Journal: Fourth of July, middle of Summer

TODAY

Out my window: Hot and windy.  The weather for the Fourth was nearly perfect.  Very light wind, not too hot.  It was a great day!  Warmer today, but the ten day is definitely bearable.

Around the house: I went through my closet/drawers and packed away the clothes I don't wear, or that I wear but don't particularly like.  If I haven't missed them in six months to a year I will donate them.  I also went through all our baby/little girl clothes tubs that I have packed away and was able to get rid of three tubs' worth, still saving enough that were we to have another girl some day she would be adequately clothed.  We came into so many clothes (gifts, hand-me-downs, consignments, etc.) with Gemma, and I kept everything.  We do not need everything.  To that note, if anyone knows of someone with a little girl who will be wearing size 18 month clothes this winter, I would love to pass a big bag along to them.

 

The kiddos:

CLEMENT will be THREE this week.  Three!!!  He is obsessed with the word "poop".  He sings it, he says it., he yells it, he whispers it.  At home.  At Church.  And Church.  It is apparently the awesomest word ever.  (See picture below of the firework aptly named "The Poopy Puppy".  So fitting.)  He has gotten very emphatic with his final consonants, especially when he is trying to make a point.  He can't say words with "R" blends at the beginning.  Or rather, he changes the "R" to an "L".  Gleen instead of green, clunchy instead of crunchy.  I may or may not encourage these words by pronouncing them wrong myself, and will be admittedly devastated when he grows out of this speech habit.  He thought fireworks were pretty neat.  We let all three kids stay up last night and they had SO much fun.  Clement thought the big loud ones were pretty cool as long as he was sitting on my lap.  I'm glad he still likes to snuggle with me sometimes, because he reminds me more than once a day, "I are NOT a baby," said in the sternest, most grumpiest tone you can imagine.  He is a funny kid.

KOLBE was our little pyro on the Fourth of July.  I am glad firecracker day only happens once a year.  He was pretty careful though and had so much fun.  He thought lighting things after dark was pretty much the best thing ever.  He seems to have grown out of his food sensitivities.  Back in May we were at an anniversary celebration and he was positively heartbroken he couldn't have a cupcake, so we fudged and let him have one and figured we'd just take the hit, but then he didn't react to it by breaking out.  Since then we have kept up our typical eating habits at home but have loosened up at grandparents', parties, Church functions, etc. and save for one flare-up after a DQ M&M blizzard, he has weathered it fine.  I am so immensely relieved.  This makes school, and all the food that goes along with it, seem much more doable come this Fall.  Sigh.  Thank you God.

GEMMA is having a good Summer, but I can tell some days she's a little under-stimulated.  I have some guilt about not doing enough educational things with them in the summers (oh, I had plans for math and handwriting and phonics lessons...), but then if I offer to go over math facts or something equally "exciting" it is typically not met with open arms.  (Understatement.)  We really have done some cool "out of the box" educational stuff (and read a ton of great books) this summer, so I rationalize that they can do their bookwork from September to May, and focus on some more of the non-traditional learning activities during the summer months.  That's fair, right?  I hope the first semester of school treats her well.  In Kdg and 1st Grade she seemed to really hit her groove...about February.  Sigh.  I am hoping maybe with Kolbe being in school too (albeit half day) it will make things a little easier.  It's not that she dislikes school, she really seems very content with it overall.  Blah, I don't know.  She will also be preparing for the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and Eucharist.  It will be a big year.  We got her uniforms the other day.  They are pretty big, so I am hoping we can squeeze three years out of them (at which point she'll switch to skirts).

All three kids recently had doctor appointments, here are their height and weight stats (this is mainly for my record-keeping purposes, you can skip this part).
Gemma: 7 1/2 years, 53 inches (96%ile), 52.1 lbs (47%ile)
Her hair is finally growing and she was so excited it was long enough to do a "star" on the Fourth of July!!
Kolbe: 5 1/2 years, 47 inches (94%ile), 42.6 lbs (49%ile)
Clement: 3 years, 37 inches (46%ile), 27.6 lbs (12%ile)

In the kitchen: Planning to try and get our digestive systems back after the Fourth and all its, um, festive eating.  Ugh.  Grilling today, homemade pizza tomorrow (I found a great new crust recipe), salads, beef stroganoff and ribs the rest of the week.

Learning:  Blah.  See above.

