Terrific Twos.
4:30 AM
These pictures are from waaaayyyy back sometime in June, and I forgot about them until now. But I can't let this teepee just pass through our lives (may it rest in peace) without at least documenting its brief lifespan.
One time when my Dad was out visiting us, he made a teepee for the children out of PVC pipe. It fulfilled all of my teepee-loving desires, and we finally got it set up and covered in time for Charlotte's birthday in June. It was no small task to cover that thing....requiring a last-minute dash to the thrift store the morning of the party for old shower curtains that (of course) weren't long enough and so I had to sew on the canvas at the bottom to make it reach. Then after all of that, I still didn't have a clue how to fasten it to the teepee structure....hot glue? Twine? It didn't reach all of the places it would have needed to for the hot glue option and so I resorted to using twine and safety pins, and trust me, it wasn't pretty. At least it was decorated with a beautiful bunting borrowed from my sis-in-law, Jessi.
Unfortunately, I feel like we enjoyed our lovely teepee for all of like, 2 days before the wind knocked it down, breaking some of the pipe. In the future, I will build a smaller teepee, that can be moved inside after serving its purposes outdoors. And yes, there will be a future, because I'm not finished with you, teepee of my dreams, not yet anyway.
We took the babies out with us and set up a couple chairs and had fun "playing house". Jocelyn even played photographer for a while and although most of them were shots of our feet, or cutting off our heads, she managed to snag some of my favorites of the whole summer. Just goes to show that trusting your 3 yr old with an expensive camera is sometimes a really, really stupid idea and sometimes a pretty great one.
And since I never posted a 2-yr-old photo shoot of Charlotte around the time of her birthday, this will have to suffice.
We took the babies out with us and set up a couple chairs and had fun "playing house". Jocelyn even played photographer for a while and although most of them were shots of our feet, or cutting off our heads, she managed to snag some of my favorites of the whole summer. Just goes to show that trusting your 3 yr old with an expensive camera is sometimes a really, really stupid idea and sometimes a pretty great one.
And since I never posted a 2-yr-old photo shoot of Charlotte around the time of her birthday, this will have to suffice.
Charli-babes,
I will never call them the Terrible Twos.
Because you have shown me, the second time around, how wonderful two-year-olds can truly be. I loved this stage with your sister and I am loving it again with you. Such a happy little sponge you are...soaking up life and learning with all of the strength you can muster, as fast as you can. You make me feel incompetent at times. Incapable of being the teacher you deserve. And other times you make me catch my breath and feel dizzy with gratitude.
You are growing at lightening speed. You are at that point of sappy sweetness.....freshly two years old and almost (almost) incapable of naughtiness, because you just have the most tender heart. The slightest discipline causes swift, alligator tears and a wailing of earnest and honest remorse and repentance.
Such a big heart you have, but your appetite for life is bigger. You ADORE Big Sis and spend most of your time imitating her words, actions and expressions, echoing her singing, and following her lead. She can convince you to do just about anything. Except the other day you drew the line when I heard her say (very quietly so I wouldn't hear) "Charlotte, say poop." And you gave a firm, resolved, "NO!" And so despite your ardent affection for her, you can still stand your ground, and I think that is just about the perfect place for sisters to be.
Daddy's little girl is what you are, through and through, but I love to see your attachment to me growing. I'm secretly pleased when you're so sad to see me go.....not that I enjoy leaving you, I just enjoy that you miss me so.
Your favorite song right now is Building up the Temple. You love to substitute "Brother won't you help me, sister won't you help me" with all the names of your relatives in it. And each time we pray, you shout out names for us to pray for as well. You are such a timely reminder for me to be thankful for/pray for the loved ones in my life.
Thankfully, you don't get very crabby when you get tired, just really silly and goofy. And I think that is one of the things I love about you the most. You delight my heart and make me laugh time and time again. I can already tell that whomever is lucky enough to know you, will benefit greatly because of it. You just light up a room. You light up my life.
Never change. Please, please, please never change. You have such an earnestness right now about you....exclaiming Oh! Oh! Oh! about every little thing and looking with wide baby blues at the world with the best of intentions. You delight in approval and affirmation and I desperately hope to you point you to Christ for that. Because Mama and Daddy will let you down. Jocelyn will too, even as infallible as she seems in your eyes these days.
Know that no matter how fast you grow, and no matter where you may go, God made you SO special. There is no one on this wide earth like you. "Charlotte" has different meanings, but perhaps my favorite is...
"She Is quiet and artistic with a great strength of character. Don't underestimate her."
I will love you forever
I will like you for always
As long as I'm living
My baby you'll be.
-Mama
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