She's Fancy.

Last night all of the kids were peacefully sleeping and Ryan and I were talking about each one of them.  It sounds nice and sentimental but we were actually laughing hysterically as we tried to explain to each other what we thought they would be like in high school.  We both have similar ideas for Isabella.  She has always seemed older to us, so it just doesn't seem hard to imagine her as a teenager.  Sometimes I feel like she already acts like a teenager.  Declan was a mystery to Ryan, but I thought I had him pegged too.  Sensitive, maybe more reserved but not shy.  Ryan said that the only thing he imagines about Declan being in high school, is him hanging out with his girlfriend, maybe watching a movie, and leaning over and whispering sweetly in her ear "any bad men or monsters in here?" I know this is probably not nearly as funny to you, as it was to us, but we were in hysterics and still today, couldn't stop replaying this vision of poor Declan.  He definitly does not like the dark and will ask us no less than ten times before bed, if there are 'any bad men or monsters in here.'  It used to be annoying, but now we just say 'no, Declan' and he's content with that answer. For at least another five minutes anyway.  So Ryan's convinced he'll still be asking that once he hits his teenage years, and that's about as much as we have him pegged for right now.  Quinn, we agreed, would be outgoing, empathetic, and strong willed.  She's the third child, I'm the third child, and I don't particularly see her exhibiting similar characteristics as I had as a child.  One day we'll look back on this and we'll remember our silly predictions of our children's high school personalities.

As a teenager, Isabella may be as prissy then as she is now.  She's going to have to get a job though to contribute to her bi-weekly desire for a new wardrobe.  Can you say p-i-c-k-y?

"Hey baby. You're so sweet.  Any bad men or monsters in here? Okay, let's watch that movie now."

Maybe the nose ring type?
No, just kidding.
This is my girl:

And this is the part that reminds me of me. She LOVES babies and this baby cousin in particular.  So much so that she will fall to the floor in a mess of tears if she doesn't get to hold her.  She will follow whoever is holding Zoey, plop herself down, spread her legs apart and pat the ground, saying 'here, here'  until you place Zoey in her lap.

This makes her squishy little face, very, very, happy!

Enough of us playing prediction on their futures.  It was a good laugh for sure. 
Isabella went to a Fancy Nancy book party at the library on Saturday. The kids had to dress in their 'fanciest' clothes and got to do fun activities, learn some french words, and practice fancy ways of sipping pink lemonade.  I loved sitting back and watching her manage her way in a sea of girls she didn't know, take directions from teenagers and adults she had never seen before, and navigate a rotation of activities without someone directly leading her.  I am so proud of how confident and secure she is becoming.  I used to worry about her.  I worried about her extreme attachment to me and how it would affect her when she started to become more involved in activities that, well, didn't involve me.  It's one description of attachment parenting that I always relied on: that APed children were secure, would become strong and independent and would always know that they had you (the parent) to rely on.  I think by using this method of parenting our kids, I've often wondered how it would affect their independence.  It seemed strange to read the books that said that practing attachment parenting would lead to an independence that I never felt was being fostered. But it wasn't about the independent child. It wasn't about teaching the child to fend for herself or feel lost in a room of strangers.  It was about creating a confidence in your child that she could stand on her own because she knew she was taken care of.  I saw this in Isabella on Saturday.  There were moments that she would lose sight of me and stand in the middle of the room and scan, looking for me.  My heart ached as I watched her looking, but I just let her look.  She wasn't anxious or concerned or worried. She was just trying to find me. She knew I was there though. That's what this is all about.  I was watching this little girl that seems suddenly so grown up, act so grown up.  And she was still looking for her mom at the end of it all, knowing that I was there as long as she kept looking.  She would find me, I would smile, she would beam, so proud, and move on to her next activity. If she was unsure of a direction, she'd ask again. If she needed help, she confidently asked for it.  I was watching her in a new light, a new environment. I love the little girl she has become. She is pretty darn fancy.

Isabella has since asked numerous times for 'bon-bons.' Thank you Fancy Nancy, for teaching French words such as 'bon-bon,' so that this child perpetually asks for a chocolate treat and thinks my answer will magically always be 'yes' since 'bon-bon' is such a fancy word.

While we were partying at the library, Declan and Quinn stayed home with Ryan.

As if the 1 1/2 year old needs any more instigation to climb things.  Thanks, Declan!

Look mom, no hands.  Need I say more?

Part two of our weekend will have to come tomorrow. It was busy and it was fun.  And it involved a whole lot of Hello Kitty.