I looked at my girls yesterday and was hit with the sudden realization that they are getting bigger by the second. When did Arden start talking so much? How long has Claire been refusing to wear bows? Weren't those soccer shorts a lot longer last spring? Why does that dress seem too small (oh. it's an 18-24 months)?
I know once this new baby gets here the girls will seem even bigger and before I know it, I'll have forgotten what this stage in their lives was like. So here are some things I don't want to forget...
Claire
*Says "willn't" when she means "won't"
*Totally obsessed with jewelry--at any given time, she's wearing several necklaces, a few rings and an armload of bracelets
*Can't wait for kindergarten and asks nearly everyday how much longer it will be until she goes to her "Big Girl School"
*Runs around the soccer field with a huge smile on her face
*Is just as happy to have "almost" scored a goal than to actually have scored one
*Loves to perform and can't wait to be a grown-up so she can be on stage somewhere
*Spent thirty minutes trying to master the monkey bars at the park on Saturday
*Wants to pick her own clothes and accessories and does not limit herself by adhering to fashion boundaries such as "plaids and stripes do not go together" or "if the back of your heel is hanging over the edge of those Hello Kitty wedge sandals you love so much, they're probably too small"
*Can't wait to be able to read
*Thinks the big girls across the street are totally cool
*Likes to kiss the baby in my tummy
*Sleeps with a blankie, a puppy named pup-pup and three princess dolls
*Doesn't nap anymore
Arden
*Repeats everything Claire says, even if she has no idea what it means
*Loves her "pappy" (that's what she calls her paci and yes, she still has it. Want to fight about it?)
*Thinks using the potty means sitting on it or standing in front of it
*Cries when I leave
*Loves to give hugs and kisses
*Gets so excited when someone comes to the house that she runs into the living room and does somersaults
*Loves to sing back-up for Claire, although I'm sure she'll want to take the lead before too long
*Calls my dad Jack instead of Grandad
*Terrifies me when I take her to the park
*Loves to eat olives
*Thinks she is just as big as her sister
*Loves to paint and use glue sticks
*Tried to feed baby in my tummy chips by laying them on my belly
*Sleeps with two lovies, two blankets, three princess dolls, one puppy and, of course, her beloved pappy
*Says "Ontchoo" when she means "I want you"
Monday, September 29, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
A Confession
I just made a box of brownies for the sole purpose of having something chocolate to eat this afternoon. I purposely left a generous amount of batter in the mixing bowl so that I could have something to snack on while I was waiting the excruciating 25-29minutes for the actual brownies to bake. I opted not to let the brownies cool and instead, dug right in for a huge, gooey, falling apart piece of chocolaty goodness. And then I had seconds.
And I wonder why this baby is measuring two weeks ahead of schedule?
And I wonder why this baby is measuring two weeks ahead of schedule?
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Outliers
I'm not a political person. I sit on the fence a lot. I like to tease my sister about her thoughts on global warming, but the truth is, I'm a global warning agnostic. I feel that way about a lot of issues. Things are rarely black and white for me, although sometimes I wish they were. Life seems simpler for those who see only two colors.
Today as I was driving home, I passed two men standing at a busy intersection holding signs that claimed "9/11: Bush did it" and "9/11 was an inside job." All I could do as I drove slowly past them was roll my eyes and say, "Seriously?"
As I drove away, it occurred to me that they were serious. And that there were probably more just like them. That realization got me thinking about outliers.
In statistical analysis, it's common practice to remove any "outliers" before attempting to analyze data. Outliers are data points that fall way out of range with the rest of the data. By removing them, you get a more accurate analysis.
Those guys today? Outliers. Those people on the web who actually think that Obama was calling his opponent a pig? Outliers. Those other people on the web who think that Palin is somehow an unfit mother/unacceptable candidate because her teenage daughter is pregnant? Outliers.
Someone please tell me that those folks, although I'm sure well-intentioned, don't represent the whole of America. Please tell me that if we remove those extreme views to the right and left, what's left behind is a group of people who can at least entertain the thought that maybe, just maybe, the other side has some valid points.
Change is the word this election year. But I think the change America wants has far less to do with what our politics are than the way that we practice them.
And that's all I have to say about that.
Today as I was driving home, I passed two men standing at a busy intersection holding signs that claimed "9/11: Bush did it" and "9/11 was an inside job." All I could do as I drove slowly past them was roll my eyes and say, "Seriously?"
