Michelle the Ballerina and Leah

Little Leah was dedicated at the church on Sunday. She was so beautiful! We had her wearing the same gown as Michelle and Carolyn wore when they were dedicated and also the same one that I wore along with my two girl cousins. It was a very special time. Knowing that Brian and I plan to raise her in the Lord and teach her the way of a Christian is such a special time!

Here is my big girl, Michelle at her first Ballet Recital! She was a beautiful ballerina! I was so proud of her. She had the best time getting all dolled up for both the dress rehearsal and the actual recital. She loved all the makeup, especially the lipstick! I cannot believe how different she can look with all that on! She doesn't look like the same little girl. We were so glad that she performed well, of course, anything that she did we would be proud of her! She saw something to the end and was rewarded with a performance to remember!

Now she is all excited about having a new dress up to wear around the house! She has already had to show it off to her non ballet friends! This is making Carolyn want to start ballet right now so she can be just like her big sister!

Sucess???

I feel like I was a good mom today. I got my kids to pick up the living room to an acceptable level. It was a good day that I didn't have to fight to get them to think about picking up. That I didn't have to listen to the whining about how tired (Michelle) they are or how BORING (Michelle) it is. Of course whatever Michelle does, Carolyn does too. She is like the mimic. How can someone not think for themselves yet? Oh wait, that's for when she's alone and has the strength to fight me to the death for a piece of candy.

I was a good mom today because I did not have to do the picking up myself and then threaten to take their toys away. "I am going to go get a trash bag right now and throw them all away!!" I say clenching my teeth. "Okay Mommy, thanks for cleaning up for us." says Michelle with no care for the loss of her Barbie dream house or shoes, clothes, etc.

I was a good Mom today because I turned the music on, "Turn on the rock music Mommy" they shout! It makes it more fun to clean. "Turn the timer on and let's see if we can get it finished before it beeps!" "Oh no, Mommy, start it again. We'll go faster this time!"

I was a good Mom today because I laughed while I watched my kids clean and have fun at the same time.

I was a good Mom today because I know that tomorrow is another day and God has a sense of humor.

A spiritual conversation with Carolyn

"Mommy, what does God do?" says Carolyn.

"God watches over us and protects us, sweetie."

"No Mommy, what does God DO?" insists Carolyn.

"He takes care of us and guides us and loves us." Trying to give a 3 year old an answer about God.....while driving.

"No Mommy, He builds the Ark!"

"Well, Carolyn, you are right, that He helped Noah build the ark."

"Yes, God built the Ark!"

I'm so glad that I have a daughter who is strong in her faith!

Crawling!

Leah has started crawling. I told someone that today and they said, "She has officially moved out of baby". Waaaaaaaa! I love my little baby! I can't believe that she is wanting to be mobile now. She is at the same age as Michelle was but it seems like Leah is so much smaller that I remember Michelle being.
Of course now that Leah can crawl, Michelle and Carolyn think she should start racing! They will get down on the floor next to her and say, "ready, set, go!" They are disappointed that she is not moving fast enough for their game. "Podo, why can't you go faster?" (Carolyn started calling Leah "Podo" one day and it has stuck ever since.)
Leah also can pull herself up on the table, couch, me, toys, and on and on and on...... I watch her as she stands at the table, trying to grab for things knowing that she is going to fall at some point and wondering if she will cry when she slips off or will she just ignore it and try again. This is the time I cringe for them. Well, one of the times anyway. I know they are going to hurt themselves but I also know that they will have to learn!
I can tell that the girls are getting even more interested in her now that she has more "tricks" that she can do, although they are not liking the rule that now they have to pay attention to little stuff on the floor. I have a hard enough time getting them to clean up the big stuff and they are not happy about the little stuff for sure!
Now I have to start shopping for gates for the stairs again. It's only a matter of time before Leah finds them!

Slow Down!

