What a Wonderful Surprise!!!

I got home from work yesterday, and immediately I could tell there was a lot of energy in the air.  The girls were beaming.  “We have a surprise!!!”

They were running and jumping and giggling and conspiring.  I had no idea what to expect, but it was obviously something BIG.

Their eyes alight with joy, they could not wait to lead me to the office.  I found a CLEAN WORK TABLE.  Wow.  Seriously.  That is a big accomplishment…one that usually takes pulling some teeth to get done.

Hubby told me, “It was B’s idea.”  She beamed even bigger.

“And it was my idea to clean upstairs!” Baby A added.

While I got supper ready, the girls were still buzzing about.  “Don’t look at the table!!!” they cautioned me.  They set the table completely, and then they exhibited the most amazing manners throughout the meal.  All the while, they were still beaming, and whispering to each other off and on.  They were SO excited, and SO proud.

After supper, I told the girls I wanted to make them a special dessert to celebrate what an amazing job they’d done.  They were excited, but then they looked to each other.  After more whispering, A said, “Can we have about five minutes?”  (She said this in the most grown-up way, too...one that made me chuckle and wish I'd somehow recorded her seriousness.)

While the girls cooked up more surprises, I sauteed some apples, which we had over ice cream.  YUM!

And then it was time for the Grand Tour.

The five minutes they’d asked for went to dusting.  Yes.  Seriously.  It wasn’t great dusting…they used a tissue to wipe the window sills (HA!!!)…but the effort – and the PRIDE – was there.

They proudly showed me how they’d straightened their books in the den, and then they led Hubby and me upstairs.

Although their playroom was in decent shape to begin with, they’d straightened it up…and even organized their toy bins.  (THAT is BIG!!!)

They had everything ready in the bathroom for our night-night routine.  And the last stop was their bedroom, where they’d pulled down their beds AND laid out their pajamas.

Wow.

This was a wonderful surprise, of course, made 1,000 times more wonderful by the girls’ pride and joy in what they’d done.

Let’s hope this is the start of a wonderful trend!  (A mama can hope, right??!!!)

"We Decided Together to Help You"

KNOCK ON WOOD as I write this.  I feel the risk of provoking the Law of Murphy is one I’m willing to take in order to record what’s been happening over the past few days at our house.

The girls have been so kind.  So helpful.  And so PROACTIVE.  It’s amazing.

The last three mornings generally have been really good.  The girls are getting up, playing with the kitties, brushing their teeth, getting dressed, and doing what they’re supposed to do…with little prompting from me.  It’s been so refreshing!

Monday was the first time I took note of something really special.  Nana A was coming to the house that day, so we try to have things in good order.  I asked Baby A to put something in the recycle bin.  She did…and then she proactively put the rest of the little pile in the trash where it belonged.  That was small…but it struck me and made me proud.  She wasn’t just doing what I’d asked…she was thinking about what else needed to be done.

While this was going on downstairs, B was upstairs.  I’d already written a note to Nana A, telling her we didn’t get the girls’ playrooms ready to be vacuumed, just to skip that for this visit.  Unbeknownst to me, B was up there, getting everything put away!!!  I was floored!!!  It’s not unusual that my request to clean up is met with, “BUT I CAN’T DO IT BY MYSELF!” (even if I’m right there alongside).  It was an August morning miracle, for sure.  Wowza!!!

And then, the past two nights, the girls have had their beds straightened and pulled down…their pajamas waiting…washcloths and toothbrushes and flossers lined up…everything ready for bedtime.

Of course I’m lavishing praise on the girls for how they’ve been behaving, how proactively they’ve been working together.  That’s been met with big smiles and hugs.  And then, Baby B said last night, “We decided together to help you.”

Wow.  Melt my heart…and give me confidence these young ladies are growing up just fine.