Little Treasures and Nuggets of Delight

Just a little update on the things most precious to me:

Jack...

• This boy is growing up so fast, displaying new masteries of knowledge and emotional intuition daily.  Sometimes I forget he's still only 3!
• He's a very social boy; not always outgoing, but always loves being around people.  He is currently very excited about the prospect of starting preschool so that he can make his "own new friends."  We visited a couple days ago, and he's been bragging ever since about how well he obeyed the teacher and played with the kids, and tries to impress me with how well he knows to ask for the potty.
• He loves trains more than any other toy on the planet.  Anywhere he goes, he will pass up any other fun toys and just spend hours putting together train tracks and creating scenarios for his trains.
• He's a very sweet, kind, emotionally intuitive boy.  He is always very in tune with my emotions and will ask me about them, and when he knows I'm sad he smothers me with love.  
• He loves his sister and is proud of her accomplishments.  He cheers her on when she works toward a new milestone and loves to help teach her new things.  
• He seems to be quite mechanical and is definitely detail-oriented.  He's always fiddling with his toys to figure out how they work, and it has happened that he has figured out how to work a toy that we had even failed to figure out.  And he notices when the slightest thing is out of place.
• He's so smart!  I know, I should think so...but really, he's always saying these really smart things that we know we've never taught him, and we're not sure how he makes certain connections, but he just does. 
• He loves to help, and is so capable!  
• He's a very confident, self-assured, kind, happy boy, and I couldn't be more proud of him!

Safita...

• This girl is such a cuddle-able bundle of joy and delight!  She always has the brightest smile, is full of giggles, and is brimming with mischievous fun!  She's a trooper, and up for anything.
• She most certainly is not a dainty, fragile girl--she loves to get in on wrestling and holds her own!  When boys growl at her, she growls right back.  But she also loves pretty things, and spends her days roaming the house for "pretty treasures" to drape around her neck, whether it be a piece of clothing or some beads.  
• She adores her brother to no end.  Every morning, there is no match for her delight upon her first glimpse of "Ja-!"  I've never seen her so elated as when he hugs and kisses her.  And of course, though she does seem to enjoy dolls every now and then, her adoration for her brother seems to have influenced her play preferences, as she always goes for the trains and cars over anything else. 
• She's very decisive and makes sure her opinions are clearly expressed.  She loves to shake or nod her head to communicate, and always does so with a huge adorable grin.  Some days she likes to pick out her own clothes!
• She's a little bit mischievous...She's in a cute, yet frustrating, stage where she knows the things she's not supposed to do, and likes to test us.  If she knows she's not supposed to touch something, she'll wait til we're watching, reach her hand out to touch it, stop just short and turn to look at us while grinning and shaking her head no.  
• She's been pseudo-potty training with Jack.  She'll sit on the little toilet, grab the book to read, and when she's done she climbs the step stool to wash her hands.  She even seems to have closely observed my instructions to Jack about how to wash hands, because she does it perfectly!
• She's recently taking off with walking!  She's been able to take steps for over a month & a half, but in these last few days has really gained confidence and chooses to walk everywhere!  Her proud grins are telling that she knows she's doing something pretty cool. 
• Already, she's a little flirt.  And she loves to kiss the boys.  She loves to kiss in general, but if a boy tries to kiss her, she's all over it.  She loves to wake me in the morning by hovering over my face and kissing me sweetly on the lips.