Still undaunted

Ethan and Eliana both remain impressed and excited by the huge tractors at the fair. Eliana in particular continues to climb carefully, yet with no hesitation.

An Eliana first: She inspired a profit motive.

The children do most chores around the house because it’s just part of family life. Ethan has are some optional chores, rather like extra credit, that he can choose to do in exchange for money for spending on frivolities that I’m not willing to buy him. While the value of that money (or its absence) seems important to him as we pass the candy isle, it doesn’t rise to the same level on the job site.

Eliana has a contagious willing spirit. Any attempt she makes at a task instantly motivates her big brother. When I offered her Ethan’s job of moving rocks onto the the berm that had spilled past its border, Ethan had a sudden inspiration, and I had two willing workers.

An E&E first: Ethan reported that Eliana swung by herself.

Ethan has been teaching Eliana to pump her legs when she swings. I reminded him that there was a time when he was learning to swing. We’d occasionally looked back on his first-time accomplishments, looking through the blog posts and his first year book. He showed his familiarity with how I record them when with great excitement, Ethan announced, “An Eliana first: She’s pumping her legs and swinging.”

An Eliana first: She buckled herself in.

As Beth went to buckle Eliana in on our way to square dancing, Eliana informed her that she was already buckled. When Beth asked who bucked her in, Eliana smiled big and said she did.

Another Ethan first: He made a full train layout.

I walked into the basement and unexpectedly found this - a beautiful result of growing skill and attention span.

Another Ethan first: He chopped down a tree.

“Tree” here means one of the trunks, but that still took some effort, since he was using a primitive Ethiopian ax.

An Eliana first: She requested a novel.

A couple years ago, when spoken words weren't yet an option, Eliana found the novel Redwall for me to read to her. Tonight she verbalized a similar request. When it came time for Eliana to pick the children's bedtime story, she selected the novel we've been reading through, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It is a delight to see how she is drawn along with Ethan and me into the story and the characters’ choices.