Rory and Emme

Our kids have changed a lot.  Here's what they've been up to lately...

Rory:  sassy, opinionated, dancing, sensitive, and smart

Rory is taking a summer dance class, which she loves.  The joy I see in her face when she walks in the studio is intoxicating.  The glimpses she gives us of what she's learning is a treat.  Her first public performance is Saturday.  I'm pretty excited.  

Four on Rory is fun.  Only a month into this age and I already like it.  Her matter of fact manner and her verbal skills make for fun encounters.  A few weeks ago we were in a check-out lane while Emme was being her loud self.  The lady behind us said something about how opinionated Emme seemed to be (a comment we hear often).  Rory looked at her and said, "Yeah!  And she's permanent!"

She likes playing board games (specifically a treasure game she received for her birthday), and hiding toys from her sister.  She often gathers all the toys she thinks she might need in the next few hours and shoves them together behind our couch or in a play shopping cart.  If they are anywhere within Emme's reach, Rory instructs me to "make sure Emme doesn't touch them" if she has to leave them unattended for any reason.

We talk a lot about making good decisions.  I'm also noticing that she mimics a lot of my behaviors and traits...so I need to be thinking about making good decisions as well.  

I understand the frustration of parenting even better as I've heard myself say to Rory, "I shouldn't have to tell you 4 times to do something!  You should obey the very first time."

Rory is becoming more in tune with her emotions, especially her sensitive side.  She daily announces that she misses certain friends so much.  She is also practicing her fake crying voice and comes to me often saying, "I need a hug."  Just last week in Target she decided I needed to take her home because she was "so nervous because all of these people who are different."  She must've forgotten that literally from the day she was born she has been introduced to a steady stream of "different" people.  Her entire life has been full of people.

Sometimes Brad and Rory practice writing words with chalk on the sidewalk.  The first word he taught her was "dog."  I think she's a smart kid.

Her imagination and appreciation for things outside of what she can see is exciting to watch develop.  Two nights ago she was laying on the couch saying she felt sick.  While checking on her she told me she needed "God here."  I explained to her that God was always with her and that He would lay right beside her until she felt better.  She replied, "But I need him here so I can touch his coat and feel better."  (Turns out that previous night she and Brad read that very Bible story.)  Later, Brad walked in the living room and she told him, "God is right beside me."

Emme: loud, talkative, running, sweet, little sister

As mentioned earlier, Emme is loud.  Her volume dial goes up, up, up.  She likes to test locations by yelling as loud as she can.  If I don't tell her to stop, she knows it's an appropriate place to yell...and she keeps doing it.  

Her vocabulary grows literally every day.  She's putting words together for small sentences.  Off the top of my head here's a list of what she says on a regular basis...

mama

dada

rara  (Rory)

sister

book

door

buddy (our friend's dog)

braden (our friend)

car

yogurt

bib off

i'm coming

bath

what's that?

water

snack

candy

lemonade

juice

what's that?

yai yai (my mom)

me ma (brad's mom)

g (my stepmom)

pa pa (my dad)

pa poo (my stepdad)

lacey (a friend)

1, 2, 3

cartoon

snuggle

bye

moo

what's that?

cat

puppy

who's that?

please

welcome

thank you

yes

no

what's that?

let's go

where'd it go?

fishy

emme

baby

what's that?

outside

step

push

jump

buster (a trick she does by jumping up, throwing her feet out in front, and falling on her butt)

open

up

down

stop

freeze

ball

go, go, go, go!

ride

again

more

nose

eye

hat

kiss

hug

see

laundry

mine

table

yuck

Did I mention "what's that?"   It's currently her favorite phase.  She asks it countless times a day.  Sometimes she asks it in machine gun style, repeating the question over and over again.

help please

hand?  (when she's asking for help up or down stairs, etc.)

Minnie!  (Minnie Mouse)

all done

Emme is learning a lot about the intricate workings of sisterhood.  I think she has recognized that we give her a lot of slack in the line of responsibility when there's a tif between Rory and her.  She has begun to play up the role of victim and often wails at the slightest misdeed by her sister.  The other day she took her skill to a new level when she ran up to me and, pointing at Rory, urgently said, "Push!  Push!"  After a few questions I discovered she was trying to tell me that Rory had pushed her (a statement I was inclined to believe).  On one hand, I was impressed that she had figured out the next level of sibling rivalry.  On the other, I was sad we had entered this phase.

Movement is currently one of Emme's favorite pastimes.  She likes to run and jump and dance.  I mentioned her trick the "buster" earlier in her list of words.  She's eagerly trying out all the things her arms and legs can help her do.  Including going up and down stairs, climbing onto the table, reaching up to the counter, and getting off her sister's bed all by herself.

Emme is also a little mimic.  She listens and repeats lots of things we say and do.  One of her favorite things to do with me is when I'll copy her movements.  She puts her hand to her mouth, I do the same.  Her hand goes to the top of her head, I mirror the movement.  She can play this game for quite a few minutes.  The contentment in her eyes, and slight smile on her face, when we share this time face to face makes me feel like a mom.