 |
| Walking to the beat of her own drum. |
One of Anaïs's most popular words is "sometimes...". She adds it at the end, beginning and middle of nearly everything she says and does.
"The bag falls... sometimes"
"Accident happens... sometimes"
"Like water cold... sometimes" (in fact, most of the time she much prefers water at room temperature or warm; totally opposite from her sister and little brother)
"Me funny... sometimes"
"Leo eat finger... sometimes" (both his own finger, and Anaïs's when it's close to his mouth)
"Me nervous... sometimes"
"Sister silly... sometimes"
"Popsicle fall... sometimes"
What is especially adorable is the body language that goes along with this one simple word. She tilts her head to one side, while nodding, crinkles her nose, tightens her brow, hands raised bent at the elbows (as if shrugging her arms) and smiles... as if saying: "it doesn't happen all the time... you know what i mean"
Her other very common word is "matter"... as in "it doesn't matter". And again comes with it's own expressive facial and body cues that include a slight shake of the head and raised shoulder to clearly let you know exactly what she means. I do believe she could be a performer one day.
"Shirt wet... matter"
"Spill floor wipe... matter" (aka: something spilled on the floor, but we can wipe it up... it doesn't matter)
"Bracelet fall, pick up... matter"
*****
 |
| Isabel and Anaïs cuddling with Leo while I led the mom & baby yoga class this morning. |
Last night, I was reading a lovely blog entry by a friend of mine, where she writes:
"Sometimes motivation is the name of the game and I feel like I am on fire and magically get things done." ~ Annie BananieAnd as I read these words I realized this is exactly how I feel about parenting. Sometimes, everything just flows... I am in tune with my kids, my instincts seem to be spot on, I am able to be exactly what I need to be to each one of my little angels (and my husband, and even myself)... the day/hour/moment flows with ease. In these times I honestly do feel as if I am magically getting it all right as a mama (and as a wife).
Other times, it's as if everything seems to go wrong. Try as I might, I fall out of tune. I get the shirt stuck as I try to pull if off of Anaïs's head and she starts to cry. A hug does not soothe her. The girls want these same toy at the same time. The concept of taking turns flies out the window. The details rarely matter... there is a spark and it ignites into a flame that I do not know how to tame. It is usually more about my own reaction and state of affairs than anything else. The spark is most often just a normal, ordinary event in the life of a toddler and pre-schooler. All I know is that in those moments I feel lost, and usually I feel completely inept as a mama... not to mention exhausted, lacking patience and wondering if I will ever figure it out.
And then, there are the days when everything falls into place magically... for in those moments it truly does feel like magic. Today was one of those days. The girls were happy. Leo is chugging along. Even when there was a minor blip, I felt equipped to cope... my responses were accepted by my kids, nothing turned into a bigger deal than it was, life was good.
 |
| Isabel trying to keep Anaïs from walking across the street 'by self' (another favourite term as Anaïs insists on doing EVERYTHING by herself) |
You really are a gem and your children will have such beautiful shining souls because of all of your efforts. They won't be as bogged down by all the unconscious things that you aren't doing!! Good for you, it's a pleasure to read your posts (and to have the time tonight to do so!). And yes, I have those days too and those are usually when naked tickle time is the best solution (Zara's idea!!).
ReplyDelete