Princesses, Dragons, and New Years, oh My!

Welcoming 2013, the kids have been trying to stay warm and enjoy the small amounts of snow that we've seen this season.

We took a walk to the park one day, with the Sowa cousins, and Porter was so thrilled about the snow that he stopped at EVERY single driveway to shovel ... and he didn't stop at the park! I've never seen a kid work so hard, and find so much joy, in something that adults tend to hate.

Cousin Morgan on the swing!

On the Eve of the New Year, Porter and Mommy stayed up late to watch the ball drop in New York. He was SO excited to stay up "all night" (an extra 2 hours) and drink juice and sleep in his new "bean bag."

  2013 began with a celebration of new, creative play for the kids...dressing up and indoor pretend-play was huge around the Sowa household, especially between sick kids and freezing, cold weather... but so was fighting!!! A couple fun anecdotes about the post-Christmas celebration:

Whether legos, princess shoes, or new trucks, after being cooped up and not feeling well, the kids fought over EVERY, SINGLE toy.  I lost it one day and sat the kids down in front of my Christmas present, a mini-iPad.  I turned on youtube videos of starving children in India, and pointed to kids who literally had nothing.  "Look," I'd point out: "that boy doesn't even have clothes," to which Porter would respond, "But mommy I NEED clothes; they wouldn't let me go to school without clothes."  "And those kids there don't have a bed, or even a house, Porter," I told him.  "But mommy I NEED my bed and I need my house!" "Porter, do ANY of these kids have toys?" "No." "And Porter, look how hungry they are! They don't even have food!" "Mommy, we should go to the store and buy them some food and take it to their house." I corrected, "Porter, we have SO MUCH food and toys in this house; maybe we should share some of our stuff that we have with them." And Porter pointed out: "MOM! I have an idea: let's give them this iPad!!!" 

Porter, in dragon wings and princess shoes.

Call it the play-clothes, but Porter has been really into dragons and princesses.  Another hilarious conversation that ensued upon my prayer for Papa not to feel sad about retiring:

"Mommy, why is Papa sad?" "Well, Papa's a really good doctor, but he's not going to work anymore," I told him.  "But he HAS to work! Why isn't he going to work anymore?" "Well, sometimes, when people get older, they don't work anymore." "Mommy, when you get older, are not going to be sad when you don't work anymore?" "Probably not." "Mommy, what do you want to be when you grow up?" "Your mommy." "No, I want you to be a Princess." "Porter, are going to be a doctor like Papa when you grow up?" "No way! I'm gonna be a concrete mixer like my dad."

While Porter remains totally hilarious as he explores and considers the world, Emma Rose is equally adorable, with personality to boot.  We got her hair cut to match her sweet ability to worm her way into anyone's heart...and like everything else, she owned it.

And as she is growing up all the time, potty-training herself (while reading her dad's ski magazines), we look forward to how fun (though at times frustrating) the kids are becoming; still, I am saddened at how quickly the time is passing. 2013 will be the year that Porter will be four...FOUR!!! We will kiss diapers goodbye.  Emma Rose will talk in sentences.  The baby-phase is gone, and I am so sad, but I am so proud of my hilarious, curious babies. And they will always be my babies.

Happy New Year.  May you try to remember to be curious about the world around you.  May you enjoy it with the heart of a child.  May you imagine, explore, love, and smile.  This year, I've learned that kids can be more wise than the most educated of adults.  I hope that I don't forget that in 2013...or 2014...or 2043.  Happy New Year.