FIRSTS

I didn't cry when my kids left for the first day of school, or on the same day when my baby cut his first tooth, AND took his first steps.  Or the next day when the kids took the bus and it was Brelee's first time and she ran ahead of us the whole way and had zero fear to step on the bus in the line of 30 or so other kids at our bus stop.  Or when Preston was walking between furniture and using the wall to even stay standing and Emali is showing signs she is excited to potty train (trust me though, we drag that step out as long as possible!). But darn it, I want them to all come back home and to stop growing up.

I think Emali wants to stop growing up too, or maybe she is just confused because all the big kids are at school and she only has Preston and I to copy.  She helped me empty the dishwasher and insists on putting the laundry soap in the washer and pushing the buttons for the dryer, and REdoing EVERYTHING I try to do for her.  But then some days, she asks me to carry her in the front pack (hence my shoulder having issues lately) and puts on a bib and asks me to spoon feed her in the high chair.  But today, just a minute ago, she broke my heart.  She asked me to nurse her.  She was crying, "mommy! feed me! and lifting up my shirt."  I love her so much, she makes me smile and I wish she was small enough to nurse her and just cuddle her to sleep.  But thankfully, she let me get her a snack and cuddled with me on the couch without throwing a fit that I wouldn't nurse her.  She usually (weekly?) has a day or two that she will throw a fit because SHE wants to nurse Preston.  She really wants to, and I let her try, but he cracks me up and for some reason hates it when she choke holds him and forces him to sit in her lap.  haha!  She is such a good little mommy.  and she and Preton really are bet buds.  I love it.  I love my family so much and I was tearing up thinking about how big they are.

HOWEVER, lately the kids like to do things I LIKE to do to!  I love playing with them when they are little, don't get me wrong.  But last week we all learned the cup game together and last month the big kids learned how to play Settlers of Catan and we can all play together.  I LOVE riding bikes with my kids and some of my favorite memories are teaching each of them to ride without training wheels.  And this summer we read out loud and listened on CD to several books that I couldn't put down and I wanted to stay up just as badly as they did, and finish reading the books to see what happens!  The last two days after school, we have gotten a snack and then turned on a movie.  We watched High School Musical, High School Musical 2, and Freaky Friday.  I had never seen the first two, and we all loved them.  Emali was dancing all over the place and Brelee even got up and danced with me a few times.  We have just been relaxing together and enjoying each other's company after they have been away all day.  We miss them, I hope they miss each other.  But I know they are doing great things and I love them so much.

can you see my first tooth?  only 10 1/2 months old! :)

notice Brelee, to the left of the trash cans way ahead of us walking to the bus

my big helper!