On Bedtime

6 months ago, we struggled with bedtime.  3yo A and 1yo B would start crying as soon as they knew bedtime was near.  A was so tense he had trouble falling asleep, and even after he was asleep would have his fists clenched, muscles tight, heart racing.  He would wake up screaming multiple times every night.  B wanted to be in my lap, but facing outward, away from me, with as little of her body touching mine as possible. She preferred her head to be not on my arm, but on the cold, hard arm of the chair in which we rocked.  Night after night they both screamed while Michael and I tried desperately to comfort.  Some nights it took hours, and ended with me crying right along with them.  Naptime was much the same, but felt even more desperate as I prayed for a break in the middle of the very long days.

...

Today, B fell asleep for a nap while Sierra rocked her facing in.
Tonight after baths, A snuggled himself into bed (along with "Dog the Frog", his stuffed animal) before I even came into the room.
Tonight, B snuggled against me in our rocking chair and within minutes I felt her little body relax and her breathing become even.

...

We have a long way to go in this journey, and some days it is easier to focus on the many struggles we have before us.  But for tonight, I will thank God for the hard-won battles that we've faced over these last 6 months, and be grateful for his peace that passes all understanding that has and will continue to carry us through.

Ballet Recital Wrap-Up

The Saturday before Memorial Day is quickly becoming one of my favorite days of the year, as it is the day that we get to see all the kids from Maya and Charlotte's ballet studio perform what they have been working on for the last several months.  Their hard work is evident, and it is so neat to see the progression of skill from the teeny tinies (Charlotte's class this year) all the way up through high school seniors.  I may be biased, but Thursday preschool ballet and Thursday ballet 2 were definitely the best dances of the evening ;)

The weeks leading up to the recital were filled with mostly excitement but also some stress ~ Milo somehow got ahold of both scissors AND Maya's recital costume...let's just say I'm thankful for my mom's sewing abilities!  On top of the hole-in-the-irreplaceable-costume situation, I was also slightly (ok, majorly!) stressed about Charlotte.  She's an amazing and wonderful and talented and smart and beautiful little girl, but she doesn't always show that to the world, and I never know how she will handle new and stressful situations.  Guys.  She blew me away!  She rocked her little dance like it was the most natural thing in the world and made at least 2 people cry with all her overcoming-anxiety-and-sensory-overload and stuff :*)

I am glad for the break we have now from school and (most) activities, but I am definitely looking forward to ballet starting again in the fall.

Of course, pictures:

I told Maya to make a silly face, and she told me that "ballerinas don't make silly faces".  So of course Isabella had to do this (she's amazing :))

Maya, Charlotte, and Isabella with their awesome teacher Miss Kristen

 This next series of pictures isn't my favorite in terms of composition, but you have to watch the progression...

Out of about 20 shots, I don't have even one where all three of them are looking at the camera!

Isaac wants in on the action...

...then Milo joins in...

...

...starting to look a little mischievous there, fellas...

"are the grown-ups watching?

"Ok, do it!"

Milo isn't totally sold on the antics yet...just wait for it

There ya go.  Little brothers stealing the show :)

Isaac giving Milo some pointers

Breakout!

The Heisman

The Prize Box

Every Thursday at Charlotte's preschool is "prize day".  I have not confirmed this with her teachers, but word on the street is that they identify two kids who were the "best singer smiler" to choose something from the prize box.  This was one of the few things that would make Charlotte excited to go to school ~ she would ask me in the morning if it was prize day, and each week that passed that she did not "win" was sadder and sadder (for me, at least!).  We even started practicing her smiling at home so that she would be ready.  The first week that we practiced, she didn't win.  The next week that we practiced, she didn't win (and let me tell you, it took nearly all of my will-power to not go out and buy her that clip-on-hand-sanitizer she had her eye on in the prize box!).  The third week we practiced?  She won!!!  And two weeks after that?  AGAIN!  Yay Charlotte! :)

I realize that to anyone that is not a parent (and specifically, to anyone that is not a parent of an extremely sensitive and shy child, and more specifically, to anyone that is not a parent of Charlotte) this may not seem like a big deal.  But in our house?  It was a huge victory!  Charlotte was so proud of herself and I *might* have shed a tear or two.  By the time she won, the hand sanitizer was long gone, but she happily accepted a cherry Lip Smackers (first time) and a stuffed frog, named "Waya" who has now joined the ranks of animals covering Charlotte's bed.