a small package - a loud little creature

Yes, I'm talking about Pito. MAN has she ever learned how to use her voice. She knows how to screech like the best of them, and to holler, and yell, and "chat" at some very high decibels.

Pito is a doll. She is just smiley and sweet and giggly and wow. SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS. She's certainly not afraid to let us know when she wants to be picked up, or wants a new toy, or wants her soother, or wants more food, and the list goes on. It makes me laugh until it gets to the point where I'm battling a headache.

Put her and Plava together and you've got a rather loud and boisterous household.

They're full of energy, these little ones, and as I spend all my extra time sewing (and not napping) and deal with troublesome nights, I'm finding myself heading in the opposite direction. I'm heading towards zombie-mother-land.

My mom came over today and we went to a playground together with the girls. I was saying that my smarts tell me to sleep so that I'm a levelheaded woman, but my craft fair deadline isn't allowing it and so I end up sewing in every spare chunk of time I have. (Is it weird to refer to a space in time as a "chunk"?)

These girls are fun though, and certainly keep me on my toes.

Plava went camping this week for the first time without us. No, she didn't go alone. She went with her grandma and her cousin J. In length it equaled the longest time we've been away from her (2 nights) but it was a little harder because the campground wasn't within cell range. I knew she'd have a blast - it was me I was more concerned about.

And it was hard. It felt long. The house was quiet (which at first was quite a dream!) and lonely (which Pito certainly felt too) and by day 3, although I had gotten some great sewing time in, I was dying to see her again. It's great what a little absence can do for my patience!! I have been a model mother ever since she returned! Pito has returned to being a little happier with her big sister back to entertain her, and generally we've been having a very nice time together since her camping trip. So thanks grandma, for the few days of rest, and the returned patience now!! :)

I'm glad she got to do it - every little step towards being brave and independent is a good thing, after all.

Speaking of independence, Plava will be starting preschool in September. WOW!! I can hardly believe it. It will be great. I'm looking forward to it in many ways - she'll have a blast, I'll get a bit more of a break, and I'll get to know Pito one-on-one better (something that struck me as weird and wonderful while Plava was camping).

Plava, as it so happens, has been a very timid child (I like to call it "quite slow to warm up") since she was teeny, and I've made very little effort to push her beyond what she feels comfortable doing. I saw some of myself in that timidity and could identify with feelings of drawing back even further when pushed, so I tried to be sensitive to it and let her approach things at her own pace. I'm so happy to see her coming out of it now all on her own. She's becoming braver by the day, walking bravely into new activities (watching the whole way to make sure I'm there supporting her), and showing me some new colours of her independence. I love it and I'm so proud.

I hardly think we'll be dealing with these issues with Pito, although it should be very interesting to see what comes out in her personality as she gets older.
Already she seems like she is annoyed at not being able to go places and get into things. I don't think it will be long until she starts crawling, and then WATCH OUT!! Plava will have a constant companion at her ankles. I can't wait to see it. :)
Plava is such a loving big sister. She is all over Pito (in many moments, TOO aggressive) and is great at helping me by giving her toys and playing peek-a-boo and feeding her and making her laugh in the car when she wants to cry her eyes out (Pito is not a lover of the car seat).

It's amazing to see the love between them and I am so excited to watch them as they get older and develop a more mature relationship.
Man, I love my girls!! (And Ryan says that when I use the word "man" that means I really mean it - haha) They bring me such joy!! (And frustration sometimes, but I'm feelin' the love right now!!! WHOOP WHOOP!) I just want more!! (But not yet, and those talks haven't even started yet so I shouldn't get ahead of myself.) And I want a dog too!! (But not in this small home.) And a trampoline!! (Do you know what a good workout you can get on a trampoline?)

One more story before I cut this rambling post off. I was over at a friends' house the other day with the girls, and there was also a 9 year-old girl there that I knew. She asked me if I wanted to go on the trampoline with her (after gustily telling me that her mom said that after you have kids you can't help but pee when you go on the trampoline....um...right....you're not supposed to know that, kid.) and so I accepted and told her that once upon a time I could do a flip.

She was so excited (and amazed that someone as old and un-limber as me could possibly do a flip) and insisted that I do one. So, in my jean skirt, making sure she was well out of the way I started jumping higher and higher.

"Am I crazy?" I thought, "Am I going to break my neck and then leave Ryan to take care of the kids until I'm better?" "How will the kids get home?" "How will Pito get fed?" And higher and higher I jumped until I started counting under my breath.

"One....two....three..." and JUST as I was about to do it, Plava rounds the corner and sees me jumping, and sees me launch into the air into a forward flip that landed me right smack on my bum. YESSSSS - I can still do it, albeit a little less gracefully than in the past!!

And from little Plava's voice and terrified face came, "NOOOOO MAMAAAAAA!! DOOOON'T DOOO THAAAT AGAAAAAIN!!!!!!!!!!"

Apparently my bravery wasn't enough for little traumatized Plava who insisted that I not even bounce lightly but come RIGHT off the trampoline that instant. To which I obeyed. :)