Our Valentines

 I have five sweet Valentines this year, and oh how they are stealing my heart!

 Neil traveled a lot in January, and when he got back from one trip, he asked how the kids did. I told him that they are getting so grown up in their thinking and in the things they are capable of doing. For example, one night as I tucked the girls into bed Grace asked, "Mom, is it hard for you to be all alone in bed when Daddy is gone? I can sleep with you tonight if you want."  She also keeps leaving me love notes everywhere--on my pillow, my dinner plate, and my music composition notebook.

The most exciting thing that has happened to Grace has been losing two bottom teeth. The first one fell out with constant wiggling. The second one (pictured) fell out after an aggressive wrestling match with Kade. She was actually thanking him for kicking her in the mouth and knocking her tooth out!

Christopher is not a newborn baby anymore. In fact, he now wears the same size diaper as his older sister and weighed in at just six pounds less than her at his 4-month check-up! He made both Dr. Leslie and me laugh as he giggled through his whole appointment. Every time he touched his cheeks, squeezed his legs or touched his arms, Christopher would chuckle.

There has been nothing better as parents than watching our children become each other's best friends. Kathryn is getting old enough to play most of Grace and Kade's make-believe games, and now she actually likes wearing the dresses they put on her.

I keep catching them singing and dancing around in their costumes as they play in the toy room. It is music to my ears when they get along so well.

 Not much has changed between Kade and Christopher. Kade still begs to hold him and play with him. He lugs him around like his pet. Kade is very careful though, and if he goes up or down stairs with him, he sits and scoots to each stair, one at a time.

Kade and I have had to get creative as we play indoors while Grace is at school and the babies are napping. If Kade doesn't get a certain amount of my undivided attention combined with physical activity, he is a bear to deal with by the evening. Thus, we have races down the hall, shoot hoops in the playroom, and do any other crazy thing I can think of to keep him active. I admit, sometimes I let him watch more TV than I should during the afternoon so I can get projects done. I pay for it in the evenings when he misbehaves. However, no matter how south he and I have gone during the day, he always says 'I love you' and blows me a kiss as I walk out of his room from tucking him in at night.

OOOHHH Kathryn. This girl! She steals my heart! And everyone else's heart who meets her. She is so sweet and obedient. She does anything we ask her to--except sit down at the table.

As sweet as she is, however, she has a quiet mischievousness about her. She is a 2-year-old afterall. Lately, I am catching her doing lots of artwork. The world is her canvas! She colors on walls, the couch, the counters, and herself.

About three weeks ago, she watched Christopher sucking his thumb in his sleep as we drove in the van. I looked back and saw her playing with her thumb in her mouth saying, "I baby! I baby!"

Ever since then, she has been a full-fledged thumb sucker! Now, she sucks on it whenever she is tired and soothes herself to sleep. It is so strange that this developed in her toddlerdom.

Grace is a phenomenal helper. She gets Kathryn dressed and sometimes does her hair for me in the mornings.  She is a little mommy in the making.

Neil and I thank God every day for sending us such good kids. Although they sometimes stretch our patience, we always end the day feeling like we have the best kids a parent could ask for!