these past months have been very thematic for us as a family…we have entered into a beautiful stage of new things…good and bad…I feel like I am literally in a cocoon stage of life where I am transitioning between the life of a girl into that of a woman…
I know…I know…you are thinking…”hello…hate to break it to ya…but, you are not 16 anymore…a girl??? really.”
Yes..I think this has been my year where I finally made that transition…(a late bloomer, I suppose…) and I am so grateful for the perspective gleaned…
first boy…(oh my heavens one of the best episodes of my life)…first days of kindergarten…first time being able to really feel I can give to someone who has given everything to me…first time in a long time to get to sit and enjoy church without chasing kids in the hall…it has been a time of new attitudes and perspectives and, sometimes, I feel like I have truly only just begun to understand what it means to love my husband…to put him first as he has really put me first…
…how we are blessed to grow and mature as these changes come…this is the first time that my girls ava and ella have been separated from each other…14 months apart in age has brought them a lot of the same outfits, same rooms, same activities, heck, most the time they use the same toothbrush!
But this year is the first time that my Ava has stayed back and watched Ella do something for the first time alone.
I really did not know it was having an impact on her until I ended up being dropped off by daddy on a 1 mile “screaming and throwing things in the car means you. are. busted. let’s. get .out. of the car. and walk home!!!! ” walk with my little girl. We talked about a lot of things…one being how Ella was in Kindergarten.
That is when she looked down at the ground and told me….
“Ella is in kindergarten because she is smart. Ella is the smart one, that is why I am not a school-girl.”
After picking up my c-r-u-m-b-l-e-d heart off the hot sidewalk…I reached down to my little one, looked into her big blue eyes, and told her that I loved her so much.
All of the “sames” they share sometimes makes us all forget that Ava is still younger than Ella…(even Ava forgets that.) I explained that Kindergarten is for 5 year olds and that she will go next year…we talked all about it and I was so relieved to see a smile come to her face and the silly vava we all love take over the rest of out “time-out” walk home. I am so thankful for the lessons I learn as a Mom. I am so thankful for my tender children and their sweet sensitive spirits…
So, today..on a whim (actually…truth is I botched a simple bang trimming)…we headed out together for a little special attention. We went to go get a new hairdo and a little pampering for my sweet Ava Girl…
(it was her FIRST hair cut at a salon and she did GREAT!)
I quite honestly am hopelessly in love with how it turned out…
(BRITAIN! Thank you so much for the girls matching dresses and Adam’s little outfit…WE love them. The girls have been wearing them for 2 days straight…I could barely get them in Jammies last night!. Adorable dresses…)
(yes…it is a little choppy…but I love it!!!)
and this is not the first time I thank my lucky stars for the privilege of being Ava’s mommy…
I love you ava…you are beautiful…funny…witty…a little wild (but we love it)…SO SMART…and one of the first true blessings to come into our lives when you did…
truth is…sweetheart, kindergarten needs another year to get ready for you! You are amazing girl!
(ALEX…your post is coming soon)
xoxo
Tonya
9 comments