TGIF

I was overjoyed by the arrival of Friday today. It's been a busy, long week - partially because of work, partially because my social calendar had me staying out a bit too late one night this week. Additionally, since the Tuesday doctor's appointment, Molly has stayed pretty cranky all week (and feels a little warm) so I don't know if that flu mist caused a strong immune system response or if the two-year molars are causing the issue, but she has worn me down.

Today I took it easy because I knew my work schedule would accommodate me slacking off a little. The kids and I had lunch together and we went shopping at the Dollar Store for fun. Molly never napped but Lily took a long one, so I finally woke up Lily and took all three kids to Michael's for birthday party favors and the "Halloween game" I'm responsible for at Claire's preschool party (what the heck is a Halloween game?). The kids thought the crafts store was fantastic and I think we spent a full hour hanging out there. After Michael's, we had pizza for dinner (Kyle joined up with us at that point), bought supplies at Sam's Club, and got back home just in time for the twins' bed time. Claire fell asleep in the hallway tonight, and worried me by mentioning a sore throat. Hmmmm, is it time for our first round of sickness? Or is it just the weather change? We're now in the low 60s during the day already.

The best moment of the week was when Molly and I were sharing a quiet moment on the bed together, and she turned to me and said, "Momma, me happy". Awwwww. All around, I love everything about that statement - from the 2-year-old language skills to the idea that she can verbalize her feelings. I was also pleased to see that Lily worked really hard this week to talk, and at times refused to let her two dominant sisters overpower her verbally. Go Lily!

It's been a bad week for two year olds in the KC area. One was killed in a car accident earlier this week (he was not in a carseat), one had his legs run over by an SUV in a parking lot, and one girl (who my colleague knows) is fighting for her life at Children's Mercy after a fence fell on her and cracked her skull in a bunch of places causing brain bleeds. Two year olds are known for their fearlessness, their cluelessness about everyday dangers, and I know they are vulnerable. I'm a safety nut, but even so something could happen to one of my girls too. With all the tragedies I saw on the news this week, I felt the need to hug the twins just a little tighter. My heart goes out to the families of the other two year olds hurt this week.