The setting: Migo is Evelyn's auntie's dog. She's also Evelyn's "favorite, favorite dog in the whole world." In fact, the day after we came back from visiting Evelyn's aunties and Migo, Evelyn told me that she "misses Migo so much." This conversation took place during our visit.
Auntie Alicia: Evelyn, how much do you love Migo?
Evelyn: So much!
Auntie Alicia: How much?
Evelyn: Two hours much!
I suppose when one has only been in this world for 3 years and some months, an hour could seem so, very, very long. And to love another being as much as two hours long, now that, is an astronomical amount.
Showing posts with label three year old. Show all posts
Showing posts with label three year old. Show all posts
Monday, April 19, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Rediscovering Evelyn
Is it possible to love your child more and more each day?
When Lauren was just brought home, I was off kilter. I was struggling to find my footing as a parent of two and getting used to night nursing again. A new born that also needs my attention and care, the lack of sleep, and the potty training process that seemed to finally pick up combined to make me rather short on temper and quick to snap.
Many nights did I look back at certain events during the day and regretted on my reaction and confined to their father that I've become an awful mother. In fact, I thought it was miraculous that for how impatient I was with her, Evelyn continues to love and demand me so. Then, something even more miraculous happened. We somehow managed to find a groove. While there are still difficult days and exhausting times, all in all, dare I say it, we're managing pretty good. I no longer freak out over vacation week when both girls will be home with me, alone, for consecutive days. I find myself confidence enough on my ability to take care of and entertain them both at the same time that the prospect of being snowed in doesn't send me panicking. With the frustration threshold elevated, I find myself really, truly enjoying Evelyn as a three year old. Now that I stopped pulling my hair out over a spilled toy basket/juice cup/$25-a-small-tiny-tube lotion, many of the horrible three actions sent me laughing instead of count-to-ten-deep-breathing. Such as how she'd squirm all over the place until her chair is far from the dinning table yet keeping half her bottom on it at all times, obeying the "keep your bottom on the chair during dinner" rule. Oh, or the time when she ate cookies while I was in the shower, breaking the "no cookies until after lunch" rule. She was a terrible cookie thief. I knew what was going on when I heard the dining chair being pulled towards the cookie box. Then, there's the child herself who, while managed to wash her hands, didn't care to brush off the cookie crumbs that ringed her mouth. Of course I can't forget to mention the big throwaway. To my question of "what are you doing?", she proudly answered "I ate a cookie!"
There is how she loves to be a princess. If she could, she would be in her Snow White Halloween costume everyday. Her pretty shoes and her pretty dress make it easier to step into her little princess plays. The way she deliberately kicks off one of her sparkling slippers so she could land on the couch to await for her prince just cracks me up.
There is also how she loves her sister. Always wanting to hold her, kiss her, know what the baby is doing. I stepped away from the room the other day, leaving the two of them. Lauren, laying on her play mat on the floor, started fussing, and I heard Evelyn comforting her: "it's okay, I'm here, I'm here". And then she tried to pick the baby up and toppled over, with Lauren on top of her.
The list goes on and on. It's like I'm rediscovering Evelyn all over again, and just loving her more and more every day. It's a wonderful thing.
When Lauren was just brought home, I was off kilter. I was struggling to find my footing as a parent of two and getting used to night nursing again. A new born that also needs my attention and care, the lack of sleep, and the potty training process that seemed to finally pick up combined to make me rather short on temper and quick to snap.
