The Small Things

Small things. That is what makes up my life. I trust in the scripture that it is by "small and simple things" that great things are brought to pass, because -- quite frankly -- if I didn't I may lose my mind.

So, as I have not blogged in quite a while, here is my tribute to some of the small things that have been going on lately.

More pests
Pink eye for the whole family. Ear infection for Elsie Jane. Maggie burning her hand on the gas fireplace -- all adding up to 7 trips to the pediatrician in less than three weeks.

Two snow days off school / work. I have been working on embracing all the together-time. As my mom always says, "What you resist persists."

As you may note from my photos of the the girls convalescing, they may have been down, but not out. Even feeling her worst, Maggie still made certain to have her fancy, fancy shoes close by. Doesn't everyone wear heels to bed when trying to get over a cold and running a fever?




Ice Skating
Mia took ice skating lessons on Saturdays during February with her friends. Too bad we didn't have a warm Saturday in the mix! We did have a warmer evening at the end of the month when I took her out to use her free passes and practice. I don't get enough one-on-one time with Mia; it is one of my biggest priorities for this year to find more time to spend with her alone. She isn't bad on the ice; she just needs to work a bit on stopping, instead of skating towards me at full speed and using my body to slow herself down. After skating we went out for dinner together and just talked; I am amazed at how grown-up she is getting.


Impetuousness
On the topic of Mia, I have determined that one of her most challenging attributes, at least for me as her parent, is her impetuous nature. She gets an idea and then just moves ahead, often with no consultation from me. The other morning, I got out of the shower to find her outside, in her pajamas, with an assortment of plastic cups, half-full paint cans, wood pieces, nails and a hammer. She was working attentively in the driveway. "What are you doing," I asked. "Making you a china hutch," Mia replied. Of course. (I do need a china hutch, by the way.)

I do not want to stunt her creativity; the need to work on projects and pursue her ideas has only increased since she started school. However, I am trying to encourage her to just run her ideas past me before she commences putting them into action. It hasn't worked yet.

Like the other day when the weather was warm and she and Maggie were playing in the front yard, I came inside for ten minutes and returned to find them well-stocked for a trip. They had a croquet set, tent, several sleeping bags, lanterns, and large sticks loaded in the wagon. I helped them set up the tent, which may have only made matters worse. Within a few minutes they had run inside, packed enough clothes and other essentials for a week and toted them out to the front yard too.




Spring Fever
Mother Nature has been playing around with our tender emotions here in Virginia. We will get a warm, gorgeous day and then, bam, two days later it will be snowing. This is why that tent got set up, taken down after being rained on, snowed on during its tenure on the front porch "to dry," thawed out, and finally put away over a week later.

Unlike this weekend, last weekend was gorgeous. We ate dinner out on the deck for two nights, and Monday morning Elsie and I went for our first outdoor run since her birth. It was a wonderful three miles! If it hadn't gotten cold, and I hadn't come down with a cold the next day, maybe we would have even repeated the training. I am committed to getting back in shape this year, but I am off to quite a slow start.


Just Getting Bigger
I had to take a few pictures to memorialize the next milestone in Elsie Jane's life -- four months old! Not to belabor the point, but I just can't believe it.

And, while I was at it, here are a couple darling shots of Maggie. Despite the fact that they occurred to hide the bald spots from when she cut her own hair two days before Elsie Jane's blessing, I do think the bangs suit her.