Quick Update!

I'm upstairs blogging on the laptop, so I don't have access to the pictures (which are on our downstairs computer). Words will have to suffice for now.

We had a great weekend- went to Cooper's second birthday party. It was great fun- a little more low-key than last year (but not much). There was a great big bouncy, and Paprika had a wonderful time in it. They also had a small pool to "catch fish" - and after watching the older kids dunk themselves in the pool, Paprika did the same. She ended up soaked head to toe for the rest of the party, but still managed to have a great time.

Elizabeth (mom to Paprika's best friend, Isabella) is going to be moving soon. They put their townhouse on the market and will be moving back to the South. I am SO bummed about it because I really like Elizabeth so much and enjoy hanging out with her and getting the girls together. She parents in the same way I do and I really value her friendship and advice. So, that will be tough.

Everyone keeps telling Mr. Mustard and me that we need to "find help" for when the twins are born and for later on in my pregnancy. Good advice, for sure. But it's "us" and if you know "us"- you know how hard it is for us to accept help from anyone. We are both very much "do it yourself" type people- I mean, I would not even take a Bar Exam prep course because I needed to "do it myself." I didn't take an LSAT prep course either. I like to do everything myself- my way- even when it ends up disastrous, like dyeing my own hair and having it turn orange.

Mr. Mustard is perhaps worse than me. I suggested that for my Mother's Day present that we hire someone to come in once every two weeks to clean our kitchen and bathrooms. Mr. Mustard refuses. He says he will do it himself before he'll hire someone. I think there's a word for this- stubborn, perhaps. I realize that our defenses will need to be broken down a bit and some things will need to change. But we are hard people to change!

I see this stubborn personality trait in Paprika. She does NOT want to be held. She wants to walk on her own, and walk where she wants to go. She wants to do everything herself with no help from anyone else, thank you very much. Part of parenting Paprika involves finding ways to make things seem like her decision when they are really what's best for her. She likes to make her own decisions, and will not be told what she cannot do. I see this all the time at the playground. She will see something that the older kids are afraid to do, or that someone says is "too big" for Paprika. She will tackle that thing like nobody's business and will not stop until she's scaled whatever seemingly insurmountable obstacle is before her.

Just last week we were at the indoor playground and Paprika was showing a 3 year old how to climb this impossibly tall slide that the 3 year old was afraid to climb. Paprika climbed right up to the top, slid down, and then climbed up again. The grandparents of the 3 year old were marvelling at Paprika, saying they had never seen anyone like her before. Before the end of the day, Paprika was trying to help push the 3 year old up the slide. It was a hoot!

Needless to say, we are all stubborn and I'm not sure what we're going to do about it.