Precocious children

Sorry for the lack of updates lately; we have been busy bees here...finally got a new computer to replace the one that was stolen, and are beginning the process of adjusting to having a desktop once more. (NOT easy thing to do, now that the kids demand more flexibility, and a desktop demands, well, the opposite. ACK!) James has added a small internship for a human rights clinic and more work for his RA position to his load, as well as finally taking on a formal form of exercise- which, while it is another big chunk-o-change and time, I am actually very relieved by. It gets him up and moving, which he needs since he spends so much time working at various desks these days, and will provide an all important outlet and form of stress relief. So yay for all of that!

And the girls, well...they're the reason I started this post, which was meant to be a one-off little blip before I realized how overdue a newsier update was. As the title suggests, they are doing well - perhaps even a little TOO well, if such a thing is possible (which I will not dare to complain about! We are so unendingly grateful for the amazing life we have, and all the little wonders it contains). It has been made abundantly clear that Cadence is, shall we say for lack of a gentler way to put it, a little bit ahead of the game, and we are working with her teachers and the development team at the blue school to figure out what the best way to proceed from here is. I will say, I am extremely grateful that she has such warm, hardworking, intelligent people on her side, who are willing to go the distance and create the best solution for her as an individual in this situation. I am so glad she is in a place where they are willing to take her frustrations seriously, and work to accommodate her intelligence and personality instead of bureaucratically sorting her into a box and sticking a label on it, and then poking a few extra holes in the places she doesn't fit.

It's almost scary to discover that your child is actually as smart as you think they are. Parents are supposed to live in an overly-proud fog, aren't they? Our fog is being validated, which I guess means its raining all over everything and clearing up, leaving a beautifully saturated potential which is, in all honesty, daunting and humbling.

And then there is Hazel. Hazel Hazel Hazel our little Amazel, this only five-month-old baby who is ALREADY PULLING HERSELF TO STANDING. She's been doing that for a while now, though I was in a little bit of denial over it. But then today said denial was unmasked, when she stood on her own, not touching anything, even me, for a full 2 seconds.

...

I'll just let that one sink in there, for a moment.

...

She has SO MUCH personality already, this girl. She's stubborn and determined and very strong and oh so wonderfully happy and sweet. And she really loves Bananas. And Cats. And her sister.

We are so blessed to have these two unimaginably beautiful, genuinely sweet, intelligent, loving souls in our lives, and we just hope that we can do them justice and create a loving, supportive environment for them, which will allow them to truly flourish.

For now I should get going; we have an epic Cross Town Adventure to embark upon in the morning, as we bring the cats in for well-kitty check-ups and boosters. (They seem to be flourishing, as well, by the way!) I'm sure they would appreciate any good thoughts you can send them tomorrow, I do not expect this to be a pleasurable outing for our poor miaos.

[And don't worry, I am doing well too...got a few things I'm tossing around creatively, along with re-figuring how to make housework and transportation happen amidst the new-found scheduling hooplah. I'm very tired, but also very grateful, and Happy.]

Goodnight, all!