Greetham Family Update, May 2014

These kids sure are growing and changing like crazy! They are also keeping me busier than I had ever imagined, so I better throw some updates on here whenever I get a chance. I have only been a momma for a little over 3 years, but I feel like a lot of things are so jumbled in my mind and fuzzy on which kid did what, that I had better write it down!

Evelyn is 3 years and 3 months.

The above picture pretty well sums up her personality! A spunky little entertainer. Sometimes I can't believe how old she is. Other times I have to remind myself that she isn't 5 or 6 :) As she grows I love to see her personality and imagination develop. She is a fun-loving girl who loves playing dress-up, singing, dancing, art projects, and being outside. She has loved the warm weather and doesn't care a thing about getting dirty or disheveled (unlike her brother..more on that later ;)). She is a free spirit, which I love. She acts totally out of emotion and says/does whatever comes to her mind without thinking it through, which I do NOT love! ;-) We continue to try and be consistent with our standards & discipline, though new challenges come up often where we have to try and figure out how to really teach her best. She now stays dry at night, which is great. Too bad I had just bought a big pack of pink pull-ups...looks like little brother will have even more motivation to potty train (I wish!). She is becoming more capable of things like making her bed, helping with laundry, and setting/clearing the table.  Her favorite ways to help are dusting and "helping" me in the kitchen. Teaching a toddler to do these things and allowing them to freedom to actually practice and learn takes an incredible amount of  patience. And I will say I am guilty more often than not of being impatient or micromanaging jobs I give her. She continues to blow me away with her love and aptitude for learning, and of her capacity to quickly and easily memorize things. She loves doing worksheets and puzzle books.

 (Looking in her puzzle book...but she makes this face ALL the time, lol)

 (this is how she came down one morning...jammies & princess heels)

 (It it almost impossible to get her to smile normally for a picture)

Hunter is 21 months.

Oh, Hunter. I am telling you..this little boy is so stinkin' cute. And its a good thing as of late, because he is in a funk! Forest & I have decided that (at least for our kids so far) at about 18 months is when they discover they have their own little will and ability to make decisions and do everything they can to exercise that. The past few months have been rough for him. I am sure having a new baby in that time has only amplified it! He is testing the boundaries in full force, and it is a full time job keeping up with him and trying to discipline him consistently. So we are working on that :) He still loves playing by himself and has a WAY longer attention span than Evelyn. He can contentedly sit and play with the same toy for an extended period of time. His favorites are cars and little figurines. He has a set of Toy Story figurines and can play with those forever. He also still enjoys stashing said toys in weird places, his current favorite is any vent cover he can  remove and stick things in. Good times. He loves to play with balls, and watch sports on TV with dad. Along with golf and basketball, he was especially engrossed in the Kentucky Derby this year, which was pretty cute. He does not like to get messy. He has a small cow whenever he gets the littlest smudge of food or anything on his fingers. Or like, if his pant leg gets stuck up on his shin, he cannot handle it! It is kind of funny, actually. He is talking a TON lately! Unfortunately most of it still isn't in English, but he is trying ;-) He loves being outside, and currently throws a ridiculous-throw-myself-on-the-floor-sobbing fit (See picture below) every time we have to come inside, even if its only coming in from the car. Again, good times. He asks to put his "shoes on, shoes on, shoes on" approximately 100x a day.

 (It was cold and rainy out so I told him we were not going outside....WORST MOM EVER)

Jocelyn is 3 months.

I love this little baby! She is a smiley little thing and super cute. She is 3 months old today! She has been an amazing night time sleeper, and sleeps 7:30pm-7:30am most nights. She occasionally wakes around 4am, but I will take it! She is kind of all over the place with naps right now, but we are working on it. She sleeps on her tummy and just recently has taken to sucking two fingers to sleep. Cute! She loves watching her big sister and brother play and for some reason loves having Evelyn all up in her face, which happens basically all the time. At her 2 month appointment she was up to 12 pounds. So she is eating and growing well!  It has definitely been an adjustment adding another baby to the craziness of my life, but I am so thankful for her!

 (How she sleeps!)

 (She has expressive eyebrows like Evelyn always did)

 "Normal" things like running errands and such are becoming more manageable with three, though there is always the occasional trip to the store that goes awry and I find myself wanting to just throw myself onto the floor in a big crying heap in the middle of Wal-Mart, which, thankfully, hasn't actually happened yet. Days may feel long and crazy...but  I am so glad for these three blessings that call me Mama!