If my kid is naked, you know I am avoiding the issue

I tend to not be overly attached to things and not very sentimental when it comes to material objects. However, everything I just said goes straight out the window when it comes to my girls' clothes.

Nothing can turn me into a mushy, blubbering mess faster than sorting through Amelia and Lola's clothes - especially those pieces that I love and therefore put on the girls very often.  

 

 

These two outfits were in heavy rotation after I bought them for Amelia. I loved them from the moment I bought them and was terribly sad when she couldn't wear them any longer. She got quite a bit of wear out of them because she was a little squirt and therefore wore these size 18-month and 24-month pieces until after she was three. 

 

I can already tell you, as evidenced in the above photos, that Lola will not be wearing these same outfits until after her third birthday, because at 20-months-old she's already filling them out quite well. 

Sigh. Every time I put her in something that Amelia wore at a much later age I am reminded how quickly she is growing up, which causes me to reflect on just how quickly Amelia is also growing up - all of which results in me wanting to take to my bed and sob. 

It's a vicious cycle and one I try to avoid falling into because it can be hard to pull myself out of it. My usual go-to solution for dealing with things that make me sad is just to avoid them. However, clothing my child cannot be avoided unless I intend to ignore all the clothes I saved from Amelia and buy Lola an entire new wardrobe - something I guarantee will not happen because I am too cheap to ever consider such a thing.

Therefore, I must push forward and continue digging through Amelia's hand-me-downs. I know it's going to be tough, but it's got to be done. Otherwise, Lola will be spending a lot of time in her birthday suit, which would likely be fine with her since she has taken a shine to shedding her clothes; but is not an option I can allow especially when I know how many precious outfits are waiting for her to wear them. Now, someone pass the tissues please.

Introducing Amelia Snagglepuss

 

Amelia lost her third tooth last night. This one proved to be a pain, literally and figuratively, for my little darling due to the fact her "big girl tooth" was growing in behind it and pushing against it. 

She started complaining on Sunday that her mouth hurt and caused her daddy to worry she might have to see the dentist about this situation. However, I determined that the tooth, based upon how very loose it was, would be long gone by the time we could get her in to see the dentist. 

Turns out I was right. Amelia came home from school yesterday fired up that her tooth was very wiggly. However, as was the case with her first two loose teeth, she was rather reluctant to pull it. I suggested she let her daddy pull it as he'd done with her last tooth that was hanging on by the tiniest bit of skin.

Amelia thought my suggestion was terrible so terrible, in fact, she felt the need to cry about it. Apparently just the idea of Jeff even considering pulling another tooth of hers caused copious amounts of tears to fall from her eyes. 

As it turns out, her daddy managed to save the day when he promised he wouldn't pull it, but offered her suggestions on how to easier pull it herself. My little trouper dried up her tears, gathered her courage and yanked that tooth out with one pull. She was so proud of herself that she practically glowed with pride.

This wiggly tooth must have been the talk of Amelia's kindergarten class this week because rather than tuck it under her pillow last night and await a visit from the Tooth Fairy, she decided she wanted to take it, tucked safely in her tooth pillow, to school today. We gave in to her request and promised her the Tooth Fairy would be able to come tonight instead. 

Now we have to wait and see if the tooth makes it home from school. I am hoping Amelia will be very careful to get it back home because I do not want to have to spend the evening with the school custodian hunting down a tiny baby tooth for which the Tooth Fairy will give Amelia 50 cents.

Accessories du jour

For the longest Lola has avoided wearing anything on her head. She has rejected hats, hoods, bows, and all other manner of head wear. 

I have been diligently trying to get her to accept a bow, mostly for my own selfish reasons: I think they're cute as a bug and when she wears one people don't refer to her a "him." 

In recent weeks she has let me sneak a bow in her hair a few times. Such was the case today, and she actually left it alone for a few seconds. Since it's such a rare occurrence for her to be seen with hair accouterments,  I thought I'd better snap some photographic proof.

 

Isn't she a doll! I love seeing her with a bow. She, on the other hand, jerked this one out of her hair within seconds of me taking this photo. 

While Lola's disdain for bows may never be overcome. She has taken a liking to headbands and toy crowns. She decided this morning that breakfast couldn't take place until she had placed her "Sleeping Beauty" crown atop her pretty little head. 

