Growth Spurt
Spurt. That's a funny word.
Anyway, both of my kids are getting one. A growth spurt, that is. Sarah is just a week over 3 months, and so, naturally, she's at that point where she has just grown out of her 0-3 month clothes and will probably only last in the 3-6 month clothes, for, oh, another week, maybe. Let the three-outfits-a-day-with-frequent-photo-shoots-so-as-to-wear-all-the-cute-clothes-we-were-given-before-they're-too-small commence!!
Luke is also hitting what I'd call a growth spurt, but his is more of the intellectual kind. I don't know if that's a real thing or not, but let's just say it is. I think it started a few weeks ago when all the colors stopped being "green" and turned into "red" and "yellow" and "brown" and "white" (still having trouble with blue for some reason - always calls it brown, too...). We have been working on colors for months (years?) and were starting to wonder if Luke was colorblind or something when, lo and behold, it just clicked one afternoon. Funny how that happens.
Like many preschoolers, Luke has a surprising ability to retain random memories - especially when the memory is "sweet" (and I mean that literally as well as figuratively). He recognizes our church building, even from a distance ("BIBLE SCHOOL!!!!! That's BIBLE SCHOOL!!!!!"), and he knows when we've entered a fast food parking lot ("Time to eat!"). Last week, when we stepped into Jason's Deli for the first time in several weeks, he immediately trilled, "Ice cre-eam!" At least we have our priorities, right?
Even his social skills have stepped up a notch. One of my grandmothers lives in a retirement center nearby, and when we go to visit her, we always get the red-carpet treatment from the blue-haired paparazzi hanging out in the lobby. As we left from our most recent visit, a group of about eight or ten older ladies and one gentleman were sitting in a circle near the exit, and when they started oohing and ahhing over the "babies," I asked Luke to wave goodbye to them. Before I knew it, he had walked right into the circle and was shaking hands with a couple of those sweet old dames! I didn't even know he could do that...
Unfortunately, Luke's new, mature ways don't always make him a pleasure to be around... For instance, his favorite phrase of the week is "NO TALKING." He enjoys employing this phrase just about any time P and I are having a discussion without him. He has also figured out how to change the command to meet various personal needs, as in "NO SINGING" (when I'm singing to get him to sleep, eat, go potty, etc.) or "NO COLORING" (when I'm writing in my Bible study book instead of paying him attention over breakfast).
(I should note that I don't really use that phrase much, if at all, so there's a pretty good chance that he's been giving his Bible school teachers a run for their money lately.)
I can't help but be challenged as I think about all this growing that my kids are doing: how am I growing, right now? If Jesus commands us to be like children, surely this is a lesson to take to heart...
Anyway, both of my kids are getting one. A growth spurt, that is. Sarah is just a week over 3 months, and so, naturally, she's at that point where she has just grown out of her 0-3 month clothes and will probably only last in the 3-6 month clothes, for, oh, another week, maybe. Let the three-outfits-a-day-with-frequent-photo-shoots-so-as-to-wear-all-the-cute-clothes-we-were-given-before-they're-too-small commence!!
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| Sarah at 3 Months |
Luke is also hitting what I'd call a growth spurt, but his is more of the intellectual kind. I don't know if that's a real thing or not, but let's just say it is. I think it started a few weeks ago when all the colors stopped being "green" and turned into "red" and "yellow" and "brown" and "white" (still having trouble with blue for some reason - always calls it brown, too...). We have been working on colors for months (years?) and were starting to wonder if Luke was colorblind or something when, lo and behold, it just clicked one afternoon. Funny how that happens.
Like many preschoolers, Luke has a surprising ability to retain random memories - especially when the memory is "sweet" (and I mean that literally as well as figuratively). He recognizes our church building, even from a distance ("BIBLE SCHOOL!!!!! That's BIBLE SCHOOL!!!!!"), and he knows when we've entered a fast food parking lot ("Time to eat!"). Last week, when we stepped into Jason's Deli for the first time in several weeks, he immediately trilled, "Ice cre-eam!" At least we have our priorities, right?
Even his social skills have stepped up a notch. One of my grandmothers lives in a retirement center nearby, and when we go to visit her, we always get the red-carpet treatment from the blue-haired paparazzi hanging out in the lobby. As we left from our most recent visit, a group of about eight or ten older ladies and one gentleman were sitting in a circle near the exit, and when they started oohing and ahhing over the "babies," I asked Luke to wave goodbye to them. Before I knew it, he had walked right into the circle and was shaking hands with a couple of those sweet old dames! I didn't even know he could do that...
 |
| See, I told you he was hitting an intellectual growth spurt!! |
Unfortunately, Luke's new, mature ways don't always make him a pleasure to be around... For instance, his favorite phrase of the week is "NO TALKING." He enjoys employing this phrase just about any time P and I are having a discussion without him. He has also figured out how to change the command to meet various personal needs, as in "NO SINGING" (when I'm singing to get him to sleep, eat, go potty, etc.) or "NO COLORING" (when I'm writing in my Bible study book instead of paying him attention over breakfast).
(I should note that I don't really use that phrase much, if at all, so there's a pretty good chance that he's been giving his Bible school teachers a run for their money lately.)
I can't help but be challenged as I think about all this growing that my kids are doing: how am I growing, right now? If Jesus commands us to be like children, surely this is a lesson to take to heart...
Luke helps me remember Darby saying "No laughing! We must sing God's songs with respect..." when we were all laughing at how cute she was and clowning around while singing children's Bible songs.
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