cutting curls and little updates

Last night, in a bit of a rash decision (and attempt to keep Lydia from sucking on the ends of her hair - ugh this habit of hers drives me bananas!) I cut her hair.  She asked to "just cut it short" and I clarified several times.  I was half-hoping she wanted to keep it long because I did love it long.

But she wanted it cut and I was ready for a hair-sucking solution.  So I cut off about four or five inches!  You'd never believe how long her hair actually is unless you saw it dripping wet and totally straight.  That girl had long hair!  And now it's short.  And oh so cute. 

Told you it was cute :)

And maybe even curlier?  If that's possible?!?!

Other than last minute hair cuts (did I mention Matt was working and I did the hair cut at bedtime, ya know, just to keep things interesting around here!) things are going pretty smoothly.

Luke's pulling-up skills have advanced significantly.  He pulls up on the glass sliding doors, every piece of furniture in the house... if he gets close to it he'll use it to stand up.  He still hasn't mastered the move from crawling to sitting, which doesn't seem to matter since he NEVER sits.  Not for even three seconds.  He and big bro John Paul were cut from the same piece of cloth. 

John Paul's receptive language (in English) is amazing.  I cannot believe how much he understands.  We still speak to him in Chinese sometimes, and Lydia still translates almost everything I say.  [Seriously.  Matt says we should pay her!]  Maybe she thinks he won't understand me in English or she just got in the habit or I don't know what.   But that sister of his is like a tag-a-long translator.  Even without his translator at his side John Paul's English skills are professional.  If only he could speak to us... so eager to get his surgery (hopefully in two weeks - pray he gets healthy and stays healthy for his surgery!!!).  And he has started stringing together two different hand-signs to create a mini-sentence! 

Isaac is Isaac.  I see every day how God specifically gifted him for his spot in the family.  He's such a lover of people, delights to entertain his little brothers, wants to do all the "big kid stuff" with his sisters, easy-going, laid back, quick to forgive (and also quick to offend - we're all learning!).  There was a season earlier this year when I wasn't so sure how I felt about three-year olds.  I know that it's two year olds who tend to get pegged as 'difficult' (whatever that means) but I LOVE me a two year old.  It's such a great age.  Three, now that's usually trickier in my book.

And Julianna.  Yesterday we were wrapping up one mini-craft (cutting snow flakes for our sliding doors) and I asked if she wanted to do another one.  "Of course I do!  That's why I chose you to be my Mommy, because you love to do crafts" she said.  Then she grinned at me and walked away giggling, headed across the living room to tape up more snowflakes.

No pressure, huh?  I quickly cut out a Christmas tree shape from green paper and the girls cut out and glued on decorations.  Today I'm hoping to buy some cotton balls and we'll make snowmen and then my craft bone might be weary and needing some rest.  But at least our doors will be decorated for the holidays.  And it's a good thing too, since that's why Julianna chose me to be her Mom and all.....