Life at Three

From what we've experienced so far, we're learning that the age and stage of 3 is a roller coaster. Some moments, we're proudly smiling at one of Cody and Jaden's creative ideas, chuckling at their silly antics, or happily receiving one of their warm hugs. Mere seconds later, the atmosphere can change dramatically as we rush to break up an argument, calm a tantrum, or stand firm against a stubborn, independent 3-year-old.

The roller coaster ride definitely is exhausting but exhilarating as well. We love Jaden and Cody's growing fascination with the world around them, their curious observations and questions, their increasing independence (for the most part!), their playful natures, their constant energy, and their loving hearts. Some days, yes, are crazy and very frustrating, but through it all we love our little guys immensely. We're thankful that God chose us to be their parents!

Shortly after their birthday, Jaden and Cody had 3-year-old pictures taken at a professional studio. Unfortunately, they weren't in the greatest of moods that day, nor was the photographer very energetic or creative about how to get kids to smile. These following pics were the best that we got...

Poor Cody was trying so hard at this point (eager for the food bribe that Mommy was promising)! But how do you explain what a "natural" smile is to a 3-year-old?

Jaden, on the other hand, firmly replied with a "I'm not going to smile" to any bribe or antic that I attempted. This was the most pleasant expression we could get out of him.

Thankfully, a few weeks later we had a Walquist family gathering in Albuquerque, and Aunt Sarah graciously agreed to do take some pictures of the boys. This photo shoot was a thousand times better! It made my heart happy. :) I'm so grateful to my talented sister-in-law for capturing so many fun, natural expressions of our little ones.

The next few photos are my favorite. The boys' goofy smiles are in response to a phrase from a current book favorite: "(The monster) will sneak up behind you, and milk will come out of your nose!" Jaden and Cody think this line is just hilarious, and they start giggling simply in anticipation of this part. It was perfect for eliciting good smiles!

Here's our Jaden-man...

I just had to include this one! This expression from Jaden is quite common in our household these days. :)

And my favorite pic...

The next three are of Cody. The first captures his natural goofiness quite well.

My favorite of Cody...

What else does life at 3 look like?

Current Favorites

• repeat readings of favorite books (Berenstein Bears, Curious George, Little Critter, Froggy, Max the Duck, Clifford, Arthur)
• analyzing book jackets to see which books in a series we still need to read
• singing while jumping on our small indoor trampoline (always with a Boom Whacker in hand)
• listening to short audio stories in the car
• piling LOTS of toys, books, and stuffed animals in closets
• flying "way, way, waaaay far away" on their rocket ship (their bed) or riding the elevator (their closet)
• vehicles-- lining them all up or zooming them around the house
• games like Busy Town and Hullabaloo 
• playing Bounce (a Daddy-created game)
• wrestling!!
• fitting together small 12-piece puzzles
• back rubs before naptime or bedtime
• playing pretend games with their Little People sets (they will often recite random lines from their books while playing)
• spending time in the water at pools, splash pads, or even just in the sprinklers

Recent Accomplishments

• singing their ABCs
• recognizing 8-10 letters
• counting to 20 (Jaden has this mastered, but Cody often gets to 13 and says 13, 13, 13, 13)
• identifying written numbers from 1-12
• singing various songs from Wild Week (our church's VBS) 
• putting on their sandals
• washing hands before meals
• reciting their address

Funny Quirks

• Cody awakens from every nap asking for a pile of books in his bed. He'll sit for nearly 20 minutes, flipping through a HUGE stack of books, page by page
• Both boys often substitute "d" sounds for "f" as in "I want some more dood (food)" or "one, two, tee, door!"
• Jaden and Cody often confuse their pronouns. Our favorite is hearing them say, "We go to we house!" or "We did it all by weself!"
• One of Jaden's favorite "chores" is checking to see if the laundry is done. He will energetically proclaim, "It's green! It's all done!" if he sees the "cycle complete" light on our washer.
• Both boys love pretending that their dinosaurs are all pastors (see photo below). The pastors will be all lined up "teaching us about Jesus" while they sit on the church pew (the nearby couch).

These videos are a random collection of Life at Three...

Pat-a-Cake

Jaden and Cody increasingly use their playtime to actually play together (opposed to basic parallel play). The boys rarely play in different rooms. This means that Mommy & Daddy mediate quite a few conflicts throughout the day. However, it also means that we can witness a fair share of precious playtime moments too...

Playtime Chatter

Jaden and Cody are rarely silent while they play. This video captures a glimpse of their daily conversations.

Singing

After our week of Bible school at church, Jaden and Cody daily imitated the songs. This particular one is their version of "God's Not Dead."

3-Year-Interviews

A few questions with Jaden...

My first interview with Cody was too long to upload. Cody was in a great mood and answered all kinds of questions! This video is just a brief one...

We're excited to see where this "roller coaster of three" continues to take us. We're thankful for God's heavenly guidance and wisdom along the way!