Signing... and other "learning" news.

Just an amusing tidbit for the day. We were doing a Valentine's Day project. Brennan surprised me greatly by writing his name almost unassisted (but in all capitals on his request he is very angry that he has to learn "baby letters" too.) I only had to tell him a couple of the letters in his name, he wrote them down perfectly and remembered about half of what to write on his own. The boys, well Brennan mostly enjoyed making cards for daddy. Quinlan mostly enjoyed drawing and redrawing on our dinningroom table. Both of them seem to have come down w/ something, after months of being well I am trying not to be too down over it.

Quinlan has taken a recent fascination in a new maglight flashlight that Mike bought. He just can't figure out why it's not a toy for him. Long ago he gave up signing at all since he can talk so well, but apparently when he wants something VERY BADLY he will sign for it as well as repeatedly ask me for it. Pease! *insert sign here* Pease! *sign* Pease! *sign* fashlight?? Fashlight?? Pease? *sign*

Too cute.

We picked up a couple new workbooks in Yakima. Bren wasn't too impressed, but they have lots of games so he was finally okay w/ trying one of them out. Ironically Quinlan loves to learn and I have started trying to loosely teach him too. He can by sight pick out star and circle most the time. Where Brennan hates structure and guidelines, Quinlan who is much like me thrives in it! Amazing how different two offspring can be.

Brennan and Quinlan

I think this is a good time just talk (brag) about the boys in general. I like to often write letters to them, so they can know what they were doing. How I felt about it, and how much I love them.


Brennan-
At 5 Brennan you spend much of your time in an imaginary world, that you take us all along to. It's rare that you are Brennan. You are Mario, and I am priness Peach. Your lucky brother is Luigi. You are super heros, kights, kings. Your imagination is limitless. You both tire and amaze me daily with your energy and broad scope on life. How much I admire your ablity to play... It is amazing to watch you with out fear or embarrasment of what others think discover the world. You have gotten so big, physically and mentally. Start to easily grasp phonetics and mathematics. You would easily be reading now if you took the time to listen and learn and take in all the letters. You are happy to do things in your own time though, picking up a few letters here and there as you see fitting and fun. You are now about half way there. Math comes amazingly easy to you. It took you maybe 5 minutes one day to learn to add simple numbers together. The concept wasn't hard for you a bit. You are my reluctant student, but learn in daily life easily. You soak up everything around you, picking and chosing whatever you fancy. You remain a lovable child, w/ kind words for everyone. I still often look at you and see glimpses of the chubby baby and toddler you were. You were fearless then, and I can't even explain how proud I am of your independence and fearlessness now. You have the most amazing blue eyes I have seen, rimmed in your daddy's dark dark lashes, you are slightly exotic and interesting looking. You are extremely beautiful (and forgive me for calling a "big boy" like you that.) You and your brother look so alike but different. I always say that you made a mom, you gave me my profession and taught me the endless love of parenting a child.

Quinlan-
My tiny little ball of energy. My talkative, amazing, little toddler. From the momment I held you in my arms I knew you. You are so like me. You observe before you do. You aren't as outgoing as your brother, but once you know and love someone you are a kind and devoted friend for life. You listen and pick up everything around you, learning easily and greedily. A pleasnt little mimic you amaze us w/ your emmense vocabulary! We thought and assumed our next child would prehaps move slower verbally and physcially then our first little speed demon, but instead you surprised us by doing it all sooner and faster. You needed to keep up w/ Brennan and have! You are mostly sunny, but when you rain, you POUR! Unlike your older moody brother, who we learned to ride his emotions like the tides, your sudden switch to anger surprises us. I am good at dealing w/ temper tantrums, but often find myself feeling worse for you then I did for Brennan, your anger often comes from something you should and could do, but we can't quite understand yet. Your mind is even faster then your big vocabulary. I imagine that even though you have a lot to say in another year you will have so much more you can express and do, and will be more then happy to share it all w/ us. You are my child who loves balls, and sports. It was almost comedic how much daddy and I didn't know what to do w/ that first. Both of us are athletic, but totally unused to a child that loves to throw balls, is content to play organized games and sports, that doesn't expect us to go through mental acerobatics w/ elaborate imaginary games like your brother. You can and don't play those too. I guess there isn't much you can't do. My endearing snuggle bug, that loves naps and snuggles, with an amazing smile, soft ducky fluff blonde hair and crinkly happy eyes. You are entirely beautiful. If Brennan made me a mom, you made a moderated mom. You told me it was okay to not be perfect, and southed my imperfections. You never anger at me for being human, and I thank you for that. :)

This is hard...

proclaimed Brennan today as he tried to cut out a heart. He has acquired my perfectionism and couldn't quite get his heart to look the way he wanted. Straight lines are easy, but curves and points, well that is an entirely different story. The pictures will show him deligently cutting away, he in the end got frustrasted and cut it up. I try to remind him to be patient, that perfection isn't what is expected and to not get so frustated. It's going to be something that takes some time for him to learn, after all it is quite a lesson. The finished project you see is my clever little man holding the heart, I cut as his student. He reminded me to not cut it perfectly because I was "just a kid" and he was the teacher. I got an A+ for it. He drew it on a paper and awarded me w/ it. What a sweet creative kid! Quinlan always our happy apprentice had to get in on the glueing action I will make a note that real glue makes me quite cranky, and glue sticks don't. I had forgotten this... *LOL*