The Look of the Irish

Another St. Paddy's Day has arrived for the Seymours. All three enjoyed donning their festive duds:





Laura also decided this was her lucky day and tried her hand at walking, which she found very much to her liking! If I'm *really* lucky, this will amount to a little less time on my hip.


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How's It Going?

Last night at dinner, Danny was discussing a school friend's disputes with his brother. He and Clare wondered why the brothers don't get along (because yes, Clare and Danny always get along. HA!) "I love having a little brother," declared Clare. After a short pause, she then asked, "Danny, do you like having a little sister?" After a longer pause, Danny replied "Well, it's going well, but..." Clare and I erupted into peals of laughter at this particular phrasing, so I don't really know what his "but" was about, though it's easy enough to guess. She is, after all, a menace, one who had very recently and remorselessly ripped up the LEGO magazine that had just arrived in the mail. (Seriously, you should have seen the look on her face as he grew weepy over this. She was definitely spoiling for a fight.)

Nevertheless, she has won his heart, even though her presence often prevents me from playing hoops or hockey, or at least handicaps me so that I am forced to play one-handed while weighted down by 25 pounds of baby. Come to think of it, maybe he likes it that way...

If This Ain't The Truth...

Mowing Us Over

As much as we comment that Laura thinks and acts differently than the other two, she is following the similar pattern of being more verbal than physical. She didn't crawl particularly early, and at 14 months is not walking independently. She has always been chatty and now has half a dozen or more words (uh-oh, hi, yeah, wow, daddy, bye), and she loves to mimic sounds and especially singing. I'll confess I'm a little surprised that she hasn't started saying "no" yet, but I suspect once she starts, she's going to love to say it.

She also loves her mower. I think she really can't wait to walk, but insists on doing it on her own terms and thus refuses to do so while holding our hands. But she'll push that mower forever, either to get somewhere around the house, or up and down the neighborhood sidewalks. After absconding with some snacks out of the pantry, it seemed she thought it would also work as a getaway vehicle. She should thank Amy P., who passed that thing along back when Danny was learning to walk (a feat he did not master until 16.5 months - kind of hoping Laura moves a little faster than that).

Danny's Winning Loss

Just this morning, while on a lovely walk, Crystal and I were commenting how different our children are from their siblings. Today turned out to produce another prime example. When my carpool dropped the kids off this afternoon, she said, "Danny, tell your mom your big news!" He immediately opened his mouth and showed me a very wiggly bottom tooth. This was quite a surprise, as we had no idea his tooth was at all loose. He was supremely proud of this, and asked if I thought he'd lose it soon. Yes, I said, although I wasn't sure it would happen today.

He proceeded to spend some time playing, occasionally stopping to feel his tooth. Soon after, he commented that maybe with the help of a napkin it would come out. I said that was likely, and he then asked if I would help. I agreed, assuming that he would chicken out after I first touched it. Or not: I gave it a solid twist and tug, he held quiet and steady, and lo and behold it popped out! He was thrilled, and immediately began dancing and jumping around the couch. I could tell he wanted to share this news. His jaded big sister wasn't really impressed enough, so we luckily caught Daddy on the phone. I wish I had taken a picture of him telling Tim, because it was priceless.

This was all a far cry from Clare's first tooth loss. He continues to proclaim his excitement. I can tell this is one of those epic big kid moments to him, as he told me at bedtime, "I wish tomorrow was Monday." As this is a Friday night, these are not words I am used to hearing from him! He is SO eager to share the news with his teacher and classmates. May he always treasure life's moments.

The Grocery Cart That Keeps On Giving

Few toys have stood the test of short attention spans, at least as far as baby/toddler toys go. When I bought this grocery cart and groceries for Clare way back when she was 21 months old, I had no idea that three children would get so much entertainment from them! I don't have any pictures of Danny playing with it, but I know he did (and occasionally still does). And as you can see, Laura definitely enjoys it. As her Grammy declared, she looks just as happy as her Grampy does when he's in the real grocery store.

Edumacation, or What's Another $8K?*

*sponsored post

Let me begin on a defensive note. Danny is doing very well in school. He is, according to his teacher, "an amazing reader," and also "the sweetest boy I have ever met." He has only gotten in trouble once at school, for talking out of turn. He has lots of friends and clearly enjoys his days.

Danny is also one of the very youngest in his class. In two weeks he will attend a classmate's 7th birthday party, while he himself will not turn 6 for another two months. In these parts, it is increasingly common for parents to hold their children back, particularly the boys. The official cut-off date here is September 1, which essentially means that if your kid is born past May, you're either waiting a year, doing two rounds of Kindergarten (preschool and then elementary school versions) or, as we are about to embark on, undertaking Pre-First Grade.

What, you ask, is "Pre-First?" In lighter moments, veteran parents joke that it's where your child goes when they fail Kindergarten. But as I have learned from being on the flip side of things, there's a sensitive spot in our hearts that objects to this idea of failing (see above litany of Danny's achievements). Danny's teacher substantiates this, too, assuring me that if CKS did not have a Pre-First program, he would not repeat Kindergarten but would move ahead. She just believes, largely due to his age, that he would struggle a bit in First Grade and would benefit from additional time to develop his fine motor skills as well as his emotional maturity. From conversations I've had with many parents whose children have gone through the Pre-First program, it's an incredibly positive experience, with a marvelous teacher who keeps them stimulated, motivated, and guides them into true leaders.

We believe Danny has a lot of leadership qualities, as well as some sensitivity and goofiness that perhaps need to be ironed out. I think it must be like the decision many parents make when determining whether or not to hire a tutoring company for their child. We don't doubt his abilities, but rather want him to maximize his potential. I will admit to some disappointment that he hasn't completely dazzled his teachers and peers, but then I remind myself, "not yet, anyway."

At the end of the day I'm most concerned with raising respectful, loving children. From what I can tell, we're well on our way to that goal. If they're stellar scholars in addition to that, terrific. If I know we've done what we can to make them feel confident in their abilities and motivated to try their best, then we've done our best.