What a Wonderful Summer!

THIS summer.....no chemo!
THIS summer.....we could get 'dirty' in the yard...no problem....mommy can handle giving you a bath without waiting for Daddy to get home.
THIS summer, we could go somewhere on whim.
This summer has been absolutely DIVINE.

I am soooo behind on writing and posting pictures about our three short trips we took this summer....to Charleston....to the Upstate....and to Murrell's Inlet.....I will catch up!!  Soon.

But this morning, on my mind are all the big and little things that you've both done this summer that thrill me.

Here's a list of some of the wonderful developments:

• You both know how to put on your SHOES!!  Wooo hooo!!
• You can climb into the van AND into your carseat!  Molly, you love the challenge of 'buckling' the top part of the carseat straps....and get offended sometimes when I forget to let you do it.  :)
• You happily sing along with me or a video or a toy when you hear "A B C D....."
• You can both count to 10 --- amazes me!!  Sometimes I'll be in the kitchen and hear one of you just start counting.  I lub it!!
• You both know the letter "B"!!!  You can identify it.  In fact, Daddy made such an impression teaching you that letter...that one morning...early....I heard you, Macy, in your crib saying, "Letta Beeeee.....Letta Beeee!!!"  There's nothing cuter!
• You've both started saying, "Looooook!"  or "Watch!!" and I adore it!!  You have my attention, baby!
• Wooden blocks and books are your favorite toys.  I love it!!  I also am amazed that you (so far) have not gotten mad at each other for knocking down your block creations...which happens frequently.  
• Macy, you're becoming known for your Dolly Parton/sweet southern rendition of the phrase, "Oh My Goodness!!"  Your cousin, Wes, likes to ask you to say it when he sees you.  
• You've jumped on board with me as I've started exercising....it is beyond adorable to see y'all try to mimic the exercises happening on the video....and it cracks me up when, 1/2 way through, you start saying, "Bye bye Jillian" because you're ready for it to be over.
• "Dip" (ketchup or ranch) has become hugely popular for you two....Molly, especially, gets excited about DIP!!
• Popsicle are such a fun treat....you  love them...and it is a great way to practice color recognition....I think it is so sweet that when y'all see Mommy holding a popsicle you start naming a color through your almost panting type of excitement and (right now) the color you name is usually wrong....so, I tell you what color it is and you repeat it in your sweet, affirming tone...without being upset.
• You love to "kalah, kalah" (color) and you usually say the word twice.  You're not at the point where you can be trusted with crayons unsupervised yet.  The writing is on the walls!  :)
• Annoying but cute, is a weird thing y'all have come up with.....a backseat driver kind of thing....when I'm turning left or right (driving down the road), many times y'all will say, "That a way....THAT A WAY!!!!!" with a very stressed out tone to your voice....and in your opinion, I've gone the wrong way.  Only occasionally do you have the tone to those words of relief....like, FINALLY, she went the right way.  
• You do GREAT in stores when I need to get groceries or run in for diapers or most recently, I took you with me for only the 2nd time to get my hair cut...you did great!  I am so thankful for that!
• Right now as I type, you're having a giggling competition in your cribs.  Molly's tone is a deep one....and then Macy follows.

I'm having a harder time than ever this year  leaving you to go back to work.  Your Daddy had the pleasure the other night of coming home to a 'mess' of a Mommy who was sobbing about all kinds of things....and much of it was because I want to be the one to spend time with you....I want to be the one to see the new things you learn to do.....I want to be the one who is the translator of your toddler talk.  In between heaves, I   told your Daddy that there's so many little things that I know about you that I don't know if I can convey them all to our wonderful caretaker who is coming and will love you and take wonderful care of you.  It pains me to think about you waking up on Monday and realizing....oh, Mommy's not here....and day after day, maybe wondering why all of a sudden Mommy's not spending the days with us anymore.  But, for our family's sake, I need to continue teaching.  I do love it, but my heart is most definitely torn.  

You are precious and wonderful girls....I am absolutely constantly amazed by you....for all kinds of reasons.

I have enough love and wonder and thrills in my heart to last many, many lifetimes.

Thank you for being so precious and wonderful.

I love you both so very much.