Increasingly amazing tots (at least WE think so)

We figure genetically David must be the result of Medefind genes (Gavin's mom's side). Otherwise we'd be saying, "Where did this kid come from?!" He is almost scarily neat and clean, with a sense of things needing to be put in their right place. He cleans up without being told to, even after building a long train and dumping the entire box of tracks to find just what he needs. When he's done, back it ALL goes into the right box, along with anything else that's "messy" on his floor. When we asked him to clean some dead flower petals off the floor he cleaned up EVERYTHING on the floor. It is very surprising to us, two not-quite-so-neat-nicks who would really appreciate the extra help as he grows up! He throws all trash over the kitchen gate since he knows that's where we throw out the majority of our trash (and we can't keep a trash can accessible to the kids). He'll clean up anything we ask him to and he knows where most everything goes. - although today he put the dirty socks with the shoes rather than in the laundry pile. Pretty close, David! :)

These Duplo blocks were ALL over Seth's room. Not anymore! Not only did David put them all in the box to which they belonged, he also set up a lovely little train scene in front. When he left the room and spotted some more blocks in the hallway he had to go back and put them in the green bucket too. Far be it from him to leave something untidied! (I think of "Aunt" Deb Martin a lot, too. She used to call our kids home-wreckers, they were so destructive of her cleanup work! David clearly broke that mold!)

Will, on the other hand, thinks in order to find the best book one really must empty the bookshelves of all the books and sit on the pile to make his selection. Hence the mess in the book-reading video I just posted. Will has an incredibly sweet, friendly spirit, however, saying "hi," "bye" or "apinun" (good afternoon) and now even "morning!" to just about everyone who passes. He's so winsome! Especially with his dimples and grin. And he's biting a LOT less, praise God! He loves to give kisses now instead (even when they're not wanted sometimes by Seth in particular). He makes a smiling tongue click instead of a lip smack, so it both looks and sounds particularly cute.

Gracie is small, sweet and spunky. She loves her blankies, her stuffed animals, cuddling and dancing and can really push back when she is imposed upon by her larger siblings. She still has that tiny little voice with its adorable inflections, but she says so many words and sentences so clearly now! When she sees her "Aunt" Sarah or "Aunt" Kelly, she leans out to them or walks up to them with arms outstretched and whimpers until they pick her up. She's a little love.

Marcie, our charming, engaging "little mother," sometimes has ideas for what the other kids should be doing or wearing that are contrary to the kids' ideas for themselves. Gracie usually tolerates it remarkably well, even with a grin. David tends to laugh at her, but the other boys usually yell "no!" and push her away. Just now she decided that Gracie's pacifier/"binky" needed to go "nigh-night" and ran it back to the crib, in keeping with our rule that they not have pacifiers outside of their cribs. The funny thing is, Marcie kept her OWN pacifier. She also relented when Gracie started fussing and brought back Gracie's pacifier. So I'd say she's a pretty typical mother. I'm tempted to let them have their pacifiers today when they're not feeling well. ;)

Seth is definitely getting a mind of his own. If he sees kids coming to the kitchen gate when I'm preparing what he thinks is his milk, he doesn't hesitate to shove them away and tell them no! He's a little fighter and he tackles any challenges he can spot. I think he's trying to take up parcour*, finding the most creative way from point A to point B. He frequently ends up in a very tenuous, desperate situation, needing Gavin or Isaac or me to come rescue him! Anything the other kids do, he has to do too. He surprises us with how well he does them, too! (This from the kid who was in physical therapy due to flat feet. He still has a natural, normal clumsiness that aggravates him and us sometimes!) He continues to be our biggest reader and animal-lover. He also loves people still but is becoming more clingy, usually preferring his own family. We are honored. :) He especially asks about Gracie throughout the day if she's not around at the moment. Usually she's still in bed as Seth is our early riser. It's precious how much he adores her!

1. *Parcour: the activity or sport of moving rapidly through an area, negotiating obstacles by running, jumping, and climbing.

   
   

Doesn't Seth seem to being saying, "What??!" in this photo, as though turning one's bowl upside down over one's head instead of eating the requested cereal inside is a perfectly normal option?

Marcie just kissed Gracie's binky "nigh-night" while the binky was still in Gracie's mouth. Gracie shrieked to prevent her from actually taking the binky nigh-night.

I'd better run and change Will's diaper. The kids have diarrhea. Yuck. :( Thanks for your prayers!

Love and gratitude,
Carrie (finally finishing a post I started late this morning!)

The messy reality: On the same day David dazzled us with his clean-up skills in Seth's room, he came into the kitchen, rummaged through the cupboards, found the [expensive] powdered coffee creamer and dumped it all over. Maybe he was trying to clean it up with his hands - you can see the finger smears. I could have screamed. (But aren't the footprints on the top-righthand-side cute?!)