Olivia has started doing this.........thing.......where she says she's scared. Sometimes it feels like she's using that as an excuse to not do something I've asked her:
"Livie - let's go upstairs and brush your teeth to get ready for bed."
"I can't. I'm scared."
But other times, it seems like she's really scared of something. In the car, for example. During the week last week, she started watching out the window as we're driving and telling us we have to slow down -- we're going to fast. All the while she's gripping the sides of her seat and looking quite scared. We really don't know what to do about it. Is it just something she needs to grow out of? We try to talk to her......ask her why she's scared......tell her that Mommy and Daddy will always keep her safe. But nothing seems to work. Eventually she settles down but it's something I hate to see.
A funny thing the girls started in the car on Friday......as we approached a stop light, I hear Sofia from the back......"Mommy! Red means STOP???!!!" "Yes, honey, red means stop." "Mommy! And green means GO??" "Yes -- that's right!" Man....my kid is brilliant! "Mommy! Orange means GO, TOO???!!!". Hmm. We've got 13 years to correct that one!
Oh. Oh. OH! AND! Friday was also the first time the girls headed to the car.......and they wanted to watch something other than Dora on the DVD player!!!! Seriously. You just cannot imagine how excited we were for that one. But I have to be honest and say we were quickly back to Dora. I get that even some Disney movies aren't appropriate for small children.....but seriously, people.....it's Tinkerbell! You know. The cute little fairy?? But there was something in that movie that scared the girls so we turned it off and back to Dora we went. Operation Watch-Everything-First-Before-The-Girls has begun.
What else. Sunday I took the big girls to a local waterpark. I have a rule about having a 1:1 ratio of adults to kids around water so I was with my mom, sister and Carter. I was interested to see how the girls would react.....and they LOVED it! It was the perfect place for kids their size.....there was a zero-entry pool and the girls could go pretty far in and still touch (with an adult and a life jacket, of course!). They wanted to jump and jump and jump and then swim a little. Olivia kept saying "Mommy....this is so cool!" There was also a splash pad which was perfect. Olivia spent her time on the perimeter and Sofia finally warmed up and walked around all the fountains. Oh. There was also a toddler-sized water slide and....are you ready for this....Olivia went down by herself! Aunt Ra-Ra was at the bottom to catch her, but still. This is the same girl who is scared riding in the car.....and she went down the slide on her own! Sofia went down, too, with me. I held her in front of me and lifted her up before we got to the water (that was 3' deep) so she didn't go under. Neither of them wanted to go again, but we still couldn't believe they went at all!
And finally. The fireworks. We debated on whether or not we would try to make the downtown fireworks display. There was a lot going against it anyway........darkness doesn't come until late.....we would probably be running on little to no nap.......and there was "school" the next morning and we all know everyone else is cheerier in the morning when they wake up on their own. Yet. It's fireworks! On the fourth of July! Fireworks!
But. On Sunday night, there were some early fireworks going off and Olivia didn't do very well with them. She cried out for me and when I went to her room, she told me she had to go to my bed. Olivia never asks to lay in our bed. So I took her to our room thinking I could show her the fireworks outside our window and if she saw the colors and lights, she would like them. Not so much. I pulled up the blinds to get a better look and she squeezes her body around me and goes "Mommy....what are you doing??! I have to hide in your bed." I put her in our bed between me and D and she pulls the blankets over her head and wouldn't take them off until she fell asleep.
Decision made. No fireworks. But there's still the actual holiday to get through. We had the girls outside with those little popper-things.....you know -- that you can throw on the ground and they pop. Yeah - the girls love those. So we're outside poppin' away when a bottle rocket or something goes off in the distance. Olivia stops and goes "What's that noise?" and before D could even think, he goes "Honey, that's just a firework." Faster than I have ever seen her move, Olivia drops the bag she was holding and takes off towards the house yelling "I gotta get outta here!!" Poor poor Olivia. She ended up in our bed last night, too. Hiding.
Where was Sofia both nights, may be asking? She was passed out cold in her bed totally oblivious to the fireworks going on around the house. She was sweet during the day, too. "It's okay, Livie. It's just fireworks. They not get you!"
So there you go! A not-overscheduled-yet-busy-holiday-weekend! Oh. And Bella? The most content baby. In.the.world. See..........
I love this last one. She's talking up a storm to those fish. This is Bella's new "thing".....she loves this fishbowl and is very good at taking the fish (and balls) out and putting them back in. She takes them out and hits them together (clack, clack, clack) and puts them back in. Repeat.
What a great combination of fun and relaxation. How blessed am I.
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