Toddler Tuesday: New stages and traits.

  The last few weeks I have been noticing a big change in Lucy. She is still my baby (they are all our babies though, aren't they?), but obviously getting older and more curious everyday. She is not the destructive and mischievous toddler she has always been. Suddenly all her positive and adorable traits have been amplified and many "little girl" traits are surfacing.

  As always, it's so much fun to watch the kids grow and discover new things. Lucy is following me around helping with house work. Usually singing some of the songs she is learning at sabbath school (or the Barney song) while we work. She is learning how to joke and be silly in more of a little girl way. She is becoming more aware of things going on around her and also the feelings of those around her. I suppose some of that has been taking place for awhile but the speed at which she is growing, mentally and emotionally is much faster recently.

  It's always neat to observe kids (especially your own) and pick out character traits that you hope will stick. it's also neat to see just how young some traits and lessons can be learned. Lucy is very nurturing. She is always trying to take care of her brother and sister. Always making sure they are ok. If you pass her a drink, a snack or anything else she asks for one for her brother. If Avary is getting into something she shouldn't and we are distracted, she is sure to tell us.

  She also wants to please us. She wants to be a good girl and make us happy. That trait is a new one ;) She wants those around her to be happy. She herself is a very happy person. Always smiling and giggling.  She loves to be silly and just have fun and enjoy things. it doesn't matter what, she finds a way to being joy to any task or occasion.

  She is compassionate, kind, loves to share and help, happy, thankful, loving and affectionate. I hope that those are traits she keeps. Those are very important traits to have in life. Trev and I have tried to instill those things in our children. Even though all our children have some great traits, they are all different.

  Jake has always been an old soul. Right from the time he was a toddler. He is very thoughtful- always thinking things through. Something I hope he continues to do always. He has a very dry sarcastic sense of humor, but is funny all the same. He loves the Lord. He is also very insightful when we talk about God and biblical subjects.

He has also been developing some great compassion and care for his sisters. It's cute to watch him get down to their level and do a very enthusiastic up beat voice when talking to them. He has learned how to defuse potentially bad situations and avoid conflict. I think  are kind of older sibling traits. He is also smart, both book and life smart, which I think are equally important. Lastly, he is independent.  He doesn't mind being on his own and doing his own thing. something I hope he holds too. It could come in handy during the teen years!

  Avary is going to be the little ray of sunshine. She is silly and funny. Outrageously so. She wants to laugh and tries to get those around her to laugh and be silly too. She is also very loving and affectionate. She loves to snuggle and when she hugs you, it's the best. She grabs you very tightly. So tight that I've come to believe I could let go of her if I was standing and she wouldn't even budge.  She is also very determined. She wants to do what she wants to do, when she wants to do it. Age and size have not been limits to her so far. She just does whatever she sets her mind too. That is a trait I hope she keeps (as long as she uses those powers for good and not for evil ;)).

  It's also very cool to see how the children change one another. When Jake was an only child there were many of his traits and characteristics which we didn't see. Being an older brother brought those out in him. Lucy has grown and developed many new characteristics since becoming a big sister herself. She also looks to her brother with almost a hero worship. Avary looks to her big siblings and learns from them. These are precious and vital years. These are the years that lay the foundation for the rest of the kids lives. They are developing into who they will be as adults.

  It's a pleasure and an honor to watch them grow. It's fun to see them becoming more in depth beings. Neat so see them learning and exploring things for the first time. And of course, it's also a big responsibility. Nurturing, guiding, sheltering, molding, holding back, letting go.... Being a parent is hard work. knowing how to raise these little people and stimulate the positive traits while hammering out the less appealing ones. It's tough. It's the most important thing we will ever do.

  I'm sure as our children grown they will do things I will not life. Characteristics and traits will develop in them that I won't like. I don't expect them to be perfect, they are human after all. They live in an imperfect world just like the rest of us. Unfortunately they will most likely even inherit and pick up some bad traits from their father and I. However, I do hope that in 30 years when I look at my children I still see many of the positive, beautiful traits that I see in them today. No matter what stage we are in life, our character defines us. I hope my children continue to  grow to have a Godly, positive, upright character.