1. May-- EGCC classes complete, graduate semester finished, warmth, sunshine, and exercising outdoors. Golf Carting will begin... as well as tan lines and freckles, hopefully.
2. Austin Lake Summer-- lots of work, but lots of fun times. Kitchen will be full of sand rather than melting snow, all clothes will become 'play' clothes for the kids, and adventuring becomes regularly scheduled.
3. Bonfires--warmth, friends and family, happy children. (and maybe a margarita or two)
4. Mornings with my husband at home--priceless time together, as the rest of the summer time day (and night) often finds us going in opposite directions with opposite roles.
5. Day trips-- On the schedule: Children's Museum, Idlewyld, Pirates game, Dino museum, Air Show
Monday, February 28, 2011
Where's Leila
For starters, Leila slept all night and for almost 13 hours. Unrecognizable accomplishment. Secondly, her hair doesn't have a trace of bed head. Not a trace. In fact, it's so neat that I'm not sure she was even in bed asleep. Next, she wanted to watch John Deere action rather than Dora (our morning norm for the last two months). Finally, she had complete cooperation to get dressed, including socks. She even pulled on her shirt by herself. I'm a little confused-- where did Leila go? I'm starting to wonder if all of the storms from last night didn't zap something into her current. :)
Monday, February 21, 2011
Values
People like me being confined to rest for three days is not good for the mind. It wanders way too much when it doesn't have something on hand to tackle. Today, I found a marathon of "Downsized" episodes to fill up a few hours. It is the show about the family in Arizona who faced bankruptcy head on and showcases the hard work, sacrifices, and family efforts necessary to build a stable household again.
The bottom line about this American family is that they truly are learning (or re-learning) the importance of one another and of the value of a dollar. In our society today of instant gratification, I have a feeling these are values that will be harder and harder to instill for all kinds of reasons. We feel those values are still going to be important to instill in our children. In the end, regardless what kind of life you lead, it's a person's face that you want to see in times of sorrow. A person's hand you want to hold in joy. A person's laugh you want to witness and hear.
In Cable land, we make decisions on a regular basis to help us maintain values that are important to us. Some of these decisions are forced upon us because we refuse to accumulate debt as a choice. In other words, Austin and I aren't spending money on wants instead of needs, and we are spending quality work and play time with our children.
The unrest of our society right now is something I've never lived through and realized. It is compounded by the unrest in the Middle East. We are eyes wide open to the fact that this 'recession' is simply not moving upwards for the better and now our sacrifices and decisions have to be examined:
Is it more important for me to work more hours (somewhere??), pay more out of pocket for childcare, and miss our window of being the people who raise our children-- all in efforts to try to put more money in the bank? Couple that question with the fact that I spent three hours last night examining the new kindergarten mathematics common core standards for my graduate class and one thing is completely clear: preschool will be an absolute must for all kids in order to make it through kindergarten. The changes are outrageously more complex and ambiguous. (but I'm not saying impossible!) I feel this makes my job as parent even more important, so how can I possibly work more and have less time at home? Research all over the place shows that school readiness and future school success largely can depend on the skills (emotional and cognitive) developed from 0-4. Top that with larger classes, probably fewer teachers-- and in our area, possibly fewer expert teachers (teachers will have to decide how to make a living, and possibly where to go to make that living), and we maintain that our job as parents is even more important, but new and creative ways to do more with the same amount of time and resources have to be found.
Our values sometimes get stuck in a catch 22 scenario. It would be easy to hit the panic button, as I'm sure many people, for several reasons, have done in the last three to four years. Austin and I are trying to bunker down and think logically about what has to be done to take care of ourselves as well as our children and their future should our country's economy continue to turn south. We are workers, not whiners, and the values that the family in Arizona have learned--hard work, family efforts, sacrifices--are values that we will keep striving towards, hoping for continued stability.
