3 days of Gleanings

Gracie Just now 9:30 pm
Mommy- I had a bad dream. There were spiders all over me and they were poking at me.
Hug and holding.
Okay- well let's have a prayer.
No - Mommy (said Mahhhm-MEEE) - no prayer.
Okay-- well close your eyes--
Why
I'm going to give put a new dream in you-- give you a good dream- a happy dream.
MOMMY - only God can do that...

Earlier tonight:
Sophia asked me to crawl into bed with her - "Mommy I want you to be in my bed with me forever and ever."
We snuggled and talked...
I've been realizing this for awhile-- but it really came clear tonight.
Sophia's love language is not verbal! :)
The quickest way to get her to tell you to go to is affirm her.... hehe
I started to tell her how proud I was of her tonight- she did great eating her dinner, it was so nice to give everyone hugs at Wednesday night church dinner, she danced so beautifully in the narthex during the organ concert, etc...
Go now Mommy

I do however believe that her love language may be quality time. When I have spent some real quality time-- she is super snuggle and super kind... its not that she doesn't like affirmation-- b/c she actually can give it very well- just not sure if it as helpful for her to receive always.... or maybe just not when she's tired :)

Monday we spent some nice time at the park and riding bikes- all of us- Kevin, Grace, Sophia, and Lucy--- on the way back Kevin was with Grace ahead with Lucy and I was with Sophia-- somehow she saw them and got upset about how far behind we were.... then started crying for Daddy-- I said- its me - you've got me-- and waved Kevin ahead to go on home and we'd be behind. I had to protect her from throwing herself on the ground, make sure she didn't hurl herself down the hill into the woods. Sat with her at one point and said We can sit there for awhile if you like (although Kevin and I had church council meeting and Linda was coming at 7:15).
I ended up carrying her, trike, knee pads, and helmet-- so very hard to do with a flayling 3 year old... carrying her for a block .... cars passing, people walking dogs going by--- we're sitting on the side walk-- I'm trying to keep her from not going down hill and not going into street....
I don't want you -- I want Daddy....
Eventually Kevin came back with the car realizing that I'd been gone for awhile and was like just get in the car-- oh no I say-- she has to deal with just me...
so trike and accessories go in car and I carry her. She was SO tired.
She wrapped her arms around me as I carried her and I started to sing "This Little Light of Mine"
She began to sing with me... then we saw a dog and stopped and pet the dog- and a girl dog named Lacy-- and we said our dog was named Lucy-- then she was ready to walk - held my hand.. I pointed to the sky where there was a plane--- She said- We took a plane to California-- Yes we did.
Where would you if you were on that plane? I would go to space, Sophia said. It would be fun to go to the moon-- to see if there is cheese there-- Yes Sophia said--
I would take my friends she said-- Who would you take? You and Daddy, and Gracie and Lucy and Austin (boy from preschool). Austin is my friend. and Kayla (from Nhu's).
Then we were home-- look we made it! Mommy, I want a juice box and I want you to give it to me- not Daddy.
I felt like i had really accomplished something here- (not in a competitve way) but just that I stuck with it-- I didn't cave-- I calm, and loving, and persistant. I stayed with it. And it was just that she was tired.... she wasn't rejecting me.... (not this time anyway :)
We had similar moments the next day- and this morning she came in and was all I love you Mommy, snuggling with me, asking for me to read stories, dumping puzzles all over the bed for us to do together.. it was awesome.

Tonight after the organ concert I helped Kevin walk home and went back for the MPT meeting--
He called right before 9 and said he needed my help
so I came home and that is when Sophia wanted me in bed-
- after I was kicked out--
I went to Gracie's bed-- b/c she had said I WANT someone to come in bed with me!!! And I assured her- I'll be there next....
SO Grace and I lay in bed.... and we snuggle. I asked her what was her favorite part of the day-- "Being with you today! "


After school I brought them home and we stayed upstairs and had to play games, read, do puzzles-- no tv and Mommy had to do work on the computer-- a bit of a tantrum about having to stay upstairs... but she got over it-- Again I was consistant! Praise the LORD! Grace complained about this or that-- couldn't find Cinderella- you find her Mommy-- I am doing work- you'll need to find her if it is important to you.
She finally played match with princess pieces after a long time out-- during which she "read" books.
Sophia played match with the same game while Gracie was in time out-- then proceeded to throw puzzle pieces-- then demanded to watch Nutcracker (which she had asked for as soon as we came home) NO shows for now I kept saying-- I kept them occupied with games, puzzles, books for about 2 hours..
I said then that if she wanted to watch Nutcracker she would need to pick up all the pieces she threw throughout the room.
No- you pick it up she said..
That's not how it works I said-- You threw it - you pick it up. (said nicely btw)

She sighed.
I kept working at the computer....
She started picking up pieces and putting them away! WOW!
then she'd say-- Can I watch Nutcracker now--
Hmmm- I see some pieces here and here and over there..
picked up a bit more-- Can I watch Nutcracker now....
I still see some pieces on the castle and over there...
continued until all picked up--
Yes- you did a great job- I'll put it on
(She was so tired- and I also figured she'd soon be asleep)

About that time a calm Gracie emerged from time out-- I love how at one point I checked on her- she was quiet-- Are you calmed down now? NO I need more time, she said. Awesome self awareness, right?
She came out- and wanted to play a game-- I offered that she could play the matching games, do puzzles, play with toys, make up a game-- I even told her she could watch Nutcracker with Sophia... I don't want to do that- She played match... then she started a game with stuffed animals-- and took them all to Sophia-- and apparently Sophia was the Mommy and Gracie was the babysitter... so I heard them interacting in our room about the animals (yeah- Sophia's not just watching tv )

Gracie fervantly played games with the stuffed animals for a good 40 minutes... then crawled into our bed to watch Nutcracker with Sophia.... Sophia was asleep when I checked after a few minutes-- then Gracie was also out...

Getting them up to get ready for Church Supper was tough...but I'm glad the rested....

---Back to being in bed with Gracie-- after I asked her what her favorite part of the day-- we just lay there for a minute-- then I told her how I was proud of how well she behaved at supper, how she ate well, and was kind to everyone-- and how I loved her dancing in the narthex during the concert (same kind of stuff I affirmed Sophia for)
Then she said-- MOMMY! Dance- no Ballet is my favorite-- I'll tell you my favorite things-- Ballet, Soccer, Art, playing with blocks, reading books, going to my school, making towers, building puzzles, watching shows with Mommy and Daddy, painting, playing with play-doh, playing pac-man... (she says this as she counts off on her fingers) I said to her-- that I had to go to bed now because I had to go write that down! :)

I only had to go back 2 more times and Kevin at least once ! :) lol

But that made me so happy- I've often worried about how we don't have her in soccer, dance, classes, etc... like everyone else- kids are in gymnastics, soccer, dance, drama, etc.... at her age now-- and our schedules and our budget kind of limit what we can do.... I fear signing her up for a class that meets every Saturday or whatever-- b/c I'll have a church event or a funeral, or I'll simply want a day just for the whole family to be in pjs all day and do nothing, or head out to the mountains.... or whatever we want....
So I have feared-- OH no my child doesn't have enough stuff she is doing or experiencing....
We paint and dance, and sing, and perform, and talk and share and all kinds of wonderful things at home-- and I am so glad it has instilled her a love for these things.....