j and j

as i've read through the past few entries i've written on this blog, i realized that i've come a long way since last fall. i don't know what it is, but things have been going pretty smoothly for us lately. can't tell you how thankful i am for that. what i mean is, goldie seems to have grown up a lot since turning 3. she is beyond helpful and has become such a good listener. i feel like she really respects me and that's something that i've been working at for a long time. and i respect her. i've learned what hurts her the most and i've learned what parenting tactics work best with her spunky and sensitive personality. every day i think how lucky i am that she was born first-- she takes care of everyone in this house. i couldn't ask for more. then there is little annie who kind of melts our hearts every day. she is a pistol, that is for sure. we're in the thick of the hitting phase (worst phase every for me), but she's slowly learning. slowly. but there's been progress and that's what matters. annie is totally entertaining and is really good with her manners. she is very polite to goldie (when she isn't hitting her), and i often hear conversations between them that go like this: (while coloring together)

annie: good job, goldie! good job!

goldie: thanks, annie!

annie: welcome!

i mean i know it's small, but i think it's pretty awesome. they seem to have figured each other out as of late, and annie is very quick to say she's sorry and to give lots of hugs and kisses. she loves to help goldie with everything, and she keeps right up with her too. annie is growing up so much, but she is always wanting to give love to all of us. she is just the sweetest, and i love watching her grow.

i guess since last october i have felt a lot of motherhood woes. it's not fun to feel that, as i'm sure most mothers young and old have felt. there's so much pressure on the moms of today it seems... keeping up with this craft and that, providing constant entertainment and attention for your little ones. while that is great for others, that's not how i parent i guess. i often leave my girls to themselves so that they can learn to be independent (which they have). i let them do adventurous things and give them their distance when they come across a situation that is a little hard. i only help when i'm asked to. we go outside every moment we can because i love letting them explore. it's just so fun for me to watch their little brains work. i pin a lot of stuff on pinterest that i think is really amazing, but i laugh at myself because lets be honest, i know i'll never do most of the crafts and projects that i pin. it's a nice thought though :) in the past two months, i've really let it all go... or at least i've tried to. i've really been enjoying motherhood instead of letting the "pressure" of it all get to me. i'm like, whatever man. i'm just going to have fun with my kids. and we've been having just that. amazing how things can change when you decide to change your attitude and mentality about certain things in life. i'm much happier than i've been in a long time. maybe having baby boy growing in my belly helps too... so excited to be having a boy. just can't wait.

anyway, we had a fun adventure as a family this evening. my girls love waterfalls and playing in the woods, so we went to multnomah falls here in oregon and did a small hike. the weather was perfect. the girls had a blast. we got some exercise. life is good.