changing tides

It's been awhile since I last posted, so I tried to make amends by posting a number of times this morning. Since I had written last it seems that the tides have changed once again. Many of the behavior issues that we had been having have faded into the background - and the good and fun moments are outnumbering the challenging ones once again. I am sure the tides will change again, and again, and again, but for now we are enjoying life with 2 smiling children. I mean just look at this one....you can't help but smile back.

Emmett is growing so quickly - he gets heavier and longer by the day. His 4 month check up is on Wednesday and I am very interested to see how he measures. He is trying hard to roll over, and I coaxed his first giggles out of him this week. What a sweet, sweet sound. When I lean over him with my hair tickling his face and give him kisses on his neck he lets his giggles out. It makes me want 4 more children!

Our house has also been taken over with princes, princesses, kings and queens as Anna has entered the wild world of make-believe. We have afternoon tea sometimes with her animals, or her baby Lucy. Sometimes I find her pouring a cup for Emmett.

We chase pirates away on her playset in the backyard, attacking them with water balloons (all pretend) and then "drive the ship to safetyland" as Anna says.

Then we get out her paper doll princes and princesses with her paperdoll castle, or her magnet set with the castle scene and come up with elaborate stories about Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, Aurora and Jasmine. You can be certain that as soon as the first one ends, it will be followed by a quick "another story please" before you can catch your breath.

There are elephants, sloths, giraffes and baby jaguars in trouble hidden all over our house. When called to help with the rescue team Anna grabs her flashlight and scampers about finding, rescuing and celebrating.

It is wild, this world of make believe. But it is FUN.