Life

Both girls are struggling with naps these days. I feel like I spend more time and energy and sanity listening to them cry/kick the door than if I'd just let them stay up and cry of tiredness. I guess it is payback, I have a clear memory of trying to get my lips under the crack of my mom and dad's door, thinking they'd hear me just a little louder. I just breathe and remind myself it is a phase. But is it some kind of joke that they both go through a "phase" at the same time? I guess so.

Besides the protested napping, they both are in such fun stages right now. Amelia is saying the funniest things and just loving to talk nonstop. She loves to say, "I can't mom." At this very moment she is talking to me through her door, I can't go to bed mom-mom (what she is calling me lately, I love it), I can't. And she has recently started saying, "I made it!" kind of like I did it, but on more exhaustive tasks as if she almost did make it. And she says "All right" instead of yes. Which I guess I must say? There is a wall along our sidewalk that she calls "my wall", and she walks along the top of it. Every time we have the same conversations about the yucky dirt, and the white bird poop-white is definitely her favorite color, and the garage across that street that is halfway open. It is so fun to talk with her and she is just starting to ask me questions like, "You ok mom?" if I trip or say ouch about something. I love her.

And Maya. She is so sweet. She is more stubborn than Amelia. She can "cry it out" for a LONG time, where Amelia never cried more than 10 minutes. She watches Juan pack up and leave in the morning, but it isn't until after the door shuts behind him that she'll lift her little hand and wave. She understands everything we say lately. I can tell her to go get her milk and she will crawl over to the fridge and wait patiently until I catch up with her. I tell her to stop screaming and she will mimic my soft voice when I ask her to. But then she'll go back to screaming 5 seconds later. She is starting to get it. She signs Eat and we are working on More, Please, and Thank You. She says Mamamama but it mostly means she wants to eat. I like to think it means Mom, but no, it is definitely said in reference to food. She lights up when she sees Juan. She is such a happy girl.

We are visiting family for Christmas this year and I am getting more and more excited every day! I can't wait to see family and experience some of my family traditions with the girls. Scones at Winder Dairy, the lights at Temple Square, snow. In no way do I miss having snow where I live. Not in the least. But I'm excited to visit snow. Less than 3 weeks away.