This morning Avery woke up at 7:15 (that is if you don’t count her waking up at 5:50 and coming into our room) and was wide awake. Despite my best efforts in my morning stupor to get Avery to go back to sleep or play or read quietly in her room, she was loud and ready to start the day. Avery was hungry and asked if she could get herself a cereal bar, to which I said yes.  It wasn’t long before Emerson and Harper too woke up and decided to join in on the breakfast preparation.  The cereal bar idea exponentially increased.  While I could hear the commotion lying in bed and I was thinking of the potential spills and the wasted fruit and money (I had just gone to Whole Foods last night and the fridge was stocked with all sorts of fresh berries) that was involved with this preparation, I was willing to accept the outcome, because they were showing their independence and beaming with pride as they did so.  I finally pulled my tired ass out of bed and brought the video camera and camera downstairs so that I could document this amazing experience I was witnessing.

As I was on my way downstairs, Emerson called me from the bathroom. Upon not answering her immediately, her request for me got more demanding and in a very loud matter of fact voice I heard “Mom, wipe my butt.”I tried to peak in the kitchen a few times and was met with resistance as they really wanted to make me proud. They told me they were making brunch so we wouldn’t have to have lunch. I managed to snap a few quick pictures on my way out.Meanwhile Harper became bored so she decided to be Santa Clause by putting panties on her head.An hour after Avery and Emerson started breakfast, it was ready! They had a common bowl each of raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries.  They each had an apple cereal bar and a huge bowl of dry cereal. Avery and Harper had yogurt and Emerson some cheese.  They even made me salad…arugula with raspberries on top!We had a feast…I couldn’t be more proud of them and they couldn’t have been more proud of themselves!

Seriously, she makes my heart melt…her smile, her sense of humor, her laugh, her personality…EVERY single thing about her I LOVE.  Seriously, how did I get SO lucky!!

Avery and Emerson LOVE art work! So when I found some scissors, cut up paper, and markers in their room, I was a little annoyed that they had taken those items into their room as they know art work activities are to occur only in the playroom.  And when I found a little snippet of hair on the ground in the room while I was cleaning it up solo, I assumed that they cut their dolls hair (not that I thought that was okay).  Fast forward a day later…I was looking at Emerson and noticed that her hair was looking as though she had bangs.  I took a closer look and realized the hair I found was HER hair!  I asked Emerson about it and with a straight face over and over she told me she didn’t do it.  She tried to blame it on Avery a few times so I asked Avery about it and it was clear to me that Avery had no involvement.  We took a break from discussing it again until later in the evening.  I told her we would talk just the two of us after she put on her pajamas.  Instead of going to her room to put on her pajamas, she came and found me in the laundry room and asked if we could talk now.  I got down to her level and said of course. It was then that she admitted what she had done.  When I asked her why she lied, she said she was afraid of getting in trouble.  I told her that I was proud of her for telling me the truth now and that she was being brave and I appreciated that.  I also made it clear that she is never to cut her own hair again.

Here is a picture of Emerson (fake smile) after she cut her bangs.

Here is a picture of me at age 4 AFTER my mom took me to the salon to fix my long hair that I had cut myself!

Justin keeps telling me she is my child…you think?!?!

You know….that time when one of your daughters draws a picture of…dog bones!!