Catch Up--Part 1--the Kiddos

Hello All!

Sorry, I've been kind of MIA the past few weeks.  I was enjoying the holidays with my family and "unplugged" as much as possible post final week of the semester--you know, reading for pleasure, catching up on stupid television shows, and ignoring my ever growing to-do list just to feel as if I were somehow "relaxing" and "enjoying my break".

For those of you who read to follow my girls shenanigans, the following is a quick catch-up in the going ons in their lives:

         The Oldest:  Second year up on skis--taught herself how to jump much to the annoyance of her dad who was trying to get her to go faster, bedtime is becoming an increasingly long struggle complete with a routine that last longer than most kids television shows, independence and attitude are often hard to separate in this one and I find myself struggling to keep my cool when the "I don't want a Mama", the spitting, and the toy throwing inevitably occur, the random "I love you", "Your a good Mama", and "You made a delicious dinner" pretty much make up for all the annoyances listed previously, she has become really good at logical thinking--including catching me in little white lies intended to make our day run smoother, she can write three letters of her name and spell her nickname, playing catch has become a nearly daily occurrence and she is actually pretty good at both throwing and catching, and she begins dance lessons on Saturday.

         The Middle:  Went skiing for the first time and loved it...she may be even more fearless than the oldest, in the process of learning her ABC's, loves to read--her favorite book is a preschool workbook which she makes me read almost every night, enjoys pretending to be a dog or a baby that the Oldest takes care of, can be so very very sneaky--an example from just now--she and her older sister are grudgingly taking turns using this ramp for cars and during the Oldest's turn she quietly and gently pushed the ramp just a few centimeters but enough to make the Oldest's car fall off the ramp and her own turn to begin again, doing this several times before the Oldest caught on, she is really coming out of her shy shell and is now the first to say hello to visitors and hug family that hasn't been seen in a while, the terrible twos are in full force but so is the desire to just cuddle up for long periods of time, and she wants to begin dance but is still too young so the Oldest has agreed to teach her what she learns.

          The Baby:  Officially up and walking...though crawling is still her preferred method of travel, she can maneuver the walker like a champ--backing up and spinning around with grace--it's actually quite impressive, babbling has become an almost nonstop thing with Mama's and Dada's, seeing her sisters in the morning appears to be the highlight of her morning complete with big smiles, waves, and attempting to jump into their arms, she has begun to play intently with sorting toys when not trying to eat her sister's play dough littered throughout the playroom, Zipper (our Boxer) is her best friend and they both enjoy her "riding" on his back, she continues to be a fantastic child with very very little fussing and is so very happy and friendly, and she thoroughly enjoys the nightly bedtime routine of rocking and singing and one on one time.

            The Mommy:  I miss school!  I love being home with my girls and watching them grow and learn and actually play together (a relatively new phenomenon)...but, it is so very draining.  It's hard to keep my patience when I am doing it all day every day--particularly with the attitude of the Oldest.  But, at the same time, I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to spend this time with them that we will never be able to get back.  All the annoyances and stressors, the whining and the arguing, will be such small parts of our memories of the times we spent together when we look back in five, ten, fifteen years.  The days are long but the years are short and I hope I am being that "good enough" parent that allows them to look back on their young childhood years with a smile and a laugh and in fondness despite days that may have been marred by arguments or a mom with too little patience.

          What is your fondest childhood memory?  Is it one specific thing/event/family activity or an overall sense of your childhood?  What types of memories would you like your children/future children to hold?  How do you fight the impatience and annoyance of your daily grind--whether it's kids, bosses, mundane tasks, etc?