Caileigh is the first Watson child to lose a tooth!  It was wiggly for about 3 days before it finally came out yesterday morning.  She is pretty thrilled.  Aiden was a little disappointed that he isn't first but we consoled him by telling him that he will probably lose 6 teeth at once.  He is thrilled at this possibility.

23 Months

I always seem to say, "I can't believe that the boys are {insert age} already!"  This time, I can believe that the boys are 23 months.  They seem nearly 2 in every way possible.

From their desire to try all activities.......

from their mischievous faces.....

their goofy antics.....

and their constant activity.

The boys are so sweet together,

 but they cry,

and scream,

and fight.  All.  Day.  Long.

Pushing, biting and hitting are all normal daily activities.  I do my best to help them resolve their differences and their ability to move on quickly is astounding.  I do find it difficult when other toddlers join the mix.  One boy will go up to another child and them push them down.  I will say, "We don't push, we need to be gentle." and then the other boy will have to go over and push down the child just so they can hear me say, "We don't push, we need to be gentle" to them.

This, I find exhausting!

We spend as much time as we can outside these days.  I find outside really helps with independent play.  Each child will be happily doing their own thing and then they'll come together for a little play, and then go back to doing their own thing.  The boys love to explore the yard, play with trucks in the sand box and ride bikes.

Eating popsicles are a favorite!  They have figured out the freezer lock and are continually

breaking into the freezer and hiding behind the couch to each popsicles.

{I think they look like old men in this picture}

Both boys are starting to talk quite a bit and they are copy each others words and actions.  

They both say, "nah" for "yeah".  

Some favorite words that they use often are:  bus, drive, bye, book, truck and popsicle.

They both listen quite well and I have been taking them to softball without a stroller or wagon.  If I call them, they will almost always come.  They do, of course, love to run the opposite direction as a game but for the most part, they do fantastic.

They both love Tumble Time and are starting to participate in the songs and activities.  It is cute to watch them "sing" along with actions.

They both adore books and will cuddle up on my lap to read.  Books about trains, cars and construction vehicles are favorites.

Alex tends to be a little more cautious than Jordan but I feel that some of this is from his numerous amounts of injuries. 

 Jordan is sometimes more aggressive and assertive than Alex, but Alex can hold his own when necessary.

It is really hard to tell at this point how different they are as so much of their behavior is copy and repeat.  A lot of how they interact depends on their mood and a particular day.  They are definitely unique individuals but I sometimes struggle to verbalize the specifics.

They are both so loving, gentle and cuddly.  They love to give hugs, kisses and sit on laps for cuddles.   They are extremely affectionate little guys.

They are very loved.

Jordan:

{I got on the ground to take a picture and Jordan copied me}

{When they finally crash, they crash hard}

Alex:

{Taking his cars for a walk}

{Always a collection of items in his hands}

 A few videos taken this evening.......

Caileigh is not, and has never been, a morning person.  

See evidence above.

I love watching the different relationships grow between the kids.  Each relationship has unique experiences that make it special and I love seeing how each one develops.

Aiden and Caileigh remain extremely close.  They tell each other everything, run to each other with exciting or upsetting news, and find ways to work things out when it is tough.  They spend the most time together as their day is not interrupted by naps.  They play together, school together and genuinely enjoy each other's company.

Although they have always been an adventurous duo, I would say that more often than not, Mikayla is right there, alongside them.  Mikayla is now most often referred to as one of the big kids and gets included in special outings and activities.  She, for the most part, takes this privilege seriously and tries to hold her own.  She definitely adds spice and humor to their play.  She also gives Aiden and Caileigh opportunities for creative problem solving as she is not one to conform to a group!

Aiden and Caileigh have both become extremely helpful in nurturing and caring for the boys.  They love to get them out of their cribs, get them snacks, read to them and be an extra set of eyes for me.  One way that they like to get involved is during the bedtime routine.  Caileigh loves when they sit on her lap and listen to a story.  Sometimes her lap is not quite big enough for both, but they usually find a way to work it out.  Throughout the day they give each other hugs and kisses and it never fails to warm my heart.

Mikayla and the boys can often be found playing together. She loves to try and mother them but they are fiercely independent and can easily push her away with one quick arm movement.  The three of them all weigh roughly the same and they are gaining on height.  If it weren't for the hair discrepancy, you could almost call them triplets.

