This Kid Is Trouble...

So What???

I go into the homes of my friends and they have breakables on the shelves and books on bookshelves... I have lots of little shoes and roller skates at the front door and puzzles and games on bookshelves in the hearth room. So What??? I love it.

Ainsley's Vocabulary...

Ainsley talked early... very early. She couldn't be motivated to crawl or walk, but she could sure talk! I remember going to her 1 year check up and they asked me if she had 3-5 words. I laughed and said she probably had 35 words. We made a list around her first birthday of her words and sentences (I will post a picture if I can find it in my scrapbook mess!) and it was quite impressive.
Since she began "school" at 2 years old, her teachers have always commented on her vocabulary and her reasoning skills. One of the first times we played with neighbors, the mother was quite impressed (and laughed!) at the descriptive words Ainsley used to describe what was happening with the toys they were playing with.
I suppose it is not only her vocabulary, but her amazing imagination and curiosity. Her mind is always going...
She will often play the "new kid in town" and will stay in full character for hours. She will have a new name and will be from a different state/country. She asks amazing questions about Kansas and tells us very interesting facts about where she is from. (She often chooses places that we have been such as Hilton Head Island, Omaha, St. Louis, Florida, New York...) It amazes me that she never slips out of character... ever! She is Lily or Sparkles or Milly... and she does an amazing job at it.
I love her curiosity! She is constantly asking deep and thoughtful questions. Last night before bed, she had two very important questions for me: 1) How did the bad guys get Jesus to stay on the cross? 2) Did I know that Santa is magical?
She wants to know why roses have thorns, clouds change shape, what would happen if Spring came after Summer instead of before, and how God feels when we won't forgive. She wants to learn about outer space and the bottom of the ocean. She loves reading about rainbows and thunderstorms and different kinds of animals.
She uses phrases like "It got the best of me"... what 4 year old says that!?!?

In Our Hearts... Or In The Sky?

During our bedtime prayers last night, Ainsley asked how God lives in our hearts and far away in the sky. We had a very interesting conversation about where God is and how we see him. The girls were very curious about how it is that He actually lives in our hearts... but during our prayers, they wanted to be sure that God was living in their hearts. So, they prayed and asked God to live in their hearts too. The first thing Ainsley said after we finished praying was, "I already did that when I came out of your tummy. God already lives in my heart." (So, I guess this was just a refresher for her!)
So, then this morning the girls were fighting. Ainsley head-butted Brynn in the leg and Brynn started crying. After Ainsley spent some time in timeout, she apologized to Brynn. Brynn looked at her and said, "I don't give you." (forgive) To which Ainsley replied, "God is very sad that you won't forgive me. He wants you to forgive me." Brynn said, "Nope. Later." and walked away...
(We talked about it later and I think they worked it all out.)

Teething, Haircuts and Possibly the Best Day of Brynn's Life...

Teething... sucks! Brooke has one molar that is through and another one that is taking FOREVER to come through. It is super swollen and just stuck about halfway out. She refuses to chew on any of those teething things to soften the gums. I tried to give her teething tablets and she went totally crazy. She looked like the kid off of the Exorcist shaking her head wildly and spitting all over me. She is crabby and won't sleep. I don't remember my other girls having this much trouble with teething. I also don't remember my other girls throwing tantrums like she does either and Jesse assures me that they did! (However, Brooke has started hitting me when she gets mad, and I am sure the other girls didn't do that. I would remember that!)
Haircuts... We went to the expensive kid-friendly haircut place today. You know, the one where they sit in cars and watch their own personal tv with their favorite cartoon. I try to wait as long as I can between Ainsley's haircuts. She loves to get her hair cut, but I hate spending the money when we can get away with waiting. However, we have chosen a hair style for Brynn that requires haircuts every 6 weeks. So, today I sucked it up and got both big girls their "back to school" haircuts. They turned out pretty cute.
Brynn... had possibly the best day of her life today. She got to have a playdate at her best buddy's house. He was in her class last year and we are super excited that he will be in her class again this year. He came to her birthday party which totally made her day! She woke up at 6:30am and was super excited to go to his house. She asked me to wait and shower after we got back so she wouldn't have to wait so long. Since it was only 6:30am, I went ahead and showered! Brynn is a fairly shy kid when she is uncomfortable, but she had a wonderful time playing with her buddy. We had not even left his driveway before the tears started falling... "I miss him!"

Outdoor Baby!

Girls in Red...

4th of July... S'mores and Fireworks!