not that old

"Wow, mom, that's a lot of laundry to fold."
"Yep."
"I wish we only have enough clothes to last til Monday. Then there wouldn't be as much to fold."
"Sometimes I do, too, Pink."
"Yeah. It would take a really old lady like, an hour to fold all her laundry."
"Am I a really old lady?"
"No! A really old lady is, like, 39 or something."
"Oh, good! Glad I'm not that old."

because i'm a sap at heart

I'm finally back with a sappy post. Enjoy. Or gag. Whichever...

In my rearview mirror is a song she thinks is secret, but I can hear the soft voice and see the sweet, tiny lips attempting words she doesn't even understand.

In my rearview mirror is time flying by - not just one baby anymore, but a 5 year old, and her sister singing along through 2 year old teeth and clumsy lips, and a 10 month old squealing her version of her sisters' favorite song in an attempt to keep up.

In my rearview mirror is a private world: the earliest years of a life that 3 sisters will share, and remember, and talk about for decades to come.

I can't share in what I see in my rearview mirror -- my time for backseat camaraderie has past -- but I can watch, I can imagine, I can let my heart swell, and I can hope that time moves slowly and that the camaraderie never fades.

awww

Mia,
You've been saying "mama" for a couple months now, but all day long you've been crawling toward me (and sometimes up me) saying, "ma-ma-ma-ma" and my heart has been skipping a beat all day. :)

happy birthday

I'd gasp at the fact that you're five, except that in so many ways you really seem like you're already six, so this birthday seems like it's been a long-time coming. You now:

*have definite opinions about what you wear and how your hair will be styled. Down and half-up are your favs
*adjusted really well to kindergarten, even though you changed schools after only one day, and then changed teachers 1.5 weeks later - you're loving it & fell in love with Mme. C.
*are incredibly tender with your younger sisters
*have tons and tons of friends. You're planning a cookie decorating party & your current invite list is 20 or so people (we'll have to chat about this)
*get excited to make cards for people for all sorts of occasions

And so much more. You are so much more than we ever could have imagined! Happy Birthday, Pink!

peas

To my Peas, Pia, Lizzie, etc:

TWO?! My baby is two. It's a good thing you finally started looking and acting like a toddler, or I'd be a mess of confusion and sadness. But with toddler cuteness oozing out of you everywhere, I can accept the fact that you're 2 now. Currently, you:

Speak in sentences, finally. Some of my recent favs are "I doe Tat hum" (I went to Kat's house), "Ma doo peas, Mah-Mah" (More juice, please, Mama - which we hardly ever have but you always ask for), "duh-doe, Mah-Mah" (Cuddle, Mama), and "Nigh-nigh Mah-Mah dah-dah. Woo woo!" (Night night, Mama and Dada. I love you!).

Think that disobedience is just part of your stand-up routine.

Want to help with Mia - feed her, change her, hold her, comfort her, etc.

Also want to steal Mia's food, utensils, dishes, and anything else she has.

Still think the sun revolves around Pink.

Are growing! You stayed barely small for the longest time and you finally just outgrew about 1/2 of your 12-18 month clothes. The bit of extra height looks good on you.

Have hair like your sister's - blond and curly, but longer

Are my love bug who loves to cuddle (see sentence above)

Scream loud enough to wake the dead, and then giggle loud enough to make it nearly impossible for me to dole out consequences for screaming.

Love to color. You ask for your Minnie Mouse coloring book and your "boo" crayon all the time.

Have started to get a bit shy when we leave, but are really chatty & outgoing if we're around, like in the grocery store where you charm everyone from the guy collecting money out front to the cashiers in adjacent lines (Mama thanks you for charming the money-collector, by the way, so I don't have to work so hard to say no nicely).

Are more than all we could have asked or imagined, just as God says he gives us. We are so blessed to get this front row seat to the wonder that is you. Happy birthday, sweet girl! We love you!

ahem

I've looked everywhere but can't find the book I just bought entitled I Used To Be So Organized. A bad sign, maybe?

one year

One year ago today, we found out about you, little Mia. I laughed so hard from shock during the ultrasound,  that the technician couldn't continue for a couple minutes: "Ooooh, looks like a BIG baby. How far along did you think you were? No idea? Well...... looks like 19 weeks, 1 day. And...... it's a girl!"

I'm beaming, thinking back on that day. We were taken aback, to be sure, but we never once regretted you.We're so very happy you've been with us for 7 whole months now! Now you:
smile often
giggle often
love your sisters passionately
sit up (at 6 months almost to the exact day)
have started to assert when you don't like something being taken away from you
love peaches and pears and yogurt, which means you must be a member of this family
look so much like your oldest sister, and yet you're so obviously your own person
wake up with cooing
eat like a growing boy - really, you're chunkin' up lately
roll everywhere to get around
are thinking about crawling, but then you just roll instead
have such a bright & sunny personality and bright, happy eyes that strangers stop to tell us that
like pretty much everyone
have the cutest little cough when you're sick (which is right now). sorry, sweetie, but you do

We looked and looked for a name that meant "surprise" as we prepared for your birth, but somehow there aren't many out there, and none that we liked. However, you'll always be my all-time favorite surprise. Happy one year anniversary!