Kyler and Jeanette: Craig Year 3 Retrospective

Craig's sleeping is strange, to say the least. I've posted about it before. Most of the time, he loves to take naps. Most of the time, he heads to his bed (or falls asleep where he is) happily and naps well. We love naptime. Bedtime, however... that's another story. It is not unusual for us to get Craig ready for bed, in pj's, story read, tucked in, around 7:30 or 8, and it's also not unusual for Craig to stay awake until 9... 9:30... 10... 10:30... and while he is awake, he is wreaking havoc in his bedroom, or the playroom, or wherever he ends up.

And then, come morning, he is a beast to wake up, because he was up until TEN PM.

He can be very stubborn when he wants to be. Yes, I know, you're thinking, "Hmmm, I wonder where he got it." For example, though, Craig won't pray. It's not that he doesn't know how to; he totally does. The very rare times we get him to even discuss prayer, he knows what to do. But he won't do it. Primary is going to be fun next year...

Craig is one of the best people to ask for a hug. He is excellent at giving them, and loves to cuddle.

However, he is sometimes difficult to convince to sit still, and seems to believe anything is free game to use a jungle gym, including people.

It's quite the dichotomy, with as sweet and cuddly as he can be, be can also be violent at times. Sometimes Craig hits things (or people) and says something like, "bumma!" while he hits. When you say, don't hit, he'll say, I wasn't hitting, I was bumma-ing. Okay, fine, don't bumma then!

Craig simply adores Calista, and is influenced by her - if she says she doesn't like dinner, he suddenly doesn't like dinner.

Which makes things very frustrating...
They also mostly play and get along really well.

Which can be really nice. Obviously, there are times they fight, but on the whole, I like them together.

Like Calista, Craig likes watching videos and video games, though he has less patience for sitting and watching them than Calista. Probably because he doesn't have a ton of patience for sitting still in general. In spite of his movement, Craig loves to read by himself or be read to, and has more patience for playing alone than Calista did at his age.

Craig is a little better about running away/into the street... a little... but doesn't usually listen very well.

Craig is now a big brother! Craig likes to talk about Caleb as being so cute or adorable.

He loves to notice the similarities between them, pointing out if they both have striped pajamas or something. "He's little, and I'm big. He's wearing pajamas like me, but I'm big!" Craig also loves to point out when Caleb is smiling at him.

Most of the time, he is pretty good with the baby. Sometimes he's a little careless, but we're working on it. When I am nursing Caleb, Craig loves to climb into my lap and inform me that there are two boys on my lap, so I am trapped.

Thanks, buddy.

Craig likes to pick out his own clothes, and if you pick out something he doesn't like, he'll have a meltdown. "I wanted the rainbow shirt, remember? I wanted these pants, remember?" Um, no, I don't remember, since you never told me...!

When he was a baby, I said Craig never cried without being easily solved (feed, change diaper, etc) or having a clear reason (Calista smacked him). now he tantrums semi-regularly, but I could probably still solve them if I was willing to give him whatever he wanted. Too bad I don't.

He always flings himself onto the floor/ground when he is tantruming, no matter where we are. Sidewalk, at the zoo, middle of a store, or the front room, it makes no difference to him.

Don't call Craig anything other than "Craig." One Sunday, I called him handsome, and he broke down in tears. "I'm not handsome! I'm Craig!" Whoops, I'll never make that mistake again.

Craig is a yin/yang kind of child. He has two speeds: running or as slow as cold tar. He will climb on your head, over your shoulder, on top of the back of the couch, and jump off while you are sitting on it. He will literally bounce off walls (or at least try to climb them). He will wiggle and laugh and blow spit bubbles during prayers. He will throw books, cars, or blocks at your head, or his siblings'. You want to slap him or yell at him or something to get him to stop and listen! And then... Craig comes up and wants to cuddle. He loves to read books and take naps. He will offer to share his brownie or his juice, even though you know he loves them. he will try to get Caleb to smile when he's fussing, patting his back or talking to him. He will tell Calista he loves her and he misses her when she goes to school. he'll sit in your lap and give you the best hug ever.