change management

monday for the boy

i told my boy i had to move the stroller. i had to go get him a donut. i needed to get to work.

i hugged him as tightly as i could. i held his little face in my hands, and told him to look at me. i peered into his half-closed, tear-filled eyes and told him i will be back for him. 

that i will always come back for him.

he cried harder and proceeded to climb, his hands around my neck. the next thing i knew he had two firm footholds in my resolve to leave the room.

thankfully, the teacher held out her hands and offered a hug.

the boy stopped crying.

i kissed him quickly and flew out of the classroom in case i blinked and the miracle was over.

i waited in the hallway and knitted away, listening for any sign of... adjustmentenjoymentengagementoranyreasonformetoflybackintothe room.

i heard him tell someone rather loudly that he peed on his learning tower this morning.

then there was talk of toopy and binoo.

and finally, i heard my little dinosaur roaring. and no one else was crying.

a whole hour of knitting in the hallway later, when the teacher opened the door, the boy was already there, looking for me with a smile on his face.

and he had a friend in tow.

success!

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monday for the girl

today the girl turned 10 months old. she holds a personal record of taking 10 consecutive steps. and she will eat nearly anything you offer her. which is both good and bad. her brother offers her all kinds of contraband treats (and that's just the stuff we happen to know about).

that the girl is the second child means that we are not only more relaxed parents, but that our attention is split and often called away by our decidedly more vocal eldest. 

that she is our youngest means that she is loved all the more - not only because she calls to mind the memories we made becoming a family of three, but also for her whole self: the baby who made us a family of four, the little person unfolding before our eyes. 

she is quiet and daring. she is pensive and playful. she rarely laughs out loud; but she smiles with her whole face, a smile to melt the thoughts in my head full stop. 

that's my girl. 

and she's just letting us get to know her.

today, she got to know a new friend: our new baby sitter. 

we put our girl through a tough hour today. sleepy for a nap we asked her to surrender her comfort zone to someone she's just met. 

the girl would not have it. 

no surprise. 

she is a seasoned soul, after all.

success pending.

*photos by blue olive photography, our favourite.