Creative vibes

From the moment that Emma could express independent thought, we've seen her create her own little world, and her own little friends. But today I found that her hands are begining to translate what her mind dreams up. I was so amazed to find her holding this little dinosaur after seeing it just moments before as a feeble looking pipe cleaner. I walked into the room and she was walking this little guy across the table. Noticing my surprise she said, "I made myself a Brontosaurus friend!" I can't wait to see where her beautiful imagination leads this little girl.

In rushing around to get things accomplished, I'm always grateful for Jared and Emma's help in entertaining Finley or Thomas. Today as I joined them on the floor to play I was struck at how very tender and attentive these two not-so-big kids are.
They are unashamedly delighted at Finley's smile and genuinely thrilled by her every little sound or wiggle.
*sigh* Seeing my Emma cup her baby sister's cheek in her hand, my heart swells...and that relentless voice that tracks my every wrong step and parenting mistake suddenly quiets.

If, when I take their little faces in my hands, they feel even a small part of my adoration, then it is truly leaving its mark. .
And they're taking that love and doing with it what every mother hopes her little ones will do...internalizing it and then turning it out again, drawing others in and allowing them to become dear.

If I wait to start regular posting until I've caught up on all I've missed, I think I'll end up never blogging again! So that long ago started, never completed, catch-up post may or may not ever make it out if the draft file, but let's at least start back in with the everyday ups and downs in Spragueville.



Jared and Emma have started back to school. Jared's off to Third Grade, and Emma is a brand new kindergartener. I'm happy to say that my third-grader will still hug me in public, and still wants me to come to school for lunch and volunteer work. I know the day will come when I'm just not good for his image, but I'm so glad we haven't hit that yet. Emma had some minor K-day jitters, but she faced the transition with confidence and that happy sunshiney outlook we adore in her. I have to admit that I felt miserable on Monday, terrible on Tuesday, and today is kind of a woefull Wednesday. I'm just not a "woo-Hoo!" kind of Mama. I don't look forward to having my little ones away. I'm aware of all of the benefits, theirs and mine: their social interactions, my freedom to accomplish long overdue tasks, their acadmeic growth, my time and attention to be given more fully to Thomas and Finley, and on, and on, and on. So I guess all of these positives outweigh the fact that no matter how many specific questions I ask, I can never quite capture the long day we've spent apart, and at the end of the day I put them to bed feeling like I've missed so much more than I was able catch.
But for my own consolation, I have had many more baby-savoring moments in the past three days. And the slower pace and homebody schedule is much friendlier. Besides, if they never went away, I wouldn't get to have that heart-leaping "Hi, I'm so happy to see you" reunion moment. Today I actually had time to gaze at my sleeping Finley and play on the floor with Tommy. We got the news that Jared has tested into the gifted program at his school, and we are SO excited for him. And Emma's Kindergarten teacher commented on what a delight she is. So now that I've aired my woes, I'll pull up my britches and stride on, because this little life really is pretty spectacular.