These are the good years

When Lydia first started school, Josh and I were kinda feeling sorry for her because, honestly, we'd hate to be in her shoes. She has a lot of schooling and difficult years ahead of her. One night we were talking about what school was like for us growing up, and college, and Josh looked at me and said "You know...these are the good years".  I realized that yes, they are! Better than high school, better than college, in my 30 years on this earth I'm learning that the 30's are the good years.

For me, these are the mommy years. Sure, I'll always be a mommy, but these are the years where I have babies and toddlers at home and not in school. These are the years where I've embraced motherhood and my minivan and comfortable clothes,  and no longer pretend I'm a twenty-something. These are the years that my children think I am a queen.

For Josh, the 30's are the power years (according to Papa Jon, but still very true). Now he is defining himself in the workplace and setting his own path to success. He's in more control of his environment.

For both of us, we are having the time of our lives.
These are the good years.

And here's the 3 main reasons life is so awesome right now. I live with 3 girls who make me smile *almost* all day long.

Lydia makes me so proud. Everything she does is to make me proud, and I love her so much for that. Each day she tells me how many stickers are on her chart at school and shows me every paper in her backpack so that I can ooh and ahh over it. Earlier this month we had to go in for a round of vaccinations, and I encouraged her to be brave like a big girl and not cry... and mommy would be so proud. She laid on her back, held my hands and looked me right in the eye and tensed up, fighting the urge to cry while the nurse pricked her 3 or 4 times...and when it was all over we both screamed together "You did it!!!". That was awesome.


Claire makes me laugh just with her presence. She walks funny. She talks funny. She still can't pronounce her "R's" and I blame it on the fact she was born in Britain. She is a picky eater unless it is macaroni, or anything that resembles macaroni. The other night we had penne alfredo, and told her it was macaroni, and she inhaled a whole bowlful. She takes bites that are too big for her little mouth, and we get a kick out of just watching her.

Claire really looks up to her daddy as her protector. Claire will sometimes wake up from a bad dream, and Josh goes in to comfort her, and whatever it was that scared her, he assures her that "daddy can beat up that bear"..or spider...or monster...or whatever she's afraid of. But one night she was afraid of a ghost, and when Josh said he'd beat up that ghost, she sleepily replied "No daddy, you will just punch right through him" then went back to sleep. When Josh was out of town recently, Claire said to me, worriedly "But who is going to protect us?!" When I told her I could, she replied "No mommy, you don't have big muscles." SO true. But I can kick ;)

Scarlett is at a fun age where she is trying to interact and communicate with us more. The first thing Josh taught her how to do was give a kiss, and now all you have to say is "gimme a kiss" and she will sprint right to you with her mouth wide open for a great slobbery kiss.
Scarlett likes to wrestle. In our home, if you lie on your back that means it's wrestle time. Scarlett will toddle over and jump on Josh or Lydia or anyone who is on the floor. Unfortunately she also tries to "wrestle" younger babies who can't walk yet. She's a bully in that way.
Scarlett loves to communicate by blowing raspberries. One time we had a whole raspberry conversation during the drive home from the grocery store.
Scarlett's favorite place in the house is the top of the ladder of the girls' bunk bed. I have to keep the bedroom door shut most of the day, and when it is left open I usually hear a loud "Ehhh" which means "mommy I'm stuck at the top of the ladder again." If she's not there, she's usually stuck up on the stepstool trying to brush her teeth like her sisters.