I will start today with Zelda. As others read this, I always feel compelled to remind them that these posts are more for me than anyone else. Secondarily, they are for the girls. I want to remember them as they are and want them to know how I see them (or saw them).
Zelda, you are nearly 18 months old and you are in such a great place right now. Your smile is the thing of legends. I remember nurses and such commenting on how adorable your dimples are. I did not think much of it beyond something that I noticed. Today though, they make your smile so adorable. I love the see the sheer innocence and joy in your face. And it is just that. Your entire face lights up when you smile and one would have to be made of literal stone (or non-human) to not smile or laugh back. I think to date you have just about 10 teeth and is that ever more adorable! You know a few words and speak more everyday. As I write this, I am sitting at the kitchen table watching you play with a truck. Even at this age you care for your babies and rock them to sleep. You also just like to have fun, whatever that means. Quite often I will pick you up and put you on my head. You then wave to everyone while you are way up there.
I know this is disjointed but I am really going for a stream of consciousness thing here...
Your appetite rivals my own even though I am literally 10 times your size. Tonight we had sloppy joes and in addition to your own, you had bites of Mama's and Daddies.
Ooh! I have to tell you about your hugs and what happens when I come home. I walk into the door and I hear "DADDY!!" as loud as you can muster. I am humbled to know that it is the clearest word you speak and the loudest word I have ever heard you say. Tonight when I got upstairs I asked for a Zelda hug. If you dont know what that is, its where I crouch down and you come up to me and turn so your back is to me and then lean against me. It's basically a backward hug but I prefer to call it a Zelda hug.
A few other facts about Zelda: when you finally get to sleep, you sleep hard. You are near impossible to wake up in the morning. You like to open your eyes and, at times, even sit up before going right back to sleep. There are not many foods you don't like. However, you are really starting to like tomatoes like your older sister and it's adorable the way you say cheese which comes out more like "sheeze". Right now your "thank you" sounds suspiciously like "got ga" but I know what the intent is. Heck, you started saying it before we started asking you too.
Right now I can tell you are an individual. You do things you like to do only momentarily interested in what other people have going on. I need to share with you 2 of your ridiculously favorite songs.
1-when we play Blackbird by the Beatles. Your favorite part is when the music cuts out for 2 full beats and then starts back up. You smile everytime. It might have something to do with Alera and I saying "here it comes Zelda". Love that smile.
2-Daddy made a really stupid song that has your name in it. More accurately, Daddy stole a song and changed the last word of every line to "Zelda" or "Alera". It goes something like this (and I bet you can guess the tune):
Oh the weather outside is Zelda
But the fire is so Alera
And since we've no place to Zelda
Let it Zelda
Let it Alera
Let it Zelda
Oh it doesn't show signs of Zelda
And I brought some corn for Alera
The lights are turned way down Zelda
Let it Zelda
Let it Alera
Let it Zelda
When we finally kiss good Zelda
How I'll hate going out in the Alera
But as long as you hold me Zelda
Let it Zelda
Let it Alera
Let it Zelda.
I told you it was nonsense. But you both friggen love it. And as you probably know about me by now, if I get a rise out of you by doing something, I will do it over and over again.
While that has barely scratched the surface, that is enough for now. Except to say this: no matter where life takes me or what happens in it, I love you more deeply than I can possibly describe. And I like words. Everything about you is special and you are not even 18 months old and I can tell you I will always be proud of you. I can also tell you (full disclosure) I will also quite frequently be annoyed by you. Like right now, Mama is trying to get you ready for bed and you are whining. Congratulations by the way, the most annoying noise I know is that whine of yours. And I can drown out a lot, ask your Grandma.
In all seriousness, I never want to forget the adorableness that is 18 month old Zelda and I hope I have forever captured a piece of those memories here.
On to Alera. Or should I say Dr. Alera? That is the moniker you have taken on lately when you put the plastic stethoscope over your head. A few facts about you (and I might even end with a ridiculous song that you love):
Today you are nearly 3 and I imagine when you actually turn 3 I will be spending more time at this keyboard as it is surreal to me that I have a 3 year old. I mean, you are only a year or so away from pre-school! Where, by the way, I am sure you will try to teach me things.
One of the most adorable things you do right now is when I say something or do something a certain way, you do it too. Most recently I asked "Who wants milk!" this weekend and you literally just did that a day later. It is even better when I teach you to do something and then you try and teach your mama the same thing using the same words I used. Again, there is so much to say so it's really tough to keep this short. A few more things though...
You were sitting on your Elmo potty tonight. You told Mama, "I need to sit on the potty and read". Sure enough, you were sitting on the potty (pants around the ankles) reading one of your board books. Oh, I also taught you to sound out the word "HOME" on it and sure enough when i walked away you were repeating it. If I didn't know better, I would say you wanted to be just like me. And just so grown up you knows, that is a responsibility I take very seriously. I know I probably get frustrated and yell at times, recently I have taken to trying to warn you that I am going to yell and that seems to work.
Oooh you just reminded me of something! As you learn more and more words everyday, and learn from your friends, you desperately want to speak in full sentences like we do. To make those sentences you sometimes repeat words to make a longer statement. For example, tonight you said "Punchi, she crying so she crying". HILARIOUS. And i love that you are just trying to do your best to explain. I love you more than I ever thought possible. And you are such a good older sister. Even at just shy of 3, you are the mother hen to all the kids at daycare, making sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing and aren't where they shouldn't be.
Mama is getting frustrated with you both so I better go. Soon I want to tell you why I call you Bert and tell you about your special song that you always look me right in the eye as I sing. I love it.
Tata for now my beautiful girls!