Balancing the Unbalanceable

Ya ya yoda.... Can't get it out of my head.  Grace's Daddy-inspired twist on Lola.  These days she will sing about pretty much anything, though it usually has something to do with being a princess.  As a matter of fact, we seem to live and breathe being a princess with her Snow White shoes and gloves, pink crown, Tinkerbell dress or old shirt of mine she wears as a dress, magic princess wand, and incredible imagination.  Every car ride is an opportunity to listen to her princess playlist (I have no idea what's even cool in the current world of music, my days of frequenting the airwaves are long gone ), and every spare chance she gets at home she begs to watch a Princess Sing Along DVD.  Give her some time, Princess Leia will be a hit one of these days.  Til then, she thinks Yoda is simply the creature on the Gogurt box.  Girls will be boys and boys will be jedis.  It's a mixed up muddled up, shook up world, except for Yoda, Ya Ya Yoda. 

Speaking of imagination, have I mentioned Scott?  He's been very busy driving Grace around to Disneyland and the moon and back.  They have a lot of fun together, though she's never bothered to introduce us.  I suppose it's just as well, I'm not very good at talking to someone I cannot see, with the exception of God of course.  Fantasies are healthy, and I'm not knocking them.  But, when we're at the park and my kid is holding a conversation between Scott and some pet rocks she just met, only to interrupt herself by saying, "Ewwww something stinks like poop," well, it's a little irritating.  Dog poop all over her hands and not a single diaper wipe in the stroller, what was I thinking when I left the house unprepared?!  You can bet that won't happen again - not only am I now reminded to always have clean-up stuff on hand, but also she is probably scared to pick up rocks. 

So, home we headed where Grace had a good scrub in the tub.  Sometimes I like to throw Emma in with her.  The girls generally have fun together, but Grace has this strong aversion to being wet.  It's odd.  She does like to swim and take a bath.  But she does not like the feeling of moisture where she is not immersed in water.  So, you can imagine where this is going....Emma is a wild child both in and out of the water.  She splashes around to her heart's content, getting Grace soaked in places she was strategically keeping dry, and you can't help but chuckle when all you hear is, "Oh no, I'm wet.  No, Emma no, I don't like to be wet!" Well, that's sort of what the bath is for Grace, but whatever....

Emma is pretty curious.  No, pretty is not the right word.  Entirely.  Absolutely.  Utterly.  She is into everything, and I do mean everything.  Put the toilet lid down.  Please.  (We learn by mistake in this house)  And while Grace dreads wetness, Emma loathes socks and shoes.  Actually, she doesn't even have any shoes.  Why bother?  I put socks on her and they are off in less than a minute.  I keep a spare pair in the car because I am paranoid of the looks I will get when it's snowing out and I am traipsing around with a partially unclothed child.  If I can at least make it look like I made an attempt, maybe I won't be seen as an unfit mother (and yes, I am ridiculous enough to admit I have actually walked through Costco carrying the socks in my hand with no intention of putting them on her feet, simply just for looks...and probably nobody is even noticing anyway).  At any rate, I gave up attempting awhile back, but please don't report me.  Zippers are her current fascination, and she even says something close to the word.  A polite little one, she says thank you practically all the time...every time you give her something she says it.  Pretty cool.

One downside to having a very busy one year old is that her big sister doesn't always get the attention she deserves.  Or when she does, I often find myself shooing Emma off for a minute.  This season of life is a balancing act I have not yet learned how to master.  And I know once I do, we'll be on to a new phase.  I am so grateful for time that I get to spend one on one with my girls.  It doesn't happen often, but when it does, I savor it.  Tonight I took Grace down to the Supermall while my mom stayed home with Emma.  Ghetto, yes, but interesting all the same.  What almost-3-year-old is going to complain when she gets to ride a train and a carousel, play on the slide and climb a truck, drink an Orange Julius and splash in puddles in the parking lot?  (Yes, I was holding her hand.).  But why did they have to stick that play place so close to both Nordstrom Rack and Gap outlet?  No time to browse, but that's ok, we did what we set out to do, have a little Mommy-Grace time.  We got home just in time for Emma to give me a quick tickle and cuddle (two of her other current favorites) before she was off to bed.  Grace followed closely behind and now the house is quiet.  I must say, I love this time of day.  It's perhaps the only time I am allowed to think for more than 20 seconds without being interrupted by Grace singing at the top of her lungs as Emma mimics in a much louder, slightly more obnoxious volume.  Love these kids, I really do.  There's nothing wrong with being tone deaf.  Or just deaf.