Slap Happy

I have often used the term 'slap happy'..usually in a "I'm too so therefore I laugh hysterically at ridiculous stuff" Toda I realized Slap happy can really just mean that..as I watched my two girls slap eachother over and over laughing a 'wet your pants' laugh. I was slightly torn..should they be slapping each other? No..but apparently they weren't doing it hard..as it was considered delightfully funny. In these instances..as long as everyones laughing..I am the mom that sais "slap on...slap on".

White Bear and Wags

When Tom was a little boy he had a Polar Bear that he called Wags..b/c he felt bad that he had no tail. This was by far his favorite bear. When he grew up and had a daughter his parents gave him Wags. Lilly is pretty fond of Wags and generally calls him Wagon, apprently the original name was somewhat lost in translation. I also had a white bear that was by far my favorite bear. I never gave my bear a name b/c I was never good about coming up with an original name and sticking with it (this explains alot). Recently our second daughter has taken to carrying MY white bear around and for some reason this just makes me absolutly wonderful. The fact that our girls have fallen so madly in love with the bears of our youth ovefer all the new fangled ones just puts a smile on my face. Now if Lucy gravitates towards MY mothers white bear..we may have a story on our hands :).

Gypsies

Lilly sat at dinner tonight and she just said 'gypsies'. I said 'gypsies?' She said that "yes, she was going to sell us to gypsies if we put her in no fun..another bit of parent words passed to kids. :)

Bath Wings?

When Lilly was a baby she would run to bath stark naked with her arms flying behind her like crazy wings. Not straight out wings, but behind her wings like an angel. Tom and I loved it. It is hilarious and cute. She stopped awhile back so we havent seen bath wings for at least a year UNTIL Ella started doing it. What makes our babies decide to take flight when they are headed for bath naked as the day is born? I will never know, but it does beg the question..will Lucy have wings?

Lilly vomits..Ella screams

Lilly has a very sensitive stomach. She has been a frequent vomiter for some time in our lifes together..a couple times a week since she was 18 months. She gets upset, she vomits..she gets too hot..she vomits..she eats dinner to late..she vomits..well..you get my point. Well, Ella for the most part is a bit of a neat freak. She really likes clean spaces, faces, ect. So now we have a topsy turvy world where Lilly vomits and Ella screams..huge bellowing screams and cries..she hates it. So this is my life one kids vomiting while the other wails until I clean it up. Its the hairy moments that actually make me fear having more kids less..not more as you would assume. Its those moments when everythings perfect that I feel like maybe I should just be done. So I guess if God wants me to keep having more babies he should keep throwing out these curveballs..but not to many or I may develop a drinking problem.

Lilly Predicts.

I asked Lilly today what she thought Lucy would look like. She told me Blonde, curly hair with blue eyes..now we wait.

My girls and God

Neither one of my girls are crazy talkers--they both did things in a different sort of way, but the one thing they both have in common is two different words/phrases. Both girls said Amen with vigor as some of their first words and both girls say/will say "Bless You" after you sneeze. I am sure the "Bless You" is in at least in part due to the fact that there is alot of sneezing over here, but its good to know that we are using it. These are things that happen that make one feel like they aren't doing a totally terrible job as a parent so one (myself) can go on another day joyfully--or at least trying to be joyful.

Sisters

People often ask me if my girls get along..I feel like the only way to answer that is to say "well, they get along like sisters". Its normal for sisters and I am assuming brothers, but I only have a sister to be hugging and playing one minute and slapping each other the next. Most of the time I intervene when they aren't being loving, but sometimes I just wait it out-let them play out the fight and see where it goes. They need to learn conflict resolution just like the rest of us. Most of the time it ends up me having to eventually referee, but maybe one day they will learn to sort out their differences on their own and I need to give them that opportunity every now and again. I know they love each other-so that keeps everything in perspective.

Lilly--1-2-3 and Dirt

Today I was on the elliptical when Lilly came in asking for juice. I was only two minutes from being done so I told her I would get some in a minute. She was pretty persistant, so I said count to 60 and then I will get your drink. So she sais "1-2-3-60..time for my drink" Clever, clever enough to make me think I should wind up early...I didn't..but I thought about it.
Yesterday was really the first nice day of the year that the ground wasn't a total puddle..so I sent the girls to play in the yard. After 5 minutes my Lilly--who has always been a nature, get her hands dirty type girl comes in and tells me that she is done b/c her pants are dirty and she can't play in dirty pants. I tell her that dirt is fine and it will come out in the wash and to go play. She turns to me and sais "sorry, it just doesn't work for me". These are the type of things that leave me amused and stunned...but all the same 20 minutes later she was outside in a fresh pair of pants rolling in the mud. I guess timing is everything.

Lucy the Bunny?