I couldn't ask for a better husband when it comes to surviving hard times. It's not just about the ability to get through good times, but the ability to survive the hard times--together. I want our children to know this one day, either because it was always implied or that they come to that conclusion. The strong always survive--and strength is not always measured by money. :)
The bottom line about this American family is that they truly are learning (or re-learning) the importance of one another and of the value of a dollar. In our society today of instant gratification, I have a feeling these are values that will be harder and harder to instill for all kinds of reasons. We feel those values are still going to be important to instill in our children. In the end, regardless what kind of life you lead, it's a person's face that you want to see in times of sorrow. A person's hand you want to hold in joy. A person's laugh you want to witness and hear.
In Cable land, we make decisions on a regular basis to help us maintain values that are important to us. Some of these decisions are forced upon us because we refuse to accumulate debt as a choice. In other words, Austin and I aren't spending money on wants instead of needs, and we are spending quality work and play time with our children.
The unrest of our society right now is something I've never lived through and realized. It is compounded by the unrest in the Middle East. We are eyes wide open to the fact that this 'recession' is simply not moving upwards for the better and now our sacrifices and decisions have to be examined:
Is it more important for me to work more hours (somewhere??), pay more out of pocket for childcare, and miss our window of being the people who raise our children-- all in efforts to try to put more money in the bank? Couple that question with the fact that I spent three hours last night examining the new kindergarten mathematics common core standards for my graduate class and one thing is completely clear: preschool will be an absolute must for all kids in order to make it through kindergarten. The changes are outrageously more complex and ambiguous. (but I'm not saying impossible!) I feel this makes my job as parent even more important, so how can I possibly work more and have less time at home? Research all over the place shows that school readiness and future school success largely can depend on the skills (emotional and cognitive) developed from 0-4. Top that with larger classes, probably fewer teachers-- and in our area, possibly fewer expert teachers (teachers will have to decide how to make a living, and possibly where to go to make that living), and we maintain that our job as parents is even more important, but new and creative ways to do more with the same amount of time and resources have to be found.
Our values sometimes get stuck in a catch 22 scenario. It would be easy to hit the panic button, as I'm sure many people, for several reasons, have done in the last three to four years. Austin and I are trying to bunker down and think logically about what has to be done to take care of ourselves as well as our children and their future should our country's economy continue to turn south. We are workers, not whiners, and the values that the family in Arizona have learned--hard work, family efforts, sacrifices--are values that we will keep striving towards, hoping for continued stability.
I couldn't ask for a better husband when it comes to surviving hard times. It's not just about the ability to get through good times, but the ability to survive the hard times--together. I want our children to know this one day, either because it was always implied or that they come to that conclusion. The strong always survive--and strength is not always measured by money. :)
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Slow Down for Mom
I knew the bug was coming to our house; I just sensed it. I had no idea that I would be the one being hit by the bug. In all my efforts to take care of our kids, our house, my husband, and my job, sometimes moms just need a slow down, but I'd rather have one without it being caused by the flu.
In over five years of marriage, I have never had the flu. I have had several other ailments, sicknesses (mostly related to pregnancy), and other odd under-the-weather moments, but never due to the flu. Up until this fall, I also had never received a flu vaccine, but I thought with Gage going to school, his allergies, and having a lil' one in the house, I had better get the vaccine this year. I'm pretty sure I won't be getting the vaccine again.
Austin has handled being Mr. Mom with grace and skill. Thank goodness he has a 3-day weekend. Leila asks me regularly to 'wake up, mommy!' and Gage has asked if I was going to die! I must look pretty rough, but we've assured the kids that taking lots of naps is what I need and that nobody was going to be dying anytime soon. It's been pretty nice to get some rest, but while listening to the kids play and romp, it makes me ready to be amped up and back on my feet again. I see lots and lots of laundry in my near future. Hopefully, the bug stops here.
In over five years of marriage, I have never had the flu. I have had several other ailments, sicknesses (mostly related to pregnancy), and other odd under-the-weather moments, but never due to the flu. Up until this fall, I also had never received a flu vaccine, but I thought with Gage going to school, his allergies, and having a lil' one in the house, I had better get the vaccine this year. I'm pretty sure I won't be getting the vaccine again.
