I think both of my girls are gorgeous, but more importantly I want them to grow up to have gorgeous hearts because they follow Jesus' every word. Tallie and Kaia are really different, and I expect that their life paths will take them in very different directions. Now that Kaia is 1, her personality is coming through clearer each week. I LOVE discovering things about her that make her unique, and getting to know her better because of it.
In light of this, I would like to start a tradition. Each year around Thanksgiving, I'd like to do a little review of the girls' personalities, talents, interests, etc. and just dwell on those for a little bit. I debated using the letters I write to them as a way to do this, but I handwrite those...and that's just a lot of writing. (I know, I know, I'm so ambitious and not lazy at all.)
Tallie Girl
Tallie loves the color yellow, and that is fitting because she is a dramatic bunch of sunshine around here! Tallie is either goofing off or moping, there is not much in-between with this little girl right now. Tallie uses her sunny disposition to reach others; even at 3, she can tell when people are hurting or feeling out of place. Her Sunday School teacher told me a few months ago that Tallie noticed that a girl that was new to the class was feeling shy and sad. Tallie went over to her and sat down. She said, "You can touch my arm if you want." She put the girls hand on her arm and Tallie patted the girls arm. The teacher said it made all the difference in helping this girl feel less scared. I keep this story close to my heart and think about it often. I pray that Tallie keeps honing this spiritual gift of encouragement as she grows. I recognize a little of myself in her, as I have been told that ever since I was little I was able to identify those in a group that felt left out. It's neat to see how God threaded this gift through to another generation.Tallie also loves art and any external expression of what's going on inside of her. (I don't think she'll ever have a problem bottling her feelings.) Recently, Tallie has become obsessed with her Play-dough. She will literally sit for an hour or so, by herself, and mold and mix with her Play-dough. Usually she is making "cake", and when she is done with a creation or two she will bring them to someone she loves, as a gift. "Eat your cake, Dad, I made it for YOU!"
Besides art, Tallie loves to dance or march when she is feeling giddy! And of course, there are ridiculously funny facial expressions she puts along to her dances :) Her favorite expression of what's going on inside her, however, is talking! Tallie will talk and sing and talk and yell and talk aaaaallllll ddaaaaaaayyyyy loooooonnnnnggg. And not only does she constantly talk, she expects to have your full attention when she is talking to you. I can hardly look at her from the front (passengers) seat if she is talking to me in the car; I have to turn fully around so that she can see both of my eyes and ears before she will stop begging me to 'look' at her so she can talk. She doesn't feel like she is being heard unless she can see your entire face - so funny! I was so sure that Tallie had the gift of gab by the time she was 2, that I bought her a 5T shirt last year for Kindergarten that says, "I just can't stop talking!" I anticipate her teacher chuckling about it once she gets to know T a bit.
Tallie has a hundred nick-names, and I've often wondered why that is so. It started soon after she was born, and I think I call her a new name each month. She rolls with the punches well, though. I remember at nine months old or so calling her by 4 or 5 of her nicknames and throwing in some random names one afternoon to see what she responded to. She responded to all of her nicknames; so interesting. The poor thing, I think she will be receiving new names until she moves out of the house. Good thing she doesn't seem to mind! Her latest nick-name is Fluff-a-rella, though I also call Darren this when he isn't paying attention to me, so it gets tossed around a lot lately! A few more examples are Tallie O'Malley, Tal Mal (derived from the previous for brevity's sake), Tal (derived yet again for no particular reason), Tallie Girl, Talise-ee Fleece-ee, T, Beiben (not to be confused with Beiber), and Tal-fleece. Maybe she keeps getting new ones because she is so dynamic, I don't know, and I'm the one giving them to her! Yes, be comforted that you are more normal than us. :)
Lady Kaia
Kaia is a bundle of intricate juxtapositions that I assume will resolve themselves when she is finally able to verbalize her thoughts and feelings. Kaia is quiet and contemplative. She pays rapt attention to anything that she decides deserves figuring out. Instead of soaking in everything all at once or bouncing between things, Kaia will pick out one thing that she really cares about and study it. For example, when Kaia wakes up in the morning I might as well be minced meat. She is totally uninterested in looking at or communicating with me until she sees Tallie and 'tells' her good morning. She will stare down Tallie while Tallie dances around the room and sings about Christmas lights (or whatever has struck her fancy that AM), until Tallie looks at her and says, "Oh good MORNING Kaia, did you wake up?? We're so HAPPY you waked up!" Kaia will grunt or squeal back at Tallie and then Tallie goes on with her prancing. Only then will Kaia relax and quit straining to see around me and settle in as I change her diaper and dress her.
I think partly because of her ability to get totally immersed in one thing (like her desire to 'tell' Tallie good morning), Kaia can sometimes barely handle being distracted or removed from the object of her study. This becomes sticky when we don't know what she is/was studying and she flips on us when we move or distract her. As Kaia grows a vocabulary (something she is NOT focused on right now, sadly) I expect that it will become easier to understand why she gets so upset at times, and we will be let into her world a little bit. I also see this gift of being able to block out the world and focus on one thing as something that will help her excel at anything she focuses on! Darren has this ability, and he is very thorough and thoughtful student. The work he turns in is top-shelf, even if it's late because he wanted it to be totally correct and inclusive of all available data. I think that Kaia will be a student with qualities similar to Darren's, and I can't wait to see what she fixates on for a career!
Kaia also has a passion for sound. At first I thought she was just really into music, as she has been able to tap her hand in-time for a few months now. But, I really think what she likes is sound. At her one-year check up I mentioned to her Dr. that some sounds seem to set her on edge or annoy her, and others she will try to mimic over and over. He thought that it was nothing to worry about as long as it appears she can hear fine, but since that appointment I've been paying more attention to this little quirk. It's really interesting to watch her react to different sounds, I wonder if she will end up taking up musical instruments.
Speaking of taking up things, I'm pretty sure Kaia could join any kiddie gymnastics class right now! Kaia tries to climb things that are her height, she will scale stairs above her hips, and she looooves it when anyone will grab her hands and walk up and down the stairs and all over the house with her. I don't know why she isn't walking yet, as it's obvious that she is dying to, but for whatever reason, she still needs our help and that is just fine for now. It is so fun to watch her learn how to work her legs and feet with more and more refinement. I think once she does walk she will absolutely have 1 speed: bullet speed! I would not be shocked if I found her hanging from a ceiling fan by Spring.
Kaia is also our resident cuddler. It is such an amazing feeling to have a warm little body melt into yours as she falls asleep. We never had this with Tallie, as Tallie's tolerance for hugs and cuddling are about 4 seconds. Kaia's love language is far and away Touch. She has a need to touch my face when I come home from work. Just this last Monday I worked 11 or so hours, and when I got home she patted my face for more than five minutes. She just stared at me mutely while she whacked away at my cheeks :) Tallie was next to us, chatting a hundred miles an hour about all they had done that day with the nanny. My two girls, so unique in their own ways and we love and enjoy them SO MUCH!
Can't wait to see what I'll be writing about next year! Hopefully it doesn't take a week to write like this one did. Hopefully now you feel like you know our little family a bit better!
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