Eighteen Things!

I started this blog the day Scarlett turned 18 months.  I took these pictures just a few days before she turned 19 months...I actually had a mental count down all month, like if I didn't take them before the 27th came around again the pictures wouldn't count or something.  And now, the 2nd of August, I finally have a few minutes to sit and write about my sweet, stubborn, silly, sassy, stunning Scarlett.

Here are 18 fun facts to celebrate 18 months...

1) I decided on the name Scarlett months before our Scarlett was born, and I could never have known how perfectly suited it is for her...or she is for it.  The color scarlet a is beautiful and bright color, but there is nothing subtle about it.  No one has ever said, "Wow, what a soothing calm color scarlet is."  Just like no one, at least no one who can see, has overlooked something scarlet because it wasn't bold or vibrant enough.  When something is scarlet, you notice it.  Well, that pretty much sums up our girl, she is beautiful and bright, and when she is around, you can't help but notice.

2) Shortly after our move this Spring, Scarlett decided she was much to grown up for things like high chairs, sippy cups, or to do downstairs anyway but one giant, spindle gripping, death defying, give your mom a heart attack  step at a time.  Needless to stay it has been a messy and slightly stressful several months.  But what can you do?  She wants to do thing just like her big brothers.

3) That being said, it will be guardian angels and awesome big brothers who get her to her second birthday.

4) I have lost track of how many words she has because she is talking all the time.  However, she does add an short "a" sound to many word: diaper-a, phone-a, loud-a, all done-a, down-a, hand-a, and when she is upset with me I become Mom-meeee-a!!  But then there is the word pizza that ends in an a...Scarlett calls that PIZZEEEEE!

5) Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? is her favorite book...we read it at least 3 times every day.  She also loves James' scavenger hunt book.  She has her favorite things to point out on each page.

6) She loves to sing "A-B-Cs."  However, when she sings it on her own, it usually turns into "A, B, C, D...how I know my..."  I think the hours and hours of her big brother's Suzuki violin practice may have something to do with that.  But when she has someone else singing along to help keep her on track she can pretty much sing it the entire way through.  I usually do a little fill in the blank edition, and she rocks it ever time.

7) Finding belly buttons never gets old.  Despite all the other body parts she has learned, including elbows and knees, the belly button remains the favorite.  There is even a change in the pitch of her voice when she asks "Op!  Where did the belly button go?!"  And then a huge smile spreads over her face as she cries, "Oh, there it is!!!"

8) Cows are Scarlett's favorite animal.  We love to look for them on our drive home through the country.  The babies "mimi-ing" with their mama's always make us smile, and the excitement of seeing more around each corner has prevented, delayed, and sometimes even stopped Scarlett tantrums vocal communication about being "All Done!" in the car.  However, she loves cows so much that we haven't quite been able to convince her that not all farm animals say "moo."

9) Elmo is another life saver!  Without her deep love for that fuzzy red monster,  I don't think I would ever leave the house let alone make the weekly trip to Nashville for violin.  So, while I pride myself in how rare "colored lights" are in our house, I cannot make the same claim about the car.  Jake had Thomas, James had whatever Jake was watching, and now everyone gets Elmo.

10) It is a rare meal that doesn't end with Scarlett on the table.  We jokingly call her Helen Keller.  She may not be blind or deaf, but her efforts trying to snag food off of everyone else's plate or dump some one else's water all down her front take a drink from someone else's glass is quite comparable!  I guess food, even the exact same food, tastes so much better when it is served to someone else.

11) This girl is constantly kicking off the covers when she sleeps.  This would be a non issue if she weren't still on our bed most of the night.  However, I NEED blankets to sleep.  So I feel like some nights we play our own version of tug-a-war...me pulling the covers up and Scarlett frantically kicking them off again.

12) Some recent and favorite phrases are:
a. "I neeeeeed that!"
b. "I am!!"
c. "Where are da boys?!
d."All done!"
e. "Where did Daddy go?!"

13) She loves to sing!!  Some of my favorite moments with her are when she is sitting on my lap singing.  It usually starts with a request for "ABCs" and then we go through my mommy repertoire (many taken from my own mom).  Sometimes she sings along, and other times she watches my mouth intently and I can tell her brain is working hard to learn each word.

