A few stories from today...

So I think that this age is pretty much the cutest age so far. Anybody out there agree? Here's my oh-so-cute moment with my daughter tonight. I am staying at Mom and Dad's while they are in Oregon (in a beachfront resort hotel) celebrating a family reunion of sorts. Sarah hasn't napped since noon so she was definitely tired and at about 5:15 I was tired myself. I knew I had at least 45 minutes before I could put her down. My little one - always getting into things - helped herself in helping others tonight.

I came downstairs and noticed she was playing with the bucket of an excavator toy that must've come apart. She smiled as she held it up toward me. I walked into the kitchen and was cleaning up when I saw her go into the laundry room and then very gingerly walk across the family room. It looked like something was in her hand but when I asked she confidently just held up the excavator bucket as if to say, "No, Mom, just this." So a few quiet minutes later I go into the living room and see her standing on the couch next to my cat, Hayley. As I got closer I laughed out loud.

Sarah had taken in upon herself to go into the laundry room, scoop about 7 or 8 little cat food pebbles into her excavator bucket, carefully carry it across two rooms, even more carefully climb onto the couch, then stand and feed the 15 year old cat her magnificent find. It was hilarious. Sarah really needs a pet!

About 20 minutes later after more whining than necessary I decided 15 minutes early to bed is worth my sanity. As soon as I mention bedtime Sarah started wailing. It was a scream I don't hear very often. Tears upon tears of snotty sadness...I tried singing and joking and talking and rocking...nothing was working. So I hopelessly lay her into the crib and held her hand while I sang two rounds of "I Am A Child of God." She calmed down but started to cry every time I adjusted my arm for fear I was leaving her.

I finally said "Sarah, let's have a prayer okay?" to which she replied, "Yes!" So we said our prayer and I asked for a special blessing to be over Sarah that she might know that she is safe and loved and that it's okay for her to let her body rest now. And would you believe after the prayer I let go of her hand and she asked for her "rubba rubba" (I snuggle her body tight in the sheets and then wriggle her around, we mainly did it to warm up the sheets in winter for her but now it's a bedtime routine...hey, my mom did it for me too!) After that I was able to leave the room and (knock on wood) haven't heard a peep since. I am so blessed!