Ada: She's an eager little Catholic. Let's backtrack a month or two to when she'd scream and point as I received the Eucharist. She's matured to walking in the Communion line, crossing her arms, looking content with herself, and genuflecting when leaving the pew. It's pretty much the cutest 10 minutes of Mass. She also makes the Sign of the Cross for Grace. With food in her hand while chewing, but she bows her head. It might rest on the edge of the table, but she bows her head and puts her little, sticky hands together. She's also a humming fanatic, up to almost more songs than I can keep track of: around 15 or so now. She can copy just about anything, and I've even caught her humming a Copland piece that Paul's taken to. She's starting to show some caution where caution's due, like moving well back from the oven when I go to open it or rushing to something stable to hold on to when she hears loud rumbles outside (usually just a truck or motorbike). She's not scared but unsure. She's also much more into reading and books than when she was smaller, which is wonderful! I'd wondered all sorts of things: am I not reading to her enough as an infant (like I could with Paul) because she's #2, is it just personality, what if she doesn't like to read, etc. She'll whack us with a special book of her choosing first thing in the morning, and there's nothing better in the world to do than take the (like, 2mins) time to read her a little board book. All that goes out the window when it's nap time, and we're reading a book that Paul picked. Then she's just a whiney wiggle-worm who wants down. She loves food. All food, but most especially blueberries, oatmeal, and cottage cheese all right now first thing in the morning. Must. have. blueberriesoatmeal&cheese.
Paul: He's a good little Catholic, too. He sings the Our Father with us every night, and he even stops mid-bite to put food down before saying Grace at mealtime. He builds crosses with his building blocks, saying "Look, I made this for Jesus!" Makes me laugh a little, like, welllll, very nice sentiment, and, yes, you're right in handing Jesus his cross, but I wonder if He'd accept the gift with a loving smile (of course) or a little begrudgingly... Anyway. He's matured into pronouncing "I've dot peace -ike a river" while singing instead of "Abba peeeace wike a wivver", so that's happening. Paul also is fully adept in dressing and undressing himself; shirts over the head were that last puzzle piece. And he is an absolute fish in the pool. He loves swimming, specifically jumping and swimming to us. He's under for a good few seconds, and he kicks and scoops and comes up smiling. Wears us both out! Then there are his questions: Why do Papas go to work for much of the time? Why do my teeth break my carrots? Why does my (thermochromatic) straw turn all purple but stay blue at the top (where his lips are)? There are so many awesome ones, I wish I could remember them all.
Next. We bought a house! We've been in it for just over a year already, so it may have been anticlimactic to come home and pop the champagne in an orderly living room, but moving is so stressful; I'll take anticlimactic over stressful any day. Yes, it's really exciting. Yes, it's a big opportunity. Yes, we wanted to do it. But somehow the "congrats" seem really funny. Congrats, now you owe a ton of money! Congrats, now you have an endless to-do list! Congrats, now you have to fix the power yourselves when it goes out! Congrats, you now own a mortgage! That last one was a for-real thing in the mail. It's just funny. Am I alone in seeing the humor there? I guess there's no other sentiment to share with someone. Mom and Dad sent us a card that had a doormat saying Welcome Home; that's appropriate! We celebrated with dinner at Galatoire's in the Quarter and going over to Ship Island, MS the next day -- the kids love the beach.
And then this + that photo up there of Paul, which was also post-beach:
Lastly, Ada started soccer for the first time, as Paul started his 3rd 8-wk session. They both love it!