Austin has handled being Mr. Mom with grace and skill. Thank goodness he has a 3-day weekend. Leila asks me regularly to 'wake up, mommy!' and Gage has asked if I was going to die! I must look pretty rough, but we've assured the kids that taking lots of naps is what I need and that nobody was going to be dying anytime soon. It's been pretty nice to get some rest, but while listening to the kids play and romp, it makes me ready to be amped up and back on my feet again. I see lots and lots of laundry in my near future. Hopefully, the bug stops here.
Friday, February 18, 2011
That's What I'm Talking About
Luckily, winter fever has just hit our house. With two great days in weather back to back, it may be enough to buy the Cable kids some more time before spring is officially here. Even more lucky is that a day of great weather fell on a Friday--no preschool and no community college.
Fridays are my official play days with the kids and I typically can let everything else on the to-do list slide into the next week. I knew I had to get them out of the house today. When Austin loses his cool with the kids (as in last night), then everyone knows it's been a rough one. So I had no plan other than to air out the systems of two lil' kids.
We started at the library. Down in the valley where we live, it's not outside weather anyway until at least noon and I couldn't wrangle with them another morning inside. They can handle the library while using library manners for about 30 minutes. Check and check. Jay Jay the Jet Plane DVD was also available to us at the library. Check.
Off to Wendy's. I've learned that Leila must be kept full at all times if major melt downs want to be avoided. Once the melt down begins, nothing, not even the food she wants or needs, lures her back to calm-ville. It's only 11 a.m. My mind was racing with the different options for getting them outside and keeping them relatively dry, as everything is covered with mud and wet.
I remembered the $2.50 I had spent at Wal-Mart on the extra large sand shovel and rake that was in my trunk. I wondered about the best spot for busting them out.... The kids were in the back seat, half eating chicken nuggets and half asleep. We pulled into the land we love, the land we call home, and wound our way down into the valley--where in February the best place to catch the full noon day sun is at the beach.
The beach... in February. No customers, no geese, no summer pool yet. Nothing but vast openness of sand and little rocks--heaven for Cable kids. Again lucky-- Leila was wearing her water boots. The kids had no idea what we were driving to the beach to do. The best part-- what we were to do was totally up to us to create. Sometimes this can be rare for us at Austin Lake.
They had never experienced large sand toys, no other humans to share with, and an extra plot of land to play on because the water is still at winter pool. Heaven. Seriously. We captured 45 solid minutes of straight sunshine to our faces. We collected five crustacean shells for Gage to take to school. We investigated leaves as we watched them sail over the spillway. We made race tracks and farm fields that are ready for 'planting.' We threw about 200 rocks into the water... a 'sploosh' made every time. We learned and saw up close what happens as ice melts away from its massive winter sheet. I said over 300 times, at least, "Leila get out of the water!" She turned to me every time and smiled--half out of daring orneriness and half out of gratitude to have been given that much latitude.
They have grown in a blink. They will be swimming on their own, going off on their bikes on their own, and finding new friends at the lake to play with other than mom. I can't believe how quickly one season can change a baby into a toddler and a toddler into a boy. Here's to spring to come-- so glad I've not yet committed myself to full-time work. Richness is in the youth that surrounds me.
Fridays are my official play days with the kids and I typically can let everything else on the to-do list slide into the next week. I knew I had to get them out of the house today. When Austin loses his cool with the kids (as in last night), then everyone knows it's been a rough one. So I had no plan other than to air out the systems of two lil' kids.
We started at the library. Down in the valley where we live, it's not outside weather anyway until at least noon and I couldn't wrangle with them another morning inside. They can handle the library while using library manners for about 30 minutes. Check and check. Jay Jay the Jet Plane DVD was also available to us at the library. Check.
Off to Wendy's. I've learned that Leila must be kept full at all times if major melt downs want to be avoided. Once the melt down begins, nothing, not even the food she wants or needs, lures her back to calm-ville. It's only 11 a.m. My mind was racing with the different options for getting them outside and keeping them relatively dry, as everything is covered with mud and wet.
I remembered the $2.50 I had spent at Wal-Mart on the extra large sand shovel and rake that was in my trunk. I wondered about the best spot for busting them out.... The kids were in the back seat, half eating chicken nuggets and half asleep. We pulled into the land we love, the land we call home, and wound our way down into the valley--where in February the best place to catch the full noon day sun is at the beach.
