Little fingers

Mr 3 was about 18 months old when he first decided to steeple his fingers. First, he touched his thumbs together, then his index fingers, his middle fingers, his ring fingers, and then his pinkies, until all 10 fingers were touching their opposites. And he had such a look of concentration on his face! He looked just like a little old, wise professor, trying to find an answer to a difficult problem. And he had worked out how to do this, all by himself; unlike my girls who had to be shown how, at around the age of 3 1/2.
Since that age, he has continued to develop his skills in finger manipulation. By two, instead of speaking about where he wanted to go, he would point. But where most children would point with a straight arm and straight finger, Mr 3 would curve his finger to point around the corner to where he wanted to go. He would then turn his hands so that his finger would point in the next direction, if what he wanted was more complex. In this way, he would explain fairly lengthy instructions regarding which directions he wanted me to follow him.
I think that his fingers have a sensitivity which mine do not. He also used to intentionally avoids touching substances which were wet, sticky, or cold.
And just last week, he surprised me. He woke early, and walked himself into our room, and crawled up onto the bed, in between Hubby and me. I draped my arm over him in an attempt to keep him still – because he finds keeping still a *really* difficult thing to do! – but Mr 3  picked up my arm and moved it, until he was holding my hand. He then used the fingers of his hand to spread out the fingers of mine, and then squeezed gently so that our fingers were entwined together. I was in shock! He’s three! I don’t know for certain, but I’m pretty sure that Miss 7 only did that just a few months back, and Miss 4 has never done it!

Sensitive fingers? I should say so! I think I’ll go and teach him some Piano now…