Bella Roux:
1. She loves putting on and taking off and putting on and taking off shoes and hats. Everybody's shoes and hats.
2. She climbs into and out of her high chair by herself - even scooting the little stool over so that she can climb up.
3. If she's squawking and you say, "Bella! Sleepytime!" she will lay her head down, close her eyes, and stick her thumb in her mouth in about one second flat. (She doesn't stay that way for long, though.)
4. We're pretty sure she's left handed.
5. Lately she's been into climbing on things and then jumping onto the nearest couch or chair.
Benji (who prefers "Ben" when being introduced to new peers):
1. Legos, Legos, all things Lego - he loves building.
2. Moving, moving, all things moving - He says he was "born to move" and, indeed, unless he's building, reading, or sleeping, he is in constant movement...jumping on the trampoline, rolling off the coffee table, dancing, riding his bike, leaping off the couch, or attempting to wrestle a sibling. He started gymnastics a couple of months ago to help him channel his energy.
3. Pokemon cards are his new favorite thing. He's not up on exactly how to use them, but he does collect them. If you want to make his month, send him a rare one or something from Stage 2 or something with a high HP number or holograms. (You know, not the boring regular ones I get him from the bulk dealers.)
4. As always, science, comic books, whodunit stories, spies, bad guys, dragons, and adventures rank high on his reading choices.
5. He continues to astound us with his observations on life, people, struggles, family interactions, scientific explanations for things related to biology and physics, and so on. He is one brilliant little dude.
P.S. He is going into 2nd grade in the fall. Where did the time go?!
Oliver, aka Oli Bug:
1. He can ride a bike! With training wheels, of course, but he just loves it, so he'll probably figure the balance part out soon. He is also good with a scooter, but the bike is his favorite.
2. He also enjoys building - though he is still at the Duplo level. (Tiny Legos continue to end up in his mouth.)
3. Oli might be our future artist. Painting and coloring are things he really enjoys and does well.
4. He needs help taking off his shirt, but other than that, he can dress himself on his own! And he's been brushing his teeth by himself, too! His favorite shirts: the red dinosaur t-shirt and the khaki monster truck shirt.
5. He is the most cheerful helper, and genuinely enjoys putting dishes away from the dishwasher.
Sadie Lou:
1. The "warrior princess" is living up to her name. She recently started gymnastics, and every week one of her coaches is shaking her head in amazement at this girl's strength. (I am NOT exaggerating.) She jumps higher than everyone on the tramopline, requires no assistance hanging from bars or doing splits in the air, and thinks it's tremendous fun to shuffle herself out to the middle of a bar that is 10 feet above the foam pit and drop from it. All the while, her fearless face has a huge grin on it.
2. She is also riding a bike with training wheels, and protests the idea of taking them off.
3. She can watch a movie or hear a song once, and and say or sing whole parts of it. Her memory for words and inflections is excellent.
4. She is a masterful artist of people - she knows intuitively how best to encourage someone, pick on a weak spot, get someone to do something for her (while they don't even realize she is in charge), and make a person feel like they are the only one in the room with her. She reads body language, tone, and nuances, and is very good at using them herself. This, combined with her love of people (she makes friends everywhere we go...even with adults) and her ability to delegate effortlessly, makes me think she will be a great leader one day.
5. Her style makes her look like a modern day
Punky Brewster. Tall or mismatched socks with fancy shoes, a variety of colors and patterns, and even incongruent hairdos (one side has a braid, the other a pig tail) form the basis of her mode de rigueur.
