Thought it was time again to do a snapshot of where the kids are at these days.
3.5 year old Lily is very much immersed in her own imagination these days. We went for a boat ride in the dining room and swimming in the living room and that was all in one morning. I found her sleeping on the floor tonight with all her blankets nicely laid out on the floor and her doll stroller with a baby in it right next to her. She's much more interested in having playdates and going ice skating. She's starting to ask more questions about God and death, asks me what every street sign she sees means and she'll come home from school once in a while now and talk about how her feelings were hurt. She can be fiercely independent one moment and then completely babyish the next.
1 year old Elise is walking more and more and would say she still prefers to crawl but just barely. Elise is still so full of smiles for everyone. I can tell when I get alone time with Elise, she likes to seek out attention from other people and will have a smiling contest with them while Paul - not so much. Unless Elise is really angry about something, she can be super quiet playing away alone. Elise is very much like Lily when it comes to eating habits, the giggle, and temperament. Elise loves to put any kind of fabric on her head and put on her coat while playing inside. She's a little sweetheart who enjoys kissing (open mouthed), blowing kisses, and cuddling when she's tired. She's down to 1 nap now too and likes to sleep on a little pillow she got as a gift.
1 year old Paul is a chatterbox. He can still be quite a cry baby but much of the time he's busy making me either laugh or go "hmmmm." He is all about the garbage truck, any trucks really. He's my worst eater but really good at using a spoon and fork. He very much enjoys taking stuff from one spot to another over and over again. I find pans next to the toilet now, Jenga pieces on my pillow, puzzle pieces in the diaper pail. I always think Elise expresses herself so much with her smile and Paul with his eyes. Paul is very observant. He knows my routine and will get his broom when I start to clean, put away his hat in the right box, help with the laundry from sorting to putting away and he always looks at me first when he's not sure if he can do something which also means he listens when I say no. He's also all about taking every dirty diaper and taking it to the diaper pail - hope he enjoys that for a while. He still takes 2 naps and must have his bear blanket with him while sucking his thumb to go in his crib.
Nate is in the midst of work travel, just about to get over jet lag and heading to Scandinavia all next week. He's here right now to make sure he can travel with me and Elise up to Hamburg tomorrow to see a surgeon about her foot. Definitely more to come on Elise's Macrodactyly when we get back. Oma has been here to help and now Opa is here too to keep life moving normally for Paul and Lily.
