Sunday, June 29, 2014

The Boys Personality at 7, 4, and 2!

Zach 7 41lbs

Zach is growing so much. He did great in 1st grade. He was a little slower in reading-so he got to go to a special reading group at 715 every Tuesday and Thursday morning. By the end of the school year he was right where he needed to be! He doesn't like school that much-but I think that is mainly due to the fact that he isn't an early bird. Once at school I think he had a good time. Mrs. Amanda Feagin was his 1st grade teacher. We both loved her, she was a great teacher and very sweet. Zach probably got "written up" 10 times the whole year-and everytime it was for talking. That boy sure knows how to talk! Being "written up" just means they write it in his daily folder-so nothing too serious.

He loves skateboarding and is getting better all the time. He is great on his bike-which he taught himself how to ride last fall 2013. I was helping him for about a minute then got a phone call-of course Z didn't want to wait on me-so he just figured it out by himself. I was shocked. He was trying to do bike stunts the same day he learned how to ride his bike! Ha, he still has his adventerous side to him-but does have more fear in him than he ever has had. He loved playing soccer in the fall of 2013 and is a real fast runner-but needs to work on aggression. He can scale anything, including the fences-which he does all the time. He has always been a monkey-that's for sure!

He loves games of all sorts. Board, computer, iPad, x-box, and wii. Unfortunatly he rarely gets to play because Gavin tends to always mess everything up. He is a good sport about it though. He is still really good at playing with toys-like he always has been. His main interest is catching bugs-and he is a master at it! He can catch anything, ANYTHING. He has caught, wasp, bees, flys, grasshoppers, all kinds of spiders, cow killers, moths, butterflies and even wild baby bunnies! He is also the fly killer of the house! He is very good a killing flies for us, and can even catch/kill them with his hand (gross, I know). He loves all books and shows about snake, insects, and sea life. Really about any living creature, and he is pretty knowledgable in that area.

He still is stubborn. Does everything in his own time, but is getting a little better. We struggled alot this past winter with tantrum fits, talking back, being disrespectful and not following directions. Thankfully he is doing much better, because it was getting out of control. He is following directions better, more polite and a lot less crying (unless he is tired, ugh!). He is very good with Gavin. They are buddies, and he helps and takes care of him all the time. Gavin is a booger and prevents Zach from doing lots of things-but Zach never gets mad or frustrated with him. Zach is very good with Connor as well, BUT Connor doesn't put up with Zach's bossyness and has caught on to some of Zach's manipulations. They play well together until Connor wants to do something his way instead of Zach's. Zach is fine with playing by himself (and doing things his way) but Connor is not. They fight on and off through out the day, but always quickly get over it and usually have eachothers back.

Zach is caring and a good helper but still struggles with following directions-which could just be ADD. He puts up with a lot being the oldest brother and most the time sets a good example for them, but we are still working on that!

Connor 4 1/2 36lbs

Connor-hmmm-where to start? Connor is a precious soul. He is so unique. So innocent. So naive. Connor's brain does not work like the average brain. He is by far my most cautious child. He has many fears and lots of anxiety. He loves adults and most adults love him. There are no such things as strangers with Connor (although-he may ask you if you are a "bad guy" before continuing a conversation with you!) He doesn't have much friends-and he is good with that. He prefers girls over boys and usually all older girls. He looks up to and admires older kids-even when they aren't nice to him. His realm of understanding is low-or different I should say. He has come a long way in the past year-but still doesn't really understand how the world works so to speak. After going to Red Lobster in June 2014-and seeing the real lobsters-he has probably asked us at least 15 times a day-very seriously and frantically if there is a "Lomster" on his head or back. He seriously thinks that may be a possibility no matter how many times we explain its impossible! He loves to catch (or mainly watch) bugs with Zach, BUT is usually deathly afraid of bugs. He is very curious and ask alot of questions all day long. He wants to understand so much-but he can't make since of most things. His short term memory is basically nothing-but his long term memory is OUTSTANDING. Just incredible really. He has very heightened senses. Mainly just with smell and seeing (althought he is suppose to get his eyes checked). He can pick up any smell from a mile away and tell you what it is! He is the most forgiving person you will ever meet. Although-that doesn't mean that he doesn't get revenge on you first. He doesn't understand accidents. He truely thinks most things are on purpose. He has bad automatic "reflexes" that go straight to kill mode if you wronged him in some way (mainly just towards Zach). But at the same time, if I put Zach in time out for hitting Connor (or whatever), Connor will beg and plead to us to let Zach out and tell us that he is sorry. He doesn't like other people being in trouble and will try to help them out. He is very nice and protective of Gavin. Gavin is a rather hard and mean little brother-that doesn't usually show a lot of love for Connor-but no matter what Connor will trying 15 times a day to earn his love. Connor would love nothing more than if Gavin would just let him cuddle with him-or even just share a blanky as they watch cartoons, but Gavin won't budge. Connor helps him and protects him and will even get onto me if I use tone with Gavin (like saying "no" if he is doing something bad) and tell me he is just a baby. Gavin ruins anything Connor has, and at times as much as he would like to hurt him he holds himself back. His only crime against Gavin is hugging him to hard or too much!

