Gabe's 3rd Year Highlights

When the kids were all little, I used to keep a notebook by my bed and every month or so (or more) I'd jot down the new "doings" for each of them. Then, when I scrapbooked, I could add some of their highlights and firsts to their baby books. Well, as happens with life, things change, and that notebook had now collected dust at the bottom of the stack by my bed for a good year now. So, I've decided that blogging some of these little "firsts" might end up being a better deal all around. Gabe, of course, being the third, has been most shafted so we'll begin with him.

Gabe has long been interested in farming. He lives to go to Papa's and visit. The fall he was 2 we were able to visit right at harvest time and we spent many hours sitting on chairs and blankets watching the combines go and the tractors and bogey wagons coming up beside them to unload. We even got to see the semis being loaded by the bogey wagons and roll away to the elevator. On top of that, they parked the huge, yellow combine in the field next to Grammie and Papa's house and Gabe had permission to climb up and see inside. Due to this intense interest, Papa started bringing Gabe his own "books" (magazines put out by implement dealers full of pictures of machinery they want to sell). These books will keep Gabe busy for hours and he loves to "read" them with Papa--pointing out the Case IH combine or the CAT tractor or the John Deere baler, etc. Also Papa stopped by the Case IH and the Cat dealers and got permission, and keys if needed, so that he and Gabe could climb up and sit in the cabs of the big tractors and combines. And, last but not least, no trip to the farm is complete without Uncle Luke firing up the old tractor and taking Gabe (and sometimes his siblings) on a good, long tractor ride. There are no cows to feed anymore, but the tractor rides are still the highlight. Playing with all of Uncle Luke's farm toys is another fun activity that Gabe spends hours at each time we go up.


Gabe is our best playing kid. He plays well with others...mostly Elly, but Ashley, Ady, Isaiah, Zach and Jack are favorite playmates. He's a great sharing boy and also isn't so set on his way that he can't bend to building a house out of duplos...and playing Pet Shops or dressing up, much to his brother's consternation, to dance with Elly to Angelina Ballerina. (A favorite moment: Elly asked Gabe to "dip" her and proceeded to bend back...thankfully, Gabe is about the same weight as Elly and didn't drop her.) This year has been the year that Elly has had "school" in the morning. Gabe is wonderful at playing by himself either in the family room or up in the playroom. Often, he goes up and Elly finds him after she finished about an hour later, happily doing his own thing...usually with tractors. He also has become quite accomplished with the mouse this year. He started with a farm CD rom--imagine that and now has fun on starfall.com working on his letters, sheppard software working on their preschool units and pbskids.org with Curious George, Clifford, and Super Why (with Elly's help). Other times (usually when Mom pulls out a book or an activity...so History or Science or Literature...Gabe comes in and plops on my lap to read along for awhile, and then finds his toys and proceeds to play on the floor nearby and listens along. How do I know this? He answers the questions right along with the others.

Gabe has long loved to be outside. He loves the park, the sandpile, and the street if Mom's up for going out to supervise. He also is the first to grab his shovel when Daddy is shoveling the driveway, to grab his mower, when Daddy is mowing (and the handle of the wagon to weed eat), the hoe or his other gardening tools when Mama heads out to the garden. He loves to help wash the car and wipe down appliances. If you'll help him, he's a great picker upper. Uncle Luke was changing his oil in the truck while Gabe visited and not only did Gabe come out to watch him like a hawk, but he fetched tools for his uncle and much to his uncles delight, put things away when he was done without being asked. Gabe has been gifted with being able to see a need and serve. It's an amazing thing to see a three year old so delighted to help. He also makes his bed and puts away the "kid cups and dishes" in the dishwasher. I guess when you're the third, you see chores being done and you pitch in. Of course, it's always better when there's a buddy though. This willingness to work also asserts itself when learning new things. Gabe followed his big brother's example and learned to ride his bike without training wheels at 3 1/2. It's a little scary, but he's a good driver. Since he's learned to balance on the scooter, he only had to learn starting and stopping and that took about 1 day.

Gabe is the funniest three year old I know. I do wonder sometimes if Elly and Isaiah were this funny, but I had another baby by then and was too exhausted to laugh. He remembers one liners (a talent inherited from his Daddy). He loves to sing but has "chronic lyricosis" (inherited from Mom) so the words are never right. He would love to be the clown at the supper table but Daddy put the kabosh on that trying to train the kids to eat quietly and take turns in conversation. Mama also literally restrained him because the new rule is that if he gets out of his seat once, he gets a warning and then out comes the kitchen towel to tie him in. He's even prayed and asked God at Sunday School to help him sit still so he doesn't have to be tied up. (Yep, had to explain that one.) He loves to watch Looney Tunes and plays "I will hug you and squeeze you and call you, George." with Mama. He's quick to cuddle up with a book on your lap and it will need to be about machines or something funny.

Gabe has been a kid that trains easily. If you sit down and tell him why you need him to ____ or need him to stop _____. He seems to get it. If he forgets (or tests the boundary) usually one or maybe two consequences get his attention. He doesn't like to have people upset with him and notices when they aren't pleased. I realize this people pleasing mentality will have to be watched later on, but for now, in training a three year old, it's a good deal. He's also quick to understand he was wrong and apologize and then in turn to confess and ask God's help. I do pray that this willingness and humbleness will never leave him as he gets older.