friends

Last night as I was putting Dalia to bed, I started thinking about all of her friends. What shining stars they are. How special each one of them is and how lucky Dalia is to be growing with these boys and girls and their parents. Each visit with Amelia and Zeke or Archer, Neva, little Owen, Leo and Francis, or Theo, Violet or Nora and Emma, and of course, big little X, brings Dalia such joy. Even when she has trouble sharing and ends up screaming and crying, she still spends sometimes days talking about her time with them. Just tonight, Dalia was practicing using the potty and she kept getting off to give Neva a turn. Neva was not here, but she was pretending to share with her. She often just says things like, "I love Amelia a lot." Last week we mailed a package to our Chicago friends and Dalia was so excited at the thought we were going to get to see Adele at the post office. And everyday, at least once, she pretends to call Amy and Archer on the phone. We are blessed to have some family here, for sure, for a million and a half reasons, but it's remarkable to watch Dalia building trusting and loving relationships so young.

Anyway, last week we went to the zoo with Jen, Amelia, Zeke, Amy and Archer. Boy was it fun! Yes, I forgot my camera. Picture Dalia wanting to have nothing to do with her stroller, running and giggling, doubling back to check on all of us, talk to us about what she was seeing and what she wanted to do. Pure glee comes out of that girl at the zoo, and even more so when we're with our friends.

Saturday night, Owen, Cecily and Neva came over and it was a repeat performance of this miraculous connection. We walked in the door and immediately the girls started playing and talking and doing their own thing. They seemed like such big girls eating together and reading together on the couch.


Monday we had our long-awaited visit with Stephanie and Theo. I, for one, was excited to see Theo do his performance of Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music. It's really uncanny. Even the walk is perfect. Dalia was hilarious! When she understood that Theo was going to act out what we were watching, she hunched her eyebrows down and looked up at Stephanie like, "what?!" Those two were amazing together. It's actually kind of a relief to be around a little person with more energy than Dalia. And a personality that's utterly amazing. Yes, that is Theo holding his carpet bag and "guitar case".






And now we're having a week without Dad. Friends are always included, but this week is all about Daddy. "Where's my daddy?" she asks. "I'll go show Daddy," she says, knowing he's not here, but maybe hoping. She looked at a picture of the three of us tonight and said, "Daddy came back! I'm so happy." I have a neck injury (again) after a freak accident with Mark's knee last week while we were all three having a tickle fight. Note to self: don't tickle Mark anymore. Last Friday was the worst, and Mark took the day off to help me. Dalia decided she wanted to go to the beach in the house. Mark took these awesome photos of her modeling her bathing suit, socks and shoes combo. She'd lost the bucket, sunglasses and hat somewhere in the "ocean". Because of my injury, I'm not exactly the most patient mother right now, but I'm trying, and hey, it's making her love her daddy even more!


Today after I yelled at her (yes, sometimes I yell at her - today it was for giving me a hard time changing her diaper), she said, "Mommy, I'm sorry you frustrated me." I think she meant she was sorry to have frustrated me, and I made sure she knew that I am a grown up and should not be yelling at her like that. And when she ran over to give me a big squeeze, we giggled. And, after nap today, she leaned over to me and said, in the sweetest little "mommy" voice, "Momma, you're not hurting anymore, you feel better?" As much as I want to protect her from having to worry about us, I guess it really is a wonderful think that she's learning about how to love and care for others, and have empathy for them. My job is to try not to make her feel like my hurt is her fault. These kids are so sensitive and grown-ups can be so stupid sometimes.