My little ones

My little girls are getting so big for those of you who don't see us very often. I will have to include the pictures next post because right now it is not quite 6am and I don't want to wake the house. My kids are grumpy if they don't get enough sleep!

Hannah-- She is going to be 7 two weeks from today! Does anyone else have trouble believing that I am the mother of a 7 year old child? She seems to enjoy school most of the time, but at home she reads, draws and writes stories and makes up pieces on the piano. She must have Ashley's touch with music-- definitely didn't get it from me. We went to Target on Saturday to look at toys (for her birthday) and the Halloween decor. Ashley found some political masks and was showing them to me. Hannah picked up one of Hilliary Clinton and asked, "Who's this?" I told her and she replied, "it kinda looks like a woman!" The lady on the aisle with us laughed heartily and said, "out of the mouth of babes." Too funny. She is quite interested in the election (imagine that!), but Ashley and I have tried to tone down the rhetoric with her around. Politics can be a little harsh at times and it is hard for her to distinguish the issue from the person. If they are wrong on an issue or tell one "white" lie(which they all do) then she thinks they are bad. It is hard to explain the complexities of the political world to a 1st grader, but overall she navigates things pretty well.

Ellie--Ellie is our little pixie-- she is petite as ever and the lady at all times. I spy her with her friends dressed in her princess best, legs crossed, sucking her fingers and holding her blanket. It is all about "pretty" with Ellie-- if the characters in a movie or in a book are "beautiful" then Ellie likes them and if not she will have nothing to do with them. She dresses herself, sometimes quite outlandishly, and has to have ALL her hair up in a ponytail. She and Riley have begun to play now and usually they play very well-- sometimes Riley will get fed up, but overall they do well. She LOVES preschool and being with her friends and if we don't have someone over on a daily basis she pleads for me to play cards (she is always beating me at Miss Spider's Uno) and princesses with her all day. I love her sweetness, loyalty and honesty-- Ellie will tell you where you sit in her book...

Riley-- Riley is getting so big! At 18 months she is talking up a storm and letting everyone know what she wants. She has always been my angel child-- just going with the flow. WELL, NOT ANYMORE!!! She has asserted herself recently and will throw a massive fit if she does not get her way. Yesterday dressing her for church she kicked and screamed, "NO!" the entire time. She is also a daddy's girl. If he leaves without her she will lay in front of the door crying and screaming, "Daddy," for quite a while and have nothing to do with me. I think it is sweet and I am glad that she has such a strong bond with him. She is still a cuddler and will sit an cuddle almost anytime. I love the age she is at-- it is so much fun and she does such cute and funny things and I especially LOVE to hear her talk and use her words! Yesterday at church I was showing her some pictures of Christ and I asked her, "who's this?" Her reply came, "Dedus." (Jesus in case you don't understand 18 month old talk! :) How sweet! It is so wonderful to be a mom!