Pictures and the Power of Words

My daughter has the power to make my heart melt at any given moment. She also has the power to make my blood boil... but I guess that just comes with the territory. Last week was more of a blood boiling week. She decided that she would see how it would work if she started demanding things in a loud, rude voice. For instance, "I! WANT! SOME! WATER!" Let me just tell you how effective this technique was with me: It wasn't! I was just wondering where my sweet, polite little girl had gone when she magically reappeared this week. I tend to forget that kids feel the need to test every so often and think that my child has become demon possessed. She hasn't, she just wants to test the rules and make sure they're still the rules!

So, now onto the happy words. Cambree loves to comfort Griffin. She uses a high pitched voice to pat him and tell him, "It's okay. It's okay, buddy. Griffin, don't cry, it's okay. You need your paci?" I love to watch this interaction between siblings! She does not like to hear him cry, and not just because it's loud! I hope she always has this caring, protective attitude toward him.

The past few days she has been super sweet. Last night, she and Ed went to a basketball game, and when they got home, she ran to me and jumped in my lap. She looked right in my eyes and said, "I'm happy to see you!" Melted this momma's heart! Then this morning, I said, "Guess what?" She said, "I love you!" I said, "You do?" and she said, "Yes, momma, I love you!" Of course, then she turned it into, "I DON'T love you!" This is a game she likes to play where she'll tell me that and I'll tickle or kiss her until she says she does love me.

For Christmas, mom got her a table to put in our den where she can sit and work on crafty or art things. Mom stopped by while they were at the game and dropped off some storage drawers for her art supplies. So I got everything sorted out, with a drawer for paper, a sticker drawer, a marker drawer, and so on. On the other side of the table, I put a little bookshelf for her puzzles. When she got home (after she was happy to see me) she ran over to the table and started opening all the drawers. As she looked through her easily accessible art supplies, I could hear her saying, "I love this! I love this!" What better reaction could I ask for?

A couple of weeks ago, we went to the Opryland Hotel with our friends Rylan and Sheree and their daughters Abbie Grace and Kaylee. Abbie Grace and Cambree are great friends, as are the mommas and daddies, so we all had a great time. Here are some pictures.

One of the places my family always like to take pictures.

Happy boy with his daddy while we ate sweet treats!

Ed and Rylan racing the girls down the steps.

 Watching Ed and the girls ride the train

 

Abbie Grace and Cambree riding the train. Do you think they liked it?

With the gingerbread cookie Cambree decorated. Griffin wanted a bite!

Enjoying the fruits of her labor

Sharing with her daddy

Mommas with babies in tow.

 Apparently the people who took our picture didn't think we wanted Cambree and Abbie Grace in it!

In the enormous rocking chair at Cock of the Walk afterward.