Apart from worrying about the political and social turmoil in Cote d'Ivoire, our family is doing well. The boys miss their papa, but are coping with his absence admirably. The few weeks following Jay's most recent departure went much more smoothly than Em expected they would. As long as we talk daily and SKYPE several times a week, James and Simon seem to do alright.
James walks around wearing a birthday hat, for no apparent reason. The boys are growing like weeds. James is getting tall but has managed to keep meat on his bones even in spite of his father's genetic input. Simon has a great metabolism, otherwise he would be HUGE. Emily is convinced that he eats his weight in food everyday.
James has been perfecting his robot-building skills and Anders (his cousin) will be glad to know that nearly all of his TRIO creations are symmetrical these days. James is also developing interests in drawing, "reading to himself", dancing, and singing... things that he could never be bothered with before. Em particularly enjoys eavesdropping on James' make-believe sessions and "ABC Song" renditions. He enjoyed the Easter festivities this year and it is nice that James is at an age where he he is beginning to understand the real meaning of the religious holidays. Although, we have to admit that it is tough explaining the Resurrection to a 3-year-old.
We were relieved to hear that James is not the only child from our extended family who is consistently freaked out by characters in costume. The Easter Bunny tried to greet us at Costco, and even though Em took evasive action quickly, James caught sight of him and immediately began cowering in fear. We can't blame him either... since we think most costumes are kinda creepy...especially when worn by adults.
The most important news is that James is completely potty-trained. He has been almost 100% (daytime and nighttime) potty-trained ever since we left Michigan in March. Huzzah!
Simon is silly, loud, and loves to eat. To date, he likes everything but asparagus and black olives. The best part is that he points to whatever food he wants next and makes yummy noises while he eats... so funny. A couple of months ago, Simon started "talking" to Jay on the phone. When the phone or SKYPE rings, he starts hollering "Hi Papa!" and waves as soon as he sees Jay or hears his voice. It is really cute, but Jay finds it a bit troubling that his toddler equates "Papa" with the phone and computer.
Simon is a friendly little dude and is so busy that he has no problem keeping himself entertained. Simon started signing for real this month. In addition to the survival signs (milk, more, and all done), he now signs dog, bird, bath, bee, fan, and brush teeth. Simon is very opinionated, is determined to keep up with his older brother, loves to tease his family members, and basically thinks he runs the place. Sometimes he is right.
Simon's squishy-face smile
James acting batty
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