Moment of Awareness

I had moments yesterday when I realized that my children have spent this summer growing and crossing over different development points in their lives. It was like the clouds over my eyes lifted for the day and oh my gosh - my girls have grown up.

MB at 6.5 (7 in december) is really, really a girl now. My child, whom I thought would end up in dred locks because of her absolute hatred of having her hairbrushed, now gets up and dressed (in an outft that matches) then spends 10 minute doing her hair. I find her during her downtime practicing dance moves in her bedroom - real dance moves, cheorographed danced moves she has learned from friends. Computer time is no longer Nick Jr and Dora the Explorer CD-Rom - its doing on-line mazes and watching movie trailers on Yahooligans. And, shh, we haven't had a meltdown in days.

K turns 4 in two weeks, but she will let you know that she is not three. And truly she is not a three-year-old. I imagine three as being an older toddler and young preschooler. She looks older than even four most times, the child is independent to the point where I wish she would ask for more help. And developmental clinginess that I sometimes relate to this age is absolutely unapparent. She dresses herself, as I am not allowed to help, with pretty good success. I absolutely loved the outfit yesterday - summer print shorts (tourqouise & pink), black and orange halloween t-shirt and most of the day a blue polka dot fleece hat. I don't know why outfits like this just tug at my heart but they do. The sense of individuality that they promise for the future. But to watch her yesterday in this outfit, sitting at the computer working independently on her "schoolwork" - just made tears come to my eyes.

EM has lost her 'babyfat' and developed her language to the point that we can carry on pretty good conversations. At four months shy of two, she has totally entered in to the whole "I do it myself" mentality. Sometime this summer she crossed over from being my baby to becoming my toddler.

And, it wasn't that just an awareness that the girls have grown up. It was one of those days that I can say "yes, we have made the right decisions. We are going on the right road for us." It wasn't a postcard homeschool day - but I can see it working. I really wish I could set up a hidden camera to catch these days so that I can share it with dh and other family members. The three girls sitting together and working on a mega block castle, A rousing game of Twister before we start the school day, MB and I curled up cracking jokes while we study Uranus, MB helping K understand patterns and helping her to make patterns with stickers for K's math, watching the caterpillar work on its chrysalis/coccoon, science kits spread out across the kitchen table, EM calmly playing with her stacking blocks or scribbling on paper (like her sisters), the sound of K playing actual songs on her lap harp. Of course I have pulled the high points from the day - but still. It was messy, it was loud and there was no schedule and no homeschool 'method' at work. I loved it.

Peace,

Amy