J.K. Update - Not a typical 4 year old

I am finally getting around to doing another update. I really want to do better with keeping up with my blog. It's just hard to find time with 3 kids, a job, and a house to tend to.

J.K. is 4 1/2 years old. Everyone tells me he's not a typical 4 year old. Is this normal: We (J.K., Isaac, Stewart and me) get home and have the usual madness trying to get the car unloaded. J.K. and Isaac both got their pants wet at work (playing in the hose) so rode him without any on. I refuse to let them be in the front yard without pants. J.K. gets in trouble for riding his bike away from me while laughing and has to go in the house to sit in timeout. For once, he actually sits himself in timeout (No kicking and screaming leaving me to drag him there.), stays there (except for the run to the bathroom) and waits for me to finish unloading the car. (I swear my minivan is filled to the brim everyday!) Isaac goes to play in the backyard so I sit to nurse Stewart and do yet another breathing treatment on him. J.K. comes and gets me and wants to show me and Stewart something in my bedroom. He spots a teddy bear on the floor in the living room and tells me to wait. He grabs the bear and disappears into my bedroom. Out he comes and insists that I close my eyes. He opens my bedroom door and smiling from ear to ear, shows me that he made my bed and Isaac's crib. No, they're not perfectly made but definitely better than how I left them. (Later when I see the quilt folded down, I realize how nicely the sheet and blanket are pulled up.) So, is this normal for a 4 year old?

This happens at least once a week. Later in the evening, we get him to pick up the legos and so he continues picking up toys in the playroom. Then I see him with a "green" cleaner and rag cleaning the kitchen counter. (I was glued to Lost at the time.) I'm not sure what else he cleaned. J.K. often decorates/sets our dining table. He prefers tablecloths to placemats. He likes to change up where everyone sits. He has pulled the piano bench over to the table for him and Isaac to sit on. J.K. does laundry. Within the last month he has learned to ask me which setting to put certain clothes on. He knows that his clothes go on the Kids setting; he looks for the K. He doesn't usually remember to change the clothes from the washer to the dryer, but if he is wanting to do a load, he will move the clothes in the washer over to the dryer.

I guess about a week ago, J.K. decorated some butcher paper then disappeared out the front door several times. I finally went to look and saw that he had taped up his newest drawing along with several other art pieces on our front porch. He even took some framed pictures outside and set them on the porch. I found it to be quite hysterical.

One day during the summer J.K. decided to hang up some of his clothes in the backyard. He told me that he wanted them to be freshened up. I am still baffled to this day about where he learned this. Yes, clothes are much fresher when hung outside to dry, but where did my 4-year old learn this?

J.K. is such an interesting child. I am the baby in my family so I wasn't really around young children much. I spent at least 6 weeks every summer with my cousins, but since I was a kid, I was too busy being one and not paying attention to what was normal. I never acted the way J.K. does. However, I do recall my mom saying that up until age 3, I was very good about keeping my toys picked up. I'm unsure what happened.

Now, just because J.K. likes to clean, do laundry, vacuum, mop, etc., it does not mean that he is a clean child. He can make a mess just like any other! It's a constant battle to keep the house clean with 3 boys!

J.K. is really an amazing child. He is a wonderful big brother and protects and cares for Stewart. He and Isaac have their moments. J.K. likes to direct a lot, and Isaac at 2 is more into doing what he wants to do. J.K. is a creator child because he is always creating something. He is always on the go! J.K. loves to do tumbling/gymnastics. He is a very active boy. He likes books and is really into his new leapfrog reader. It's an amazing device that is like a pen but can read books (that are made for it), make the character sounds or sounds for whatever you tap the pen on in the book. J.K. is hooked on Handy Manny right now, and he wants to see the same episode time after time. Oh the joys of On Demand! J.K. is a spirited child, and it is exciting to see what new creation he will have to show us each day.

