To Remember...

I have been the lamest blogger this last year.  Not that anyone really cares, but this is supposedly my journal, and I am doing a bad job keeping up on my journal.  I blame facebook.  It feels similar, but doesn't really record things the same way.  Anyway, I wanted to record some of the things that I don't want to forget about this stage of my life.  The pictures may or may not be related.

-The combining of sounds just clicked for Sally- she's now a reader!  She's reading all kinds of words- even some I thought may be a little tricky!  I am SO proud of her!

-The way Alice says, "Thank you. So much."  Which almost sounds like "Bank you.  So much."  I love how the "so much" is said as its own sentence for extra emphasis. It is super sweet and never fails to make me smile.

-Sally will not wear jeans, or khakis or courds or anything that has what calls "lines" in them.  This takes out any pants with the adjustable waist band, which is tricky when you have a long legged skinny little thing like her.

-Alice's amazingly sweet and kissable cheeks.  And the fact that she lets me kiss to my hearts content- well, most of the time.

- Sally's love for school.  She wants to go EVERY day.  Sometimes the promise of school is the best motivator.

- Alice takes the food off her plate, onto the table where she mixes it, and only then (and only sometimes) will she use a utensil to eat it.  Usually, it's done with hands, or using hands to put something on a utensil.  She can use them, as she shows me when we have a brothy soup, but she much prefers  This makes for a messy right sleeve for me since she sits to my right and her first choice for getting my attention is tugging at my arm.

-We love the book "Guess How Much I Love You" at our house.  I often tell my girls. "I love you right up to the moon...and back."  To which Sally now replies, "I love you right up to the stars, and forwards." 

- Alice swivels her hips as she runs.

-I love the feeling that I still get when Bill opens his arms, welcoming me in for some cuddles.

-Sally will give lots of spontaneous hugs and kisses and the girl LOVES cuddling.

-I'm pretty sure Alice thinks the song Jingle Bells is about Tinker Bell.

-Sally is one of the least shy people I know.  She is willing to make friends with EVERYONE.  She has such confidence and has no doubt that everybody wants to be her friend.  There has been many a time I've seen her holding hands with a new friend at the park or at the chik-fil-a play place.

-When Alice wants to get our attention, she often says in a loud voice, "Quiet!  Quiet!  Quiet!", over and over.  When it's really important, she'll put her sweet little hands on both of my cheeks and tell me with great conviction whatever it is that needs telling. 

-Sally has named most of her dolls something with Rose in the name.  There's Rosie, Rose Petal, Rose Flower, Flower Rose, and then there's Fairy Leaf.  Her mermaids, however, are named  Sunshine and Perla.  Santa brought Sally a doll house and it is such a joy to see her dolls go on adventure after adventure.

-I loved, loved, LOVED the time we got to enjoy with Bill working from home.  I'm sad to see it go, but so grateful that we had that time.  I am, however, looking forward to the new insurance!

- Alice gets a little shy sometimes and it is pretty adorable.  She purses her lips slightly and puts her head down a bit and looks up, but not at the offending persons eyes.  A little sad, but so, so sweet.

-I am continually amazed at how much real joy my family brings me.  I am so blessed; so grateful.