Christmas Stories

Here are a few stories about Ethan and how big he's getting:

Last Sunday, we went to the annual Christmas caroling party at The Shelloe's and Ethan was being a typical 3 year old by running around the house and eating plenty of candy and cookies. There were a couple of younger kids between the ages of 4-8 but Ethan didn't want to play with them. Oh no! He wanted to play with the bigger kids (ages 12-13). He stared going around the house with these boys and eventually made his way upstairs with them. We checked on him from time to time to make sure he was O.K. and that the teenagers didn't mind him hanging around with them. Of course, they were having fun with him and said that it was O.K. that he play with them, so we let them be. When it was time to go Ethan started to act his age and threw a little fit and started crying because he didn't want to go... he was having so much fun. After we made our way to the car and Ethan had calmed down, I asked him why he was so sad to leave and he said "we were going to scare the girls." It seems that Ethan is already enjoying flirting with the girls and he was so sad when it was time to go. (Really, I think the idea of scaring them was the most exciting thing ever!)

Then on Monday we went to church for Christmas Eve Mass. The kids did go despite it being 10pm and no sleep. Mommy was singing and the kids and I went to the back of the church because Avery was a little restless and was refusing to sleep. We were listening to the mass and when it came time for communion Ethan wanted to go up and partake. Since I am not Catholic, I cannot go to the front and this made Ethan a little sad. Then we saw our friend, Robert, at the end of the line and I told Ethan that he could go to the front of the church with him if he'd like. Ethan said O.K. and headed toward Robert. Robert wasn't expecting Ethan so he wasn't looking for him and eventually a few people got in line behind Robert. I told Ethan to go up and catch up with Robert but he said he just wanted to stay where he was, at the end of the line. He then followed everyone up to the front all by his self with his blankie around his neck. He walked all the way to the front, got a blessing from Father and walked back to the back where I was. It was the cutest thing I've ever seen and I was so proud. I don't know of any other three year old that would be this well behaved and do something like this without mommy noticing. It's too bad Leah missed the whole thing, even though she is in the front of the church with the choir (she says she was thanking God for the kids making it through mass without a fit).

We are so proud of our children and we couldn't be any more blessed.