Opal at 17 Months

This little lady keeps us on our toes!  In many ways, Opal as the fourth sister is easier than when it was just Lucy, or even just Lucy and Emma.  Now I have three extra sets of eyes to keep Opal safe, and it makes taking a shower so much easier, as well as making dinner or really accomplishing anything.  However, because there are an extra three sets of eyes on Opal, Opal is constantly being told no.  Things that I would let slide because it just isn't worth the trouble of telling her no, the sisters do not let slide.  Things escalate quickly, and before you know it - someone is telling Opal no, Opal is screaming at the top of her lungs, and someone else is yelling "what does she want?!?!" in an attempt to just make the screaming stop.  Not to mention that Opal's own set of eyes watch her three sisters very closely, and she imitates all that they do - good and bad.  The sisters taught Opal to pant instead of saying yes when she wants something for example, and they have also taught her how to count to three - when doing risky things like jumping off of the couch.  Now, Opal pants for anything she wants, and also can be heard counting to three before doing something dangerous.  I have literally  three seconds to save her from herself when I hear "ONE!  DOOO!  VEEEEEEE!!!!"

I'm also trying to teach the older sisters not to laugh when Opal exhibits less than desirable behavior.  I swear, it is so much work keeping the sisters from being a bad influence on Opal!  Luckily, the sisters love Opal fiercely, and do enjoy making her laugh and getting her excited about different things.  Here Opal is below, after one of the sisters got the idea to show Opal how to push a baby doll in a doll stroller.

Another sister helped set Opal up with a Boppy pillow and a baby doll that opens and closes it's eyes and goes to sleep if you feed it a bottle.  

Opal may have a little more street smarts than an oldest child or an only child, but she can still be sweet too.  Granted, when she is ready to go she will tell whoever I am talking to, "BYE!" while waving or blowing them a kiss.  She really can't be bothered with drawn out goodbyes or she will start wailing.

If Opal touches something or holds it, it is now her possession.  It doesn't matter if she never touches this object again - if someone else touches this object that she touched or held first - she will scream "MINE!!!!" until the offending person sets the object down.

 Opal loves animals and especially loves dogs, which she calls "ruff ruffs" and cats which she calls "ChaaaarLeeeeee".  Charlie seems pretty laid back about Opal's advances, however I cannot leave them alone together for a second, because I can't trust either of them.

Opal has learned to pick blueberries this past month, and we have taught her to only pick the blue ones.  She has gotten much better about this, and I think it is because eating a white blueberry that isn't ripe yet doesn't taste very good.  The other day we were at church, and I was taking a turn walking Opal in the lobby since her attention span was done sitting quietly in the pew when she found a fake floral arrangement.  The next thing I know she is trying to pick the plastic berries and would not stop until I told her that she couldn't pick it because they weren't ripe yet.  What can I say, she understood and moved on to wanting to play in the baptismal font.

 Opal is constantly in motion, and loves to be independent.  She is not a snuggler, but instead prefers to sit in her own chair, or next to us instead of cuddled on our lap.  She is a picky eater, and has been known to try anything, but usually spits it out while saying "wa-wa!".  She does love popsicles, smoothies, taco meat and cheese though, as pictured below!

Opal, you definitely can hold your own as the youngest of four sisters, and we wouldn't have you any other way!