Her Faces

Claire has the most expressive face and always has since she was tiny. She lets you know her feelings through her face and she has names for them. We all found out what angry Claire looked like in her school picture last fall! Today, I tried to catch some of Claire's expressions by saying an emotion - angry, surprised, happy, silly and this is what happened: pure cuteness.

 

 

 

 

Earth Day

One of the best parts of being part time is picking up the girls from preschool.  Hearing their versions of the events of their mournings away from me is priceless. Sometimes, things get lost in translations ... today, Tess got in the car (we pick her up 40 mins after Claire) and excitedly told me about this brown paper bag she made for glitter and how she decorated it with stickers.  The next thing I know, she is yelling at Claire, "Don't be a glitter bug, Claire, do not be a glitter bug." I am confused in the front seat driving and say to Tess, " Why not?  Being a glitter bug sounds neat and pretty." I see Tess in the rear-view mirror (obviously exasperated) and she replied, "mom, being a glitter bug is not neat. If everyone threw trash on the ground like Claire, our earth would be very dirty."  Ohhhhh, gotcha.  Earth Day at school.  Glitter Bug.  Is it bad that I don't want to correct her?

Spring is Finally Here

We finally have nice weather, and the Reilly kids are happy to be outside!

  

  

 

The Bread Bandit

Look who I caught in the bread drawer! Help yourself, Baby D.

Mug Shot:

Tess and her bird

Chris and I talk about how much make believe there is in our house with Tess and Claire being so fascinated by fairies and princesses and genuinely believing in magic.  The other day, Tess asked Chris, "What kind of magic is there in our kingdom?"  At the ages of four and two, I am not inclined to take their day dreams and magic away with too much reality.  However, this morning when this little finch was sitting on our back porch, we opened the door to look at it and Tess asked if she could pet it.  I tried to explain to her that the bird would fly away if she got close, but I said she could try by moving slowly.  Well, there you have it ... Tess moved slowly and whispered to the bird and actually pet it, just like Snow White or Sofia the First would!  A good twenty seconds later after Tess stopped talking to the bird, it flew away.  I am still shocked. 

Bloom and Grow

The conversations that Tess and Claire have with each other these days are spectacular. They chatter constantly with no adult intervention and the ideas they talk about and their diction is just so cute. Claire, who in typical little kid fashion always answers questions in full sentences, i.e., "Yes, Tessie, I do want to know what flowers do in the spring." And Tess, has a teacher's kind tone in her voice when she talks to Claire and knows to explain things different ways if she doesn't understand the first time.

Today, in the car, I said the word "bloom," and Claire asked what it meant. Tess stepped in and she and Claire had such a sweet conversation, in which Tess explained to Claire about seeds in the dirt growing and how the word bloom is the opening of the flowers and that they are still growing after the petals open. I was so struck by the sweetness of their conservation as Claire asked if red flowers bloom? Do purple flowers bloom? Do trees bloom?  And all I could think about was how my kids were blooming. Tess and Claire are getting so mature lately in the way they look, the way they see the world and people, and the way they speak. It was then that I realized that I have been snapping so many pictures of them on my cell phone this week because each time I look at them, they look older.  Here are a few pictures of my blooming flowers from my phone this week:

An odd thing about Tess

There are so many interesting things about each of the kids now that make them different from each other and it makes me wonder how this time in their young lives is shaping who they are becoming.  I make sure to notice these little personality traits and I hope to always remember them as they grow.  One odd thing about Tess that I want to remember - about half the time she takes a nap these days (age 4), she sleeps under my bed!  Hmmm... I should try to capture this in a picture, but whenever I find her there, I don't want to disturb her, because she looks so peaceful.

Trains and Trucks

Thanks to some great first birthday presents, Declan is having a blast with his train and trucks!