State of Grace. And Ava. And Nate.

Jason and I had a pow wow about the kids the other morning. We sat out on our balcony and did the whole "State of the Kids" discussion. It was kind of impromptu actually, but since all 5 of us have been back together again, it had become apparent that we needed to regroup a little. We talked about how they're doing and how we're doing in parenting them. We're kind of at a stage with all three where we need to tweak our approach. With Ava and Nate, cause they're getting older--and the "currency" that mattered to them before doesn't anymore. Plus, like I've mentioned, they are maturing and asking more questions and able to "handle" more. Which necessitates that we change, too. (We're really making this up as we go!) And we have to adjust our strategies with Grace, cause she's entering that stage--you know the one--and because we've been a little lax with her. She's just too darn cute!

Now, I know the 2 year olds in your life are adorable, too. Ha--it's like that joke: "You are a unique and special snowflake in the universe...just like everybody else." But we sure like our little snowflake. Even if she demands her way--no really, she will stand up to complete strangers and tell them to move if they're occupying a spot she wants. Even if she is now refusing to eat any and all fruit. Even if she has started wanting to wipe her own bottom during diaper changes...the horror!

Sometimes it's easier to talk about Grace on the blog, cause the silly stuff she does is more universal 2 year old behavior. I've found that I'm starting to be more careful with what I share about Ava and Nate...they're older of course, and I'd never want them to be embarrassed by what they might read here. So, though I might mention that Nate dancing around with his undies on his head, I won't specify if it was boxer briefs or Spiderman tighty whities. That kind of thing. Very circumspect.

Although Grace is in a "challenging" phase at the moment, she's also pretty stinking hilarious to us, too. Today I called my parents on FaceTime, so that Grace could see them. It was evening in Florida, and my mom was already wearing her nightgown. The nightgown is probably not normally featured on a live trans-oceanic transmission. It's usually reserved for at-home events only--picture something you might find in the "mature woman" section at Wal-Mart. (Mom, I say this in love.) Anyway, the instant Mom and Dad come up on the screen, Grace exclaims: "Grandma!! Pretty dress!" It made us laugh, but obviously I need to do some work with Grace on fashion and textiles. What do you think--flashcards, maybe? Then, later my dad was teasing her and put his bearded face up close to the camera, acting like he was trying scratch her with it. "No!" she called out, "Wipe!" And she ran and got a baby wipe and started trying to clean my iPhone screen.

I can remember, as a very little girl, watching Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood and imagining that if I could just break through the glass, I could step through the frame of the TV and be in that world. It struck me today, that for Grace, FaceTime and webcams are the equivalent. It's a crazy, amazing thing.

For me so far, the challenge of parenting is knowing what to let slide, and what to address, deal with, work on. This could very well just be me and my personality! But I guess we all bring that into the mix, don't we? I'm reminding myself to relax and enjoy the kids, but also to try to help them be the people they're meant to be. So, I guess it's good that they make me laugh so much.

It was the Spiderman undies, by the way. Oh, but I've said too much.