Another Kid Report

These kids change so quickly, it's hard to keep up. But here's me giving it my best shot.

Kelsie: My Kelsie has become quite the little reader! She absolutely shocked me one day when she started reading me the library book that she brought home! I had no idea that she was ready for that! She brings home little books that they make in class sometimes and has read those to me, but I always figured she had just memorized them. But now we can read simple books together, with my help on the big or unfamiliar words, and it's really quite fun.
We just did her first Valentines party at school. We bought some dip-stick candy cards at the store to give to her class mates, but Kelsie said 'Mrs. S. says you write a poem inside a valentine'. So she made her own cars and wrote all the kids names on them herself, and then I dictated for her as she wrote a personal message to every kid in her classroom. Most of them started "You are the best friend in the whole world!" But there is one little boy in her classroom that has some real behavior problems. She said there wasn't anything nice to say to him, but I told her to try really hard to think of any good things she had seen him do. Finally she remembered that he had picked up a paper one time and threw it in the garbage like he was supposed to. And that one time he helped another boy get up when he fell of the ice. So we wrote those things in his card. I was really proud of her for the effort she put into writing personal messages, and for taking the time to notice the good things about all the children.

Griffin: Little Griffin is so creative! Lately he's been using this creativity to show us that he is a culinary evil genius! I can't give him food with out him mixing it together in strange ways. Like pouring his Kool- aid into his spaghetti, or his tomato soup. Or putting his entire sandwich into his tomato soup, and eating it with his spoon. Sometimes, though, he disgusts even himself. And then there is high drama when I insist that he not waste the food he just mangled, and that if he is going to do experiments with his dinner, then he is going to eat the end result, no matter how soggy or disgusting it is!
Griffin just loves his little sister, but he gets frustrated by the fact that she isn't as easy to play with as he would like. The other day he asked me if I would teach his how to carry her, and he was very disappointed when I said that she was just too big for him. Now that she's getting around on the floor, he's always trying to control which way she goes, by creating paths for her to follow, or trying to lead her by pulling toys in front of her. This usually leads to lots of crying and frustration from both of them! I have to keep reminding Grif that Lauren is a real person, and she wants to be able to make her own choices. Sometimes I think he'd be happier if she were a dog. He'll be so glad when she can run around and wrestle with him!

Lauren: My baby has entered a whole new stage of her little baby life. She is belly crawling all over the house. She is sitting in her highchair, eating crackers and other baby food, and her two bottom teeth have just pushed through! I finally did what I've been threating to for some time now, and that is cut her hair in the back. I cut a good inch and a half from her two long back layers! She really is such a good baby. And she is finally learning to sleep through the night! Up till this point, I could count on one hand the times that she woke up less than four times in a night. But his whole week, we've been down to just two or three! Yeah for improvement!