Family: My Girls

Note: See Dana's Blog for some great pics from the holidays of my family.

• Chloe--Chloe is the smiliest (is that a word?) baby in the entire world. I am really enjoying her. She's becoming more aware every day, and she's really becoming more vocal...including some really cute giggling.
  
• Emma--Emma has been wanting one of us to sleep in the bed with her for months. a few weeks ago, she asked me to sleep in her bed. I told her I couldn't do that. She looked up at me with that "melt your heart" look that she has and said, "how about just for 1 minute?" Who could say no to that? I made her a deal that I would lay down for one minute if she would lay down and go to sleep with no complaining after that by herself. Since then, she's asked for the deal every night and given us almost no trouble about bedtime. Tonight she asked for the deal, and then asked, "so I can't call out for you or mom unless its an emergency?" I said, "yeah, because that would be breaking your deal." She said "Is that like tearing paper?" I laughed and said, "No, its kind of like breaking a promise." "It's not just LIKE breaking a promise," she said, "it IS breaking a promise." I promised her a minute and gave her four. She's sleeping like a baby.
• Dana--OK, I'm just going to lay this out there: Dana leaves things open. I can't count the time I've tried to pick up the peanut butter jar by the lid...and just picked up a lid. The toothpaste never has a cap on it. To be honest, ever time I see it, I break into a smile. You see, its not just peanut butter and toothpaste that she refuses to close. Though she would deny it, she is patient in a way that verges on the miraculous. When those of us around her give her every reason to give up on us...when we fail her and disappoint her, she refuses to close the door. She focuses on the possible. She clings to hope. You see, Dana leaves things open...and it makes all the difference in the world.

AE