Of course my girls aren't all grown up. It just feels that way when I sometimes gaze at their teeny-tiny baby photos from not so long ago. I get asked all the time if they're twins, like on a daily basis. Or if they are best friends. My honest answer to that is "sometimes."
You all know I'm not all rosy and no real life. The truth is people thought we were crazy when we found out we were expecting Betsy Grace, since Anna Ruth was still under a year old. But before long we had two girls, only 17-months apart. Fast forward 'till now and we say on at least a weekly basis, that we are so glad our girls are so close in age. Sure, they tire of each other just as any two people do from time to time. But for the most part they play and learn and imagine and grow....together. Being a twin myself, this feels totally natural that each has a little buddy along for this journey called life.
A recent change we had in our home was having the girls share rooms. We left it totally up to them and they were really enthusiastic about putting both beds in the same room. Some days we do a little bit of quiet time in separate rooms and that usually does their spirits good. I plan to paint their room sometime this fall or winter.
I don't write a lot about our routines, chores, discipline, or habits online mostly because I'm figuring it out as I go with God's help and the help of a few close friends. Also because there are so many sides and sometimes all those sides and perspectives get noisy in my head, with worry and anxiety speaking up the loudest.
I will say the girls are expected to help with chores on a daily basis, with the bigger chores like windows done every now and then.
One of my favorite things is to happen upon a little happy scene the girls set up in the house.
We certainly know how to have fun, even if it just means jumping on mama's bed.
The girls are now almost 4 and 5. We are entering the ages of extra-curricular activities, new discipline, new conversations, new everything. I'm so thankful that God's wisdom, love, and truth isn't new. It's the same yesterday, tomorrow, and forever.
This parenting gig is tough. Like really, really tough. It's not all fun and games and activities. It's heart-to-heart talks and "I'm sorry's". It's hard questions and feeling like you don't know what you're doing. It's taught me so much about my relationship with God. He is my Father, I am his daughter. He longs to care for me just as I care for my daughters.
One of the cutest little things the girls did was after I cleaned about 30 trash bags full of stuff out from the house. They were suddenly so inspired to play because they weren't drowning in toys and choices. They asked me to write "Welcome to Ginger and Pickles shop!" on a sign and they promptly set up their own grocery store, complete with the cutest cash-register transaction.
It was adorable. Absolutely adorable. Definitely one of those moments you want to tuck in your memory because you know someday they wouldn't dream of setting up a grocery store, bigger ideas already in mind.
Being mama is precious. My grown-up girls are precious.
These are the reminders I tuck deep.
No comments:
Post a Comment