 Both Mikayla and Caileigh have been exploring all things "girl" lately.  They enjoy dress up, dancing, tea parties and house. They both have strong personalities so they do struggle with who leads the play,  Caileigh often trying to find a compromise and Mikayla enjoying the reaction of standing strong to her own ways.  Never dull!

  I find when Aiden and Mikayla play together, it usually involves wrestling.  Mikayla loves rough play and she can take it like a pro! One day, Caileigh was out with Sean and it allowed Aiden and Mikayla to play together.  They got along beautifully and really enjoyed playing elaborate, dramatic games.  Aiden's care giving side came out and he did a fantastic job of balancing his firm and patient sides.

Five very different kids, with all unique personalities, finding a way to connect and grow close.  Watching this unfold is one of my favorite areas of motherhood.  I could definitely do without the arguments and fighting, however, I can say that the good moments, definitely outweigh the bad.

 And what a privilege to take everything we learn from each other, and learn how to care and get along with others.  Family and friends are such a gift to life.

Soccer Saturday

A while back, Aiden went to an "all boy piano party".  Each of the boys had a chance to play their festival song for each other and then the teacher fed everyone a delicious dinner.  Tonight, Caileigh has been invited to an "all girl piano party".  She is so excited!  When she wakes up, I'm pretty sure the first thing out of her mouth will be, "Today's the girl's party!"
*Edited to say that these were her exact words.

This week we finished up our second year of homeschooling.  On Tuesday we had our final visit with our support teacher and we received the kid's report cards today.  I have felt so blessed to have this opportunity to be home with the kids.  The decision to homeschool has been a really good fit for our family so far.  With Sean home infrequently, we are really able to maximize the time that he is here and it has enabled our busy family to keep a fairly relaxed pace in life.  I think the morning school rush would be a real challenge for us, especially with the changing sleeping habits of my kids.  For years my kids started the day before 6 and I can't believe that I can now say we don't wake up before 7, often later.  I smile everyday at 7:30a.m. as the school bus drives by:)

Some of the highlights this year have been piano and history.  I love that the kids have been able to start formal piano lessons and have had the opportunity to perform for others.  Both Aiden and Caileigh seem to really enjoy it and it has been a good lesson in discipline as they make time for daily practice.  They even have written homework each week.  Last week, Aiden's homework was to write his own song.  It is a work in progress but he is hoping to play it in the recital next month.

Both kids continue to enjoy their history lessons.  There are a series of four books that take you from ancient history, right up to modern times.  We are 1/3 of the way through the second book.  Sometimes we merely read the material, and other times we stop on a particular favorite subject and read additional material and do activities relating to it.  Recently the vikings were a popular subject and currently castles are a hit.

We've started our "summer school" schedule and the relaxing days have been really enjoyable.  We're still keeping up with math, writing, piano, reading and history and we'll add in other topics as they come along.  For example, we're learning about road safety in July and the water cycle in August.  Aiden has the challenge of memorizing his times tables this summer but we have a lot of fun games that should help with this process.  We'll also review past lessons to keep things sharp.  

The relaxed schedule has created lot's of time to try some new things, like embroidery!

We're also busy getting our garden planted.  We're adding some new things this year like onions and lettuce.

Next year's curriculum has been purchased and it has been exciting to see the material start to arrive.  I'm starting the little three on a fun, informal preschool program so I am really looking forward for that to arrive.  I think it will be a fun time for all the kids as we read books and do fun crafts and activities.  My focus for this time will be on the fun experience, rather than formal learning.

Although I keep a detailed school blog, I thought I would share a few pictures from our school year........

{Our "100" party to celebrate Caileigh counting to 100 by 1's, 5's, and 10's}

{Making Advent candle holders with friends}

{Kadinsky's circles}

{Aiden's acrotic poem}

{Our family production of "Peter Rabbit"}

{The lighthouse of Alexandria}

{Learning about the phases of the moon with Oreo cookies}

{Learning to draw rabbits and birds}

{A math lesson in repeated addition}

{Caileigh's story titled, "The Stallion of the Wild", can be read on her blog}

{Baking}

{Making unleavened bread for passover}

{Learning about 3-D shapes}

{Labeling of a butterfly for Caileigh's project}

{Never too young to do patterns}

{Everyone paints}

{Learning about chemical/physical changes in science}

{Getting excited about chemical changes}

{Observing a caterpillar change to a chrysalis......he should be emerging any day!}

This year has been fun filled.  I can't wait for next year!