 

 I have to say her majesty looks positively radiant whilst gobbling up cottage cheese and chicken strips.  

I must also mention that she has finally mastered getting the tiara on top of her head and has stopped trying to wear it as if it was a pair of sunglasses. Her attempts to wear it in such a way resulted in many close calls when she tried to walk around the house. 

She suffered a few knots to her noggin before discovering there is a better, more royal, way to wear a crown.

Snow babies

 

 Ear infection be darned! Lola had a super fun time in the snow despite having been sick this week. Even though she found it hard to stand up and, thus, spent the better part of her time outside rolling on the ground, this little lady still had a blast and was not a happy camper when it was time to come inside.

 

Amelia built a tiny snowman today after knocking down the big one she and her daddy built yesterday. This little miss has also been sick with strep throat, but no amount of sickness was going to keep her inside when there was this much snow on the ground outside. She had tons of fun yesterday and today and will likely be very sad when all of the snow is gone.

Father-Daughter dance

Amelia attended her very first dance Saturday with a very special escort: her daddy. The band boosters at the local high school sponsored the soiree for girls in kindergarten through sixth grade. Overall, it was a huge hit with both Jeff and Amelia reporting they had a good time.

Amelia is crazy about this dress. I had to make a special trip to town in order to buy it because she was worried if I didn't go right away they would all be gone and she'd "have nothing to wear," which qualifies as a huge overstatment considering her closet is crammed full of acceptable dresses. I gave in, though, because of this being such a special occassion and because I love getting her all gussied up. 

Jeff got all dressed up as well for this special event. He even shaved his moustache and beard after Amelia requested he do so. She wasn't so sure about her decision after the fact, though, because she reported her daddy looks a lot like his big brother, Uncle Scott, without facial hair. She seemed troubled by this revelation and told Jeff she prefers him with a beard and moustache.

 

This little lady loves some make-up so she was over-the-moon happy when I let her wear a tiny bit to the dance. Her puckered smile in this photo is the result of having a sour Jolly Rancher candy in her mouth although it does show off her "lick stick," which is what she calls lipstick.

 

Here Amelia is dancing with Magon, a friend from her class at school. Jeff reported they had a blast together. He spent the better part of the night propping up a wall at the local high school because Amelia, for reasons she refuses to divulge, didn't want to dance with her daddy. 

Even during slow songs when most of the other girls danced with their fathers Amelia still didn't want to cut a rug with Jeff. He seemed okay with her decision and probably was a little grateful considering he's never been one to get fired up about shaking his groove thang on the dance floor.

 

 I wish I could report this little girl's name; however, despite the fact, she and Amelia spent quite a bit of time together at the dance, my little girl neglected to get her name. The best Amelia could share is that she is also in kindergarten at her school and they sometimes play together at recess.

I told Jeff we're going to have to work with Amelia on the fine art of introductions because this is not the first time she's had all kinds of fun with another child and didn't have a clue as to what they were named. I suppose a crash course in etiquette is on the horizon for her.

Rainy days make me SAD

I was reading a favorite blogger, Big Mama, this morning and sympathizing with her hypothesis that she might have developed a raging case of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) brought on by weeks filled with rainy and overcast days.

I was practically shouting "Preach it, sista. Tell it, girl!" at my computer as I was reading her post because I too am beginning to think this weather front that has parked itself over our area is causing me to fall deeper and deeper into a funk. 

Lately, I have been checking the weather reports like a crack fiend in search of her next fix hoping and praying the meteorologists will post that sunny days are coming. Heck, I'd even take a partly cloudy day at this point over the completely overcast and foggy crap we've been saddled with recently. 

Anyway, as much as I have begun to feel like I am Eeyore from "Winnie the Pooh" being followed constantly by a black cloud over my head, my spirits have been lifted thanks to the fact I live with two of the most adorable, funny and lively little girls on the planet. 

Don't believe me? Then check out the following photos. I guarantee you'll be smiling when you're done. 

 

"I've got a brand-new box to play in!!"

  

"This box brings out my silly side!"

  

 "These are my rewards for doing a good job at the dentist."

  

"I am an official member of The No-Cavity Club at Trussville Pediatric Dentistry!"

  

"This is the way I brush my teeth, brush my teeth."

  

 "No cavities for me either."

 

"Loving my new Colgate Motion toothbrush."