Leah is getting so big. She learned to go from laying down to a sitting position while I was in DC 2 weeks ago. Brian was bragging that he got to see something first, before me. Well, I should let him have it. It's only fair that he saw it first since I did leave him with all three girls for the first time!!
Then this past weekend she has discovered that she can pull herself up in her bed! Wait a minute, now we have to take the mobile down, lower the mattress and start checking tables that she can get to! I have enjoyed not having too much stuff child proofed or baby proofed I should say. But now I am going to have to really pay more attention.
Soon enough she is going to be crawling and so now I'm having to think about a baby gate for the stairs! It's all coming too fast. She looks so little and I can't believe that she is 7 1/2 months old! It doesn't feel like it's been that long.
She smiles when someone looks at her but then she cries if you leave her. I like that even though I have to hear her cry when I just have to get a refill on my coffee! I love having our Tuesday and Thursday to just the two of us while the big girls are at school. She gets to snuggle with me before her nap and she just looks into my eyes as she sucks her tiny thumb. I am so thankful to have this beautiful little baby to love and I am trying so hard to soak her all in before she grows up. Slow down Leah!!!

Crying in the car

All I have to do is let you read the lyrics of this song I heard on my way to pick the girls up from school today and you'll know why I was crying......

Darius Rucker
It Won't Be Like This For Long

He didn't have to wake up
He'd been up all night
Lying there in bed and listening
To his newborn baby cry
He makes a pot of coffee
He splashes water on his face
His wife gives him a kiss and says,
"It's gonna be okay"

"It won't be like this for long
One day we'll look back laughing
At the week we brought her home
This phase is gonna fly by
So baby, just hold on
It won't be like this for long"

Four years later, 'bout 4:30
She's crawling in their bed
And when he drops her off at pre-school
She's clinging to his leg
The teacher peels her off of him
He says, "What can I do?"
She says, "Now, don't you worry
This'll only last a week or two"

"It won't be like this for long
One day soon you'll drop her off
And she won't even know you're gone
This phase is gonna fly by
If you can just hold on
It won't be like this for long"

Someday soon she'll be a teenager
And at times, he'll think she hates him
And he'll walk her down the aisle
And raise her veil,
But right now she's up and cryin'
And the truth is that he don't mind
As he kisses her goodnight
And she says her prayers

He lays down there beside her
Till her eyes are finally closed
And just watching her it breaks his heart
'Cause he already knows

It won't be like this for long
One day soon that little girl is gonna be
All grown up and gone
And this phase is gonna fly by
So he's trying to hold on
It won't be like this for long
It won't be like this for long

This song is so beautiful. I think about my girls and I was definitely having a few days where I was wanting this time to pass but after hearing that song and now reading the lyrics again, I am going to cherish every minute I have with them because no matter how many kids I have, I will only have those moments with each of them once.

I want to be you!

I have told this story so many times since it happened the other day and I know that I will never forget it. It truly pulls at my heartstrings and lets me know I am doing a good job.

Michelle was bossing Carolyn around the other day and it was making Carolyn very mad (this is an ongoing, everyday kind of thing). I finally decided they were not going to be able to work it out without my assistance and I approach them. I tell Michelle to stop telling Carolyn what to do and she immediately runs out the back door ( I should say that we were right at the door so it wasn't as dramatic as all that!). I follow her out and call her to come to me. She cowers as she takes a few steps, then some more, and then some more. This has given me a moment to take a breath and look at the situation from a calm mommy place. Then, trying to be a good mom, I kneel in front of her and ask her why she thinks that she should be telling Carolyn what to do and how to do things (I have no idea what she was telling Carolyn to do, as I said, this happens everyday!). She starts to cry and I am trying to get her to focus and not get out of her punishment by crying. She says to me in between sobs " I just want to be a mommy so bad and it's so hard for me to just be a kid sometimes."

Well, how do I punish that? I am so glad that she has this desire but after a second of letting that soak in, I tell her that she does not need to grow up so fast and that she should enjoy being a kid and having fun as kid and then someday I pray she will get to be a mommy.

My kids can make me feel so good and so bad at being a mom. They can be so appreciative of me and then the next minute want me to go away. It is such a rollercoaster but I am so thankful to be on it. The fact that my daughter wants to be like me someday is the best compliment that I can ever get. I pray for the Lord to continue to be in me so that I can share His love with my family.