I have been thinking of my new little baby as a bunny..a squishy little cute bunny. Last night though, I think she decided to instruct me that she resents this feeling as she twice pushed on my stomach-causing the most excrutiating pain in recent years. I mean it was bad-I cried out in pain both times and I have a high tolerance for pain. So today, I can only imagine she would prefer I refer to her as Lucy the Ox. My suggestion is that maybe she will be our athlete, but only time will tell.

Ella identifies

Today Tom was going around asking Ella who everyone was. Who is Ella..she points to herself and sais "ELLA"--he proceeds with daddy, momma and then Lilly. So I turn to her and I say "Ella, where's Lucy" and she points to her belly and sais "Belly". I assume she really means my belly and am very impressed that she has picked up on that through our conversations. Hopefully, when the time comes for us to bring Lucy home she will have had a better understanding that a baby was coming than what I could even know.

Lilly is a family girl

Lilly has always been a bit on the shy side. She is good with one or two kids but once she gets in a crowd she shuts down a bit and even if there is only a few kids she usually takes awhile to warm up. This isn't just for kids, this is adults too. She walks with a wary eye towards any new person except for family. You don't even hav to tell her its family--she just knows. She gravitates towards cousins, aunts, grandparents--even the ones she barely sees. She is almost immediatly comfortable with anyone who somewhere along the way carries her genes. How she knows who is who, I have no idea--she just does. I think it is intriguing and wonderful and I appreciate her so much for her love of family. I recently asked her if she wanted to have a friend party or a family party for her birthday she easily said family. I asked again, I want to be sure as I don't want her to be dissapointed and she said "just family--no friends". I love her for this, I love her for seeing at almost 4 what is the most important thing in life next to God, family. She loves her family...we are her favorite people and I am glad that she is like that b/c that is how Tom and I are. We LIKE to be together, we genuinly would in almost every circumstance always choose to be together and always be each others companion to any gathering. Don't get me wrong, friends are great-but your family can't be replaced even if you wish you could, even if you pretend it to be, your family is always your family.

Ella Fights the good Fight

Ella has always been a good sleeper. She has always taken her naps and never really gave me any trouble at bedtime. This past summer in anticipation of her one day sharing a room with Lilly we got her a bed the same time as we bought Lilly a new bed so they would match. That way she could see it, Lilly could see it, they both could know and get used to what was coming. Recently Ella has gone running in there at bedtime--so with a new baby on the way--I took it as a sign. Lets do this thing, make the transition. Now she plays..and plays and plays. You see there is no punishment that seems to fit Ella..she laughs at all obstacles--seems unphased by your stern town. She always has a twinkle in her eye..a mischevious twinkle. Now, I would like to say this drives me crazy (the fact that she was never the good/safe listener that Lilly is) and it does, but it also brings me joy. Her troublemaking..her twinkle means she has passion. She is loving and smart and fun but spunky and ruthless and determined. She makes her own way--sometimes with force, ignores me whenever she can and sparks my last nerve daily. But she has passion--there is fight in her. I don't want my kids to lie down and take it (and honestly even though Lilly isn't the same, she isn't that girl either). I want my kids to challenge me, to challenge each other. Has hard as it is--the woman I want them to be are fighters. For some they may agree, but disagree on the fight for a later bedtime or more milk but these are THEIR fights. They are children-they don't know about life, politics, people. These are the fights that test their wills, their patience, and for Ella her ability to turn a mischevious grin when she knows I am boiling over. Imagine the power and strength she will carry in her life if she can hold onto that. If someone can confront her in life and she can bring them to the edge of insanity and turn with a grin and calm nowhere near the end of her fight. She fights the good fight and teaches me to keep my calm when I start to boil over because God only knows that I will not be bested by a 2 year old. So thanks Ella, for driving me crazy and keeping me sane and trying my nerve but teaching me to keep calm in the face of adversity.

Ella Studies

Today I decided I wanted to write a bit more about my kids and the crazy things they do and say and so these moments won't be lost. Short and sweet..little explanation required..just letters to my daughters and random thoughts.
Ella amazes me that she is soooo not like her sister, although we probably could have told you that when she was in Utero. Lilly has never been much of a TV watcher and really Ella isn't that crazy about it either but the difference between the two is clear. When Lilly watches she stares and zones out. Its pure mind numbing entertainment--when Ella watches tv she studies. Her face curls into pure focus. What are they doing? Why are they doing it? It amazes me her concentration and really her concern. Obviously, if you ever watch a cartoon it does get a little hairy and with that I desperatly want to know what her face, filled with thought is thinking...b/c she is clearly intrigued but not necessarily entertained. My Ella is gathering info, deciphering it all--and forming an opinion. I appreciate this focus, and hope that in a year we will be able to have long conversations about what she has analyzed b/c anyone who knows me knows I like to talk.