Reading: Check out my latest Read aloud Thursday post for what I'm reading with the kids.  I am almost finished with Happy Are You Poor.  It has been an incredibly impactful read, and I've been discussing it with Aaron quite a bit.  It is a perspective-changer, that's for sure.  I need to get back into Introduction to the Devout Life, and now that I'm finished with Theology, I picked up a copy of Theology for Beginners as a bit of a review, and for some future Theology work I may be doing.

Watching:  MLB mainly.

Bringing me joy: Family.  Friends.  Summer.  The kids and I are visiting area Churches for daily Mass twice weekly this summer, and that has been a really neat opportunity that I am enjoying immensely.  The kids have been doing pretty decent with Mass, and usually there is a fun new playground at which to play...an added bonus!

Thinking about: Always something.

Pictures to share:  

Three (two pictured) of our very favorite readers visited from out of state, so we had to take some pictures for the blog!!!

Family update - April 2012

When I said quarterly I wasn't kidding.  The kids are constantly growing and changing, here are a few things they've been up to and into of late:

GEMMA (4yrs 3months)

• She has quite the imagination.  She'll spend hours with her pretend friends (Hen, Duck, Owl, Cat, Schroeder, Hoots and Bee) and a pile of random household items.  She'll play on the deck with a bucket and a tape measure and a bunch of leaves.  Or in the living room with pillows and plastic eggs and buttons.  If I'm lucky and he's acquiescent, Kolbe will often join in and they really have lots of fun together.  As badly as they can fight (and oooohhhhh sometimes it's bad), they can be very good friends as well.  I am so glad they have each other.
• She makes up songs (and dances all over the house to them) about anything and everything. 
• She has recently given up her nap.  For several months she had been "napping" but not sleeping, and one day she was just playing so nicely on her own (while Kolbe napped) that I just didn't bother to put her down for her nap.  And she kind of liked that.  A lot.  So much that she is pretty adamant about not taking a nap now.  Occasionally I'll make her lie down for a bit, but for the most part she just plays on her own, or we work together on workbooks (we like these as well) or other learning activities that require some one-on-one time.  It's been a nice change.
• She likes making picnics with her toy food in the basement, and is quite elaborate with her table setting.
• She's getting pretty good with scissors (we're currently going through this book), and her drawings are growing more and more intricate all the time.  Kid art is so great.  The front of our fridge is never dull.
• Ohhhh the drama.  Every little cut, scrape, hangnail, etc. has become a big deal recently.  A verrrry biiiiig deeeaaallllll.  Her tantrums can be pretty dramatic as well.  Whew!  Heaven help this mama.
• Gemma is in the 99th %ile for her height at 44.5 inches.  She weighs 36.5 lbs.

KOLBE (2yrs 3months)

• His speech has been improving by leaps and bounds.  Still nowhere close to where Gemma was at this age (or probably where most kids are at 2 1/4 yrs) but he's progressing.  He's using more new words every day and starting to form small sentences when communicating.  Some of his "catch phrases"... He is very polite, "peas" is added to almost every request, quickly followed by a "shoont-yoo mammy" (or daddy or whomever) when said request is fulfilled.  It's so cute.  When he wants something it's "ahhshumpeas" (I want some please), which he will repeat over and over very quickly, getting more demanding the more times he says it.  Aaron and I are so amused by this we've started saying it as well.  "Ball hiiiiiiiigh", when he wants to go out on the driveway and play ball with daddy.  He likes it when daddy throws the ball up high in the air.  And when making the Sign of the Cross or blessing himself he says, "Fah-ver, Ahmen."  He pronounces his name "Babby" (short a, as in apple), and will often emphatically state "Babby do, Babby DO," when he wants to do something on his own.  Which is pretty often.
• He seems to be a natural athlete.  He throws and catches well (for a two-year-old), loves to shoot baskets and is trying his darndest to learn how to dribble.
• He has really started to enjoy being read to, and will absolutely pitch a fit if he doesn't get the three stories of his choosing before bed.  Dah-er Seuss and Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb are all-time faves, and he likes to pick a few of his own books out at the library now each week.
• Strong will.  This kid has grown a strong will since turning two.  And mind of his own.  Wow.  I was hoping maybe it would just be Gemma.  Oh well, I'm sure it will serve him well some day, if it doesn't drive me to insanity first.
• He loves doing whatever big sis is doing. 
• He has actually slept through the night, in his own bed, several times in the past month.  Not too regularly, but he's done it nonetheless!  And his nights have really gotten so much better, he often doesn't crawl in bed with us until 5:30 or 6:00 AM.  It works.  We'll see how things go once he starts sharing a room with Gemma (on the "to do"  list here in the near future) and even more so once baby arrives... 
• He recently cut his first 2yr molar.  I'm hoping the others are not too far behind and we can get this teething thing out of the way with him.  Before it's time to do it again with the baby.  Oh teething. 
• Kolbe weighs 29 lbs.

