Inspired by a blog I read (called Enjoying the Small Things), I wanted to try to capture the little things - and maybe some big things - about both Bennett and Orelia as the new school year begins and they both celebrate their birthdays.
Sometimes the phases with kids go by so quickly, and if you don't capture a moment on "film" or in words, you can forget exactly what your own children were even like at a certain age.
Orelia has never been a "water baby" as some kids seem to be, but lately she is more and more at home in water.
Here she is sitting in a drink bucket filled with water just for fun. But mostly she enjoys swimming now, and I may even classify her as a true "swimmer" now. She can jump into a pool without an adult around, and can swim safely to the edge. She's started diving to the bottom to get random "torpedo" like things thrown in the pool, and she can generally keep herself alive when going from one place to another in a pool. Hallelujah!
Orelia will use any excuse to put on a bathing suit, and any sprinkler, pool, or bucket or water suffices. She still wears a bathing suit in the bath every night.
Bennett is still our truck-obsessed boy. Living with him feels like living with the most truck-loving child on the planet (though I do realize many, many boys share this interest).
I wonder if I like anything as much as Bennett likes trucks.
He sleeps on truck sheets in truck pajamas while holding a truck every night.
He loves learning facts, and has a blast learning every detail about anything with four wheels.
He is independent to a fault, and is currently refusing help on all occasions - even when he gets hurt or his toy breaks. Surprisingly he is often able to work it out himself (getting over the pain on his own or figuring out how to make the toy work again).
He loves lining up things in an orderly way, and counting off how many trucks or cars he has in a row.
His orderly nature generally doesn't get in the way of lots of messy eating or playing in mounds of dirt. People say boys are like that, and I have to say Bennett does seem to follow the stereotype.
Orelia can spend and entire morning at school or camp and wake up from nap wanting to know who is coming over for a play date.
She remains one of the most social kids I know, and just really craves so many hours a day with her friends. (This is both exhausting for me, and a blessing since I know she is always game for an adventure.)
The older she's gotten, though, she's finally able to enjoy some time to herself. She often sneaks off to her room alone to either play quietly or perhaps do something she's not supposed to (e.g. put on blue Cinderella lip gloss, hang off her bunk bed, etc.)
One of her favorite things to do lately is to prop a glittery notebook on her lap with a pen and draw out instructions, maps, or plots. She remains mostly uninterested in writing and reading, but she definitely loves being read to and loves having a pen or pencil in her hand.
In many of these photos here, her hair is down, but 99% of every hour of every day is spent with her hair up in a ponytail with a headband perched atop her head. If her hair falls down even a little or if she forgets a headband at home, there is much angst, let me tell you. For some reason this hairdo seems to give her security, and that is good.
Orelia loves to give and get compliments. She apparently told a mom at school she liked her flip flops, and she often finds some random feature of my grey athletic clothes worth complimenting. She likes to make people feel good, and that is a blessing.
Bennett doesn't really compliment people, but he speaks very clearly and very loudly, so he always makes himself known. About once a day he will ask a very sweet and thoughtful question when you are least expecting it. This morning he asked "how was your shower?" And he often asks John how yoga was or how work was. These questions always make me smile because they seem so mature.
Orelia is a giver by nature. If you've ever heard of the five love languages, giving is definitely her love language. She adores running around picking flowers and giving them to me, another mom, or her friend. She gets great joy from giving her clothes and toys away to her friends. I love this part of her personality.
Bennett has had purple as a favorite color for longer than I can remember. "Purple, my favorite!" he always exclaims happily. It's so wonderful to see something so small make him so happy - purple flowers, a purple house, a purple car, or purple playdoh.
I put Bennett to bed every night, and John puts Orelia to bed. Once we finish our two stories, Bennett likes to "tell you something." Every night the thing he wants to tell me is that "I like to ruuuuun away from da sunscreen" while he sprints across his bedroom to the closet. He doesn't like sunscreen much, and he does like to try to get out of putting it on, but I'm not sure how that became the most important thing to relay to me every evening.
Poor Bennett is still terrified of mannequins, which he still confuses with mechanics fifty percent of the time. He hates going to the mall due to this strange phobia, but I'm hoping by the time he's four maybe he won't think mannequins are going to chase him down.
Orelia still loves clothes and fashion more than just about anything. She very specifically chooses her clothes and shoes every morning, as well as a spare outfit or two she usually finds a reason to change into within an hour or two of leaving the house. I can never predict what mood she will be in and what outfit she will choose, but whatever it is, she always makes it work.
Bennett can be a funny backseat driver at times. He loves to demand his favorite songs - "My Way" by Calvin Harris, "uh uh uh" (a.k.a. Try Everything) by Shakira, and "Shake it off" by Taylor Swift. Unless you've ridden in the car with a young boy recently, you may not realize how many construction sites you pass on your daily commute. Let me assure you, it is A LOT. Bennett finds no greater joy than naming every truck we see along the road.
Each kid is full of so many quirks, but the older my kids have gotten, the more I've realized these little quirks morph and change every day or week or month. And these quirks are what make them
them.
I love our adventure-seeking, giving, ponytail-wearing, complimenting, fashionista
And I love our truck-loving, mannequin-phobic, loud, orderly, independent, purple-focused boy.
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