Kristie and I went out with David and Erica last Saturday, to dinner and a play. We felt so grown up, a double date and the theater, all in one night. And we were thrilled that they would want to spend time with us. They're about 20 years younger than us and are expecting their first child in May. So naturally, we talked a lot about kids.
David asked a great question: "What's our best memory of the girls?" Of course, not being able to answer it with just one, I decided that I'd write down my top 30.
David asked a great question: "What's our best memory of the girls?" Of course, not being able to answer it with just one, I decided that I'd write down my top 30.
- The first time I saw either of my girls, a minute or so after they were born.
- The first time I saw Kristie holding the new babies.
- Kelly's first giggle (she had a great giggle, still does actually).
- Allison trying to play with her big sister for the first time.
- Bath time! (enough said there...)
- Kelly's lamb-skin crib pad (affectionately called "Lammie")
- Allison's blanket (affectionately called "Mimi")
- Sitting on the couch reading with two little girls in their little night gowns.
- The girls in their little Easter bonnets and Easter dresses looking for Easter eggs at Grandma's.
- The day Kelly figured out that her dog Sadie wasn't coming back (she broke through our fence and got hit by a car).
- Sledding with the girls in our front yard after a big snowstorm.
- The games we used to play to wake them up (a long story involving stuffed animals with voices and personalities)
- The first time we went anywhere without worrying about naps or diapers.
- Video-taping the girls at Disney World begging us to go home. We'd been there for 6 days and got our money's worth!
- Kelly swinging on our tree swing in our back yard.
- Allison playing a game called "Set ups" where she'd make these intricate little scenes for her dolls out of little bits of paper and stuff.
- Both girls learning to ride their bikes.
- The day I realized that the first person who would witness the majority of their accomplishments would be their teacher.
- The excitement they had in riding in our moving truck when we moved back east.
- The thrill of them playing in the ocean for the first time. They were tentative and humbled at first, but soon realized just how much fun it was. We went back there this summer, to the same beach but with girls 6 years older than before and they had just as much fun.
- Working with Kelly for hours every night, week after week, year after year, to get her homework done.
- The true sadness they both had when we told them we were moving back to Colorado.
- The first time Allison sang a solo on stage (her 4th grade music program at school).
- The fun of being able to watch movies that weren't specifically targeted at kids...with the girls.
- Watching Kelly's artistic talents blossom.
- Seeing Allison make her first basket in a game (her first game ever by the way!)
- Witnessing both girl's transformation into a socially graceful young woman.
- Having real, meaningful conversation about the Bible with both girls.
- The day Kelly came home telling me about how her favorite teacher sat down with her at lunch and told her how great she would be as a student director.
- Watching Allie be treated like a peer (and not some dumb kid) during play practice by the director and having her respond with confidence (like she wasn't some dumb kid)