Aaron is doing well.  The nice, early spring has given him a chance to (for the most part) revive the yard after last summer's horribleness, and he has plans to refinish the deck in the coming months.  Next time I do an update there will probably be a third child (outside utero) on whom to update!!  For now, baby is doing well as is mama, although it is beginning to be more and more obvious that I've hit the third trimester.  Time really is flying!!  We are set with cloth diapers and other baby supplies, and I feel like I have enough boy or girl clothes (even though this baby is "off-season") to get us started, so we really are ready.  Just trying to mentally prepare myself for labor and delivery now.  I know it's still several months off, but those thoughts are definitely beginning to creep into my mind.  Like I said, time flies.  I recently did my first sewing project for the baby -- a light-weight receiving blanket -- so I'll end with a picture of that.

Monthly update - June 2011

GEMMA - 3yrs 5 months

• Gemma's favorite phrase of late is, "I have an idea!"  And oh, does she have some doozy's!
• she weighs 32 lbs
• we have been reading lots of new books and really enjoying the summer reading program at our local library
• when she draws people they have bodies now, instead of just legs and arms on a head!!
• strong-willed.  have I mentioned before her strong will?
• she is getting very creative and imaginative when she plays.  LOVE it! 
• she finally seems to be over her 3-4 month long bout with separation anxiety!

KOLBE - 17 months

• he is walking!!!!
• weighs 24 lbs
• the only word he really says is "ball-ball".  and he says it a lot.  all the world is a ball for this one.
• he is starting to say a few animal sounds which is cute
• he still moans and groans when he is falling asleep.  he has done this since the night he was born.  and he gets louder the older he gets.  i wonder if he will grow out of this?
• his favorite game of late is to throw anything he can get his hands on down our stairs.  this may very well be the death of my sanity.
• he is (finally) napping better.  sometimes he'll take a whole nap in his bed, sometimes he'll need resettled on the floor (which he does great with).  either way, he ends up napping 2 or so hours a day (give or take) which has been nice.   nights are still not great, but that will come.  i've been trying to work on resettling him on the floor either in his room or ours at night now as well (rather than just having him sleep with us).  it will take some discipline (on my part...it's so much easier just to bring him to bed, but he likes to kick aaron out) but i think it will be a good transition tool.  with teething and everything i'm just not up for night-weaning.  gemma night-weaned on her own around the age he is now, so we'll just see what the next few months bring.  WHEW!  now you know.

That's about it I guess.  Not too much exciting going on the past month I guess.  We've all been enjoying trips to the zoo (finally renewed our membership!) and time in the kiddie-pool on the deck.  We get some nice afternoon shade so that's been a really great setup.  And that's all for now! 

Gemma - 3yrs 5 months and Kolbe - 17 months

Monthly update - April 2011

Thought I'd update on the children and how they are doing this month.  I'll shake things up a bit and start with:

KOLBE (15 months):  He is still not walking, and not even necessarily looking like he's close to walking.  Don't be fooled though, he gets around just fine, thank you!  He enjoys being outdoors immensely.  We have been having to put a hat on his poor bald little head (okay, he has a little bit of hair, but not much) when we go outside.  He does pretty good wearing it...thank goodness for chin straps!!  He loves playing on the swing and in the rocks at the park.  He likes to swing HIGH!  He is really into signing and seems to pick up on it very easily.  He signs: more, all done, fan, milk, airplane and potty.  "More" is his universal sign for pretty much anything he wants. Along with a point and an "ooooohhhhhhh!" He signs fan whenever I lay him down to change a diaper or get ready to nurse him in the chair in his room.  He looks at me funny if the fan is not on.  He signs "airplane" and gets very excited and makes an "oooooooooh" sound whenever he hears one.  He really likes airplanes.  He says a very few words.  Much less than Gemma who was already speaking sentences at this age.  I am just now realizing how unbelievably early that girl talked.  Anyways, he says mama, dada, ball, baby, woof, and Jesus (sort of).  It doesn't sound like Jesus really, but he makes the same sound every time I point Jesus out to him at Church or in a picture.  He loves blowing candles out and starts making blowing sounds as soon as I light the candle in the morning for prayers.  He and Gemma have been taking turns each day blowing it out.  He's still a pretty good eater, much better than big sis was at this age (I think I am partially to blame for that though. Long story.  Ask if you're curious).  We're working on the throwing food on the floor thing, and learning he does better with just a few bites in front of him, not a whole meal.  Or sometimes we just feed him bites off a fork or spoon and he likes that too, and is even learning how to use a little fork by himself.  He will eat just about anything.  Doesn't really seem to have any huge favorites or aversions.  He has joined us at the table in a booster chair (YAY, highchair no longer taking up space in the kitchen!!!) and that has been a positive move.  He slept through until 4am one day last week and that was the longest he's ever gone.  Still cosleeps after his first waking and likes to nurse during the night, before naps and bed, and occasionally here or there throughout the day.  Still struggling in the nap dept.  He'll sleep an hour, maybe an hour-and-a-half, but then stir and be restless but not ready to wake up and need to either rock or go in the front carrier.  Not ideal but it works.  He's my sweet little guy.  He's all over the place and likes to get into things, but he is a fun, happy, easy-going little dude and I can't imagine our lives without him.

GEMMA (3yrs 3 months): Oh Gemma Gemma Gemma.  Gemma has really been trying my patience this month.  I'll be honest, it's been kind of rough.  Okay, incredibly rough.  But I'm not going to dwell on that...  Gemma is doing a great job learning her letters and their sounds.  We have several letter puzzles that she likes, plus our new set of Boddler Bites from Megan (THANKS!!! We LOVE them!!!!)  She has also really enjoys her Letter Factory DVD (I would highly recommend this if you're looking to grow your library of educational DVD's).  She can spell her name out loud and pick her name letters out of a pile of letters.  I need to work with her on writing her name now.  She has started pointing out letters on signs and such as we're driving and in stores, so that has been fun!  She is getting better at staying in the lines when she colors.  She loves to do things "by my own" (as she will yell emphatically) and has a very. strong. will.  I know this will serve her well long term but oh holy cow!  She's becoming our barefoot girl again now that spring is rolling around. Still can't convince her that sandals are a good idea though when we're out and about, I think I'll have to pack the tennies away before that happens.  Yes, that's what we do.  We had to physically pack her long-sleeved shirts away to get her to wear short-sleeved ones (no matter how hot it was), her jackets away to get her to go without one (in 80 degree weather no less) and her winter jammies away to get her to wear cooler ones even though she would sit in her bed and sweat.  I haven't even attempted shorts yet.  Can we say comfort zones?!  Thank goodness she's good with a change in things once she's told something is packed away, but boy, try to get that girl to do something out of her ordinary routine otherwise and watch out.  I have no idea where she gets these OCD tendencies (yes that statement was dripping with sarcasm in case that wasn't inferred).   In fact, on that same note, I launder the childrens' clothes on Monday (yes, I know, I know) and then Tuesday Gemma always wears owl shirt and Wednesday is cat shirt.  Every week.  Seriously, if you don't believe me, visit on a Tuesday or Wednesday.  Without fail!!  She also has to hide her blankies (yes, she has two now) and shut every door in the house before we go somewhere.  Really.  I'm not kidding.  On to a different topic though...she seems to be needing less nap. We tried going without one day but she was falling apart by bedtime.  It wasn't pretty.  She's only napping 1-2 hours now though, and some days she just sits in her bed and sings and talks to herself, so it works.  If Kolbe were a better napper it would make my afternoons with her easier.  It's just been kind of awkward trying to juggle the two of them and their needs between the hours of noon and three lately.  Bleh.  She likes to go fishing with daddy and while she enjoys the park she also likes climbing around the rocks by the lake, finding sticks, picking dandelions and chasing ducks, geese and robins.  I'm glad she likes the outdoors.  She's been curious about left and right, and about which way we're going when we're in the car.  She can actually sit on our deck and point out the cardinal directions (correctly).  She is also very curious about who is a boy and who is a girl, who is a child and who is an adult.  She has hit the "why" stage, and as crazy as it drives me sometimes I really try my hardest to always give her a real, true answer (not just "because".)  I know that lots of learning goes on through that curiosity, and I don't want to deny her that experience or squelch her enthusiasm to learn and discover the world around her.

