Heard around here

For some reason, K gets all the quotes this time--do kids decrease the number of funny things they say as they get older?

Background: We were eating tomato soup for lunch.
Me: K, why are you wiping your mouth on your shirt when you have a napkin?
K: Look mom, it [her red sweater] matches the soup so it won't show!

Background: We were getting out of the car and I glanced in the flower bed.
Me: K, how come there is basket here full of mommy's flowers?
K: They were ripe. We had to pick them.

Background: I walk into the dining room eating a Boomi Bar (walnuts, dates, honey) K: OOHHH, I like those. Can I eat it? Me: Sure. K:(grabbing for my food) What is it?

Background: Tom is telling the girls a story. It is the climatic ending where the princess had rescued her friends from the enemy and is by declaring the great works of God--He created the mountains, the oceans, the animals, etc. ....
K: But God didn't make the buildings, man made those.

Capturing H

Capturing H has been harder for me. She is older, and more complex, or so I feel. It's taken me a while. But here's what I've written so far.

H you are 6 1/2. Always moving. Talkative. Emotional. And lovely. You have thin strawberry blond hair that you allowed me to get cut to chin length. You love dresses, skirts, sequins, shiny fabrics, faux fur, embroidered flowers and butterflies on jeans, and sparkly shoes. You will wear other colors happily, especially green and blue, but you still usually pick out pink. You think more about your clothing than I thought any six-year-old daughter of mine could. Picking out an outfit at the store this past weekend took you well over 30 minutes as you struggled with which shirt to buy. You understand modesty and make certain your outfits are modest.

You love your friends, screeching and squealing, upon their arrival. You hug and kiss them when they arrive and when they leave. Sometimes they tell you to stop with the physical signs of affection, usually you go one notch past funny. You especially love your friend Lily, often play with Anna from down the street and a third grader from the other side of the block named Noelle. With friends you usually play some kind of pretend game: kitties, princesses, house.

You love your things. All things are reusable in your mind, even the clear plastic seals around a tub of cottage cheese. You are certain you can use it for something. It doesn't matter if you haven't played with a toy in months, you can't possibly part from it. I think you associate things with memories--Lily gave you a pair or sparkly shoes that look terrible because all the sparkles on the toe have worn off but you still wear them and love them because Lily gave them to you. Your treasure box is filled to overflowing since you can't get rid of things and your bed is hard to move in because you store/hide so many things in it. You get angry with your sister when she gives things away to people and generally, sharing things, especially new things, is very difficult for you unless you can work out an advantageous trade for yourself.

You love to be tickled. You love to have band-aids on any little paper cut. You love to play games: cards or board games, tag or fuse ball. You love to eat sugary things. You are a good eater in general, almost always clearing your plate of everything I put on it. You eat vegetables and fruits happily, though bread and crackers would be your favorite choice, if sweets are off limits.

You wake up to an alarm now, dress yourself, put your pjs away, put your shoes on, brush your teeth, clean out the sink, etc. Last weekend you chopped the potatoes and celery for dinner and worked hard raking and bagging leaves in the backyard. There is still a lot to learn but I am pleased with how hard you work and how, usually, you don't complain much.

You are such a happy little girl: always smiling, laughing, and teasing. You are a little short on patience and often speak in an angry tone of impatience to your sister (I know where you learned this tone from). When someone does something for you or gets you a gift, you express your gratitude so many times it exhausts the gift giver.

You love to do things and to try things and take part in any sort of lessons. You just love people and activity. Reading has come more slowly to you than to your classmates, but you often sit in your bed at night and read to yourself. You have made a lot of progress in reading this year. Your writing, coloring, drawing, and paintings are nice but unless you are being unusually careful, are generally messy and scribbled. You do like to create things: books, 3-D art, real-life things made out of paper( a table, a cat, a paper necklace). You frequently raid the recycling bin for your creations. Right now you love to sing, and sing and sing. You make up long, loud songs and perform them, fishing for compliments on your voice (which to my untrained ear is ....rather average..sorry but average is better than mine!). You are high energy only stopping for a movie or an occasional hurt feeling.

