Mid-October 2010

Hello there blog. We're on the backside of October and we are full-tilt with activity. It's hard to believe we are already in the fourth quarter of 2010. Halloween is next week with Thanksgiving and Christmas on its heels. Where did the year go? Despite some goals that have not quite been achieved professionally (though I'm slowly moving out of limbo in that respect with at least some activity) I feel good about my family. Yes, we have some setbacks and difficulties, but I see a lot of love being generated and I can see great qualities being cultivated in our kids.

Maureen has become very concerned about the feelings of others. She can tell when Kristin or I have had bad days and she keys in with obviously supportive tactics to try and make us feel better. Though she has a few squabbles with Rowan, I can tell that they are best friends right now and they enjoy playing together - they are quite good at it. Maureen watches out for Rowan and stands up for him on the playground at their preschool. Still into princesses, dresses and girly things, she is delicate as a flower. She's very smart, will spend hours with books and demonstrates the diplomacy of an attorney. She has been toying with logic in her quest to get what she wants (sometimes very convincing) and is gaining a wit about her with funny and insightful, offhand comments. She does compete for our attention with Rowan, and we try hard to spread our attention evenly - it's not always easy. She does have the propensity to cry at a moment's notice about the simplest of things but we are working through that (I hope). Maureen has a social nature, loves to be around people, but doesn't particularly like being in the immediate spotlight. She is a ringleader with her circle of friends but she does not demand attention; it seems to gravitate to her. I think that's because she tends to be a tad older and therefore wiser (?) than her cohorts. I was observing her last weekend, trying to communicate with some six-year-old girls and I could tell she was studying them, and trying to assimilate. She was flipping her hair in front of them and striking poses that, in her mind, was what six-year-olds did. She was trying to introduce conversation that she thought would be interesting to them and though she did not quite make it to their level conversationally, she did get their attention. What a hoot.

I notice the most change going on with Rowan right now. He is becoming more and more independent and is trying to assert his independence; sometimes pleasantly, sometimes not so much. He picks up on cues from his big sister, will take an immediate stand. But, he hasn't lost his sweet nature. He has a lot of energy, still likes physical activity and has a really healthy hug in him. He has become doubly conversant in the past few months and share's his sister's quick wit and reasoning skills. I love it when he answers "Yes" to a question - he has a distinct and deliberate way in saying it. He still says his trademark "I don't know either", but not as much as he used to - he seems to form more opinions these days. He is a funny little guy and is always looking for a joke, a funny word association or pun to get his sister giggling - and they love to laugh together. Rowan doesn't seem to be interested too much in friends at school right now, but I know he has a little friend Eliza that he will play with and apparently cracks up on a regular basis. Potty training is an on-again-off again process right now; it seems it is taking him a little longer than his sister to accept the practice, but I hear that is par for the course with two-year-old boys.

I knew having kids would be hard work, but the joy we get in return is well worth it. We keep plugging along, hoping we are doing what's best for them, teaching them what we believe is right, and allowing them to learn from their actions. It's all good!