Reid

I thought since Reid just turned three and Owen started 1st grade it might be time for an update on what they're up to. 

Let's begin with the recent birthday boy. 

Reid 

Here he is trying to hold up three fingers. Don't you love the focus on his face as he tries to pinch his pinky and thumb together? :)

This boy is always talking and saying the funniest things. A couple of funnies from this past weekend include:

- Jared was gone for the Priesthood session of General Conference so I was doing bed time myself. I chose Reid to say the prayer. He just barely got over a tantrum and didn't feel like saying it. He made his feelings known by shouting, "NO! I not say it. I'm sick. I'm dying. I need beef broth! Humph! " ...What??? Needless to say we had a hard time starting the prayer because Owen and I kept laughing.

- Then, during the Sunday morning session, President Monson started to speak. Reid got excited, ran up to the screen and proceeded to show him some money he was playing with. He was talking to him and having a little one-sided conversation. Then he turned around and said, "Mom! I talking to the prophet!"

- During that same talk, Jared was helping the boys build Legos. Reid was sort of listening because he perked up all of sudden and said, "Mom! He has a Heavenly Father too!" He heard him mention Heavenly Father in his talk and was so excited that the prophet had a Heavenly Father just like him. 

Ha ha...this age and just Reid really, is so funny and adorable.

Even when he's angry he is funny. He "Humphs" and valley girl back talks and spits even better than his brother. Sigh. :) I hate to admit it but it's kind of cute coming from a tiny 3 year old body and I have to check myself so I don't laugh at him and encourage it more.

He loves to participate in imaginative play. His favorite character to play is "Kitty." Kitty does not talk. He only meows and does basic sign language. He crops up usually when Reid is feeling playful, trying to get out of something, or wants attention. I also use it to convince him to do something he might not want to do. Sometimes "Kitty" will do it even when Reid isn't so sure. :)

When I give him a gummy worm, animal cracker, or some kind of food that is shaped as an animal, sometimes that "animal" will become his friend and talk to him. He once spent the whole time I was in the shower, just chatting it up with a gummy worm whom he named "Shake." {which I think was meant to be Snake}

He just recently learned to dress himself - not counting socks and sometimes shoes. He is particular about how the socks fit on his feet and if the tongue of his shoe is in the right place, so he still needs help there. If his shirt has a logo on it, then he will flip it front side forward all on his own. The only thing he doesn't notice is if his pants are backwards. 

He learned to pedal his bike/trike. He still uses the trike most times but pedals and steers much better on Owen's old bike. He moves super slow, which he hates. He spends a lot of time telling me to help him keep up with his brother and the neighborhood kids. I swear I'm working harder than he is, but I really want him to want to use his bike, so I oblige and hope that he'll eventually get the hang of it as he practices more.

He has been able to spit out his toothpaste and swish water for sometime now, but still cannot chew gum without swallowing it. He doesn't quite know how to swallow the juice/saliva build up without swallowing the gum. So either he gulps it right down, or drools everywhere and then gulps it right down.

He is learning his ABC's, his numbers, colors, and shapes bit by bit with me at home. I wish I were more consistent but I know he will learn it by kindergarten. I was super focused on it with Owen, which I think is normal because he was my first, but now I'm learning that it's not some kind of race to learn everything the fastest. I am learning to value more and more just letting my kids be kids and for learning to come more naturally throughout our day, and through regular activities we find fun. I still plan stuff here and there, but it's just not as structured as it was before.

Reid is our little singer. You can often hear him randomly making up songs about anything. He sings in the store, while he's playing with toys, at the dinner table, to annoy his brother. Pretty much anytime.

He still hates the dentist. We just went today and he was in tears and clinging to me the whole time. At least he didn't cry so hard he couldn't breathe...that was last time. Baby steps. Baby steps.

And lastly, Reid has started potty training! It has been 5 days - 4 days of really working on it, and so far so good. He does better with pull ups than with underwear. Seriously didn't expect that. But this is worth a whole new post so more on that later I guess.

We love you Reid and are so glad you are in our family.