August has been a fun month. We got back into the swing of life, enjoyed being outdoors more, and got some more stuff done around home. Harper seems ready for school, routine, activity, etc. She is a little tired of me just telling her to go play in her playroom. So even though she and I both hate when Cody will have to go back to work, we are ready for a change. It's been a good summer, but a long summer. Cody's school isn't really ready, but they are starting anyways. The new high school is amazing and eventually, so will Scott MS. Plus, this year, he has lunch at a time where we can go see him without missing nap time. So we are excited and ready for a fun school year!
One of my favorite things about her lately is how she talks all the time but still needs a translator most of the time. I can understand most of what she says, but she still gets frustrated when we can't understand her. She just keeps repeating it, even though we tell her we don't understand. She recently got to go to a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese and now she calls it "Monkey Cheese". She always asks for Taco Tortilla Banana (Taco Cabana). And play and pray sound like the same word, "pway". She still asks first before getting anything, food or watching a show or going to play in her playroom or anything. I love that she double checks with us. And she asks, "Mom, I can have ___?" or "Mom, We can go ___?" It seems so sweet and innocent. She has started being able to choose most of the things in her life, given a few options. Like breakfast, clothes for the day, what she wants to be doing at the time, shows to watch, etc. She loves it and feels so big and smart when she chooses. She started eating Cheerios for breakfast, which is obviously cereal but to her is snack food, so it was a funny transition. She is really into board games right now. We play Candy Land a few times a day, which she calls Candy Landy. She doesn't like to lose, or anytime that you are ahead of her - she will even try to cheat if you are. But she will play by herself for an hour if she really wants to and it's awesome to listen to. She likes Chutes and Ladders and Connect Four, but mostly just plays on the board and makes patterns with the checkers. I played Chutes and Ladders with my cousin Julie as a kid all the time, and it is such a fun new phase to be in.
She starts dance this semester. I am hoping she loves it. She dances around the house all day, twirling and singing. She loves getting dressed up still, and changes 10 times a day. I am getting a little tired of washing 3 outfits a day, but she's also a seriously dirty kid and messy eater, so there isn't much hope for that for now. But she is crazy cute, so I let it go.
Cody's first work day back at school was one of Carleigh and Taylor's last days of summer. So I headed to Argyle to spend some time with them and have a girls day. We got manicures and pedicures and ate a La Madeline, which we mostly ate a ton of free bread. Then we shopped just a little, got a Sonic drink, and headed back. It was such a great day. I miss spending hours upon hours with them like we used it. I feel so young and free! Harper played with Kristi that day and had so much fun painting and making crafts. It was good for us to have some time apart but she didn't like me leaving her. But it just made it more fun to come back!
We haven't spent much time with the Spiegel's this summer because they kind of holed up like us. But we all got to hang a few times before school started. They invited us to a church pool party and those kids had such a blast! Cody is so much fun and way more entertaining so he was perfect to swim with them. Plus, they got to make homemade pizzas and spend the whole evening outside. It was a blast!
I will admit that this summer has been rough because we have hit the threes. She is struggling with independence, saying no, being obedient, and being irrational when something doesn't go her way. We struggled at the beginning of the summer with a new phase of being scared, not wanting to be alone, and being grumpy about the bath. It hasn't gotten better, and I will admit, sometimes I get frustrated. It's been months of the same stuff. When the dogs come at her, or a grasshopper is in the house, or whatever, she just freezes and cries. We are trying to teach her to just WALK. And she has had to learn the hard way that she won't be getting her way for most things. We only give her the good food (breads mostly) after she has eaten the rest of her meal. She loses her dress up clothes if she won't take them off to go somewhere or get in the bath. She doesn't get to watch TV the next day if she fusses about turning it off when an episode is over. Lots of threats that happen but she pulls through in the end. Just lots of stuff where she is fighting us, but we are all learning to handle it together. I am so grateful that Cody has been home this summer to help handle all this. He is more patient than me, plus two is always better than one!
I'm thankful for a new start in September. Ready for a change. Praying life just gets a little easier, for just a little bit... But it's still good. And I'm remembering that.
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