Growing Up

The girls are growing up. Here are some photos of the girls at the park. May 2013.

Hailey love being big. She enjoys preschool (once a week, co-op I do with some other mom's from church) and retains what she learns surprisingly well. She'll occasionally tell me facts that she learned at preschool during our regular day. I'm always impressed that she remembers what she learned a day, or even a week before.

She loves Sunbeams class at church and tells us that she goes to Sunbeams (sharing time) and to her small class. If she has a handout from class she insists that she made it in her "other class," not in Sunbeams. She loves to play on the grass after church. Occasionally, we only take one car to church (or always, before the van was working) and the girls and I play on the grass and in the nursery while Bruce counts tithing. She's always devastated to hear that I want to go home, not play on the grass.
 
We try to do an activity most days of the week. Monday is swimming day, and a highlight of the week. Tuesday is library, Wednesday is preschool, Thursday is park, and Friday is grocery shopping. Hailey will often ask "Which day is it, today?" meaning, what are we going to do today? And after I answer, she will often ask, "Can we go swimming today?"

Hailey and McKayla both love the pool. Hailey uses the pool as just another medium for the endless pretend play. Some times we bring Barbies or other toys to assist, but even without toys we pretend that we're going to look at "something beautiful" or that we're "friends," or any other scenario she can orate.
McKayla has become quite daring in the pool. The first week she cried when she wasn't being held, and then she would walk on the handicap ramp to waist deep for our hour at the pool, then she split time between the stairs and the ramp, now she walks from the end of the ramp back to the stairs through water that is nearly too deep. She makes it across the deepest part by tilting her head back so only her face is out of the water. She doesn't want help and grins even when she goes under. I have to constantly watch her and save her from drowning at least a half dozen times each visit. Now she's more aware of her limitations and does not worry me quite as much. Good thing since the outdoor pool opens in just a few weeks.

Hailey's become much more social, particularly with strangers. She loves to chat with the women in the locker room about why they are going swimming and that she just went swimming, and that she's going to have a picnic, or play at the park. But, when she's nervous, she doesn't say a word, sucks her thumb, and wants to be held. It's cute. She was recently at a birthday party and pretty nervous. The host said she was reserved and sucked her thumb the whole time, but when it was time to take a picture Hailey took her thumb out, struck a pose for the picture, and then put her thumb right back.

McKayla is learning how to play; she like to tease, usually in a good way, but she'll pull hair or kick just to get a rise out of her sister. The funniest is when Hailey is napping on the couch and McKayla wants to play. McKayla will run over and pull Hailey's hair, or steal the blanket to wake Hailey. My favorite moments are when I get down on the carpet, even if I'm there to clean, and McKayla comes running, excited to rough house. She and Hailey love to do "dog piles" and be tickled, and rough-house in the family room. McKayla's not old enough to play pretend with Hailey, but sometimes they will pull out the play food and both "make soup" or get the duplos and build. McKayla loves to vacuum with the pretend vacuum and has become very sensitive to messes on the table. If she spills she immediately fusses for a rag to clean it. She's not a professional quality cleaner, but she does pretty good for a 1 year old.

McKayla likes to push boundaries, so when we're out at the store or elsewhere, I have to be close enough to catch her. She's quick, so you have to be right beside her, or run to catch her before she pulls items off the shelf, or plays the piano in church, or takes off into a crowd. Sharron Sommerfeldt said she reminds her of Bruce when he was little. Oh please no, that's all I can say. :)

McKayla has some rough times in the day, she'll fuss and push, and want to be held. It's impossible to get the dishes clean (you have to hand wash before you load in the dishwasher because our dishwasher is special like that), or get dinner prepped, or do a list of other tasks. Silly girl- go play and be happy. We're going to try feeding her more since she often stops crying when you find her food.  :)

McKayla's experimenting more with vocalization. I'm impatient and want words, but recently I've heard sounds that are similar to words, so hopefully we'll hear "more," "food," and "up" soon. Today she was babbling and it sounded like a sentence. I hear an occasional "yeah," get regular head shakes to indicate "no," and she can say "bubbles" and "belly button"- both very important words for an emerging speaker.


Both are healthy and well. It's a joy to be part of their lives and see them grow.