Birth Days

The P's both celebrated birthdays recently.  His is at the end of June and hers is eleven days later (mine is eleven days after hers if you are counting).

Pman's birthing story is emotional and terrifying.  Every year on his birthday I can't help, but reflect on how he came into the world with such turmoil and now he is a gentle, happy person.  Sort of like he got all of his drama out of the way, right away.

He is cautiously enthusiastic about nearly everything he encounters.

Pman is happy to play alone building train tracks, make a new friend the local pool or taking on a new adventure like Kindergarten. (Don't even get me started on that one).  However, few things make him as excited as family parties when he gets to hang out with his aunts, uncles and Mimi and Pop-Pop.

We recently went to a pool with a floating slide, it was a large crab chained to the bottom of the pool.  Kids had to hoist themselves up and climb the contraption to get to the slide.  For the first few times I had to help Pman up, via butt support.

Then I stood back and watched him as I stood with CBL, who was splashing around in the shallow end.  After some consideration, he launched both his elbows up onto the crab claw, wiggled his hips, craned his neck, flailed his legs, kicked his feet and made it to the top all by himself.

That boy will be just fine.  Pman brings a calm energy to my life.

CBL, on the other hand, is a firecracker, which is fitting since her birthday is the day after the Fourth of July.

Most of the time when children celebrate a birthday, parents and other adults in their lives say things like, "You're _____ already! Where has the time gone?"

With CBL, I find myself thinking, "How are you only 2?"  Her personality is an explosion, TA-DA, I'm here!  She feels everything fully and completely.  I often find myself saying, "She's ONLY 2."

Her birthing story is pretty low drama and sort of predictable, I mean she was a planned c-section for pete's sake.  There is nothing humdrum about her now though.

Whether we are at the grocery store, the beach, or getting the mail at the end of the driveway, she thinks everyone is here for the Peyton Show, and she is more than happy to turn up the charm.  The charm is always on, she just adjust the intensity a bit depending on the situation.

One of my favorite, most recent, stories of CBL happened last weekend at my parents house.  I gave her a snack then asked my mom to watch her while I took a shower.

When I came out of the bathroom my mom said, "She keeps asking for her damn cracker."
....

"Graham Cracker.  I gave her a graham cracker before I took my shower."

It's really hard to not continue calling them damn crackers.

Keep going baby lady, I'm enjoying the show!