35 months and 15 months

The boys are starting to play and interact alot more.  I"ve been asking them to hold hands when we cross the street and Kyle really likes to hold Eli's hand and make him mind.  Eli thinks we are playing Ring Around the Rosie (his favorite game other than patty cake and ride the horsie).  We had VBS this last week.  It made me realize alot about Kyle.  He is very busy but has trouble listening and obeying his teachers.  I've decided he is alot like me and likes to test things to see what happens and also needs strong leaders over him.  He will respect and look up to strong leaders, but weak ones he walks all over.  I am the same way.  I had a preschool teacher who everyone thought was mean, but I loved her!
Also Kyle has stopped laying down to take naps with me so we have moved to Rest Time.  It has been better for our relationship and I've thankfully not been too tired not getting in my afternoon nap.  Kyle is still tired but seems to be adjusting.  This is no surprise since he's hated naps since he was born...LOL
He is very excited for his birthday next month.  We are having a Dump Truck birthday and I told him he could pick out a balloon at party city and he's so excited for that.  I love birthday parties!

Eli is talking up a storm.  He has decided that signing is good too.  He says/signs more, all done, thank you, please, sleep. and signs yes.  He says, Momma, Daddy, Bye Bye, hello, poo poo, blankie, binky, Gi Gi, Auntie, cracker, na na and more I'm probably forgetting.  He is cutting all four molars which has been no fun.  He loved the music at VBS and loves to dance on stage and be the center of attention.  He has quite the ornery streak in him too, but obeys when I ask him to do things most times.  He's so cute when I ask him to throw away something he's so proud of himself when he goes and does it.  He is quite the little helper around the house.

Parenting

For anyone who knows Ben and I, it's no surprise that Kyle is our strong-willed child.  He was lucky enough to have both parents be very strong-willed themselves.  Parenting his strong-willed little self is very challenging at times.  Most days I ask him to do something and he looks at me and laughs and does what he wants.  Which usually results in me saying if he doesn't obey me right now he will be getting a spanking for disobedience and then he usually obeys.  His new thing is when I ask him to get in the car he runs off so I get in the car, act like I'm leaving and he screams and runs to get in.  It's very much a battle of the wills lately.

One big battle is naps.  He still is too tired to not take an afternoon nap but tells be everyday, "I don't like naps."  I then tell him everyone has to take naps and so does he.  I would let him just read books in his room or whatever but it usually results in some kind of temper tantrum from being so tired and waking up his brother who is napping in the next room.  So I have to lay down with him in his bed and usually nap with him.  It takes a while usually to get him to calm down and be still to allow himself to go to sleep.  This is no surprise to me because since he was born he has hated naps.  I had to let him just cry and figure out how to go to sleep on his own when he was an infant because he WOULD NOT take a nap.  I tried rocking him, and he would scream.  Finally after about 3 days he figured it out and napped great after that.  Then once he could climb out of his crib he had more freedom than he could handle and wouldn't take a nap unless he had me there to help him.  It's hard being a parent.

But today I got a huge blessing and encouragement from God to keep on keeping on even though Kyle makes me feel like the worst parent in the world sometimes.  After he through a fit when he woke up from his nap (a very common occurance...you'd think he would wake happy after a nap) I went outside and he came out and said, "Mommy I'm sorry for yelling in anger."  I almost cried.  It made me so happy.  I hugged him and told him I forgave him and was so happy that he apologized to me.

So even though parenting is really hard, it's the little things that make it worth it.