Like most big sisters, you are carefully attuned to fairness. You notice if I compliment K but not you. You demand equal treatment and equal gifts. You can be quick to anger and sometimes forget to remain respectful to your parents. You've mastered the evil eye. We are working on this. You love God as much as you can though many times you say you don't know how to trust him, how to believe in him. I love your honesty--these aren't easy things. Mostly though, you are happy and playful. I love you H. I am so glad I get to be your mom.

Capturing K

K was running down the sidewalk, laughing, because she was running away from me. She had on Crocs and her pink fleece PJs with feet were stuck in her butt crack. It was probably the last warm fall morning as we returned from waiting at the bus stop with H. And K was memorable in her favorite cozy outfit with her little smile and giant brown eyes and I wanted to grab the moment with its smells, sounds, looks, and temp; stick it in my pocket, and store it safely for future viewing. That was Friday. (I'll post Healthy Habits later this week.)

Since the girls were babies I have been writing about them. For me, for them. And today for you too. It is time again to try to capture the girls and the stage they are at. They are still young enough that I am comfortable sharing this intimate look at who they are, but someday these writings will be tucked away for more private reading. I'll start with K. H will be tomorrow.

K you are 4 1/2. Your long hair is thin and fine and still auburn in color (the source of many a compliment). About a month ago you decided you wanted to grow out your bangs, so currently we always have barrettes in your hair--a condition I placed on your decision so I can see your pretty eyes. You still love your pillowcase and take it everywhere except to preschool--though you carefully place it in your car seat for the moment I pick you up. It is getting thin--almost see-through. You sit in the car or in the brown leather chair with the pillowcase to your nose--smelling. According to you, different places on pillowcase have different smells and some are better than others!

You are shy and quiet in all new situations and sometimes in old ones, unless your sister is with you. You are trying to be brave enough to answer people's questions when they ask a simple question. You like routine and the familiar. You naturally walk around public places with one hand on some part of me at all times--my pocket, my purse, my hand--an ideal shopping companion. H remains your favorite friend, though you like to play with our neighbor Britta, and with a few girls in your preschool class (Morgan, Kyra). And yet, you are more likely than your sister to play with matches when I am not looking, to get into my make-up, or to pick up a piece of broken glass just to see if it really will cut you. And then, if you think I am not looking, you will lie about it.

You can sit still and listen for an incredibly long time. You have good fine motor skills and can draw a rabbit with a a face and whiskers. You are still on your special diet and do a remarkable job of accepting that your treats are always different and that sometimes you can't have the snack that people bring. Thankfully, you are still my snuggle bug.

At preschool you have tried to help a little girl who is always crying and nervous. You follow her around, showing her toys and helping her on the computer when she gets stuck (sometimes too much). You are sweet and giving--regularly giving your sister new things you have been given or giving away your toys to friends who come to visit. You can write your name now, in all caps. You make your S in two strokes, first the top, then the bottom curve.

This fall you played soccer for the first time. You were doing well, starting to score goals each game, but then you got hit in the face with the ball. We spend the rest of the season trying to keep you from bursting into tears every time you played defense. Ballet lessons are your real love. You run into that studio and never look back. This isn't true of anything else.

You are still a whiner. Oh how you can whine. It drives me crazy. At least three times a day, you come to me crying because you got hurt somehow. You are lazy too, generally using distraction and manipulation to get out of chores like cleaning up. Before a punishment you always scream, "Mom I have to tell you something." Generally this is followed by a long pause as you try to think of something to tell me. I try to be consistent in disciplining, but it can be tough. You tend to use ignorance or lying to cover up your mistakes and are physically aggressive when Hadley pushes too many buttons.

You love books, movies, playing on the computer, dressing up, and Barbies (we don't have many--mostly you play with them at Grandma's). You still generally wear skirts and dresses, though today at the store you picked out purple corduroys with a glitter belt and a fuzzy purple sweater. Your favorite snack is toast (gluten and dairy free of course) with sun butter or rice chips or cashews. You will eat most vegetables, always avoiding onions and celery. Fruit you tolerate grudgingly. You love riding the trail-a-bike with dad or with me (we even ride to preschool sometimes). You like to help in the garden or with laundry, especially with clippers or a squirt bottle.

I love being your mom K. I love you.