I couldn’t have put this any better if I sat and thought about it for a decade! My almost 3 year old is what I like to call a “spirited” child. She is FULL of spit and vinegar! My 1 1/2 year old is so calm and passive. She adores her big sister. I am always worried that Sierra’s fun will cause Aayla great harm. Like tonight in the bath tub, Sierra nearly drowns Aayla with splashes and Aayla laughs and laughs and thinks it’s so great. Meanwhile I am also soaked and grumpy!

Somehow no matter what Sierra does, Aayla laughs and makes it very hard for me to want to stop her. They are having fun being sisters, that counts for something doesn’t it? Sometimes I find I need to just step back, let go and let them enjoy each other!

Rough and tumble play is an important part of children’s development. We as parents cringe sometimes, but “usually” everyone survives just fine

My mom was picking up Nathaniel from school, and Jonathan and I were jumping on the trampoline. I was in high school, so it wasn’t like we were too little to be left home alone! Anyway, it was the Thursday before Easter, and so we were looking forward to the long weekend. For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to put on my Easter dress and jump on the trampoline. I still remember it was blue and lacey. Jonathan and I jumped on the trampoline, and next thing I knew I was flung through the air. I landed on the trampoline, thankfully, on my back and my knee smashed down into my nose. I got the worst bloody nose I’ve ever had, so bad that I thought I was going to pass out from blood loss. I got blood all over my new dress, all over the yard and the deck (fortunately we didn’t go in the house!!!). Needless to say, my mom was mad!! We were banned from using the trampoline when she wasn’t supervising us. I ended up getting two black eyes and a giant bruise on my knee from where it hit my face. It was SO bad to go back to school on the Monday after Easter and have to explain what happened. At least it’s a funny story now!

As much as the girls wrestle and play rough, when Hannah and I go to pick up Emma after preschool and they run into each others arms and hug and hug and kiss and kiss, it really does break my heart to know just how much they really do love each other. That is what sisters should be like in my book.

Q-ster really tries to put his things away, but you know how four year olds are – any little distraction, and a pile of little puzzle pieces are left strewn across the floor. We’re trying to keep the Lego contained in a “non-crawling” room, but I worry about those lots. They’re kind of the perfect choking hazard.