Family

So I'm going to take a break from the summer updates (oh wait, there's only been one) to share the oh so exciting hour that we had today. We bit the bullet, opened the wallet and bought a bike trailer - yay!!! We've been fantasizing about this for a while now and today it arrived. So we had to drop everything and take it for a test drive. It's a huge hit (I can even manage to pedal my bike with my 22 pound "big" girl behind me). Bel loves it, I love it, Ryan loves it - we are a happy family on wheels

After our pleasure cruise we had to hit up the park and show off Bel's latest accomplishment. Yesterday she decided she was brave enough to do the kiddie slide all by herself and then jumped into the long tube slide and the tall twisty slide! I was so exceedingly impressed, not to mention surprised. Now the park is even more exciting for all involved. I know this is silly, but I really was so proud of her. I usually shadow her and we go down the slides together but yesterday she was little miss independent, she cruised up the ladder, stood at the top of slide for half a minute (me at the bottom) then climbed in the slide and came down! I'm sure the mom I was with thought I was crazy for the reaction I gave her, like she had just climbed Everest or something, I totally flipped.

Tangent Alert!! (skip to the end if you're not feeling philosophical)

This whole parent-child relationship is just amazing to me. Bel is developing so much personality these days and I'm finding that I really enjoy her as a person. She is charming, sassy, sweet, cuddly, funny, smart and she just makes me so happy. A couple examples... the other day I had one of those "dark moments of motherhood" (bad mood, no patience with my child, ready to break) and I was so mean and neglectful to Bel - thank heavens Ryan came home and took her so I could sleep off my mood - but before I fell asleep Bel crawled into bed with me and cuddled me and gave me a kiss me before she left to play with her dad - exactly what I needed, like she was saying "it's okay mom I forgive you and I've already forgotten it". It was one of those moments when I more fully understood the scripture that tells us to be like little children, she was so sweet and forgiving so soon.

A lighter example : her new favorite joke is to hide things. She'll put a toy behind her back and look at me until i say "where's the ball?" then she'll lift her arm in the air, like "i don't know!" then suddenly she'll pull it from behind her back and laugh like she's the trickiest person in the world. She does this in a few variations and I swear we never taught her to do this. It is so fun to see her come up with stuff on her own!

We spend so much time together - she truly is my little companion these days, holding my hand, telling me stories, watching me cook, helping me clean - we talk to each other and joke and play and most of the time it is just plain fun and the rest of the time is when I need to learn patience. And it's random moments like when she slides down the big slide all by herself that it hits me how much I love my little Belén. She is a part of me and a part of my honey and my heart and soul are invested in her. These epiphanies always make me love and appreciate my parents more, because I realize how much they love me and what they went through (in a small degree) - so I just have to mention my sweet mom and dad and say thanks for investing yourselves in your children!

End of Tangent

Ryan calls this one his 007 shot (like the one at the begining of the credits)

Fun times for all!