Graham Stuff (with a side of Patrick)

I thought Graham deserved his own post (but I can't help but post a pic of Patrick because he's too cute).

Graham amazes me. This kid is so smart! He is communicating better every day, repeats everything, and understands so much. He knows all his basic colors (including brown, black, and white) and often tries to count his toys. Lately he's been into building railroad tracks and towers, playing with playdough, and coloring his balloons with markers.

Graham loves watching videos on Youtube. He gets so excited to watch videos of marbles ("mahbuls") in marble machines and marbles going down intricate ramps. I see a scientific mind at work. He also loves watching sports tutorials, such as a short tennis lesson. He is ready to learn! I'm glad he has a thirst for knowledge.

Graham and I have inside jokes. He will often quote a line from a movie that we think is funny. This is SO Behn!

Graham has gotten very good about going to bed/nap. Even though he has the ability to get out of bed and walk out of his room, most of the time he stays in bed when he's put down. It took a long time to get that way! And now at bedtime he has to have: Curious George, a random baby doll he found in the basement, a stuffed dog, and his dog Scout ("Slout"). He often asks for a favorite ball to sleep with as well. Once he and his army of toys are in bed, he usually settles down. Of course he always asks now, "Mama lay down?" and we usually have a few quiet moments together before I go on to do something else. How can I resist not laying down with my little boy for a few minutes?

Graham has been learning a few catechism questions. I want to start a daily learning time where we'll sing a song, read a Bible verse, read a book, etc. when we are settled into our new place (and when his attention span is a bit longer) but since the house search isn't going well, I may try to start the learning time in the next few weeks. But for now I'm proud he's learned a few easy catechism questions.

And...then there's the typical but not-so-fun stuff. In the past week, Graham has really struggled with some severe tantrums. He had 2 yesterday, and Behn and I were shocked to see our sweet boy transformed into such an angry and emotional person when he didn't get his way. It was really hard- and long! Homeboy was in a rage for a full 30 minutes. We hardly even knew what to do! I think we handled it well, though. And after he calmed down and we talked about everything with him and disciplined him, we had a good day. I know we're in the trenches; Graham is learning about this world and figuring out how things work, who's in charge, etc. I pray we can be consistent and loving as we train his little mind and heart. 

But above all, we just love him. We're so thankful for him and that he's in our family. He's a gift!

This one is a gift too!