More Mom thoughts

I've been thinking about the kids, and my relationships with each of them. As babies, they really are just extensions of you - completely dependent on you to meet their every need, they don't really know themselves as 'separate'. Fast forward 8 years and they are completely separate from you. Still dependent, but separate.

Evie is completely different from me, and I don't always 'get' her. Half the time she's talking about something she saw on TV, the other half she's pretending to be some sort of animal. I can't really relate to either one. Have you noticed in some of the pictures I post that she has cat ears on?

Evie is a ringleader for the other three. Rather than setting an example & leading the others in good behavior, she tends to whisper naughty suggestions in their ears and then claim innocence of it all. Or is that what big sisters are for? (I seem to remember mine getting me into a fair share of trouble.)

On one hand I don't get her at all; on the other, she is a total pleasure spend time with, just the two of us, and she is so brave out and about in public. Evie's never met a stranger and seems to make friends so easily. She played piano in the school talent show last week in front of about 100 people or so. At age 8. I was so nervous for her! I didn't even start lessons until I was 8, and didn't do a solo in public until I was 15. She just took it all in stride and DID IT. Big girl! I do see myself in her in some ways, for example all of her Easter candy was gone in three days, and she can be as lazy as the day is long - but in other ways she's a mystery to me & I can't wait to see where she ends up.


William? The one we worry about? The one who is up before 6am to play Wii? He's a nut. Sometimes I look at him and just wonder what's going on in his head. Because I really have no idea. He's quiet - riding in the car just me and him, he doesn't have much to say, is just content to look out the window - and then other times (usually when it's lights-out time) he is just dying to share what is in his head. Now that he is learning to read and write, I LOVE seeing what he brings home from school, that little window into his mind. He talks about marble tracks a lot, and Wii, and his bunk beds were a favorite topic when they were new.

William is turning into quite a soccer player (Evie too, for that matter). I always figured he'd take after me and stink at sports involving a ball, but he really seems to dig soccer & is coming right along. Saturday morning he kicked the ball from the line all the way to the goal, one shot. Now, this is U6 & nobody really tried to stop it, but still! GO WILLIAM!



There was a time I would have dreaded taking William anywhere for an extended period of time, but at the talent show last week he sat quietly in his chair and didn't fidget at all. He's really growing up on me - today I walked downstairs and was greeted by William with 'Hi, Jen', and I've noticed that the jeans I bought him in February now seem to be up around his ankles. Is this how it happens? One day you look at them and they're as tall as you are? Or taller?

And then there's Sarah. Sarah began screaming her way towards independence around the time she turned 2. Literally. It really took me aback, the screaming, because she was so sweet and smiley early early on. Let's just say she doesn't like to be told no. She's a funny girl, she can be so matter-of-fact at times. Matt just shakes his head and looks at me like she's my clone or something.


She is such a big girl in so many ways, and yet still refuses to use the potty unless we push the issue. I really don't get it. She's the girly one of the two girls, and also a thief - you'd better keep all small boxes and tiny things locked up or Sarah will squirrel it away to her room.

Jason is still my baby :) I wonder how long I can get away with calling him that? I've already told you how I feel about him - he's the apple of my eye, and really takes after his daddy. They are two peas in a pod, even if Jason wants nothing to do with him right now. 'No - I WANT MOM.' My heart will break when the day arrives that Jason wants Dad in stead of Mom.



He's cracking me up at 2-1/2. There's an assortment of little 'men' that he has with him at any given time - little people from the Geotrax train sets; the fireman from a fire truck; a two-inch tall Mickey and Minnie; Mr. Incredible, among others. He usually has one or two clutched in a hand or stuffed in a pocket at any given time. He's turning into quite a talker, and I love hearing him role-play with these things.

So where was I headed with this? I have no idea. I guess I'm trying to say, that as babies, you KNOW your kids - or you get to know them very intimately in those first days and weeks together - and you KNOW what they need and what they want when they cry, or when they are happy or playful or upset. And then they get bigger on you and get thoughts and ideas of their own and it gets harder to figure out, until they're this big kid who, unless you keep them talking to you, you really will have no idea what is going on in their world.

I guess the key is to get them talking, keep them talking, most importantly, listen. That will be the hard part for me, as I tend to tune out the din whenever possible - but going forward I'm going to try very hard to always make sure I have my listening ears on.