Five Random Things Monday: Jabin

1. Mr. Independent: Jabin earned this title early on in life, always wanting to do everything himself from the moment he discovered food could come from something besides a breast. Lately, he has been pressing to remain the Reigning Champion of the title, no longer being happy to let someone else butter his bread, put condiments on his food, open his bananas, etc. For the most part, this is a welcome change--now, if only we could get him to figure out how to do up his coat zipper, we'd be laughing!
2. Scissors: Lately, Jabin has been the "King of Cutting". He is not happy colouring a picture, unless he is also allowed to cut it out. His skill with the scissors has therefore been improving exponentially--but sometimes, I think he cuts off Roo's tail, or the snowman's hat, or the sun's rays on purpose, just so he can then use some clear tape to put them back together! (There was a line there, right? Why else would they put a line there unless they wanted him to cut it?)
3. Socks: Jabin was the lucky recipient of the first pair of socks I have ever made. I finished them Friday--one week per sock, with fairly consistent daily work on them. They are uber-cute, especially on his little footsies--but it didn't take me long to decide that the next pair would be made from a larger-gauge yarn! (I just don't want to take two weeks to make something as small as socks. Call me crazy if you must.) He loves them, which warms my cockles. How gratifying is it, after roughly 30 hours of work (and a new callous!) to tell the boy that his socks are finished and have him jump up and down excitedly while yelling "Yay!" not once, not twice, but thrice?
4. Motor Skills: Of my three boys, Jabin's fine motor skills have probably developed the earliest--he is a champion colourer, he loves to paint with watercolours and acrylics, and his cutting obsession has already been described. Although most of his recent colouring work has fallen prey to his scissors, I managed to save one from the guillotine for posterity:
5. Helping: Jabin loves helping--and he is getting old enough that occasionally, he can actually be helpful! Okay, he might not do the most stellar job of wiping down walls, sweeping the floor, or picking up toys--but he is trying, he's learning, and he loves feeling useful. Everyone's gotta start somewhere!