching him, and I've decided that he turns away everytime he thinks he's being naughty, like when he was standing in the bathtub, and attempting to pour water on the girls.  Because he'd turn away, the water never actually touched them, but nonetheless, the intent was there.  I told my mom that I should punish him just for the fact that in his mind, he's being naughty, nevermind that he's not actually accomplishing anything.  It's the attitude of the heart that counts!  Don't worry, you softies!  I won't punish him for "almost" pouring water on his sisters in the bathtub!