Violet apologized to me

So, a few days ago, I was helping Violet learn a new piano song.  She learns very quickly if she is "in the right mood" and not distracted.  This was NOT one of those times.  She was huffy, impatient, frustrated, and acting incredibly grumpy.  During these times I just walk away and tell her when she is ready I will help her, but I won't help her when she is acting like that. 

I think 30 minutes may have gone by as she sat alone at the piano trying to adjust her attitude and at the same time, plunking away at some notes.

I kept checking in with her to see if she was ready.  At one point she said I can come back.  So I did, and we sat down and made some real progress on a song that she had earlier deemed, "TOO HARD" but we made it through the whole thing with no mistakes, and she decided it was super easy, and played it well through a few times.  Her attitude had changed and she was teachable. 

I can SO relate.  I don't think there has ever been a time in my life when I felt I could so easily relate to Violet.  But piano is connecting it for me.  I remember times when I was younger being forced to sit at the piano and practice through frustrated tears.  And when I learned my song, I thought it was easy.  The memories are clear as glass.  Now I'm glad for having gone through that, not only because it taught me that to sit down and focus and pursue something and persevere, but I can relate to my child in such a similar way.  I am not really forcing her to practice piano though.  She wanted to take piano lessons and really lights up and enjoys playing music when she learns songs.  Getting there is the struggle.  Such is life, sweetie.

Later that day, she came up to me on her own, and whispered in my ear, "Mom, I am sorry for being grumpy earlier when you were trying to teach me piano."

I was so impressed.

I told her I forgave her and thanked her for thinking about that and coming to say she was sorry.

This is big for Violet.  I didn't even tell her when she was grumpy that she needed to change or that it was a problem she was acting that way, it wasn't necessary.  She knew. 
I just kept myself at a distance until she was ready.

So this speaks to me that she is mindful of her behavior and knew it was a problem, and wanted to apologize to me to restore our relationship. 

Snips of my day

- finding a small circular green Lego in Eli's diaper

- packed bag for swimming lessons this morning with changes of clothes for each kid and towels.  I am packing kids in the car and see Vanessa had changed INTO her change of clothes and climbed in the kid pool and got them soaking wet. She was supposed to get in the car with her suit on.

- Vanessa decided it wasn't time to go to bed after we put her to bed.  She took off her pajamas and diaper, put them in the hamper, opened the shades, and started looking at a book in bed. In her birthday suit.

- Vanessa asked me about a thousand times, "What's your name?"

- I tried on my wedding dress and it fit.  Kids got a kick out of seeing mom all dressed up and Calvin told me to go get married to dad.

- Eli used the word "more" again.  He loves milk. And he is walking and dragging around the pink toy vacuum around with him.

- Violet learned "chicken, airplane, soldier" in swimming lessons for leg kicks and it reminded her of the Froggy Learns to Swim book.

- Calvin is loving swimming lessons this year.  So thankful because the last two years he was very fearful.

camera thieves

Violet and Calvin have been taking my camera and snapping pictures.  Not all of them are appropriate to post, and now we are having discussions with them about what is appropriate to be taking pictures of.

Here is some Violet and Calvin photography lately:

they documented their lego creations for me "as a gift" so I would see it on my computer

Violet must have taken this one.  Vanessa all soaking wet from playing in the pool water is a frequent thing around here, which makes her change clothes about 20 times a day.

okay...

Eli - 13 months

This little guy is quickly exiting "baby" stage.  He is walking everywhere, starting to show more personality, and trying to say more things.  He can babble a lot and say "mamama" and also says "thank you" (more like dan-yoo) and copied me today saying "more" when I said "more?" when offering him more oatmeal.

He claps a lot, still pats me on the arm when I carry him, gets all excited and cheery when he sees me, and lights up almost any time he gets attention.  Still loves those blankies and pacis, and is napping twice a day, sometimes only once depending on our schedule and if we're out of the house at any point in the day.  He seems flexible.

He likes to walk around with random objects.  We are constantly pulling legos out of his mouth.  He likes climbing up into the little kid-size rocking chair and sitting down.  He can't go down stairs yet, but I suppose he will learn very soon!

He's still nursing about 2-3 times a day, but eats plenty of regular food at each meal and has snacks frequently.  He drinks lots of milk too.

The hair on the back of his head is all curly and fuzzy, the rest is mostly straight and blonde.  His eyes stayed blue!  He is learning to take bites of things with his front 8 teeth. Update on 7-14-2013: Eli said "Mommy, more!" when asking for more water. We had lunch at Wendy's after church on Sunday and Rachel was holding him. He put two words together for the first time.

Eli with his Uncle Jay and cousin Stella

Eli with Aunt Rachel

Four generations! My grandmother Rowena, father Jon, myself and little guy Eli