As I drove away, it occurred to me that they were serious. And that there were probably more just like them. That realization got me thinking about outliers.
In statistical analysis, it's common practice to remove any "outliers" before attempting to analyze data. Outliers are data points that fall way out of range with the rest of the data. By removing them, you get a more accurate analysis.
Those guys today? Outliers. Those people on the web who actually think that Obama was calling his opponent a pig? Outliers. Those other people on the web who think that Palin is somehow an unfit mother/unacceptable candidate because her teenage daughter is pregnant? Outliers.
Someone please tell me that those folks, although I'm sure well-intentioned, don't represent the whole of America. Please tell me that if we remove those extreme views to the right and left, what's left behind is a group of people who can at least entertain the thought that maybe, just maybe, the other side has some valid points.
Change is the word this election year. But I think the change America wants has far less to do with what our politics are than the way that we practice them.
And that's all I have to say about that.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Right. I have a blog.
So I haven't blogged in a while. And since this blog is my way of documenting the girls' experiences, I always feel guilty when I fall behind. Here is my penance--lots of pictures!
We made a quick trip to Dallas and stayed with Grandad and Mimi. That means there was lots of swimming and good food. The girls would've stayed in the water all day if we'd let them.
First Razorback game of the season. We left the girls at home for the game but game day always provides a good excuse for wearing your cheerleader outfit and striking some poses outside the stadium.
First Day of School. This is Claire's last year of preschool and Arden's first. Guess who wasn't that thrilled to be going (hint--the one with the paci and blankie). Claire is going to the same preschool she's been at the last three years and Arden is going to Mother's Day Out at our church. Oh, and did I mention that I'm the director of that Mother's Day Out? That might help explain my recent blogging drought.
So far both girls are enjoying their schools, although Claire is torn as to whether she wants to stay with her buddies at her "old" school or come with me and Arden. I'm letting her chose, which means a lot of running around for me.
Fall soccer started and Claire's team is named "Fire". Not "The Fire". Just "Fire". For some reason, this really bothers me. But Claire is excited because they get real uniforms and she is number 5. She considers being five years old to be the pinnacle of existence, so getting wear 5 on her back makes her day.
I'm not sure that soccer will turn out to be Claire's calling in life. She has fun playing, but seems to have inherited my level of aggressiveness (none). I overheard her coach telling her to try and take the ball away from the other team and Claire replied, "But I could share it with them and that would be so nice". Not sure how Coach answered that one.
And finally, here is what Arden looks like at Claire's soccer games. She is having a hard time grasping the concept of being "too young" for certain things. We spend the entire game chasing her off the field. When it's her turn to play next fall, I don't think we'll be worrying about her level of agression though.
We made a quick trip to Dallas and stayed with Grandad and Mimi. That means there was lots of swimming and good food. The girls would've stayed in the water all day if we'd let them.
First Razorback game of the season. We left the girls at home for the game but game day always provides a good excuse for wearing your cheerleader outfit and striking some poses outside the stadium.
First Day of School. This is Claire's last year of preschool and Arden's first. Guess who wasn't that thrilled to be going (hint--the one with the paci and blankie). Claire is going to the same preschool she's been at the last three years and Arden is going to Mother's Day Out at our church. Oh, and did I mention that I'm the director of that Mother's Day Out? That might help explain my recent blogging drought.
So far both girls are enjoying their schools, although Claire is torn as to whether she wants to stay with her buddies at her "old" school or come with me and Arden. I'm letting her chose, which means a lot of running around for me.
Fall soccer started and Claire's team is named "Fire". Not "The Fire". Just "Fire". For some reason, this really bothers me. But Claire is excited because they get real uniforms and she is number 5. She considers being five years old to be the pinnacle of existence, so getting wear 5 on her back makes her day.
I'm not sure that soccer will turn out to be Claire's calling in life. She has fun playing, but seems to have inherited my level of aggressiveness (none). I overheard her coach telling her to try and take the ball away from the other team and Claire replied, "But I could share it with them and that would be so nice". Not sure how Coach answered that one.
And finally, here is what Arden looks like at Claire's soccer games. She is having a hard time grasping the concept of being "too young" for certain things. We spend the entire game chasing her off the field. When it's her turn to play next fall, I don't think we'll be worrying about her level of agression though.
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