Split room start, stickers, water pitcher

My children really are beautiful - they have these souls that make my heart smile and there are things that they do that I never want to forget. This weekend, each had an experience that I want to hold onto.

Eleanor:
The children are growing older and with that there has become an awareness that they are different. Specifically that E and Ains are girls and G is a boy. We've been talking about putting the girls together and getting G into his own room but Ains hasn't been the most ideal sleeper and even worse at going to bed so we've held off. We had considered putting them together during the summer BUT when we had so many big changes already with new daycares and schools and friends and teachers that we figured it would be time for a hold off. However, my son is a boy and after a bath is in no hurry to get dressed and I decided maybe it was time to start the move in ways that we could - like clothes and dressing spaces. Here's the hold... E and G are buddies - they are total partners in crime and moving them apart will give them sadness as they like to be together (95% of the time). So I sat her down and began to explain what was going on... as we got deeper into the conversation it took a turn I wasn't expecting.

ALR: So, yes, in November, Grady will have his own room.
EER: And Ainsley will be in here.
ALR: Yes
EER: Because he is a boy.
ALR: Yes, and you are a girl and you can share a room with a boy when you are older and you are either in love or married.
Plain-faced, open eyes, earnest EER: But, I love him and I already married him. 

Later when Grady came to see what was going on, mid-move:
GRR: What's going on?
EER: We are moving your clothes into the other room because you have a penis and I don't need to see it. 

Grady:
With Matt and I leaving for GA soon so I went to Target to grab some last minute items we needed. G went with me. We shopped for 30 minutes, maybe an hour and when we were checking out, he asked the cashier with all his manners if he could have a sticker. The cashier presented him two - which kept him preoccupied for the next 10 minutes - looking the puppy in clothes and sunglasses and whatnot. When we got home, E met us in the garage to show him something. He promptly took one of his two stickers, peeled it off the paper and put it on Eleanor's shirt. She hugged him, said thanks and went to go show her dad. He looked at me and said, "I'm going to give this other one to Ainsey"

And that moment made tears sting in my eyes. This little boy was willing to give his sisters all he had because he knew that it brought smiles to their faces. He really is the best brother anyone could have asked for and his generosity of heart made me realize what a wonderful man he's learning to be... something to aspire to. I hugged him, kissed him, and told him how nice that gesture was. He almost seemed surprised for being commended... like it was a normal, everyday, unquestionable thing. 

Ainsey

Now my girls have fires in their bellies. Not the same fire but this deep conviction of personality and light. Eleanor's is this smoldering coal bed - a drive from within that runs deep and strong - not easily put out. Ainsley's is a massive fireball - with big flames and high heat, it's all show and quick to move. She's been our textbook two year old complete with "me do it" and the checklist before bedtime and the full on body drop tantrums. Well, we ran into one of those at lunch on Sunday. We've used a pitcher of water on the table - to prevent E & G from making 400 trips over to the sink to refill their glasses. Ainsey sees them and wants to too fill her own glass. 

So there she was, in a vehemently "I do it!" grabbing the pitcher and shaking it.. that is until the water came out and splashed all around, dumping on her. This creates a new level of pissed-off because now she has water all over her shirt and pants. 

Other things on the agenda - baseball, smores, cleaning, organizing, school