Night Owl's Ten

10. LOVED Spiderman. But said: Spidermanch! (complete w/ web making fingers) every time.
9. Interpreted the word "hell" in a song as "milk". She called the song "My Milk Song." I saw no reason to correct her.
8. Became very best friends with a cat named Stubby, even though for a few weeks in the beginning, she was his worst enemy.
7. Was my own personal parrot. If it came out of my mouth, it came out of hers minutes, hours, days later.
6. Along those lines, went up to the birthday girl who had just finished her cupcake at her party and had a rather messy face, and said loudly: NIIIIIIIICE FACE!!!
5. Fell in love with a pair of black mary janes with kitty cats on the toes. I secretly adored them too, so it was a good purchase.
4. Was the Queen of Finger Plays. If it exists, she knows it. "Thumbkin" was at the top of the charts this week; "Five Little Pumpkins" last week.
3. Got in Little Guy's space one time while he was crying and said: OH THE DRAMA!! (see #7).
2. Called Chick Fil A "Chickaway".
1. When she said: "I want applesauce," it did not mean the food. It meant she wanted to sit cross legged.

Night Owl exceeded even the second blond brother in how often and how loudly one could say: I love you. My favorite was a day when I left her at daycare and she was on the top of the playscape screaming: I LOVE YOU, MOMMY! over and over again.

I love you more, baby girl.

Itty Bitty's Ten

It's nothing I would have wished on them or me two days after Little Guy left, but sometimes planets do not align on move dates. So today, the girls moved too, leaving a very empty house behind.

10. Best party trick ever = me: Who loves the baby??? her: Mama!
9. Sat at the dinner table with one leg up on her chair. If she could sneak it there, her foot would go up too.
8. Looked like Cindy Lou Who, only a few shades darker.
7. Had her favorite lift-the-flap ABC book that she chose to read every night.
6. Was, until the very last week, afraid of CC but adored Stubby.
5. Started talking up a storm in the past 2 weeks. Her longest, most clear utterance was: Chugga Chugga Choo Choo!
4. Never grew tired of pushing chairs around the house. It was anybody's guess what chair we might find in the middle of the hallway or bathroom.
3. Wanted so badly to be a big kid. Big kid bed, big kid shoes, big kid utensils, big kid puzzles....
2. Had a bib that caught food she dropped in a pocket. When she cleaned her plate, she would just stick her hand in the pocket and eat the "leftovers".
1. Developed a very random fear of flies which caused us to create many o' games and stories about flies, where they were, what they were doing, how to get rid of them, and how to be their friends.

Never, ever will I regret breaking my no-under-twos rule, Itty. I love you.

Little Guy's Ten

I am more confident in some kids' landing spots than others. More hopeful that they'll be ok, will never be involved in the system again, will live a good, good life. Little Guy will have that life, I am sure. I imagine he will miss us for a bit, and I know we will miss him for a long, long time, but in the end, he's gone somewhere good...to relatives who already love him.

What's not to love about such a sweet Little Guy who...

10. Had a favorite stuffed animal that he slept with every night. Only it wasn't an animal. It was a stuffed flower named "Flower."
9. Was a bit difficult to understand at times. He appeared to think that restating himself using a growling or squeaky voice would help to clarify his message.
8. Came in speaking one language, left speaking two others. Never learned the English equivalents of "aqui" or "mira".
7. Wore a pink princess dress around the house regularly and cried if he didn't get the better of our two magic wands.
6. Chose a phone book instead of a booster seat for meal time every night after going to a friend's house where the phone book was the only option.
5. Said "Thank You" frequently. Almost every time, it was with the enthusiasm of being given a hundred bucks, no matter if I changed his diaper, buckled him in, wiped his nose, or gave him some M and M's.
4. Went about a month where he said at least 20 times a day: Mom? I have Spider Man shoes.
3. Could not eat Teddy Grahams without pointing out that at least one had a missing leg and therefore needed to limp from his bowl into his mouth.
2. Most recently learned phrase of excitement: "Check it out!" pronounced: Teh ih ow!
1. Mastered, at the age of three, the sighed-out-may-as-well-be-accompanied-by-an-eye-roll "MOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!" if I didn't answer him fast enough.

Stay sweet, Mister. I love you!