He is in the lying stage, but mainly just to not get in trouble. Like "Connor did you do that?" "No!". And he is a huge story teller as of late. He insist that they are real though. He talks and talks and talks non-stop. He ask about 1 million questions per day. He loves to spell, or at least try to spell. He has become quiet the artist. He takes his time and does a good job. He loves holidays and wants them to always be a big full blown event. He has probably asked everysingle day since his last birthday when his birthday is. He is always waiting for the next Holiday. He loves parties. Any and every kind. He learns a lot from his primary teachers and in all his prayers says, "and please help God to sacrifice Jesus." One time Tyler was whispering and Connor asked if he was trying to be the Holy Ghost : )! His attention span is very small. He likes TV but doesn't usually last for even one show. He constantly forgets what he is doing and has to be reminded. He is very bored and has to/needs to be instructed on what to do all the time. He loves plants and watering them and getting the mail is the highlight of his day-although he is always let down when there is nothing for him. He truely believes in magic and loves it like no other. He wants people to do magic tricks all the time (especially daddy and popeye) but also wants them to make huge things appear like bounce houses and such. He is very easy to please and pretty easy going. He still loves to help cook and bake. He makes a few bad choices-but they are so sporadic and out of nowhere-he just doesn't think about what he is doing. He does most things out of curiosity. He loves to rip things up but now usually ask us before hand if it is ok to rip or break things. He has a big heart and is truely a sweet little boy.

He usually just wants to do whatever Zach is doing. He wonders around the house aimlessly most the day. He isn't big into sports or bikes but loves his ziggle. He is terrified of pools but is getting better and braver each day we go. He still uses the puddle jumper and as of recent will get in and go around the pool by himself. Connor is clumsy. Always falling and getting hurt. Always. He still loves dogs like no other and has made friends with some of the neighbor dogs. He has probably been bit (not bad) by 4 dogs-he has learned his lesson and approaches with caution and ask every owner, "Is your dog nice? Can I rub him?" Notice "rub" not pet. haha

Connor was recently diagnosed with SVT. We may do surgery to burn that part of his heart this coming fall.

Gavin 2years 30lbs

Gavin is a booger! He is mean, mean, mean! We all give in to him, it's horrible. We all just try all day long to make or keep him happy. He doesn't understand sharing yet and has recently realized hitting is very fun. He likes to pick his "boogas" and say "ewww, booga". He doesn't like to be dirty at all. He is constantly defending himself when he has no need to. He doesn't like many people at all, and nobody (except mom) if he is tired. His puking has calmed down, so that has been nice for us all. His diet is very slim pickens though, some days I am pretty sure he just drinks milk. He loves both of his brothers. He loves Connor from and distant and loves Zach up close. He loves sympathy. When he gets hurt, most the time he wont stop crying till I acknowledge him and give him a hug. He believes in the power of kisses and will always ask me to kiss his boo boos. Out of no where he will say "hug" and just give me the best hug ever. He does love to cuddle with me but is usually a busy body.

His motor skills are next to none. He is very strong, balanced and coordinated. He does the balance bike, scooters (2 wheeler and 2 wheeler) and is a professional on his ziggle and has no fear. He loves the pool and will jump in with out anyone around. He doesn't mind his head going under and will swim the whole pool all by himself (in his puddle jumper). He wants every toy that everyother kid has at the pool and throws a screaming fit (doesn't last long) when he doesn't get it. He is good at following directions but recently has been testing his limits. He has always been a huge mama's boy and would never leave my side. Just recently he has become a "runner" and I am alwasy chasing after him and he is fast, it's awful! Just like when Zach was a baby!

His talking skills are poor. He wants to say everything-and surely does try but he can't enunciate for the life of him. He is great at saying hop, no, stop, mom, dad, Zach, Cawner (connor), Ty-yer, help, please, thank you, your welcome, sorry, baby and other small words like that. Unfortunatley screaming is his main method because he cant communicate what he wants. We are working on that.

His favorite foods are hot dogs, pizza, grapes, cake, cookies, gogurts, graham crackers, ritz crackers, and oatmeal.

He loves dogs and loves to act like a dog or kitty. Infact he follows directions better if you refer to him as "puppy" or "kitty". He has a huge personality and makes about 100 different facial expression half of them are just with his eyes!

He likes to take naps from 11-2 or 1-3, but if he does he will not go to sleep till 9 or later! So we do skip nap a lot for an earlier bed time which results in a very cranky mean Gavin from 3-630.

He too loves to help me bake, he even cracked open his first egg today and attempted to pour it into a cup. Unfortunately, it spilled right next to the cup.

If you say no to him in the wrong time, he gets very offended and hurt. He curls that little lip down like no other and breaks out into a shreaking scream! After longs hugs from mom he usually recovers. If he hurts someone and they fake (or real) cry he will immediately say sorry and kiss there boo boo. He loves to fake sneeze and get good reactions. He also loves to fake gag or dry heave so we think he is going to vomit. He is a real pro at that and thinks it is hilarious.

He is a stinker, but we all made him that way. All 4 of us are just smitten by him despite his behaior. Whenever he is sad, Zach gives him his (Zach's) special blanky and it usually makes it all better (unless he is really mad, in which case it just makes him more mad that you are trying to make him happy : )). Both boys are always trying to help him and cuddle and love on him no matter how many times he shuts them out. We love our little Gavin to pieces!


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