The beach... in February. No customers, no geese, no summer pool yet. Nothing but vast openness of sand and little rocks--heaven for Cable kids. Again lucky-- Leila was wearing her water boots. The kids had no idea what we were driving to the beach to do. The best part-- what we were to do was totally up to us to create. Sometimes this can be rare for us at Austin Lake.
They had never experienced large sand toys, no other humans to share with, and an extra plot of land to play on because the water is still at winter pool. Heaven. Seriously. We captured 45 solid minutes of straight sunshine to our faces. We collected five crustacean shells for Gage to take to school. We investigated leaves as we watched them sail over the spillway. We made race tracks and farm fields that are ready for 'planting.' We threw about 200 rocks into the water... a 'sploosh' made every time. We learned and saw up close what happens as ice melts away from its massive winter sheet. I said over 300 times, at least, "Leila get out of the water!" She turned to me every time and smiled--half out of daring orneriness and half out of gratitude to have been given that much latitude.
They have grown in a blink. They will be swimming on their own, going off on their bikes on their own, and finding new friends at the lake to play with other than mom. I can't believe how quickly one season can change a baby into a toddler and a toddler into a boy. Here's to spring to come-- so glad I've not yet committed myself to full-time work. Richness is in the youth that surrounds me.
Friday, February 11, 2011
No School = Tutu much fun!
Gage hasn't had school in what seems like two weeks. He missed one day because we stayed an extra day out of town while our drywall was being sanded at home and he missed one day because he's had a virus, but honestly, I think there has been a 2-hour delay every other day. A 2-hour delay means no morning preschool. He's ecstatic to get to stay home, but spring will be rough on him!
We've had no shortage of ways to entertain ourselves. It took a week to get all of Gage's Valentine's finished (and the party was postponed). We used video game time for our leverage to convince Gage to get his work finished. After completing five Valentine's, he got one game of Paper Boy on the Sega Genesis. (I just think it's hysterical that Gage knows no difference between cool factor of the Wii and the cool factor of the Sega Genesis.) We've also learned that Gage does homework for me much better than for anyone else. I don't know how to convince him to treat all authority like he treats his momma.
Leila tags right along--and for six days straight she has worn and slept in her pink tutu... no other color of tutu will do. There may not be anything cuter than a little girl in a tutu, pajamas, and bed head, but that's how she's begun each day this week. Gage and Leila seem to play GeoTrax really well together, but it's such a fight to put both of them on the Thomas track together. Gage is very territorial of his engineered work and has little patience that his sister doesn't always want to play exactly as instructed. Big on-going lesson this week on the sharing front: Big Brothers must be Big Role Models. Maybe we could write a children's book on that one.
Last night, I got home from grad school right at bed time. Gage wanted to read a John Deere book. He has several nonfiction books, period, but his John Deere books are the best. Leila wanted to join us and right before my eyes, Gage took over and just started in 'reading' this 300-page book on tractors. Austin is still figuring out the IPod that I got for him and I asked him to record the 'show' but all he found quickly enough was just the audio recording... but even so, we have 16 minutes of Gage totally making up a story about all the John Deere Tractors. His story included references to 'when humans first existed' and to how John Deere's were smashed up at the junk yard and turned into bedsheets. He talked about recycling John Deere's to make Airport Fire Trucks (because they are also green). And, even how some John Deere's were scrapped and then re-used by the military to shoot some bad guys. These are all pretty direct quotes from our stage reader last night.
During all of this, Leila decided to pick off most of Gage's wall decals and rearrange them in ways that resemble faces. (Some of the decals are simply geometrical shapes.) She was impressive. Once she was finished with the decals, she took it upon herself to be Gage's back-up reader, adding sound effects that she thought went along with the pictures. On the recording, you can hear Leila mimicking the tractors on Lighting McQueen that moooo and then tip over with a poof. She laughed at herself after every one of 'her tractors' pooofed. I haven't laughed so hard with my kids. It's been a great winter--and cabin fever hasn't struck us at all!
