Nolan and Judah: 4.5 years
The minutes can sure feel slow, but wow does time ever flyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.
I have two four and a half year olds- two kids who are closer to being in kindergarten with each passing minute and I can't even. I've really enjoyed every stage and this one is no different. Here's what been up with Nolan and Judah.
What Nolan is Into:
Nolan continues to be extremely aware of his surroundings and the people in them. He has a very deep mind and the capacity to have real understandings of empathy and compassion. Although he wants others to be happy, healthy, and be taken care of, he also prefers if everything is done the way HE wants it :) I truly think Nolan was lucky to be born into our family with Josh and me as his parents because his intense emotions, his need for control and order, and his "occasional" bossiness are fully understood by his parents. We can help him label his feelings, patiently let him talk through whatever he needs to digest, and can recognize when his control freak-ness is really out and help him deal with it.
He is still obsessed with building things- he wants his Magnitiles out first thing in the morning and will build and build and build and build. The things he makes are incredible- his imagination and creativity rock.
Recycling has been a fairly new thing for Nolan to love. He loves taking out the recycling, making sure our recycling bin is full, and correcting us if we put something in the trash that we shouldn't. He also talks about recycling a lot and was a recycling man for Halloween.
I think reading is really close on the horizon for Nolan. He's been sounding out letter sounds and recognizing a lot of sight words, which is just wild to me. I know this next year or two is going to absolutely blow me away with what our twins are going to be able to do, read, recognize.
Nolan also loves to rake leaves... like so much. This is fantastic for us because our yard is insane in the fall. He will chose raking leaves over just about any other method of outside play.
What Judah is Into:
I think partially because Nolan likes to control things so much, Judah does like to seek out areas that he too can control. He likes to lead the way when we are walking out the door or going up the stairs. He really like to pick which dump truck he pushes around and has also been exercising his right to control on food. We've had lots of struggles lately with him and food- getting him to eat, getting him to eat in a timely manner, having to make deals for every single meal on what he will or won't finish. It's been a bit exhausting I will admit and definitely frustrating especially when he decides not to eat something HE ASKED FOR. With his wheat allergy, we already have to do enough battles with him trying to limit the intake of things he LOVES- carbs, gluten-packed carbs. So the extra food battles have not been a welcome addition. We're working through it though ;)
Judah is a fantastic playmate and friend and his positive attitude lights up any room.
Cars have been one of Judah's favorite activities lately- he loves to dump them, organize them, park them, and have Nolan build elaborate garages and houses for them.
Judah has always had a love for cooking, but lately, he's been a bit more independent to the point where he pretty much cooked us an entire dinner (with Josh supervising ;) )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now although both of these boys are completely and totally their own human, their love and support for one another also continues to grow as they grow. When Nolan is scared to get bounced on the trampoline during gymnastics class, Judah sits off to the side with him so he won't be alone. When Judah isn't feeling well, Nolan makes up a blanket and pillow area on the couch and brings a trash can over... just in case ;) They were even wiseman #1 and wiseman #2 in the Christmas play at school but got separated because they were hugging each other too much so now they are wiseman #1 and wiseman #3.
Because they are the oldest, as THEY go through new stages, so too do I. Even though Carter is very much is own person, I at least know some things to expect with him. With Nolan and Judah, things are truly brand new. So, as a mom, I've also noticed some slight changes in them that bring with it the bitter sweetness of children getting older.
My boys are becoming so much more independent. That is such a love/hate word for me. When they can write their name on their own, I leap for joy as my heart swells with pride. When they learn something new, I wanna call everyone and brag all about it because I am just in awe of them and truly cannot believe how cool it is when they can build on their own, cook on their own, even dress themselves on their own.
Then, when they walk up to school by themselves leaving me in the dust on the driveway or ask for me NOT to sing them to sleep, I want to sob uncontrollably and my heart yearns for the time when their entire hand was holding my finger. I get that choking feeling in my throat until they turn around with a huge smile on their face feeling so proud they walked up the sidewalk alone or ask me to pray with them instead of sing before bed and it makes those changes more okay and more bearable. Tears are rolling down my cheeks as I even write this. Being big is so cool and being big also breaks my heart a little.
I know I will blink and they'll be graduating high school- oh.my.heart.
Ah, being a parent. What a gift- a heart wrenching, heart swelling gift.
These two keep me busy and guessing and learning and growing right alongside them. Five years old will be here before I know it... oh.my.heart.
