Sisters

One special Kindergartner I know has missed the last 3 days of school.  Here is hoping she doesn't miss tomorrow; especially since it my weekly Wednesday morning in her class.  (Sweet Pea visits Daddy at work while I go spend some time in Sunflower's classroom.)

Sunflower being home has given me a chance to see how much progress she and Sweet Pea has made in their relationship.  Oh Friday morning Sweet Pea ran across the room just to hit Sunflower because Sunflower was on my lap (even though Sweet Pea was playing with her toys across the room) so we still have some ways to go, but there is less and less of that and more and more of this...

 ...cooperative play that is.  It does astound me what one supposedly sick 5 year old and a two year old girl can do to my house when they play together, but it is so much better than that first summer, I won't complain.

After all, Sweet Pea is actually really good at cleaning up.

Don't let this picture fool you.  I merely suggested that the girls pick up their brothers' Skylanders and Sweet Pea was immediately throwing them into the bucket...not at my camera as the picture may suggest.

Since I haven't really talked about how sad it made my heart that Sweet Pea was so resistant to Sunflower's overtures and saw her more as competition than family, you probably can't understand how happy it makes my heart that they are starting to be friends.

Why just today, Sweet Pea brought Sunflower her blanket when Sunflower was sitting on my lap and crying.  And the other day when Sweet Pea had climbed up on my lap at the desk when I was trying to answer e-mails, Sunflower came over an leaned on my arm.  As I tried to send at least one of them away, Sweet Pea scooted over so she was only on one of my knees and said, "Araa, Lap!" and patted my leg for Sunflower to climb up on.   So I didn't get a picture posted to facebook that day, but I had two girls on my lap and a happy heart.

So it is only fitting that on Friday we received a package from Aunt L and Uncle P to celebrate the girls' sisterhood. Okay, so technically it was to celebrate their birthdays...my blog isn't the only thing a tad behind...but since Aunt L almost always sends coordinating outfits, her presents always celebrate the two girls being sisters, too.

Sure enough the outfits are pretty cute which matching hairclips.

But the girls were probably a little more excited about the books.  

We do love our books.  Thank you, Aunt L and Uncle P.  

Favorite Photo Friday

I'm not really sure this is my favorite photo from this week.  I have ones of her smiling and playing.  Ones of her siblings and a really nice photo of a Bungie at the zoo.  Plus I am so tempted to remove the owie from her nose in photoshop.  

But if photography is about remembering what happened, this photo captured that moment.  The moment that is right after her smiling and looking at me...but losing interest in connecting with me when the camera is in front of my face.  

The day after she scratched her face tripping in the yard.  

The month when she started seeking comfort from Mommy and Daddy for her physical owies...even the little--can't possibly be hurting--owies.

With most kids you worry about how to train them to buck-up, not need Mommy to kiss every tiny booboo, and to one day be able to handle the little things on their own. But while Sweet Pea trusted us almost immediately to provide her with the necessities...MORE MILK coming fairly quickly in her vocabulary...the idea that Mommy and Daddy are here for the little things is taking a little more time.  

So while this scratch looks and feels to Mommy a bit more than a little thing, the fact that she took and wanted comfort and rocking after the fact is the big thing.  One more step on that mountain called Attachment.  Even more important is the bug bite on her arm that hurt 3 weeks ago, and yet every morning and sometimes throughout the day Mommy must kiss.

So as much as I wish I could photoshop her owies well in real life, being allowed to comfort her in one more area of her life is a moment worth treasuring.  So this photo represents that even if it isn't the best photo and I have to forgo using the tools of modern technology.
 

Getting Big

So even though my coming home outfit still fit a year later, I have grown a bit in the last year.

I mean look at me a little less than a year ago.  I couldn't walk.  That day, July 4th, was the first time I let someone besides Mommy and Daddy hold me...for a few minutes with stiff bodied terror...but still.  Now I hug my aunts and uncles, give them kisses and high fives, and every once in awhile I'll stick around for a cuddle.

And look how this dress fit in August last year!  It was almost too long to get around in well.  I still love sticks and rocks, but now I can tell you what they are and say lots more words, too.  Not always clearly, but I am more than able to get my point across.

Now it isn't just my hair that has grown.  I barely fit the dress...but Mommy has the next size up waiting for me in the closet.*  I also a few months ago stopped calling Daddy -- Mommy.  Now I understand that just because he is as important as Mommy it doesn't mean he has the same name.  It took me awhile to understand that.  I used to confuse Mommy when I was sitting on her lap and Daddy would get home.  "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!"  I would yell while crawling off her lap and running to the door to greet Daddy.

I may never meet my China father but I sure do love my Daddy here.  Happy Father's Day!

* Between referral and travel there is only one thing waiting Mommies and Daddies can do for their child half way across the world -- SHOP.  And if it is adorable and on clearance all the better.  

Tuesday at the Park

Because Auntie L doesn't have facebook but does still check my blog though I've been bad about updating...here are some of my favorite pictures of Sweet Pea at our first MOPS park day of the summer.  

Let us start with the swings...

And stay at the swings!

Okay, let's explore some more.  Easy baby stairs...I don't even have to crawl!

Slides just my size!

Mommy, help up!  No.  Mommy help down!

This, this is too high.  Why isn't Huckleberry here to help?

