We Are EXPERIENCED - Ha!

We have now been a family of four for over two years, so I guess we are considered "experienced" parents now.  Or is there such a thing?  I feel like with each new stage of development, I am like a new parent again - trying desperately to figure out how to survive and help my children survive at the same time.  I don't know about some of you, but there are days I want to rip my hair out in frustration!

Despite the frustrations, my focus is on the amazing developments our girls (and their parents!) have made.  They are truly miraculous when I look back at where we all started.

Bean just celebrated her 3rd birthday in pink piggy style.  Her favorite animal is a pig (although Mickey Mouse is starting to take the lead!), and she seems to have a farm of them spread all over the house.  She has graduated from Early Intervention and is talking like crazy.  It is really cute to listen to her piece together sentences right now.  She flops words and uses the wrong ones sometimes, but that makes it even more adorable.  I'm going to be so sad when she can actually speak correctly because she is so darn cute like this!  With the language, we are now dealing with the whiney and tantrumming phase.  Bean is going to give us a run for our money with her mouth.  I have a feeling she is going to be the kid who tells us exactly how she is feeling at ALL TIMES.  The teenage years are going to be interesting!

She just spent a month trying out dance class.  She definitely has...passion.  Those of you who got the pleasure of watching her first couple of classes on Facebook know what I mean!  Her skills of listening and following directions?  Well...they need a little work before she heads back.  Therefore, she had a great month of dancing to her own beat while her teacher attempted to run class around her (bless that dear teacher's persistence!), but now we are settling on Kindermusik to learn skills of following a class.  Bean is not happy about the change, but she is putting up with it as long as she gets to wear her dance outfit to class each week.

Kia is THRIVING in her new school.  Although driving 3 hours a day is taking its toll on Mommy, I will do it as long as necessary.  She has a brightness to her we have never seen, she is talking more, and playing better independently.  It is so much fun to watch the changes in her.  Now she is asking for dance classes, too.  Oh, my! 

 

Both girls are so happy, love each other dearly, and changing in amazing ways every day.

While parenting two very spirited toddlers is very exhausting, Daddy and I are managing to stay alive!  We are working on some new ministries that are really exciting.  We have been waiting for God's call and felt it clearly these last few months.  I will try to blog more about those in the months to come.

We realize the importance of taking time for dates, friends, and individual breaks, and are doing our best to schedule those times as much as we can.  I don't know how anyone does it without taking those breaks as they are refreshing and give us renewed energy to meet the next day's challenges.  How grateful we are for incredible family and babysitters who help us do that. 

Frustrating?  Pull your hair out kind of crazy?  YES.  But with that comes Growth, hilarious unexpected moments, and memories that will last a lifetime.