A few proud Mommy things to report.

Kristen:  Got excellent grades on her report card, but more importantly- her teacher went on and on about what a great kid she is.   Can work with anyone, sit by anyone, helps everyone, always smiling, all the teachers say the same about her, and more wonderful things.  Way to go, Kristen!

Nate:  Read his first book at age 4 and 11 months (Feb 12) called "Go Dog Go."  It was not memorized and he has read several more things to me since he realized he knows how to read.  What fun for his teacher mom!

Michael:  I am always saying to Michael, "No, no, that's not for you."  And he used to throw a fit no matter what came after the word no, but he's getting better.  Tonight he stopped and said, "Who's for?" (Who's it for?)  Cute.  He's quite a talker already.  Just like the other two were at this age.  He really, really loves trains and cars.

Fall/Winter Nate Quotes:

One night we had breakfast for supper including sweet rolls.  Nick and Kristen ate two rolls before Nate finished his first.  When he was done he cheerfully said, "I'm ready for another sweet roll!"  Unfortunately there were none left and he was mad.  He said, "Since I didn't get two rolls then I'm excused!" and he walked away from the table.  Later when he came back I said, "I'm sorry that happened to you Nate," and he said, "It's okay, Mom, it's not your fault."

Nate:  Knock-Knock

Mom:  Who's there?

N:  Apple

M:  Apple who?

N:  Apple Banana

M:  HAHAHA

N:  Does that one make sense, Mom?

One night I made tomato soup for supper. . . out of a can with water added.  Out of the blue Nate says, "Mom, this soup you made is BRILLIANT!"

At one point in the fall when the mornings were dark for awhile, Nate said (in the dark early morning), "Mom, could you please quit waking me up in the night?"

After seeing Bedtime Stories at age 4.5 he stands up in the theater and loudly proclaims, "I so don't want that movie for my birthday."  Too much thinking involved I think, but Kristen and I liked it.

Couple of Nate Quotes:

He has a movie called Storybook Factory (by Leap Frog-highly recommend all three of their movies) which teaches about how to read.  Out of the blue at supper he says, "Mom, a period is like a dot and it means the sentence is complete and you're supposed ta pause." "That's right, Nate!" "And a question mark is for a question and an exclamation point is one of those pointy things."  Is this kid an elementary teacher's dream, or what?

Now that it's dark in the morning, he has an even tougher time getting up.  One morning he said, "Mom, could you please stop waking me up in the night?"

K says "Kah"

Michael says "kah" for the letter K.  So book is bookah, NUK is NUKah, and milk is mookah.

He is also doing impressions of Cookie Monster.  He says, "Cookie!" and then sticks both hands in his mouth and makes the sound that Cookie Monster makes when he's eating a plateful of cookies.

Michael said a ton of new words today, starting with "please." (pea)

He wanted more crackers, so he was saying, Mo- Mo- Caka?  I don't make him say please, but I always say, "Can you say please?" Well, today he finally said it, "Mo Caka, Pea?"  And I said, "AWW! You're such a good boy!" And he said, "AWW da-dee-dee-ga boy!"

Seriously, I can't even name all the new words he said just this evening.  He just turned a corner from babbling to making sounds we can understand.   But my favorite might be Uh-Ah-Ah- You know like when kids argue and one says, "Uh Huh Ah!" meaning 'yes it's true' And the other answers "Uh Ah Ah" meaning 'no it isn't'?  The first time he said it, it totally fit with the conversation in the van and of course we all laughed at him.  Then he kept doing it for attention and we would "argue" with him.  I gotta get that on tape, because I'm not sure you can understand it from writing.  I have made Hamburger Helper a few times this fall and Kristen and Nate love it.  I taught them the jingle I remember, "Hamburger Helper helped her hamburger, helped her make a great meal."  Nate likes to sing it at random times.  After he finished singing it tonight, Michael said, "Uh Ah Ah!" Like "no it didn't help her make a great meal!"  Maybe you had to be there. 

Nathan and Kristen were taking turns (kind of) talking to me in the van on the way to Rochester, and once in awhile Michael would chime in saying, "Mom!" and I'd say, "What, Michael?"  And then he'd spew out a paragraph of nonsense complete with hand movements and nodding of his head and then laugh like he just said something funny.  Who knew you could start talking before you knew words?  He's been doing this for a long time.

We went to a party at Nick's parent's church instead of trick or treating.  They must have had over 25 games for kids to play including three giant blow up thingies.  It was perfect for Nate, but too huge to put Michael down and too kiddish for Kristen.  But we wanted to try it to make it a family night.  The kids each got a gallon bag of candy on the way out.  Nate had no nap today, though, and way too much sugar.  He was downright nasty by the time we got him home!

I am so tired.  TGIF!