Sarah continues to be a little dare devil. Earlier in the week I heard Amy yelling at Sarah to leave the shade up in their room. I found Sarah standing fully upright on top of the radiator and pulling the shade down. She got onto the radiator by carrying our large turtle stool across the room. This would be like a grown up carrying an arm chair in terms of proportions of size and weight. She also somehow got Amy's new Dora hat down from the coat rack, where I put the hat so Sarah wouldn't keep taking it. Apparently all I did was slow her down. I love her determined problem solving. I also now need to consider where she might try to go and if I really want something out of reach it needs to be behind the locked basement door.
I have ordered a Dora hat for Sarah. Not that I want to reward Sarah's screaming and taking of Amy's things, but Sarah does need a summer hat and, very selfishly, I just don't feel like refereeing this game.
During one of my SR sessions when we were playing with number cards, I started taking combinations of 3 cards and saying math equations, the way I do with the dot cards. Sarah immediately wanted to be the one saying the equations. I gave her piles with the correct combinations and she put them on the floor while saying the right words. I don't think this means she can do math yet, but I think she is understanding the concept and the language, which was my main goal with the How to Teach Your Baby Math approach.
I think Sarah is answering casual conversational questions more. One day she knocked on the laundry room door, waited until she heard Sonia say, "come in" and then easily answered Sonia's "how are you?" with "good." This is amazing progress, and not to be sneezed at despite the fact that she completely barged through a closed bathroom door yesterday.
There was a day earlier in the week when prayers were increased for an amazing person that I know who is currently having a journey with cancer. Someone suggested doing everything we did in the day as an act of love and prayer. I did this often and I had the most Son-Risey day I have had in ages. I felt more loving, creative, and patient than I have in a long time. I realized I could have moments of loving prayer like this all the time for Sarah too, imagining her thriving and learning with ease, connecting with others with increased clarity, reading voraciously, writing up a storm, and processing not getting what she wants with calm grace.
I have been setting myself the goal of counting to 100 any time I start to feel annoyed. When I remember to do this it has a double benefit. I am able to shift my own energy and be calmer, clearer, and more how I want to be. I also am more aware of how much, or little, time passes when the girls are upset. Their upsets usually don't last long, they just can feel long. I don't think I have yet made it to 100 because so far my annoyance passes before I get there, or I totally forget to count and respond with my habitual grumpiness.
Speaking of habits, I have noticed that perhaps it is a habit for me to feel draggy and blah about my evening chores. I am noticing this and inviting myself to approach the tasks without pulling down, and perhaps even with a loving calm. They don't actually take that long and I do enjoy the results of a tidy house that is ready for the morrow.
Lots of love to all of you.
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