We've had no shortage of ways to entertain ourselves. It took a week to get all of Gage's Valentine's finished (and the party was postponed). We used video game time for our leverage to convince Gage to get his work finished. After completing five Valentine's, he got one game of Paper Boy on the Sega Genesis. (I just think it's hysterical that Gage knows no difference between cool factor of the Wii and the cool factor of the Sega Genesis.) We've also learned that Gage does homework for me much better than for anyone else. I don't know how to convince him to treat all authority like he treats his momma.
Leila tags right along--and for six days straight she has worn and slept in her pink tutu... no other color of tutu will do. There may not be anything cuter than a little girl in a tutu, pajamas, and bed head, but that's how she's begun each day this week. Gage and Leila seem to play GeoTrax really well together, but it's such a fight to put both of them on the Thomas track together. Gage is very territorial of his engineered work and has little patience that his sister doesn't always want to play exactly as instructed. Big on-going lesson this week on the sharing front: Big Brothers must be Big Role Models. Maybe we could write a children's book on that one.
Last night, I got home from grad school right at bed time. Gage wanted to read a John Deere book. He has several nonfiction books, period, but his John Deere books are the best. Leila wanted to join us and right before my eyes, Gage took over and just started in 'reading' this 300-page book on tractors. Austin is still figuring out the IPod that I got for him and I asked him to record the 'show' but all he found quickly enough was just the audio recording... but even so, we have 16 minutes of Gage totally making up a story about all the John Deere Tractors. His story included references to 'when humans first existed' and to how John Deere's were smashed up at the junk yard and turned into bedsheets. He talked about recycling John Deere's to make Airport Fire Trucks (because they are also green). And, even how some John Deere's were scrapped and then re-used by the military to shoot some bad guys. These are all pretty direct quotes from our stage reader last night.
During all of this, Leila decided to pick off most of Gage's wall decals and rearrange them in ways that resemble faces. (Some of the decals are simply geometrical shapes.) She was impressive. Once she was finished with the decals, she took it upon herself to be Gage's back-up reader, adding sound effects that she thought went along with the pictures. On the recording, you can hear Leila mimicking the tractors on Lighting McQueen that moooo and then tip over with a poof. She laughed at herself after every one of 'her tractors' pooofed. I haven't laughed so hard with my kids. It's been a great winter--and cabin fever hasn't struck us at all!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Time with Dad
Austin really wants to do more in the evenings to help me have some quiet time, or down time, or whatever you want to call it time so I've been more susceptable to letting him take one or both of the kids with him, even when it means later nights for them and for us. (It's been hard for me to get to this point.)
Last night Austin had to go to town for the 'one more thing' needed for our living room to be completed today while we're both at work. Clearly, Gage is of the age where it's easy to take him along just about anywhere. But, we know that we took Gage with us everywhere at every age--so we're making a conscience effort to make sure Gage gets used to staying at home while his sister has more 1 on 1 adventures with us--if even only to the grocery store.
Leila has a very busy personality--we just never know how it's going to go when we have her out and about. I have noticed that when she's on her own without her brother, she's more mild-mannered and extremely curious without being a wild child about it. So-- Austin decided to just take Leila out with him last night to run errands.
She had already had her bath and was in her jammies, but Carhart bibs took care of that problem. Secondly, we bought Hello Kitty galoshes for her recently and though she has not worn them for more than a minute since she got them, she was easily persuaded to go with her dad AND to wear her Hello Kitty boots outside (but not before we put in her bow so she would also look like Hello Kitty--something her brother got her started with).
I don't have a picture of her dressed like this so I wanted to write about it so I could be reminded of it months down the road. But, seriously, I don't know of a cuter Leila than Leila last night: Purple jammies under hand-me-down Carhart bibs with Hello Kitty boots, a pink bow, and-- as always-- her sunglasses (even though it was dark). These mental snapshots put me in a good mood on any day.