Isaac Update

Isaac is 27 months old now. He is still so tiny. He weighs in the 22 pound range. I'm not sure of his height, but he looks proportionate which is good, I guess. I am worried though since he has gained maybe a pound in a year or year 1/2. I thought J.K. was small, but Isaac is much smaller. Isaac is just now getting into 18 month pants. Some are still too big for him, but I guess it does show that he is getting taller. Stewart is in 6-9 mos clothes and is creeping out of those. Isaac and Stewart will soon be wearing the same size, I'm sure. Isaac doesn't eat as well as he used to. His favorite thing is drinkable yogurt. For some reason my kids don't like milk so, know that Ike needs calcium, I let him have the yogurt pretty much anytime he asks for it. The extra calories certainly won't hurt him!
Isaac's speech is really taking off. I can't always understand what he's saying, but he certainly has something to say. He loves to sing! He usually sings in the car, and it's so cute. His favorites are Row Your Boat, Old MacDonald - the eieieo part, Happy Birthday. He has even started singing with me when I rock him before I lay him in bed. He may be our little musician. Anytime I am at the piano attempting to practice, he insists on being in my lap so that he can play. I'm trying to teach him some basics, and he will let me put his fingers on the right keys and play. Now if he can't get us to understand what he is saying or we are not doing what he wants, he will take our hand/finger and lead us to whatever it is that he wants.
Ike's favorite toys are trains, cars, trucks, helicopters, airplanes, bikes; boy stuff!. Of course Daddy's train set and Daddy's remote controlled cars and helicopters are his favorite. Thankfully, he has finally gotten past the OCD behavior. He constantly pestered us to play with the trains or the helicopter; it was really getting old! Cute, but old! Isaac loves books, too. I sometimes find him sitting, reading a book.
Isaac is really becoming interested in playing with Stewart versus attacking the poor baby. Stewart is playing with toys now, and I often find Isaac sitting with Stewart sharing toys. It's the sweetest moments. I look forward to seeing how Ike reacts to Stewart crawling and standing. I know it's going to be here before I know it.
Monday, Wednesday and Fridays Isaac goes to my parents house to play until after lunch when my mom brings him to work. He usually goes straight down for his nap and doesn't wake until it's time to leave. It's a really nice schedule. My mom has legos at her house, and he just loves them. He loves the wheels and the people. It keeps him occupied while my mom gets ready for work. Well, he does help my mom with her curlers! He also insists that she share her breakfast. My mom eats the same thing every morning - cereal with an assortment of berries. I really don't know how she eats the same thing every morning; I always have to change mine up. Ike pours sugar all over her cereal, way more than anyone should ever have, and then he eats her cereal with her. Its rather cute! Lately Isaac has been having some separation anxiety from me and cries when I am dropping him off. It does break my heart, but I am glad he gets to be wiht my mom and will be with me a few hours later anyhow. I'm sure it's just a phase. Tuesdays and Thursdays he goes to mother's day out. He loves going. There is a litte fort and slide in his classroom, and he is always defying the rules by running down the slide! He always has a good time there.
Isaac is my little boy. He is all boy in what he plays with to how he plays. He adores his big brother, but I can tell that he'll be best friends with Stewart. J.K. doesn't always have the patience for his little bro. I do hope that all my boys are always good friends to each other !

Stewart Update

Well, I posted this to my groups, and since I haven't had a chance to get back here (or read..haven't made the time) I'm just going to copy what I posted there with a little update at the end. Then perhaps I can move forward and do updates on my other two boys.

Just a little update. I think I missed his 7 month update. I cannot believe he is going to be 8 months in a couple of weeks! Where did the time go??? I noticed today that Stewart is cutting his first tooth! It's on the bottom, and it just broke through today. Both of his brothers were a year old before any teeth showed, and then they got several all at one time. This at least explains why he has been so cranky and not sleeping the last several days. I have been holding him all night so he'll sleep, usually having to go to bed at the same time as he. Sometimes I could get him to sleep on his own for an hour or so but not all the time. He napped better this weekend at home but has been refusing his naps at work. I gave him a little dose of tylenol this evening and shortly after, he was ready to sleep! Stewart is showing an interest in crawling now. He finally rolled from his back to his belly today. Starting this weekend he'll push up on his hands and get one leg in position, stay there for a few seconds, then plop back down. Tonight he was reaching up at Ike's toddler bed and trying to pull himself up. I am SO not ready for this! But, then again, I am ready for him to defend himself against Isaac or at least intrigue Ike a bit more. Maybe when he starts moving, Isaac will want to play more with Stewart. Right now Isaac loves to just push Stew over, and poor Stewart can't sit himself back up! Stewart starts mother's day out tomorrow. He'll be going twice a week. I am looking forward to it. I am really needing the extra focus at work, and with the way he's been acting the last several days, I'm really ready for a little break. He'll be going from 9am to 2pm which means I'll be picking Isaac up earlier than normal. Isaac usually stays until 4pm, but I do pay extra for that. I am hoping that Stewart has a good 1st day tomorrow. He has stayed with them for parent's night out a few times so he knows the ladies already. I'm not sure how much Stewart weights, 19+, I'm sure. He's in 6-9 mos clothes. He nurses often and since we are now co-sleeping, he eats 2-3 times a night. He can drink from a sippy cup and loves water. I try to feed him some pureed foods in the evening, but I'm going to send some with him to school for the afternoon. Well, I need to go pump so I can get my stash up. I am always paranoid of him not having enough milk while away from me.

Stewart has his 2nd day at mother's day out tomorrow. He really enjoyed his first day. When we arrived, I put him on the floor surrounded by toys and 2 other babies. One baby crawls in the traditional style; the other scoots on her bottom. Stew didn't know what to think. I kissed him goodbye, and he just sat there, staring at the other children. I sure wish I had my camera with me because his face was priceless! When I arrived to pick him up, he was happy as could be just rolling around on the floor. No crying when he saw me until I left his sight to grab his bag. I am so glad that his transition to mother's day out was a piece of cake. Now, I know, that it doesn't mean the 2nd day will go as smoothly, but it's a good sign!