Many nights did I look back at certain events during the day and regretted on my reaction and confined to their father that I've become an awful mother. In fact, I thought it was miraculous that for how impatient I was with her, Evelyn continues to love and demand me so. Then, something even more miraculous happened. We somehow managed to find a groove. While there are still difficult days and exhausting times, all in all, dare I say it, we're managing pretty good. I no longer freak out over vacation week when both girls will be home with me, alone, for consecutive days. I find myself confidence enough on my ability to take care of and entertain them both at the same time that the prospect of being snowed in doesn't send me panicking. With the frustration threshold elevated, I find myself really, truly enjoying Evelyn as a three year old. Now that I stopped pulling my hair out over a spilled toy basket/juice cup/$25-a-small-tiny-tube lotion, many of the horrible three actions sent me laughing instead of count-to-ten-deep-breathing. Such as how she'd squirm all over the place until her chair is far from the dinning table yet keeping half her bottom on it at all times, obeying the "keep your bottom on the chair during dinner" rule. Oh, or the time when she ate cookies while I was in the shower, breaking the "no cookies until after lunch" rule. She was a terrible cookie thief. I knew what was going on when I heard the dining chair being pulled towards the cookie box. Then, there's the child herself who, while managed to wash her hands, didn't care to brush off the cookie crumbs that ringed her mouth. Of course I can't forget to mention the big throwaway. To my question of "what are you doing?", she proudly answered "I ate a cookie!"
There is how she loves to be a princess. If she could, she would be in her Snow White Halloween costume everyday. Her pretty shoes and her pretty dress make it easier to step into her little princess plays. The way she deliberately kicks off one of her sparkling slippers so she could land on the couch to await for her prince just cracks me up.
There is also how she loves her sister. Always wanting to hold her, kiss her, know what the baby is doing. I stepped away from the room the other day, leaving the two of them. Lauren, laying on her play mat on the floor, started fussing, and I heard Evelyn comforting her: "it's okay, I'm here, I'm here". And then she tried to pick the baby up and toppled over, with Lauren on top of her.
The list goes on and on. It's like I'm rediscovering Evelyn all over again, and just loving her more and more every day. It's a wonderful thing.
Saturday, January 09, 2010
Who are you now?
Evelyn loves to pretend play these days, especially loves to re-enact her beloved princess stories.
Just the other day, I found her slightly bent over in a non-specific living room corner with a hand cupped by her mouth as if silently singing towards the floor. She then tilted her head towards the same spot as if listening for a response. "Snow White?" I ventured a guess, "are you Snow White singing into the castle well?" She looked up and nodded solemnly, and picked up a corner of her sleeping gown as she swept across the floor. I left the poor princess to clean up after breakfast. When I returned, she was perched on her hands and knees upon the pillow stack singing quietly. She then propped herself up, lifted her head, and sang the phrase "part of your world~". Ah, she is Ariel, the little mermaid, longing to become a part of the Prince's world. While the little mermaid was busy swimming across the room, I went to change Lauren's diaper, and came back to find the big sister face down on the floor. Turns out that she was Snow White again, escaped into the forest, tired and frightened, just about to be led to the Seven Dwarf's house by little woodland animals. That whole day, I felt like I was caught in a never ending Scene It game. Every time I return to Evelyn's side, I'd arrive in the middle of a story. Charming little stories. Charming, that is, until I was assigned the role of a big bad wolf or an evil queen and had to chase the heroine around the crowded house, with the baby in my arms.
Just the other day, I found her slightly bent over in a non-specific living room corner with a hand cupped by her mouth as if silently singing towards the floor. She then tilted her head towards the same spot as if listening for a response. "Snow White?" I ventured a guess, "are you Snow White singing into the castle well?" She looked up and nodded solemnly, and picked up a corner of her sleeping gown as she swept across the floor. I left the poor princess to clean up after breakfast. When I returned, she was perched on her hands and knees upon the pillow stack singing quietly. She then propped herself up, lifted her head, and sang the phrase "part of your world~". Ah, she is Ariel, the little mermaid, longing to become a part of the Prince's world. While the little mermaid was busy swimming across the room, I went to change Lauren's diaper, and came back to find the big sister face down on the floor. Turns out that she was Snow White again, escaped into the forest, tired and frightened, just about to be led to the Seven Dwarf's house by little woodland animals. That whole day, I felt like I was caught in a never ending Scene It game. Every time I return to Evelyn's side, I'd arrive in the middle of a story. Charming little stories. Charming, that is, until I was assigned the role of a big bad wolf or an evil queen and had to chase the heroine around the crowded house, with the baby in my arms.
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