Reggie's first hair cut

BEFORE:

AFTER:

all about Brett

Not a creative title, but it's been awhile since I've devoted a post to Brett. (stay tuned for a post "all about Lydia")

I attended Brett's first school conference yesterday and his teacher had great things to say about him. He has adjusted well to school and participates and works hard to learn new things. Brett loves going to school - he is always excited when I tell him it's a school day! Brett also continues to work hard in his speech and occupational therapies. His sentence structure and articulation are making good progress. His sense of balance has improved, and he is able to focus on his fine motor skills for longer periods of time. We still have lots of work ahead of us, but his progress is very encouraging!

Brett continues to be our little helper around the house - whether we want it or not! In the picture above, Reggie did not actually need help eating his yogurt, but was a willing participant! It's hard to believe that when Brett was Reggie's age, we were bringing home baby #3!

Some of Brett's favorite things to do include going outside and for walks, playing games or doing activities with Papa, Grandma, Mom, Dad, or Bonnie, cooking or baking projects, wrestling with Dad, reading books, and playing with his leappad. Brett likes Buzz Lightyear and rocket ships, although he has yet to watch any of the movies. But I think Brett's favorite thing to do is eat! Wow! This kid eats a lot of food.

A few things Brett has recently learned to do are make his own toast, put on his socks and shoes, count to 12, sing a few songs with all the words, and pray to thank God for our meals.

Because this little boy has so much energy, I can't wait for the snow to melt and the yard to dry up. We are looking forward to enjoying parks and playgrounds again!

I think the best thing I heard at Brett's conference was that they could tell Brett was loved and well-adjusted and cared for by his family. Maybe they say that to all the parents...but after a very terrible day around the house...it was really good to hear.

theory of toddlertivity

The theory of toddlertivity goes something like this:

HT≤(WC×3)⋀3

When attempting to complete a household task (HT) while caring for a toddler, a caregiver can expect the amount of work created (WC) by the toddler to be equal to or greater than the household task completed. The work created (WC) grows exponentially with each additional toddler. Therefore, it is in the best interest of the caregiver to not attempt the household task.

But I'm a slow learner.

swimming class

Two and a half years ago when I told my brother (who has 5 kids) I had signed Brett up for swimming lessons at age 9 months, he laughed and said "That's something only first-time parents do." Sounded like a challenge to me! All three of our kids have taken swimming lessons at least once before 1.5 years old! Here are some pictures from Reggie's swimming lesson.