I have two four and a half year olds- two kids who are closer to being in kindergarten with each passing minute and I can't even. I've really enjoyed every stage and this one is no different. Here's what been up with Nolan and Judah.
What Nolan is Into:
Nolan continues to be extremely aware of his surroundings and the people in them. He has a very deep mind and the capacity to have real understandings of empathy and compassion. Although he wants others to be happy, healthy, and be taken care of, he also prefers if everything is done the way HE wants it :) I truly think Nolan was lucky to be born into our family with Josh and me as his parents because his intense emotions, his need for control and order, and his "occasional" bossiness are fully understood by his parents. We can help him label his feelings, patiently let him talk through whatever he needs to digest, and can recognize when his control freak-ness is really out and help him deal with it.
He is still obsessed with building things- he wants his Magnitiles out first thing in the morning and will build and build and build and build. The things he makes are incredible- his imagination and creativity rock.
Recycling has been a fairly new thing for Nolan to love. He loves taking out the recycling, making sure our recycling bin is full, and correcting us if we put something in the trash that we shouldn't. He also talks about recycling a lot and was a recycling man for Halloween.
I think reading is really close on the horizon for Nolan. He's been sounding out letter sounds and recognizing a lot of sight words, which is just wild to me. I know this next year or two is going to absolutely blow me away with what our twins are going to be able to do, read, recognize.
Nolan also loves to rake leaves... like so much. This is fantastic for us because our yard is insane in the fall. He will chose raking leaves over just about any other method of outside play.
What Judah is Into:
I think partially because Nolan likes to control things so much, Judah does like to seek out areas that he too can control. He likes to lead the way when we are walking out the door or going up the stairs. He really like to pick which dump truck he pushes around and has also been exercising his right to control on food. We've had lots of struggles lately with him and food- getting him to eat, getting him to eat in a timely manner, having to make deals for every single meal on what he will or won't finish. It's been a bit exhausting I will admit and definitely frustrating especially when he decides not to eat something HE ASKED FOR. With his wheat allergy, we already have to do enough battles with him trying to limit the intake of things he LOVES- carbs, gluten-packed carbs. So the extra food battles have not been a welcome addition. We're working through it though ;)
Judah is a fantastic playmate and friend and his positive attitude lights up any room.
Cars have been one of Judah's favorite activities lately- he loves to dump them, organize them, park them, and have Nolan build elaborate garages and houses for them.
Judah has always had a love for cooking, but lately, he's been a bit more independent to the point where he pretty much cooked us an entire dinner (with Josh supervising ;) )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now although both of these boys are completely and totally their own human, their love and support for one another also continues to grow as they grow. When Nolan is scared to get bounced on the trampoline during gymnastics class, Judah sits off to the side with him so he won't be alone. When Judah isn't feeling well, Nolan makes up a blanket and pillow area on the couch and brings a trash can over... just in case ;) They were even wiseman #1 and wiseman #2 in the Christmas play at school but got separated because they were hugging each other too much so now they are wiseman #1 and wiseman #3.
Because they are the oldest, as THEY go through new stages, so too do I. Even though Carter is very much is own person, I at least know some things to expect with him. With Nolan and Judah, things are truly brand new. So, as a mom, I've also noticed some slight changes in them that bring with it the bitter sweetness of children getting older.
My boys are becoming so much more independent. That is such a love/hate word for me. When they can write their name on their own, I leap for joy as my heart swells with pride. When they learn something new, I wanna call everyone and brag all about it because I am just in awe of them and truly cannot believe how cool it is when they can build on their own, cook on their own, even dress themselves on their own.
Then, when they walk up to school by themselves leaving me in the dust on the driveway or ask for me NOT to sing them to sleep, I want to sob uncontrollably and my heart yearns for the time when their entire hand was holding my finger. I get that choking feeling in my throat until they turn around with a huge smile on their face feeling so proud they walked up the sidewalk alone or ask me to pray with them instead of sing before bed and it makes those changes more okay and more bearable. Tears are rolling down my cheeks as I even write this. Being big is so cool and being big also breaks my heart a little.
I know I will blink and they'll be graduating high school- oh.my.heart.
Ah, being a parent. What a gift- a heart wrenching, heart swelling gift.
These two keep me busy and guessing and learning and growing right alongside them. Five years old will be here before I know it... oh.my.heart.
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