Well I suppose this is long enough.  Life really is good at our house but boy these kiddos keep me on my toes.  I don't want to wish their childhood away by any stretch, but I'll be honest, I do look forward to the day when I have some actual helpers around the house.  Gemma gives me glimpses of this here and there when she picks things up, puts things away, goes and gets things for me, etc.  Some days I just feel like I'm managing the chaos, and that's when I'm not succumbing to it and crumbling into a pile of tears along with my two children.  Yes.  That has happened.  Ahhhh, day at a time!  Here's to the coming month!!

This was the best picture I could get this go around.  Squirmy kiddos.  And Gemma fell out of bed the other night and scraped her face below her nose, hence the big scab.  Still not sure how she managed that...

What we're up to

I feel like I've been terrible at updating on the kids lately, and I know that's why most of you keep coming back ;-D so here you go.

Gosh, where to start.  We've really been enjoying the days that are warmer and nicer outside.  We've been taking more trips to the park (our neighborhood one and another area park we like to frequent), blowing bubbles, chalking (as Gemma calls our sidewalk chalk adventures) and just soaking up the good 'ole vitamin D that finally returns every year around this time. YAY!  My MIL brought us some pretty pansies and we have them in a pot on the deck.  They make me absurdly happy and anxious for spring every time I see them.

picked out her own outfit

extremely rare piggytails

Gemma is getting very independent, in some senses. She dresses herself most days and has even washed her own hair a few times lately (with limited assistance).  She has figured out how to open the curtains and blinds on the window in her bedroom and has become quite possessive of that task.  She's really been enjoying coloring lately and is beginning to understand the concept of staying inside the lines.  Oh I am looking forward to doing some preschool activities with her in the coming year!  I think we'll have lots of fun.  It is definitely giving me a whole new perspective on homeschooling, which I really thought I'd never have any interest in.  Catholic schools are still the "plan" but I'm open to whatever God has in mind for us...just need to figure that out here in the next few years.  ;-D  We will definitely "homeschool" (if you can call it that) preschool though.  I don't think either she or I would be ready for the separation preschool would bring.  Speaking of, she's been going through some major separation anxiety lately.  And I don't leave her much, the main time is that either my mom or MIL come over to play with the kids while I teach 2-3 piano lessons a week (so only 1-1.5 hours).  Well, we'll talk about it all day, about the fun things she will do with grandma, and she will seem fine with it until grandma comes and I go down to the basement to teach.  She flips out.  She has spent the past month or so of lessons sitting in her little rocking chair beside the piano while I teach.  She's really very good, either sits by me or plays quietly on her own, so I really don't care that she's down there.  I'm just not sure what has caused this sudden change, she's previously always done fine when I've left her with grandma.  She's even starting getting upset the day I have a lesson and daddy is home.  It's crazy. Hmmm....

Hey, where'd the apple crisp go?

Kolbe, oh my Kolbe boy.  He is alllllll boy.  Have I mentioned that?  He loves to throw things.  Namely balls but he will really throw anything he can get his hands on, so watch out.  Still not walking but he'll pull up to standing on things and cruise along the furniture a bit.  He crawls fast.  He loves to crawl over to the TV and turn it on.  Grrrrrrr.  He likes to sign and uses "more", "milk" and "all done" very well to communicate with us.  I can tell he understands a lot even though he doesn't say much.  He loves to play peek-a-boo and if you ask him what Max (our dog) says he'll say "oof".  Doesn't talk nearly as much as Gemma did at this age, I'm still amazed when I look back at old posts how early she talked, but they each develop at their own rate and he's doing great.  He is very active and definitely keeps me on my toes, probably more so than Gemma ever did.

sharing icecream with daddy

Aaron is gearing up for spring yard projects (champing at the bit, really) and has prepped one wall of the garage for painting (it is currently sheet-rocked and partially taped and mudded).  I've been keeping busy with the kids and some political work I've been doing.  I'm working with a group that's in the process of trying to change our state's current vaccine mandates.  Vaccines are a hot topic, I know, and I really don't intend to start a big debate over it here on the blog (if you'd like more info, feel free to leave your email in the comments or private message me on Facebook). We're simply working towards giving parents back the right to make informed vaccine choices for their children in our state.  It has been consuming a lot of my time of late but it is good, rewarding work, I'm learning so much about the political process and I've been blest with an amazing group of women with whom I'm working.  God is good.

