Maryanna

I've decided since I've dropped the ball the last few months that I'm going to spend a blog a piece on each of the kids. Just to get caught up. Not at all b/c I absolutely adore talking about the individual idiosyncrasies of my kids. Okay, I do love it. But don't tell any other mom I'm sure they just wouldn't understand.

But, first, I need to tell you about my day yesterday. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to go through my entire day with you, but I need to tell you at least the start of it. It finally happened. I got in the car and left the house without my bra on. It was in my purse along with my shoes and socks in the passenger seat and my make up in the console. But the house was ready to show and Maryanna was going to make it to preschool just in time. I guess that's enough.

I think I'll stop there. The rest of my day was pretty typical. Always crazy, but typical. Maryanna had her fire station field trip and Powell and Lola and I went along. We actually didn't have a showing yesterday and that was a little bit of a relief. I finally got to stink up the house and bake my lasagna. I did get to read a little more of my high school friend's blog. She's so funny and random, maybe you should take a peek.

Okay, here it goes. Maryanna is so smart. And I don't just mean smart like she can learn, I mean she is quick. And she doesn't forget ANYTHING. She corrects me on a regular basis. And I don't mean in a snotty way, she just doesn't understand any inconsistencies to what she's learned. She writes her name as well as Powell and Lola's. She is passionate, a perfectionist, stubborn, funny, imaginative (you should here her play pretend - it usually involves made up songs and long-winded soliloquies, sometimes at the top of her voice) and serious.

I'm a control freak and have my perfectionist tendencies but Chris is the one with OCD (I mean that in a funny - undiagnosed way, of course). And our daughter, oh my goodness. Poor thing, she's such a funny mix of both of us. The girl lines up her stuffed animals for instructions. She has a hard time keeping up with that passionate temper when things aren't just right. I think I've said before, she has such a strong sense of right and wrong. That, of course, is translating into tattle-telling these days.

Sometimes, Maryanna and Powell play so well together and it's so much fun to watch. Sometimes they don't. But, when they do, there's a new trend. Yesterday I heard them conspiring to run away from Lola. It made me laugh, but it broke my heart too. They were playing in the bedroom at the play table and I heard them say, 'She's coming! Here she comes!' and a few seconds later they were running through the living room to get away from her. Now, I will admit that Lola is such a destroyer. Of all my kids she really is the most rough and tumble so far. So they had cause to run with whatever they were protecting. But, it reminds me of what's coming too. If I think it's tough to keep the peace now, I wonder what it's going to be like in just a few years! I hope sibling rivalry doesn't get too ugly at our house. I really want my kids to be close, close friends and enjoy each other's company. I suppose I should start praying for that now :-)

Anywho, back to Nana. She has a new friend at preschool. I say new because it's just been since she started school that she's known him (most of her friends are products of my friends, which means she's known them since birth). His name is Kamden. And Maryanna talks about Kam periodically all of the time. Her whole face lights up when she says she can't wait to see him at Sunday school (his family recently switched to our church). She tells us how fast he is and how high he can kick. They are really cute together, but it's such a bitter sweet thing. :-) His mom and I have really hit if off so they've gotten to see each other outside of school too. He is such a sweet little boy. Even our preschool teacher talks about having a crush on Kam.

What's funny is Chris. He's so sweet/cute. Even though Kam says he loves Maryanna (and vice versa) their just two 4 year olds who are about the same place developmentally and therefore get along. But it's so funny to watch Chris roll his eyes when Nana mentions Kam at the dinner table - again. He's not quite jealous - I don't think. I think it just pulls at that little heart string that suggests what will happen one day... And I think it's just a little hard to watch her face light up over a boy. Goodness knows I'm not ready for that.

Anyway, that's all the time I have for an update this morning. Lola's awake and the day is moving on whether I'm ready or not. Things to do. Many, many things to do...