John Paul
-had his first piano recital at our house for grandparents and Godparents.
-everyday waits until the littler kids are in bed to have his reading time with Brian or me. And soaks up every minute.
-tells his little brother stories in their room before they get up in the morning during their "best friend time."
-has a patience for his younger siblings that dwarfs his own mother's. He very rarely gets riled up and it is usually only at a perceived injustice.
-still amazes us with how he can hear a song at church or on the radio and then come home and pick it out on the piano in just a minute or two.
-has always had a fondness for St. Anthony developed from his own reading that seems to be growing. Yet, in a case of a sword still trumping a habit, he'd prefer to be St. Martin of Tours for All Saints' Day.
Michael
-is a bit pyro-obsessed. He has been begging Brian to bring home a box of scrap paper from the office to use as kindling.
-was so excited to pull out our fall decorations and help decorate the house.
-is super sensitive to sleep, just like his mama. Just moving his bedtime fifteen minutes can affect his mood the next day.
-is starting to come into his own when it comes to arguing a point with his older brother.
-is slowly gaining ground on the reading thing. Sometimes I feel like it's a two steps forward, one step back thing. But then I realize he can do way more than he lets on or that he even believes himself.
-is so thoughtful and sweet with Luke.
-has opted for another sword carrying saint in Saint Henry as his choice for All Saints' Day.
David
-has really taken a liking to drawing from our drawing books and is especially fond of coloring.
-has those moon eyes still. Love them.
-is and probably always will be our feistiest of the bunch. The boy knows what he wants and will be a force to contend with someday. He has the drive and focus to do amazing things.
-chose a child to sponsor that was born the same year as him, wouldn't let go of his card, and insisted that he had to write to his special friend immediately.
-is unable to sit still unless you are reading him a book. Night prayer, Mass, reading, whatever, he is a wiggler.
-insists that he match with Papa every week at Mass.
-has been voluntarily practicing writing his numbers and letters.
-this year will be David the King as opposed to last year's David the shepherd boy.
Luke
-came this close to being our first episode of stitches after getting the back of his ear sliced open by a screw. Thank you, God, for liquid bandage. The scar won't be pretty but it's hidden.
-has started to entertain himself by building train tracks and marble tracks.
-has realized that sleeping through the night is for chumps what with nighttime crying being this mama's kryptonite.
-will try to say words when you ask him but they sound nearly nothing like it. He still signs "please" and "milk" and can say mama, papa, bye-bye, the first sounds of his brother's names, and a few other words. Most everything else is still this funny beatboxesque noise that is impossible to type.
-can do most farm animal sounds thanks to Papa's completely original going to bed song.
-is slowly really doing this potty training thing?!? (Slowly mostly because I lack the discipline to just buckle down and do it.)
-enjoys Maggie-chasing. Maggie is patient but not too thrilled about the situation.
-will be whatever his mama can put together for All Saints' Day. But I'm sure whether appropriate or not, it will have to have a sword.
-has started to entertain himself by building train tracks and marble tracks.
-has realized that sleeping through the night is for chumps what with nighttime crying being this mama's kryptonite.
-will try to say words when you ask him but they sound nearly nothing like it. He still signs "please" and "milk" and can say mama, papa, bye-bye, the first sounds of his brother's names, and a few other words. Most everything else is still this funny beatboxesque noise that is impossible to type.
-can do most farm animal sounds thanks to Papa's completely original going to bed song.
-is slowly really doing this potty training thing?!? (Slowly mostly because I lack the discipline to just buckle down and do it.)
-enjoys Maggie-chasing. Maggie is patient but not too thrilled about the situation.
-will be whatever his mama can put together for All Saints' Day. But I'm sure whether appropriate or not, it will have to have a sword.
You always have the sweetest pictures of your boys!
ReplyDeleteSounds like John Paul has a real gift with music. I love to hear how they are so sweet and patient with each other.
Definitely not all the time but those aren't the times I want to remember ;)
DeleteI would have loved to have been at that recital. I know I'm not a grandparent or a Godparent, but I'm assuming that as the resident family Suzuki musician, I would have been invited. If I'm wrong, don't tell me : )
ReplyDeleteI see lots of overalls in these pics...where are yours?
My oldest son is 23 and has the same musical gift as John Paul (as did my dad). He started playing when he was about six. He did great in lessons and then we discovered he was playing by ear and had not learned much note reading. Fortunately we had a great teacher who taught him how to find the chords to go with the melody and that was all he needed to soar. He still amazes me every time I hear him play. I don't think I will ever get used to such a gift!
ReplyDeleteI love the pictures of your little men. I think I've said before --I love little boys and your pictures remind me of when my were small (sniff).
As always I love the monthly updates on the boys. Makes the distance a little less.
ReplyDeleteGrandma in Chicago