Last night Austin had to go to town for the 'one more thing' needed for our living room to be completed today while we're both at work. Clearly, Gage is of the age where it's easy to take him along just about anywhere. But, we know that we took Gage with us everywhere at every age--so we're making a conscience effort to make sure Gage gets used to staying at home while his sister has more 1 on 1 adventures with us--if even only to the grocery store.
Leila has a very busy personality--we just never know how it's going to go when we have her out and about. I have noticed that when she's on her own without her brother, she's more mild-mannered and extremely curious without being a wild child about it. So-- Austin decided to just take Leila out with him last night to run errands.
She had already had her bath and was in her jammies, but Carhart bibs took care of that problem. Secondly, we bought Hello Kitty galoshes for her recently and though she has not worn them for more than a minute since she got them, she was easily persuaded to go with her dad AND to wear her Hello Kitty boots outside (but not before we put in her bow so she would also look like Hello Kitty--something her brother got her started with).
I don't have a picture of her dressed like this so I wanted to write about it so I could be reminded of it months down the road. But, seriously, I don't know of a cuter Leila than Leila last night: Purple jammies under hand-me-down Carhart bibs with Hello Kitty boots, a pink bow, and-- as always-- her sunglasses (even though it was dark). These mental snapshots put me in a good mood on any day.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Leila's 2nd Birthday
We celebrated Leila's birthday in McConnelsville just as we did when Gage turned 2. One thing that is great about my husband is his support of doing things in ways that make me feel happy. Keeping my kids connected to my hometown and how things were for me as a child makes me happy. I like to celebrate holidays in McConnelsville as that will always be home to me and so many of my relatives still live there. One thing I remember from growing up is that we grew up with all of our 1st cousins--and many are still my closest friends today. Family is important to me no matter where they live and I have no problem taking our family on the road to make it easier for our children to grow up among their great grandmothers, aunts, uncles, and so many others.
Her theme-- pink. We didn't really have any dramatic twists and concoctions for her party because that is Leila's drumbeat--she just is herself without attachment to much of anything (other than her blanket of course). All we knew is that we had better celebrate with pink--most definitely her favorite color. Beyond that (and Minnie Mouse decorations that were cute) her party was centered around people who love her. Our wonderful friend Hannah, who is the girlfriend to one of my cousins and next door neighbor, made her some fancy pink cupcakes, not to mention that they were 100% Gage friendly and no one knew any different. In fact, they were FABULOUS--milk and gluten free-- and gone in a minute.
When Hannah arrived with the cupcakes, there was no moving forward, in fact, until we let Leila have one. She couldn't wait for the pink! Some cupcakes were vanilla and others were banana. My kids couldn't stay out of them. She blew out candles on about seven different occasions because once she had them blown out she begged (in sign language) for more. It was too cute to say no to... anyway, what's wrong with blowing out candles multiple times when it's a birthday!
Besides her parents and her brother, Leila celebrated with Grandma and Poppy Bailey, Great-Grandma Spencer and Great-Grandma Bailey, Beth and Midge (my neighbors since forever), Auntie Mel and Tom Bragg (other neighbors since forever), Wesley and Hannah, and my best friend and first cousin Amy who came with her niece Hannah and two of her three kids-- Samuel and Rachel. Benjamin was sick and stayed at his Granny's house with her. The kids feasted on the favorite hometown pizza and breadsticks and played with the punching balloons and helium balloons that we got for everyone.
In the course of the evening, Leila wore about three different outfits as she stripped out of her tights and then the leggings I put on her to replace the tights that wouldn't stay on. Then she insisted on having the dress off. I knew my grandmother would have a coronary if I let her run around in her undies so I found a pair of warm sweatpants for her, but she roamed most of the rest of the time without a shirt on. By the time she put on a shirt, it was time for more cupcakes and she wore lots of the icing.
Her favorite present: Dora Fruit Chewies. She got six boxes of them from various people who knew her wants well. :) This coming weekend we will have Cable family celebration for her once Grandpa Cable returns from his trip to Florida.
In two years she has won over the hearts of many people because her energy and bubbly smiles loaded with those dimples make many of us melt. She is like the Energizer Bunny who never quits. She is tenacious, she is independent, and there is no telling her how to do something if her mind is set on her own method. She is learning to use her words better to express herself during her terrible-two-tantrums and with that she is learning to trust us and to become patient when we ask her to be patient.
