William 4.3

Both kids had a blast at Halloween, but Will had an especially fun time dressing as a super hero. He went as Super Man and would loudly proclaim that his costume and particularly his cape, allowed him to run ever faster than before! They both got huge sacks of candy and had an awesome time trick or treating with their cousins - who now live just up the road!





Will continues to impress me with his physicality this month. He has just about mastered all of the advanced climbing structures at all of our local parks. He is definitely cautious, but also determined to master them. The look of pride on his face when he does, makes me smile. He has also been obsessed with bikes the last few months. We got a balance bike this past summer and he rode the heck out of that thing. Then we got him a pedaled bike with training wheels. This bike took some getting used to, and some muscle training, as the thing weighs close to 40lbs. Pedaling it uphill is a big challenge for someone who doesn't quite weigh what the bike does!

Until this month, he had been practicing and gaining strength with this bike, and I was considering taking the training wheels off to see how he would do, but I just hadn't gotten around to it just yet. Then one day we met some friends at the park, and they had a two wheeler with no training wheels. Will wanted to try it. I tried to help him at first but all he was doing was acting scared and crying a lot. So I decided to let him figure it out for himself. Not 5 minutes later I look up and he is off, pedaling that two wheeler like a pro! I was amazed. When we got home I took the training wheels off of his bike and the rest is history. Now all he wants to do is go to the park and ride his bike around and around the paths. He is really enjoying the speed and agility of the 'big boy bike.' Now he needs a slightly bigger one to fit his growing frame!

Another of his favorite things lately is air hockey. We go to this local community center on rainy days and there is an air hockey table. Last spring when we first discovered it, he had no concept of how to use it. I tried to teach him repeatedly, but he just was not getting it. The community center closed over the summer and when it re-opened this fall, one of the first things we wanted to do was go back and play air hockey. I groaned internally but acquiesced. This time however he had it down! Apparently his brain had been marinating on air hockey all summer and now hes actually pretty good! He blocks most of my shots (granted I am no expert, but I am also not letting him win by any means) and manages to get shots by me on a regular basis. Its actually fun to play with him now!

One big and totally welcome change this month, is that Will can totally dress himself now. Hes been able to do pants on his own for a while, and occasionally shirts, but I always had to help him with underwear and socks and sometimes shirts as well. Suddenly over night, he just figured it all out. He doesn't always get his clothes to face the right way, but he gets them on, that is the important thing. Its SO nice to get him up in the morning and just tell him to come down to breakfast, with no help or input on my part. Independence is such a great thing sometimes!

In other big news, Will told me one night around Halloween time, that he though that he was ready to start keeping his nighttime diapers dry. I told him that if he could keep them dry for a month - until Thanksgiving, that he would be able to earn a super hero umbrella. We had been encouraging him for a while by rewarding him with sour patch kids each morning that he woke up dry. But the umbrella proved to be the best incentive of all, and after a solid month of waking up dry, he is now fully night trained! I am so SO proud of my (not so) little guy! He is growing up fast!