Me and Joseph wrote this together.
J: Sunday afternoons on the tramp has been so fun. Last week it was me and Conley, because Eloise was sleeping. And we just had so much fun playing games. He just laughs and plays; and they're like in their element (today was Eloise and him). Eloise was in a dress and it was cold, and I knew it was cold but she didn't wanna get off the trampoline. So every time I asked her if she was cold, she said no, but I knew she was. And then when we got off to take a break, she said, "Dad, I'm cold! I'm cold!" Today, I pretended to run fast away from Conley, when we were playing the dinosaur game, and I just did high knees and pretended to be running fast. I was just moving my legs fast, but not really going fast. And it hit his funny bone. He just laughs and has so much fun. When we first got out, Conley just wanted to play outside. He wanted to play tag, and he said, "Whoever uses all of their energy first, wins." He just wants to play. We do a lot of stuff during the week, but it's not "play." Today we played, though. We played tag, and I was running away from him and got up on the fence, and he was gonna tag me. I ran into the front yard and he ran to get me. And then I kind of snuck up on him while he was crawling up on the Camry, and I said, "Get off of that Camry!" And he said, "I didn't know where you were!" I later told him I was sorry for cheating (because I'd gone into the front yard) and he said, "That's OK; I didn't tell you the rules."
B: I feel like I'm walking around in a cloud. Eloise's face. Conley's face. Conley saying things like, "I can give you a massaj, Mom," like he was so eager to be helpful. He loves things that Joseph loves, like anything at all having to do with "working." Working on his bike, the truck, the dirt bike, the table, the yard, the trampoline. He loves it. He loves digging holes and throwing dirt. He is wise and careful, unless he is with other boys his age--and then it seems like his brain just goes out the window lol. I guess that's probably normal, though. He loves me. He touches my face so sweet. He loves snuggling with me and he lets me kiss him and doesn't get annoyed. Even when I pick him up for thinking times he just strokes my hair. He loves playing with soft hair. It's adorable. He is also so sweet in his prayers. He said things like, "Bless the people without houses that they will be able to build a house and have the best day." He loves audiobooks lately. He could listen to them all day. He likes homeschool, as long as he gets to choose what we do. He reminds me of that, too, which I appreciate.
Or Eloise at Ross: "I not have a pose! I need dis!" (purse). or "I not have light up shoes. I want dese!" And it's so sweet because after I explain things to her patiently, she almost always says, "OK, Mama." It's amazing. She's reasonable and rational. Conley and she wake up together sometimes and play in their room or in the playroom or the family room. They love hiding together. If they're really having a good time, they'll come shut our door or shut their door, and when we end up going to look at them, Eloise (only her, Conley would never do this) says, "Not come in he-oh!"
Tonight she was tired. I was looking at her and said, "You are the most beautiful woman in the world." And she scowled and said, "I not a wimin! I a kid!" Then she wanted some alone time (she's pretty good at doing that) with her mini-Book of Mormon. So she went out of the playroom, where we all were, and as she was exiting, she said, "I'm gonna go to not dis woom and wead my Book of Momon. Not look at me." And she left. Then she poked her head around the corner and said, "Not even think about looking at me." Joseph and I often just look at each other and laugh as quietly as we can. She's so funny and serious. Whenever I raise my voice at her, she curls up and shrinks down and gets so sad. And then when I hold her and talk to her she always forgives me right away. I'll never understand a child's loving and forgiving nature. It's so sweet--and it motivates me to keep calm, because she responds so well to that.
She got up the other night, and I said, "Your body is probably getting you up and telling you to go potty," and she said, "It waking me up so I can nuggle wis you!" Ugh it just melted me. She got in bed and we nuggled. I could just eat her up.
She often gets herself dressed by herself and her outfits always look so cute. She rarely lets me do her hair. I love it in ponytails most.
