My Life with Two Girls

BRINLEY

Brinley is my little tornado.  In fact I think I should nick name her that: because of the disasters she leaves behind in such little time.  If I leave a room for a single minute, I find it will be in shambles the very next.  For example, if I go to the playroom to straighten the place up and return to the kitchen a few short minutes later, I will find cereal littering the floor, boxes strewn about and baby dolls surrounding her.  Side Note:  Must get some sort of lock for our cabinet that I like to call our pantry.

          If I keep the bathroom door open, toilet paper will have mysteriously slithered its way off the roll and onto the tub, floor, and toilet and out the door.  Towels that were previously hung up will be splattered on the ground.   If the cabinet doors weren’t locked, then my bag of makeup will decorate the floor, counter and her face.  Toys will have somehow made an exodus into the bath tub.  I always seem to catch her after the act when she is standing on her tip toes atop the stool, trying to push herself up onto the counter.

          The girl is a walking, talking catastrophe.  I have caught her sticking her chubby little fingers into the toilet, while pulling out remnants of toilet paper and attempting to shove it in her mouth-gross!  Side note:  Ellyanna goes potty by herself, but still forgets to flush, pretty much all the time.  Sometimes I catch her climbing down the stairs to our unfinished basement because the door had been left open.  She is constantly clearing out the drawers in our nightstands as I put away laundry in the very same room.  She is willing to give anything try-even eats lint off the ground. 

But with all the trouble she causes I can’t help but laugh.  Her adorable babbling “Mama, Dada, adiggadigga digga” makes my heart melt despite all the work she has left for me.  It is such an adorable age, with her funny little language mushy soft rolls, and toothy dimpled smile.  BUT If I am not on that girl every second of her waking life then I can pretty much expect a mess around every corner.  And I do, because it’s the only way.  How on earth can I wash the dishes, fold laundry, play with and teach Elly if I am always on Brinley.

ELLYANNA

 Ellyanna has a bit of a complex; she is convinced I love Brinley more.  Of course this causes my heart to ache and I doubly try to make up for it.  The truth is 15 months happens to be a very active, very cute, very infectious age.  Everything the Brinsters does, whether it is good or bad, we find ourselves going “awww.” And Ellyanna takes notice of that.  Since she is my BIG girl, the awws don’t come as constant-and when they do, well she doesn’t like it.  YOU CANT WIN!!  So I try other forms of praise like saying “You are just the smartest, BEST BIG girl out there” and shower her with hugs and kisses, but alas it’s still not enough in comparison, because in addition to that I yell.

Yes oh yes, I yell.  I can be one MEAN mommy.  I have high expectations and a lack of patience.  I can be a ticking time bomb I tell you!  And poor Elly, being the oldest-with a record of whiny meltdowns when not getting her way- receives the brunt of it.   I hate this part of me.  I hate that incessant crying and that when I yell from frustration it simply makes the crying worse.  When will I learn? 

But what I adore about my Elly is that despite it all, we are buddies.  We play candy land, and Barbie’s.  She puts on theatrical shows for me with singing and dancing.  She is a BIG helper.  She helps me bake and cook, she is an expert with the electrical mixer.  She makes her bed, takes out the trash, gets herself dressed- and at least half the time is more than willing to do this with no whining.  We watch movies and snuggle together.  She is organized and quite the artist.  And the better part of the day she is patient and kind to her sister, who happens to grab everything out from Elly’s grip.  Little Elly also asks the sweetest questions and says the cutest things  “Mommy I have a song in my heart”  “Mommy, I’m gonna choose the right an make my bed and share my toys.  And Jesus is gonna be happy with me!”   She was blessed with a sweet spirit.  And I adore her regardless of what she thinks those moments I yell.

   Life is messy, busy and sometimes rough with two kids.  I feel like I’m screwing up all along the way.  But I wouldn’t trade it for the world.  The best part of my day is when Daddy is home and we are in the living room reading-Little House on the Praire-while the girls play in front of us, giggling and laughing together and Elly occasionally glances at the pictures in the book and asks her adorable questions.  I love that in that hour there is NO FIGHTING or WHINING!!   Life just doesn’t get much sweeter than that.

How about you?  What are the frustrating and sweet moments in your life?