Yes, I Know You Are Not Supposed To Label Your Children.

We were really surprised, what with Michael and I being the fun-loving, goofballs that we are, that Noah turned out to be such a serious child. He can be drawn into goofiness at times, but just as often he scolds us for playing around with him. He has actually asked out loud at times, "Why do I have to have TWO silly parents???" and will yell, "Stop being so silly!" to which we will reply, "Stop being so darn SERIOUS!"

As it turns out, he is also very left brained and logical. He is a thinker, not a dreamer. A doer, not an "imaginer". He was navigating computer menus and playing games by 2 and a half. He is curious and often asks questions about how things work. In his father's line, most folks become doctors or engineers. I think Noah would veer toward Engineering.

Luka has been well-balanced and on the move since he toddled up onto his feet. He can stand on the arm of the couch without a waver, and jump over a daddy laying down on the floor in a single bound. He loves to climb, and go under things, and often hops from room to room. Why walk when you can hop. He has always been in touch with his body, while Ethan was always still a bit unbalanced and unsure of his step. We wonder if Luka might become a jock, into sports and and all things physical.

I used to call Noah "my thinker", Luka "my jock" and because Ethan didn't really show signs of what he would excel in yet, I called Ethan "my lover". He is good at what he calls giving "hugs and kisses and love".

But just lately, a new aptitude for art has just shown itself and is starting to blossom! At first, I was surprised to find him able to put Legos together far earlier than Noah ever was, making a "+" shape and declaring it an airplane, building a stack and calling it a tower. Then, I noticed he would have a space on a Lego "thing" he was building that only a "two dot" Lego would fit in, and he would dig until he found the right shape and then fit it into the spot! I think he has a talent for spatial thinking that the other two haven't showed. And, even though Luka is the physically gifted one, Ethan is the one who can throw a ball right to you every time.

Ethan was playing with his Magna-doodle the other day and I drew a circle and asked him if he could draw a face in it. I took him step by step through it, two eyes, now a nose, and a mouth, and you could see the light bulb go on. Now he gets crazy if you draw the circle for him and all day he draws face after face proclaiming, "Happy!" or "Sad..." depending on how it comes out.

While Ethan is still a lover (they all are, really) I think I need to change his label to "my artist". Above is a photo of the very first face he ever drew. He was so proud.

So was I.