300!

First Guest Post of the Year: From Mommy

And it's also the 300th post of this blog! That seems a little unbelievable. But in truth the blog has been up and running for over 3 years and that's also really unbelievable for me. I've been a MOM for three years plus. I'm getting the hang of things right? Oh wait just today I raised my voice at my two adoring daughters because they were pushing my legs and standing very close to me so that they could feel safe while at the bank and it was annoying me. Sigh. Maybe when I've been a mom for five years? (Probably not seeing as how I have been a wife for a little over five years and I still screw up there and do something lame....)

Anyhoo..that wasn't what I was originally going to make this post about but I just realized that it did deserve a little introspection. Three years...and I'm just barely starting to want to make dinner instead of eating out or ordering in. Three years and I've really started to sound like a mom...my mom. My days "off" from work are spent doing laundry, "cleaning" the house, grocery shopping and helping small children with just about everything and stressing about bills and the future. I go to my parents house without my children and I still suddenly stand at attention because I hear a phantom cry. I rarely sleep 8 hours straight and if I did I'm sure I'd still wake up a little tired because my body has a little bit of a sleep debt going on. But I wouldn't trade a single moment of these three years for regular 8 hours of sleep. I love cuddling my sweet girls. And I really lucked out because they are both very cuddly and like to sleep tucked in to my side. Siena's becoming so independent that some days I can't believe what it feels like she figured out on her own. And Cara has new things to say every day! She's growing up too and I love it and can't stand how much I can love them both. Somedays are better at others at remembering to savor their smell and silly things they say and their tiny little bodies and I'm doing my best and I guess that's what matters in that regard.

Speaking of how much my children are growing up, Siena is a Sunbeam now in Primary. I about split with pride for her on that first Sunday and I never even got to see her go in the primary room (dang nursery calling and my obsessive need to beat any kiddo to the room.) However, she came bursting in to my classroom at the end of church telling me "my heart grows and it makes me happy" and something about the scriptures and what I can only assume is a snake that they use at singing time. I almost burst in to tears. She paid attention and she LOVED sharing time. (I also learned that Sunday that she kisses her "boyfriend" Matthew against his will some days and not against his will other days...oh heaven help me.) This last week was her second time going and she came home singing a song I didn't recognize but my mom did as the new song from the Friend and she knew the chorus. I again almost cried. I guess we need to start holding regular family home evening because she also was sad that we had forgot her scripture marking pencil.

And don't get me started about her non spiritual growth. She's showing a real desire to do things herself, like getting dressed and buckling her car seat. Neither of which she can do entirely on her own but it's fun to watch her try.

Cara will be getting her own post here in a couple weeks because she'll hit the big 18 month mark and is rapidly changing every day in to a big girl. I was 4 months away from having another baby when Siena was her age. It's strange to think of actually ENJOYING a two year old. Or brief moments of a two year old. Not that I didn't enjoy Siena but it's different.

Here are the two munchkins enjoying reading stories to themselves before bed...


And enjoying the much warmer January weather at the park. We had so much fun that day. All four of us went and had a picnic and both girls were big enough to run around with Mommy and Daddy. It was great! I think crawling up the slide is a genetic gift for little boys...girls have to work harder or at least my girls do.



And then they "got down" at the local Smashburger. Apparently the music was really speaking to them. You can't really see Cara grooving until the end but she was in to it. And Siena was doing a dance from the Just Dance Kids Wii game. It's the one for the happy birthday song. We thought she was doing Michael Jackson which she also loves but she corrected us. You can see the camera shake as I just sit and giggle and giggle.

And I have to mention how terrified the dog is of me. I spend a lot of time yelling and then throwing out this Mistress of Pee and destruction (she's a puppy still and I know but it drives me crazy...). So the other night I went to see if Siena had snuck in with her Daddy to shower and found Gabby eating goldfish crackers out of the bag right next to the shower. I kind of growled her name and she was so bent on getting away from me that she crept in to the shower with Pete almost as if to say "I can't believe this is the better option!" She ended up getting shampooed and then traumatized as I blow dried her because it was almost bed time and she sleeps in the garage in her kennel!