Thursday, May 31, 2012

2012 - 2006 = SIX

Remember LP? Remember when she was a pale, chubby-cheeked, fleshy thighed, white-blond baby?

I do.

And sometimes, when I look at her, I still see that little baby that changed our world.

I remember when the Hoos and I packed for the hospital a few days before my May 25th due date. I remember how he packed a red shirt because he had read that bright colors attract a baby's attention. I remember him sleeping on the couch/bed in my room in Stamford Hospital with her tucked under his arm.

I remember thinking, "What will this wonderful, perfect baby grow into?"

I still don't know what she will ultimately grow up to be (although I have high hopes that she will at least grow to be taller than her mama), I know that she has started to develop all of the base skills and attributes of a truly spectacular person.


She is so genuine and full of love and sensitive to the needs of others - there is something about my LP that makes people love her.

She is, at times, way more mature than I expect a six year old to be. She listens, observes, remembers. At times she also acts like a two year old, but that is less surprising.

She plays by the rules - often insisting that others do the same.

She is a phenomenal big sister. She has loved AK from the moment she arrived and the feeling is mutual. When they play nicely together, there is nothing like it.

Yesterday, they held hands and raced across the lawn to our play set, clutching the tic tac toe board LP had made in a crafts class. When they were done, they decided to avoid the pine needles at the bottom of the slide and climb back down the ladder. AK went first, then stopped on the bottom rung, reaching up. LP handed her the board so her hands could be free for the climb down. It sounds silly written here, but it was a perfect mom moment.

Happy 6th Birthday, LP. You are more than we ever could have hoped for.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

I Miss My Babies!

Where has the time gone? It is May 2012. Later this month LP will be SIX! And the first of next month AK with be FOUR! Now is the time to ask - are you for serious?! Because, I agree, this is mind-boggling.

In the past month, the Hoos and I have watched as reading has totally clicked for LP. She went from slowly sounding out words to READING books. We take weekly trips to the library to restock on more easy reader books. The Pebble Dogs series is her current favorite. Easy to read, about a topic she loves, with the occasional "hard" word to keep her challenged.  Yesterday she read the fortune out of a fortune cookie! And asked, "Mom? Why don't some people like reading? I love reading!"

Oh, and she has a wiggly tooth. I remember when she didn't even HAVE teeth!

For her part, AK continues to think that she is also going on 6. Her day care teachers insist she is ready for the Olympics with her amazing swimming (it really is insane to see her swim without a bubble or any support, calm as anything, just gliding through the water). Her writing is also improving - I spell words for her and she creates stories. Sure the words are all jumbled, but she knows what every letter looks like and can recreate it.

We are busy planning a joint* birthday party. And our first at the house. I think we will end up with about 25 kids! Between family and friends and parents that stay to hang out, it is like we are having a bat mitzvah in terms of the number of people. Please start praying now for good weather. If we have to have everyone inside, I am thinking of renting a movie and squishing the kids in to watch when they aren't eating or doing crafts.

If it is outside we are hopefully going to have a bounce house, crafts and some outdoor games (hula hoops, jump ropes, bubbles, Twister, pin the tail on the donkey).

Please share any brilliant ideas you have to keep 25+ kids entertained for 2 hours! Indoor or out!

Also, any ideas on how to slow time would be appreciated.

*Okay, it is isn't exactly joint. We will mostly have LP's friends. There will be "joint" friends there (and bringing presents) for AK, but not her class. I plan on having an in-classroom party for her. I am feeling very guilty about this and hope she doesn't feel overlooked.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Fresh Air

For the past week I  have been getting up early to go for a walk around the neighborhood. I have not been feeling too great about my physical fitness, so I figured this was a good way to at least make sure I got some exercise. It makes sense to me that taking a 1.75 mile walk is better than laying in bed for an extra half hour.

This morning, I had the pleasure of company! As I crept down the hallway to change into my walking clothes I heard, "Who's there?" A bright-eyed and bushy-tailed LP smiled and said, "I want to come with you," and she quickly got dressed and grabbed her sneakers.

As we walked she chirped along happily - all be it a bit loudly for 6 am. Occasionally she would come up next to me and wrap my arm around her shoulder so we would bump sides as we walked.

While this was not my longest morning walk, it was my best one.