What?  Yes, I can...and she did. 

Motor boat, motor boat...

Look!  I match the tunnel!

What?  I'm not supposed to just kneel here for ten minutes?

Time to go.  Lots of kids here, but none of them are mine.

This is the first time Sweet Pea has gone to the park without at least Sunflower.  She had a good time and explored everything...small and large...but she did tire out fairly quickly.  Next time the others will finally be on summer break then we'll see how long she can last.
 

Swing Into Spring

I want to do a thoughtful post on Easter and what it means to me, because it is my favorite Holiday, but we've been too busy enjoying the great weather and celebrating.  But just so you know, Christ is Risen...He is Risen Indeed.

Sweet Pea has been loving her swing.  I have a year supply of swing photos.  These are just from yesterday.

She just makes so many great expressions.  We love it and she loves it.

When she slows down she starts to count.  1, 2, 3...GO!  Today for the first time she used 2 and 3 fingers for the 2, 3.  Her verbal words don't quite sound like 1, 2, 3...but we know what it means:  Give me a big push!

She loves going high and fast.

With the wind blowing in her hair...

And I love counting with her, giggling with her, shrieking with joy with her (which when I do it always makes her giggle), and taking lots and lots of pictures.

The others enjoy taking their turns in the swing next to her just as much as she loves her swing.

I just don't stand in front of them with my camera for long.
The boys like to jump off onto the ground (which I did as a child and never hurt myself...but internally I'm completely opposed to it; externally I allow it).

 This is my life and I love it.

 

Favorite Photo Friday

So hard to choose...and Friday isn't over.  If the sun stays out we'll have more pictures after the girls' naps.  I am really hoping Sunflower will actually sleep.  She is fighting a cold and needs the extra sleep so badly.

But while she tries and Sweet Pea sleeps, I get to play with pictures.

  

 

Random Things from Our Weekend

It was a great weekend, and as soon as I finish this I'm going to sit down and watch TV, so I plan to be fast.  The pictures will have nothing to do with the commentary.

Saturday we deep cleaned the kids rooms and organized toys.  We'll see how long that lasts.  We did pack away some toys for now to limit the potential damage in the wake of Hurricane Sunflower and Tornado Sweet Pea.

Then the girls and I spent some time outside while the boys and Dad played StarCraft together.  Sweet Pea is definitely the one in the family with the most potential to buy us a house with her sports career.  The weather was beautiful.

Then we had dinner with friends.  Technically it was our Saturday night Home Fellowship Group/Bible Study/Small Group/Cell Group/Mini-church, etc. depending on what church you go to, but we call it HFG and since all but us canceled it was dinner with friends.  We missed the others and were sorry about their reasons for missing (baby with RSV and broken water heater being some of the reasons) but it was nice to only have 6 kids total instead of 22.

We did buy some hair clips for the girls this weekend.  We want a little less of Sweet Pea's hair to be bangs, but finding clips at times has been a problem.  With 25 new ones we should be able to make it a month or two.

Oh, how I loved being able to play with sunlight backlight again...and with my new lens it is fabulous!  It was the first time I filled my memory card in months.  Light is what I love about photography.

Sunday SnapDragon sang in both main services at church with a group of 6 other kids...hmmm, the rest were girls.  They sang the chorus of My Deliverer by Rich Mullins.  I enjoyed watching him so much and he really enjoyed being part of worship and was sad when it was done.  But I am glad he won't be practicing the same two lines over and over and over and over anymore.

Sweet Pea had her first communion at church (very early for any denomination) but you try having food and drink and not share it with her!  It seemed it would be better for the rest of the congregation to give her a little bit...thankfully our church serves juice, not wine.  I'm pretty sure God understands.

Today we watched the movie Elf and folded clothes.  We should probably cancel the DVD portion of our NetFlix.  I put Elf in our queue to watch at Christmas, but we sat on "Young Sherlock Holmes" for 3 months so we missed seeing it during the season.  I do admit we all enjoyed the movie, though Sweet Pea missed it due to the best nap she has had in 3 weeks.

Then Oak, the girls, and I went to McDonalds for dinner and WalMart.  The boys had dinner at home and played some more computer.  Huckleberry is almost 13 and SnapDragon 9...when did they get so old?  I don't know, but I must admit having two kids seemed like a complete breeze.  Sunflower even got to order chocolate milk since we weren't feeding her brothers.  A win-win for all. 

Warning...TMI...And Sweet Pea had her first BM in the toilet.  We had no intention of potty training at 18 months.  But she has been giving some signs she is ready.  Then today in the bath she started yelling at Oak when usually she loves baths, so he put her on the toilet and success.  We're not really sure where to go from here.  She is a year and a half younger then the others were.  Yes, I know...but we are lazy and they were slow.

On a completely different note, the lighting in the back of the yard through some sticks and brambles and under the cedar is gorgeous at 2 p.m. here.  Oak doesn't like the shot because he isn't sure exactly what her expression means, but since she followed it up with the words, "Mom!  Stop taking pictures and come in our house!" I think I know.  (The house was less than 3 feet tall, so I didn't stay long.  It was sunny but February is still pretty muddy.)

Then I spent an hour editing pictures and writing a blog post.  Overall a pretty nice, and relatively typical, weekend.