Just Some Randomess...

Tickle Time!

Some close-ups during our tickle war. And a picture of Anna dancing at the Primary Talent Show at church..

New info for the week: Just some random things and happenings...

*Brag-y mom alert! Anna had an awesome Parent-Teacher conference a few weeks ago. They only had good things to say about her, and were so positive and complimentary. I tried to stay humble. :) Miss Rita said that Anna is such a good example to the other kids - good manners, listens to instructions, follows directions. They said she is very helpful, loves to learn and is very inquisitive. She catches on quickly to new ideas and projects. Miss Rita said that Anna plays very well with the other kids, stays patient, and shares well. Both teachers said they have never had any problems with Anna, and that she is just such a joy to have in their classroom. You know, pretty much everything a mom wants to hear. I pictured Anna thriving in the classroom setting; she's been so ready for this. Just to keep me humble, Anna does save some "naughty" behavior for when she comes home. Yep, she gets cranky and disagreeable sometimes. She gets impatient with Ben-Ben sometimes. She refuses to help sometimes. But mostly, we get the same helpful, sweet, inquisitive, good manners, etc. from Anna too. Such a sweet pea. Good job Anna!!!

*The second year of Ethan's DPT program is very intense. I'm really proud of how hard he is working. Seriously, just so much studying, papers, group projects, group meetings, more studying, etc. Yet, he still manages enough family time so that we don't feel neglected. Hehe. Even after his long days at school, Ethan comes home and is just so helpful and involved with the kids! It's precious - every day when the kids hear his key turn in the lock, they both immediately start yelling, "Daddy, Daddy, DADDY!!!" and run toward the door. Ethan says that is his favorite part of the day. Ah, so sweet. And I'm managing to stay pretty sane, even though I feel like a single parent sometimes. :) I have some good friends down here, and some good support. I mostly just miss having as much time to talk with my sweetness.

*Benjamin is very interested in learning family member's names lately. He loves looking at pictures of his family, and naming the different people. So far he points out, Daddy, Mommy, Anna, Grandpa (boo-PA), Grandma (maMA), Rorie (rah-REE), Benjamin (be-BEE), and he'll repeat many other family names, but won't point them out unprompted. So sweet. Another Benjamin update; he is a dancing machine! He just loves dancing lately. Every play group we attend ends with a story, then a dance, and Benjamin just looooooves the dancing part. It's pretty funny, and he just gets so into it. I'll have to post a video of it soon. Needless to say, we have music playing pretty often at our house. And the stronger the beat, the better! Ha! Finally for Benjamin - he has learned how to open doors. Noooooo!!! We'll never be safe again. :) Actually, we already put a child proof cover on the bathroom door handle, so we're good.

*Final update - Anna is very much into "girly-ness" lately. Not just frilly-ness, princesses, dressing up, etc., but simply what makes a girl a girl. And she is very much mommy's little girl. *And Ben-Ben is very much Daddy's little boy.* Anyway, Anna wants to be a little mini me, and it's very flattering. She says she wishes she had brunette hair like mine (I taught her the proper term:). I told her she probably will, since my hair was Anna's color when I was little. Anna loves that we both have brown eyes. (Daddy sings her - and me - the Brown Eyed Girl song all the time. Sweet.) She loves that both our favorite color is red. Anna had her hair cut short a few months ago because she wanted it to look like mommy's, and now we're both growing out our hair together. She always wants to sit by me, and go where I go. She often says, "The girls with the girls, and the boys with the boys." Funny. Anna just loves that we're both girls, and that we share many similarities. And I love that we have similar features, complexions, and can bond over being girls. It's fun. *And I think it's sweet that Ben-Ben looks like a mini Ethan.*

I know this obsession with mommy won't last forever, so I am cherishing it. We bond over our "girly-ness" all the time. We have special girl time during Ben-Ben's nap, and other special girl outings. So fun! She often compliments me on how beautiful or pretty I am (brightens my day every time...and so good for a mommy's self esteem :). Anna sometimes asks me if she is beautiful, or "Don't I look pretty today, mom?" or, "Do I look like a beautiful princess?" Considering all of this, I have been thinking a lot about how much I want to teach Anna about being a "beautiful" person...and that it doesn't have to do simply with physical appearance. I want her to understand what's really important in life, and what is not. I want her to be confident in herself, and see her natural beauty no matter what. And I know that can be a rare thing for girls...especially during their teen years. I know Anna is only 4, but I don't believe you can start too young on this topic, and it's something she's already kind of bringing up. So, any suggestions on how to to encourage this? Feel free to pass on any advise. Thanks! :) And have a terrific week!