Fabulous Four!

Matthew's birthday has come and gone, and because of my holiday that took place very shortly after, I completely forgot to post these!

Matthew got to help with the cake. This year we used a cake mix (I'm not much of a baker) and Daddy made the icing. And most importantly, Matthew got to lick the whisk, and help with the measuring!

It is nice to see such enthusiastic responses to gifts

and it's always a better present when other people think so too!

This year the Melanie and Nathan made cards for Matthew and they both made them in orange since it's Matthews favorite colour.

Melanie made hers with so much white glue that it curls.

No real digger for his birthday

but Matthew DID get to stick the candies on the cake!


And another year is blown away.

Spring!

We've been having, I think, unseasonably warm weather. Daniel may be wearing a winter coat here--but that's only because he insisted on it! Sunny skies, mild breezes and warm air, it's all so lovely! Spring is here!





And we hope to enjoy it as much as we can!

Daniel

Daniel is such a busy guy. Aren't all toddlers? He gets away with a lot more than his siblings ever did at his age, and my standards of his good days are so low in comparison. At least, I think my other kids were good at that age...but I also think I was a very good child too...maybe it's just my nostalgic impressions improving with time.


When working on something, Daniel puts 100% into it. You can see this in the way he runs too, kicking his legs around up high behind him just because he can, or waggling his legs sideways. (A picture can't capture his joy and enthusiasm, and a video wouldn't either since he'd notice and not be the same either. You'll just have to imagine it.)


Daniel is also the handsomest toddler I know. The only boy toddler I know that looks great in female jewelry!


And he still sucks him thumb. He's beginning to become more aware of it, but is not willing to give it up.

Now

he wants a digger full of candies. And he'll share some with Melanie. When they're done eating the candy he can make his own real house!

Matthew

Matthew is really into Lego these days. This is his pirate ship. It has a Jolly Roger, a cannon, treasure chest and plank! The plank is for the lubbers to walk and fall in and drown. (Land lubbers, that is)


"Daniel don't break that! Be careful!" says worried Matthew. After all, he took all nap time to make this!


"I have playdough in a container and I'm going to mix it to make something to eat."
(Yum!)


Matthew has fun making things, as always has an interesting explanation for why he has done something a certain way. And if you ever correct him on something he's said, he won't admit he's wrong, but will make his story wilder and wilder!


"I want a real digger for my birthday. You'll have to wrap it outside because it won't fit in the living room!"

"When I'm four I can be a real worker and make people's houses. Real ones."

"I want a real digger for my birthday. And candy on my cake and cupcakes and I want to put the candy on it."
(I think I can manage cake or cupcakes with candy for him to put on. I hope he's not too disappointed!)

Nathan

As usual, Nathan, when he is by himself, is working on something.

He put this together without any help of mine--though he may have asked his Dad for some help when things weren't working (I feign helplessness so that I don't have to constantly be finding mistakes and correcting them) but I think he did the correcting himself.

Nathan was so pleased with the end result...and will probably keep it in one piece forever, unless he can be convinced that there is something better he can make and keep in its place!

Nathan has a lot of patience for Daniel, and a real soft spot for Jennifer too.

He loves to spend time teaching Daniel something, or playing a game with him.

Nathan takes a great deal of bride in his work. It amazes me how much time and effort he can spend on a given project.

He is getting a bit more comfortable with using the things he makes, even at the risk of them not working well, and just accepting the inadequacies and having fun despite it.

The boats we made, though he was pre-warned, didn't float at all. He convinced himself that it was okay, and him and Matthew had fun in the bathroom tub (the ocean).
"Matthew, the tide is coming in. Uncle Stanley says that it comes in over his head, so the tide will take the sail boats away. That's deep, isn't it Matthew?"

Playtime

Melanie and Matthew are playing some sort of "house", and Daniel thought maybe they'd let him join them. No matter how complicated the plot, they only have to tell him what to do "jump now Daniel" or "say Mommy Daniel", and he fits right in!

My Mummy dresses me funny

But I still love her