Right Now Personalities

I feel like every month with these kids is a totally different household.

Every month they change personalities.

Every month we change afternoon routines and habits.

One month we spend filling pots and pans with dirt outside, and the next we are blowing bubbles and popping them for hours on end.

When I'm behind in my photo editing and blogging, I feel like my older photos don't even relate to the kids waking up in my house every morning.

That girl wearing a super hero costume?  Who is that?  She hasn't worn one in at least a week (basically a lifetime).

Oh Bennett had a pony tail?  He took a passing interest in Orelia's "hair salon," but those days are behind us.

Spaghetti?  The last time I offered it, Bennett wasn't as eager as he was for this photo.

 So as for what is going on in our lives right this very moment...

 Orelia excluded one of her best friend (no idea why) for half of the day of preschool this morning, causing said friend lots of tears and anguish.

We spoke about the topic endlessly for the rest of the day, and I have high hopes that Orelia will be kinder tomorrow.

I am not sure if this exclusion "game" will pass as quickly as her interest in many other things, but I can cross my fingers.  Right now it is at the forefront of our thoughts and minds.

Bennett has been very happy and delightful lately, unless you forbid him to wear his favorite "trash truck jamas" in which case he may scream and throw himself on the ground for ten minutes.

His post-nap mood can be real hit-or-miss, but today he was chipper and excited to play with a car transporter while his sister literally screamed out of frustration in her room for ten minutes over a missing Cinderella slipper (in which I'm only now finding the irony).

 Orelia loves playing "hair salon" and mermaids recently.  At school she mostly likes playing "family" and somehow always finds a way to be the mommy while everyone else gets to be a sister or a daddy.  (I hear that eventually they tell their least favorite people they can be the dog.)  Right now she's "mommy" and perhaps next week she will be a firefighter or a dragon or a chef.

Bennett probably knows more names for trucks than most adults, and spends tons of time playing in the dirt with them outside or pouring puff balls/duplo/band-aids from one truck to another when we are inside.  Right now that's his passion, and I actually do think this will stick for at least another few months.

Even though I have much more alone time with Orelia, she has been yearning for the days when I was "only her mommy."  Somehow she must think she's not allowed to be jealous, because when I talked about it with her she vehemently denies she has any jealousy towards Bennett.  I also pointed out that I was Harper's mom before she was born, so technically she is not my firstborn.  She definitely loves her brother and wants him around, but at the same time would very much like it if I could sit next to her at dinner and put her to bed every night please and thank you.  It's a natural sentiment she's expressing, but it doesn't make it any easier to deal with.

This is why I have this blog.  To share the "right now" of these kids with the people who are interested.  There may be lots of short phases I never get around to describing before they disappear, but I'm grateful I have a place to store memories of these two feisty kids before I forget all the nitty gritty.  (Above Bennett is pretending to sleep, complete with snoring noises, before he says "way up!" (wake up) and bounces up.)