Life is just rushing by. There isn't a moment filled with activity when our kids are awake. Amelia especially lately is lightening fast - in all the ways that are messy. Soap, perfume, makeup, cleaning supplies - she LOVES anything in a spray bottle or pump. I am pretty sure she can empty a pump style bottle of shampoo all over the floor in under a minute. Not that I timed her last week when she did it. She has some amazing fine motor skills in that she is able to open even the smallest bottle, jar or container in order to spread it across the maximum amount of surface area in the shortest amount of time. She has also mastered opening the door knobs in our house which means few areas are safe from her*.
Last night after dinner, John and I were cleaning up the kitchen while the kids played happily together in the next room. This is a rare occurrence. I knew there would be fighting in our future with two children in the house. I was totally unprepared for it to start when Amelia was just under a year old. Most days I feel more like a referee than a mom with these two. The fighting recently has been almost constant when the two are together. Both of them are at fault most of the time and both of them have lessons to learn. We're working on that, but there is a ways to go yet and I many days lately feel like an uphill battle.
I wiped the counters while John did the dishes while we listened to the giggles and shouts of glee coming from the next room**. It makes me want to take hold of these moments and pull them close to my heart for safe keeping. They help me get through the rough moments when patience and love just isn't enough.
After the kitchen was cleaned up (I know you think I'm crazy for cleaning up the kitchen first, but when opportunity knocks, etc), I went in to see what the laughter was all about. I was thrilled to find they had come up with a game using a hard hat. One of them would put the hat on and then jump**. Upon landing, the hat would inevitably fall off - which was roll on the floor funny. After laughing themselves breathless, they would race each other to the hat and start over again.
* What worked with William at this age was to put the door knob safety covers on all the areas I didn't want William to have free access to. As he matured, this was not as much of a problem and we gradually took them all off. This won't work because now that William is potty trained, he needs free access to the bathroom at a moments notice.
** Also, about a week ago, Amelia mastered the jumping so there is actual lift off when she jumps. Gone are the hilarious days of a huge set up and no actual lift***.
***Speaking of milestones, on 11/10/10 Amelia said "I love you" for the very first time. To me. It was amazing. Amazing enough that I went out for dinner with a girlfriend without her right after I kissed her fat little cheeks off.
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