14) Scarlett is truly madly deeply in love with her Daddy!!  Nearly every morning she snuggles against his chest until he has to get up for work.  They make the sweetest picture...Scarlett with her crazy blonde curls covering most of her still sleepy little face, sometimes with little showing but her tiny little nose and pouty pink lips, and Arthur, so obviously wrapped around our baby girl's finger that he waits until the last possible second to get up.

15) His daily welcome is just as sweet!  Scarlett's feet can be heard throughout the house, as she runs to greet him.  "Daddy!" she squeals in delight as he bends down to scoop her up.  She then requires that they remain touching for, at least, the next hour.  Arthur may put her down as long as they "hold hans" where ever they go (aka Scarlett maintains a death grip on Arthur's finger and refuses to leave his side for anything...including a shower or trip to the bathroom).

16) Scarlett loves art!  She loves "painting" and "markers" and crayons!  Unfortunately, she doesn't always love to use them for their intended purpose, but what toddler does, right?  Markers make for great body art, paint goes everywhere but the paper, and apparently crayons make a really tasty snack.

17) Scarlett's sweet hugs and kisses are now a vital part of the boys bedtime routine.  Sometimes I think they care more about a "goodnight" from their baby sister than they do from me...

18) I watch Scarlett with her brothers, and I can't help but be a little envious.  They are (almost) always so great with her!  The have developed their own little games like "Pop goes the Weezie" that involves every one of my throw pillow on the floor, "Snuggle Buggle" which is exactly like it sounds: a dog pile of cuddles, and lots of blowing bubbles!  They even included her is all their bug catching adventures. However, upon further investigation I learned that this can include Scarlett as the collector of the "biting bugs" because "she doesn't care."  Needless to say, I have been monitoring that one a little more closely.

I could write for ever about this little girl.  She is at that age where each day she wakes up understanding more, saying more, and with even more of an opinion on almost everything (today she tried to pick out Arthur's shoes for church and wanted to make sure I was wearing a "pretty dress").  She has been the perfect addition to our family and she really is our princess girl.

We love you sweet girl!  I love that you love pink, dresses, and baby dolls, but that you love dirt, bugs, and tractors too!  It is my prayer that our home with be a place where you can learn, grow, and become the beautiful woman, I know, you were sent here to be.

Refocus

I took these pictures several days ago.  Jamie had been asking for s'mores for a little while, but it seemed like night after night something kept coming up.  He was pretty patient and understanding about it, but both boys' excitement was evident by the immaculate homeschool room.  They had everything spotless before Arthur had the coals hot...maybe we need to have s'mores every night!

It was a gorgeous evening...one where the light of the setting sun reflects of the clouds and all the colors of the rainbow fill the sky.  

And between the beauty of the day and the excitement for chocolate, marshmallows and really long sticks, I couldn't help myself...I went and grabbed my camera.  As I snapped away, Arthur even asked, "What, do you have a blog post coming up?"  How did he know I am long over due? :-)

Sometimes I just can't help it.  But it isn't just that I feel compelled to capture some cute pictures of my favorite faces, but it is more that I desperately want to capture my gratitude of them.

There are so many times when I feel overwhelmed, under slept, and burnt out.  Days like to today, when the list of errands is too long, there is too much laundry to fold, the dishes keep appearing, and, of course, none of my children are listening, I can forget how blessed I am.  Or nights like tonight when I feel like waving the white flag and I send my boys to bed at six because I have no idea what else to do, and I feel like I am totally failing and wonder why motherhood didn't come with instructions.   

It is in these times that I love to blog most.  Sometimes I need to see my life from behind the camera to help me to refocus (pun intended).  

Motherhood is hard work.  Each day I wake up determined to get it right and each night I go to bed praying for forgiveness for all the things I have gotten wrong.  But I am blessed.  I am blessed to be the mother of these amazing, bright, beautiful kids...and I need to remember to be grateful in all things...even the difficult days.  So here is to sweet nights and a much needed refocus!