Keeping Up with Claire and Ronin and Soren

Our Shorebird Claire up in a tree

Last weekend we had a second Christmas, this time with our friends Chris and Luc.  I realize most of you have not even had one Christmas yet, and we’ve already had two.   We are very lucky.  We went to the holiday sing-along at preschool and Claire and Ronin sang all of the songs.  It was strange being there a year later, knowing most of the other parents and the other children, and having our children being in the oldest group, feeling confident and singing their hearts out.  What a difference a year makes.

Ronin and Soren, sharing a chair

Not too long ago, Claire said, “You know, it would be fun to go for a walk at night some time.  It would be really fun to go for a night walk.  Then I could be a night walker!”  Justin and I tried to smile just enough and not too much.

Remarking on a Monarch

We had our friend Emma over yesterday to play and do projects.  We had to make wrapping paper collages for school today, so all three kids were sitting down at the table with glue and scraps of paper.    Actually, Soren was there, too, but he didn’t have glue and he was scribbling and occasionally nibbling on pens.  Ronin made a big pile of glue all over his page, put a few scraps of paper down, and then said he was tired of working on it and wanted to go play with his new rocket ship.  I was very surprised, because normally he likes doing art projects.  I reminded him that he needed to turn it in at school tomorrow, and he said he’d finish it tomorrow.  The two girls pointed at his page and commented how he was not finishing it very quickly.  Ronin kept sighing and trying to evade the assignment.

All-American Mail

Ronin eventually finished it, although he spent a lot of time sitting there picking little specks of glue off his fingers.  I gave him a lot of positive reinforcement about how proud I was that he did finish it, and that it takes a lot more willpower to do homework that isn’t as much fun, and doesn’t it feel good to finally get it done and be able to go play?  The two girls, meanwhile, giggled and continued to have everything in common.  “My favorite colors used to be pink and purple, but now they’re pink and orange.”  “Me too!”  “I like princesses and animals.”  “Me too!”   Soren immediately learned Emma’s name and kept calling out to her.  “Emma!”  “What?”  “Emma!”  “What?”

Why?

Soren has started asking “Why?” mostly in response to being told he can’t do something or that he needs to do something.  For example, I will say, “Okay, I need to put your pants on now.”  “Why?”  “Because it’s time to get dressed and I don’t want to take you outside without any pants on.”  Or, “I can’t give you any milk right now.”  “Why?”  “Because it’s too close to dinner time.”   He has also started taking some of his clothes off, mostly when it’s time to take them off, but unfortunately he has also started taking his pajamas (and his diaper) off at night when he’s howling in the crib at night in protest at bedtime.  We’ve started putting a t-shirt on over the pajamas.

Finally, here is a recent little dance party at our house, with Soren as the dj: