my kids are awesome people
Monday, November 2, 2009 at 08:27AM Natalie (age 13) and I have conversations that most moms don't have not only with their teen kids but with their children period. I love, love, love our relationship. And I love her perfectly balanced sweet/sassy/witty/soulful/innocent/creative spirit. Equal parts bookworm/artist/punk. Caretaker to a fault, shirker of household responsibilities. Whether it's feeding the dog, putting a dish in the sink or tidying her (toxic) bedroom, I have to ask her to do stuff no less than 5 times, I'm not even kidding you. Yet I would trust her with my life. I trust her with all our lives. Natalie is solid.
Elle is a fighter. She kicks middle child ASS. She is really coming into her own personality and her insights and snappy comebacks are admirable. She is lazy as shit. If you ask her to do something (chores, homework) and it's not her idea, you might as well ask her to rip out her arm. Yet she is one of the most thoughtful, thorough, giving, loving people I've ever met. She would literally give you the shirt off her back. She will re-organize her room to the point of using labels. I fear the state of our bank account the day she discovers The Container Store. But only if it's her idea. That is the key. Elle eats a jelly sandwich every night before bed which I just find absolutely charming in its simplicity. We should all eat a jelly sandwich in bed every night.
Anna Sofia is hilarious at age 4. An unusual type of princess. Pretty in a dress (always a dress) but she will literally KICK YOUR ASS. She is rough and tumble with those wild curls flying all over the place. She's very cuddly but not like you might imagine. She craves skin-to-skin contact and at any given moment you will find her walking up to me, lifting my shirt and planting her tummy on mine. She loves bath time only to pee standing up, the nut. If I had to describe Anna Sofia in one word it would be: PRIMAL. She's always running around in her skivvies eating nothing but green apples and baby spinach. And Little Debbie brownies. She cracks us up. She loves cutting and coloring. And using big words she learns on Nick Jr. like "apprehensive." Thank you, Upside Down Show! She is an uber relaxer. At any given moment, Anna Sofia will strip down to her undies and crawl into her Dora comforter-covered playroom couch and just chill. A necessary skill most grown ups I know haven't yet mastered.
All this to say, I birthed my own personal gurus. What an invaluable privilege.
Reader Comments (5)
My girls have some similarities to your girls....with the big exception that K (my middle one) is the most motivated and un-lazy kid ever about homework! T (3) sounds a lot like Anna Sofia.... except, the tub thing. ;-) (I laughed out loud when I read that!)