Opal at 26 Months

Opal continues to be the main attraction in our family - whether it's us tiptoeing around because she is sleeping, us tiptoeing around because she isn't sleeping and is making demands, or us telling each other the latest adorable Opalism.  She is delightful, demanding and always loved.  She has spent the first two months of her second year of life under quarantine, and she is young enough to have probably forgotten what life was like before COVID.  Make no mistake though, if Will an I are leaving for the grocery story or other essential item, she asks us excitedly, "Opal come too?"  And on the rare occasion she has gotten to come as it was an appointment for her, she reminds us as we are getting ready to go - "Opal coming'?!  Opal coming?!"

Besides missing going out into public, Opal has enjoyed us all being home with her, and her not being dragged to all different appointments that aren't for her.  I've noticed a big difference in her ability to play on her own and I wonder if it is because she finally has the space and time to do that, now that the other five members in her family aren't having to go here and there and everywhere.  She is showing us how to savor time at home, and to enjoy the moment.  Here she is below, after I found her on top of the dining room table.  She told me, "smell the flowers, mama!  Smell the flowers!"

Her growing ability of climbing up onto things previously out of her reach is actually some serious foreshadowing here for the following month.  But this month, we found it cute and annoying, and we continued to take her off of high surfaces.  See the bottom, right hand picture below, of Opal on top of the girls Lego table.  Other photos include Opal trying to hide in the fridge, Opal reading aloud a book to herself, Opal sitting in a bin of Legos, and Opal in her favorite "Princess Dress".

Although Opal is starting to play better on her own, she still prefers to have a parent or sister play with her.  I am so grateful that there are five of us to take turns, as that means there is almost always someone available to play, and she is so very happy when someone plays with her.  The photos below in clockwise order from top left: Emma and Opal wearing matching outfits, all the way down to their socks, Lucy and Opal on our newly installed disc swing, and Lucy painting Opal's fingernails.

 All three older sisters take care of Opal, and are protective of her.  They love dressing her and for the most part, playing with her and keeping her safe.  Sometimes they are more strict with Opal than Will or I would be, if for the simple fact that some battles Will and I have learned are just not worth fighting.  Or the other simple fact that she is our fourth child, and we are tired.  Either way, her sisters are not tired and have a strong and active sense of justice.  One morning as I was finishing getting the last items ready for breakfast while the kids started eating at the table, Lucy told Opal that she couldn't have syrup on her waffle that already had jelly on it.  I came into the dining room with more waffles and Opal asked me if she could have syrup on her already sugared-up waffle.  Making the quick assessment that this was a battle not worth fighting and not knowing that Lucy had already told her no, I proceeded to pour syrup on top of the jelly.  Opal looked sideways at Lucy and said, "Don't look in my eyes Lucy, don't look in my eyes!"

In the below photos with Will and I, we are both feeding Opal.  She doesn't like getting food on her clothes or her hands, and insists that someone feed her when the menu is messy.  Again, because she has five family members, someone is usually available to do this.  I think this is an example of how the youngest can become spoiled.   I guess there has to be some perks for her, since she essentially is growing up with four moms instead of the usual one.

This past month while Opal was feeding herself some of Violet's birthday cake and goofing around, she dropped her spoon covered in chocolate and ice cream onto my slipper.  I told her to eat nice and that she just got my slipper all dirty.  To which point Opal started singing, "Happy Birthday to Mama's Slipper, Happy Birthday to Mama's Slipper!"

Oh, Opal!  Life is an adventure with you, and we love you so much!