Funny Fiona

Fiona,

It was a long week this week. I was out the door very early every day, just five minutes after you woke up on most days. Returned home late a few days, and I felt like I hardly saw you.

I've been looking forward to this weekend all week, when I knew I would have today with you and Norah all to myself. You have grown up more since I last spent quality time with you. But you are still a stinker, and getting into everything lately. Your new thing is to take milk or yogurt, or whatever food you are done eating and finger-paint with it on the doors going out to the deck. You make such a mess!

Little things you did today that surprised me--you counted sheep in a book with me ten. And you pointed out "Two pumpkins on the wall, Mommy." That seems very advanced to me for a just-turned two year old. You talk a lot, and you sang little songs to yourself a lot today, too. While you and Norah were playing together in her room today, you took her little teddy bears and put one of each of them into a little drawer cabinet that she has in her room. I thought that it was very inventive, because the drawers fit the bears perfectly, and you had one little bear tucked neatly into each drawer.

You gave me a devil of a time trying to change your diaper today. You are in that weird place where you don't want to feel a dirty diaper, but you can't give it up yet. Soon I predict.

Your Daddy and I marvel at you and adore you every day. You are quite the little daddy's girl at the moment. And you are gorgeous and funny and we love you.

Mommy

Journaling for My Girls

Norah and Fiona,

This is your mommy's wish to capture and hold on to some of your beautiful and wonderful ways before your sweet and fleeting childhood passes us all by. Day by day I see you both grow and change so quickly, that I am afraid there are little nuances of your daily lives that I will forget all together if I can't get them written down somewhere.

I wish more than ever I could stop and press 'pause' just to watch you and be with you a little more each day. Right now our family is stuck with the jobs and time that we have, so your father and I try to make the best of it every day.
_________

Norah, you are already four years old! Four going on twenty. You are beautiful in your ways and your intelligence. Wise beyond your years for sure. The quiet time I spend with you tucking you into bed is one of my most favorite things, if only you would go to sleep then! I get a glimpse in to how your mind is working, thinking, figuring all the time. Last night after we read "Nemo", you were tired and fidgety, the way you get. Of course you fought me on going to sleep, as you always do, and were trying your litany of things to get back out of bed.

You told me, "Mommy, I can't sleep, I miss Jennifer".
And as my heart breaks a little every time you say it to me, I replied "Norah, I know you miss Jennifer, I miss her too, but you can't use that as an excuse to not sleep. Why don't you blow a kiss out to her, and the kiss will find her, all the way in Germany".
And your eyes lit up as with a great idea, "I know, mommy! I will blow her kiss up to God, and God will send it to her".

You never do cease to amaze me, Norah, and of course tears came to my eyes over the sweetness and pure childlike wonder of that idea. You and I have had very little in the way of conversations about God. But you do come home with lots of little prayers from school, and again I am taken back by this separate life you have from me, and of the ideas you get that come from your life, and not all from me anymore.
________

Fiona, you just had your second birthday last week. Where did these last two years go? You are funny, rambunctious, and a little trouble-maker. And you are sweet beyond words, and such a good sleeper, and you are your own little person more than I could have ever have imagined. Your wild curly blond hair is almost white in the front from the sun this summer. You run around constantly, with curly-cues bouncing behind and all around you. Perhaps this makes you seem like more of a wild-child than you are, and I can't wait to see what the year of 'Two' brings to us this year.

You are in your realm of perfect baby logic, and your aptitude for conversation lets us in on your adorable little thoughts. Last week at dinner, you were literally shoving rice in your mouth with both hands, like you hadn't eaten in days. I thought I'd slip a little cauliflower in your bowl of rice to get those veggies into you. You picked it up, examined it, and exclaimed "Big-rice-mom-my!". You can speak in full sentences, but it is funny the way you do it. With little pauses between each and every syllable and word. And to you, the white cauliflower was a very exciting big piece of rice, the likes of which you had never seen before.

The little things we adults take for granted and no longer notice is perhaps the greatest joy of spending time with you children.