Opal has grown so much this past month, and she really is more like a two year old now than a one year old. I can't believe how big she is, and how far we've come from the newborn days. Although I miss the newborn snuggles, I do love this current age, as watching her zest for life, and all of the connections she is making as she discovers the world keeps joy tangible in my life. Here she is below, riding Donkita, a relative of Donkers, who deflated just days after Christmas. Donkers is one of our kids favorite toys, and despite all of the new presents on Christmas, when Donkers bounced his last bounce, we knew we needed a replacement as soon as possible. So, meet Donkita. Opal loves to bounce, loves to swing, and loves to dance. I think it's safe to say that Opal loves movement of any kind, and a bonus if it is repetitive.
With all of that movement though, it is inevitable that boo boos will happen. Opal fell and hurt her mouth the other night, and the next thing we know, she is walking around the house with a band aid on her mouth. We asked her what she was doing with the band aid, and she said, "boo boo". Life is never boring with a toddler, and this is one of the many reasons I love this age so very much.
Lately, when something breaks or there is a spill or accident of some sort, Opal will say, "Oh, gosh!" in the most despairing little voice. It is adorable. Here we found her below, after she had carried the bathroom stool into the kitchen all by herself, to help her reach the chocolates left over from Christmas that I so carelessly left out on the counter. She is a problem solver for sure!
Emma loves teaching Opal her letters and numbers, and cute little phrases. The power that Emma has with this is kind of scary, and we've had several discussions on using her power for good and not evil. The below photos in clockwise order from top left: Emma drawing with Opal, Opal drawing with Will and I, Opal at the top of the slide in our backyard, Emma feeding Opal bites, Opal discovered with play scissors (they don't work, but belong to the kid's beauty parlor set we have in our basement), and Opal dancing with a friend's Elmo while at their house. They knew just what to get out to keep Opal happy at their house.
Opal loves to demand that various members of her family feed her bites. Sometimes this concerns me and I worry that she is going to be spoiled. Other times, it is a blessed relief, because at least she is eating her food and I'm able to get something done. I usually read to the kids over breakfast, and as long as Opal is fed bites by the sister of her choice, I can read aloud without too many interruptions.
The play scissor incident was hilarious to Will who discovered her, because she knew to get a piece of paper, and she also knew to hide in the corner because she knows she isn't allowed to have scissors by herself.
Will is still Opal's favorite person. She loved him home with us for two weeks over the holidays, and on Will's first day back to work, the only thing that would soothe her broken heart when she woke up in the morning and found out he was gone, was Elmo. That's right, not me, not her sisters, but Elmo.
She loves Will so much that any man that she sees that is a stranger to her she calls Daddy. Picture me pushing Opal in a cart through the grocery store while she points and squeals in delight "Daddy!!!" at each man that we pass. Sometimes this is super awkward for me. Will thinks I should capitalize on this, and make it fun by loudly telling Opal, "Mommy's trying her best to pick out a good one!" At one point in a store, Opal saw two different men near us and yelled, "One Two Daddies!!!"
This little lady now refers to herself as Opal, and if she is feeling left out from something, she will yell, "Opal too! Opal too!".
She is talking so much. When I am giving a spelling test to Lucy or Emma, Opal will start saying random letters. When I am doing Violet's mouth exercises, Opal will count "One, two, three, one, two, three" really fast, which is hilarious to us. She knows the names of colors, and knows when to point out that something has a color, but she rarely gets the color right. She'll squeal "Orange!" while looking at a blue ball, but always the color red she refers to as "Elmo." Perhaps our favorite phrase that Opal says this past month though is an exuberant, "GOT IT!" when she finds something she was looking for, from a lost toy to a tricky booger in her nose.
Opal was sick for quite a while this past month, and it broke our heart to see her feeling so miserable. Besides the sleepless nights and our feverish baby with a scary cough, we did enjoy soaking up all of her snuggles, as when she is well, she doesn't sit still for very long at all.
We were so very relieved when she started feeling better though, and we gladly traded in the snuggles for our spirited toddler being back to her loud, persistent, funny, mischievous, independent and adorable little person that she is. Opal has been such a handful for us, and is different in many ways from her older sisters at this age. My cousin sent me a book that has been so enlightening in how we handle the challenges that Opal brings. After reading it, I am proud to call her my spirited child, and after seeing all of the challenging traits disappear for so long when she was sick, I am happy to say that I have reached a new appreciation for exactly who Opal is, and I wouldn't have her any other way. She takes life on so boldly, so intensely, and so fully that I can't help but be proud of who she is, and I will gladly do my best to channel all of her gifts for good. Opal, I end each day with you utterly exhausted, but also knowing that you ensured I experienced life to the fullest with you!
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