Thanks for checking in with us!  Happy (almost) spring and don't forget to set those clocks ahead this weekend.  BLESSINGS!

Gemma, 3yrs 2 months.; Kolbe, 14 months

Monthly update - Gemma and Kolbe

I thought I'd update a bit on the kids for the month and share their latest "couch pic" -- Gemma at 3 years 1 month and Kolbe at 13 months.

Gemma first.  As I mentioned a few posts ago, Gemma has been very into numbers lately.  She loves to count things and is starting to (marginally) be able to recognize her numbers.  She's very good at 2 and 3.   ;-D  It has been lots of fun learning with her, and  that's something I'm really looking forward to over these next few years especially. She really cracks me up, too, she says lots of funny things.  Some of her latest: "I need my privatesy (privacy)" when she's using the restroom.  She says "actually" quite often (gets it from me) and will sometimes call Kolbe "son", which I think is funny and sweet, because I know she's imitating what she hears me say.  She's doing better with manners, partially (I think) because Aaron and I have been really trying to do a good job at modeling them whether we're talking to each other or the children.  Sometimes I'll ask her to do something and she'll turn around and say to me, "how you ask nicely, mommy?"  She keeps me honest.  She is obsessed with being a cat, and often when asked her name by random strangers at the store will respond "cat".  Or "meow".  So silly.  She has enjoyed the snow although no snowmen this year.  She did make  some snow angels though and has continued to make them in the carpet in our basement, where she asks me to make them as well, then we have to stand up and "look" at them.  She also wants Max (our dog) to make a dog angel out in the yard.  So far he hasn't acquiesced.  I will certainly let you know if he does, though.  That would definitely be blog-worthy.  Gemma is a sweet little girl, I love her so much. More each and every day I think.  I am finding that the better I do at staying patient and loving with her no matter what, the calmer and more rational she stays.  Easier said than done, but we seem to be striking a pretty good balance of late.  That, and I think things just ebb and flow.  The time from 2 1/2 to 3 was rough for her and frustrating for me.  I had lots of opportunities to grow in grace and didn't always take advantage of them.  We seem to be out of the rut for the most part though.  We'll see what the next six months bring.

And Kolbe, my big boy.  I really should probably get him weighed and measured and such so I can have some stats on him at relatively close to a year.  I'm guessing around 20lbs??  He's a healthy, happy, growing boy.  He eats mainly what we eat now which is super nice, makes things much easier on me.  He likes variety though and will let you know when he's tired of something by throwing it (quite far sometimes) on the floor and then waving bye-bye at it.  We're working on that.  He can sign "more" (a fist and an open hand for him, for whatever reason) and use it appropriately, so it's fun to see him beginning to communicate more.  We're working on please, thank you, and all done.  Gemma really gets a kick out of the signing too which is fun.  He says mama and dada, bath and ball.  His two favorite activities are taking a bath and going downstairs (that's where the toys are) and he gets very excited anytime someone says either of those words.  It's super-cute.  If you ask him at church where Jesus is he will look at and point to the crucifix.  He still sleeps with us from about midnight (give or take) on and is very snuggly.  His naps have been iffy, some days he naps for 2ish hours in his bed, other days he likes to nap on me.  It works.  He is almost exclusively down to one nap though, which has been working out pretty well.  Definitely frees up our mornings.  He can pull up quite handily on anything and everything and is starting to cruise along furniture.  Whole new world for him...for Gemma too.  She is running out of spots to put things out of his way!  ;-D


They are starting to really play together more which is just so sweet to sit back and watch.  Not all the time, but especially in the basement I'll catch them doing a puzzle or the shape ball or playing with their Fisher Price Little People together, sometimes Gemma will even toss her arm around his shoulder.  It's so sweet.  Don't think it's always like that though, there are still plenty of times she shoves him or yells at him, takes things from him or asks me to move him out of her way.  Definitely a typical sibling relationship.  ;-D


So that's where we are for the month.  I'll probably think of more as soon as I publish this (and maybe I'll come back in and add it) but those are the highlights. Thanks for checking in with us!!