There is so much of my personality that I see in her that sometimes it makes it hard for me to sleep as I already worry how to parent a little girl who has such a head strong personality yet at the same time has so much sensitivity to keeping up (with her brother), fitting in (with the crowd and what it is they are playing), and being accepted (and not being scolded by her parents). I know that this, too, is just a phase of growing up so I try not to take too much stock in the things that stress me out. We are happy to have such a healthy little girl who loves to be busy and who loves to love on others--like little baby Cora, her newest buddy.
Our home is all jumbled up right now and I can't upload photos-- not that I can seem to upload photos to the blog anyway-- but as soon as I can, I'll post to facebook. However, this means the living room is days from being finished--- leaps and bounds to the months that it's been torn apart.
Her theme-- pink. We didn't really have any dramatic twists and concoctions for her party because that is Leila's drumbeat--she just is herself without attachment to much of anything (other than her blanket of course). All we knew is that we had better celebrate with pink--most definitely her favorite color. Beyond that (and Minnie Mouse decorations that were cute) her party was centered around people who love her. Our wonderful friend Hannah, who is the girlfriend to one of my cousins and next door neighbor, made her some fancy pink cupcakes, not to mention that they were 100% Gage friendly and no one knew any different. In fact, they were FABULOUS--milk and gluten free-- and gone in a minute.
When Hannah arrived with the cupcakes, there was no moving forward, in fact, until we let Leila have one. She couldn't wait for the pink! Some cupcakes were vanilla and others were banana. My kids couldn't stay out of them. She blew out candles on about seven different occasions because once she had them blown out she begged (in sign language) for more. It was too cute to say no to... anyway, what's wrong with blowing out candles multiple times when it's a birthday!
Besides her parents and her brother, Leila celebrated with Grandma and Poppy Bailey, Great-Grandma Spencer and Great-Grandma Bailey, Beth and Midge (my neighbors since forever), Auntie Mel and Tom Bragg (other neighbors since forever), Wesley and Hannah, and my best friend and first cousin Amy who came with her niece Hannah and two of her three kids-- Samuel and Rachel. Benjamin was sick and stayed at his Granny's house with her. The kids feasted on the favorite hometown pizza and breadsticks and played with the punching balloons and helium balloons that we got for everyone.
In the course of the evening, Leila wore about three different outfits as she stripped out of her tights and then the leggings I put on her to replace the tights that wouldn't stay on. Then she insisted on having the dress off. I knew my grandmother would have a coronary if I let her run around in her undies so I found a pair of warm sweatpants for her, but she roamed most of the rest of the time without a shirt on. By the time she put on a shirt, it was time for more cupcakes and she wore lots of the icing.
Her favorite present: Dora Fruit Chewies. She got six boxes of them from various people who knew her wants well. :) This coming weekend we will have Cable family celebration for her once Grandpa Cable returns from his trip to Florida.
In two years she has won over the hearts of many people because her energy and bubbly smiles loaded with those dimples make many of us melt. She is like the Energizer Bunny who never quits. She is tenacious, she is independent, and there is no telling her how to do something if her mind is set on her own method. She is learning to use her words better to express herself during her terrible-two-tantrums and with that she is learning to trust us and to become patient when we ask her to be patient.
There is so much of my personality that I see in her that sometimes it makes it hard for me to sleep as I already worry how to parent a little girl who has such a head strong personality yet at the same time has so much sensitivity to keeping up (with her brother), fitting in (with the crowd and what it is they are playing), and being accepted (and not being scolded by her parents). I know that this, too, is just a phase of growing up so I try not to take too much stock in the things that stress me out. We are happy to have such a healthy little girl who loves to be busy and who loves to love on others--like little baby Cora, her newest buddy.
Our home is all jumbled up right now and I can't upload photos-- not that I can seem to upload photos to the blog anyway-- but as soon as I can, I'll post to facebook. However, this means the living room is days from being finished--- leaps and bounds to the months that it's been torn apart.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)