3 years + 9 months

Lincoln did great while we were gone on vacation, but ever since we returned, he has stuck to me like wallpaper.  He has to hold my hand to go anywhere and always needs to know where I am.  We have been working on bathroom privacy (i.e. letting me go by myself).  This is a bit trickier since our master bathroom door doesn't latch all the way shut, let alone lock.  We've had lots of conversations through the door!

One conversation we seem to have about 20 times/day goes something like this...
Lincoln:  Mommy, Mommy, I have to tell you something
Me: What?
Lincoln:  About...proceeds with long, rambling monologue about a Thomas character or something completely inconsequential.
Oftentimes, Emily will pipe in with "What?"  Without out skipping a beat, Lincoln will say, "No, you're Emily.  Mommy, I have to tell you something."  He does the same thing with Austin.  Sigh.

On a positive note, Lincoln has learned how to button buttons this month!  He often practices on his "coats" (i.e. button-up pajama shirts).  You never know how dressed (or undressed) he'll be when you check on him in bed.  It can also take excruciatingly long to get dressed after a bath.  Luckily, he usually allows me to help with the last couple if we need to keep moving.

The other thing Lincoln is learning about right now is money.   As mentioned in his post last month, he talks a lot about all the trains and videos he is going to buy.  So, using my new Cricut machine, I made him a set of money jars from the Tootsie Roll banks the kids received in their stocking & V-day gifts.  Since he can't read yet, I also added pictures to help him know what each jar was for.  I made a few adjustments to the plan for both him and Emily.  When they receive their dollar from Grandpa Lorenzen in the mail each week, they trade it in for four quarters.  One goes into the Give jar for church offering.  One goes into the Spend jar for treats like candy or amusement rides.  Two go into Save for bigger items--like trains or Legos.  Lincoln is beyond excited when he gets his coins and is beginning to understand the concept.  It's never too early to start!

One last funny note, my mom is the one who noticed that whenever Lincoln refers to the next day, he says, "Tomorrow-day."  Which only makes sense when the other days are Yesterday and Today. :o)  Below is a picture of his artwork from preschool.