Holy cow - a blog update!

This summer, my most favourite thing has been watching my children play together. I am so happy when I see and hear them talking, planning, playing and giggling together. They are spending every day together, either with Aimee or us, and they seem to get along better and better. This past weekend at the cottage, I have memories of hearing their laughter form upstairs, particularly as they emptied their clothing drawers and got all dressed up backwards and upside down with their underwear on their heads. Or swinging in the hammock together, or lying on their bellies on the picnic blanket playing cars.

Jason is almost 6, which I find hard to believe. It feels to me that we are about to head into another defining age group. I worry about how much longer my little guy will want me to sing him lullabies and be picked up (which I can do less and less so take advantage of swimming to play baby games with him). He has grown big, long, strong legs in the past few weeks, and he is “muscly” on top. He is reading so much on his own these days – we need to be careful about what is left around for his inquisitive eyes. He reads newspaper headlines in about a second! ‘Why does GM need more aid?” This past weekend, he planned and built his first sandcastle complex on his own. He is getting better at identifying how he feels, what he likes and doesn’t like with his words. He is still our little nature boy, endlessly fascinated by science. Rules remain important – a recent playdate at the park was almost ruined because he couldn’t understand why his friend was allowed to ride her scooter there without a helmet (neither could I but that is another story). He reminded her about a presentation by the Halifax Police, what they had learned at the bike rodeo and that it was the law.

Keira remains a little go-getter. We woke up to a big thunderstorm at the cottage. The three of us had been awake for a while and Jason was a-quiver with fear. She woke up with ‘What’s that? Is that thunder? I want to see lightening.” She got up and was watching out the window until I reminded her that Jason was scared. She went and got him and made him feel better: “It’s only clouds Jason going BOOM!” She knows the power of words and negotiation. At the cottage, she often begs at bedtime to “do one more special thing with you Mama (insert sweet smile and soft touch on my arm). How about a cuddle on the sofa? I want to go look at the ocean one last time today …it is so beautiful. I want to see it with you Mama…please please pleeeeaaassee.” Today she told me about someone being hurt “and the tears rolled down her face”. She loves playing with her dollies and is very good at dressing them. Her first activity when we got back from the cottage at 7 p.m. on Monday night was to go upstairs and try out about three outfits with dresses and dress shoes. She is still crazy in physical activities – fearless! Like pulling her bike up hills and aiming it down them (and Halifax hills are big). Her legs are covered in bruises and at one point had two goose eggs on her forehead. She did a naked, low tide beach walk this past weekend with two large bandaids on her knees (I swear she started out in clothes).

Pictures to follow soon....