Growing, Growing...Gone?

Yesterday morning Norah wanted to pick out her own outfit (which she has been doing lately.)  She is, after all, a big girl now.   If I accidentally call her a "little girl" she'll be sure to correct me and point out that that term (little) is reserved for her sister, Avery.  Anyway,  as she perused her drawers for the best Monday outfit, there was a problem.  Her favorite shirts to wear are collared shirts, because she loves to dress like her dad.  Unfortunately, all of her collared shirts have been passed on to Avery because she has recently outgrown them.  After pulling several shirts from the drawer, trying them on, and realizing none of them fit, she very calmly and rationally asked, "Can we go to Target today and get me some collared shirts that will fit a big girl?"  How could any mom resist such a straight forward and polite request?  So, I agreed, and we headed out yesterday to find a collared shirt.  

Sadly, we have officially graduated from the baby/toddler clothing section at Target to the girl section.   After much searching, we finally found a top that satisfied Norah's high standards.  In fact, probably because it's summer, Target had only one collared shirt.  Surprisingly, we even managed to find another shirt that Norah and I agreed on:  a little pink halter top.  Today, when I put the halter top on her to wear, I couldn't believe how grown up she looked in it.  She is officially a little "big" girl.  

This fall, Norah will start preschool.    Everyday, Norah mentions that when she turns three she gets to go to school to learn about Jesus and play with friends.  At the open house for the preschool, I watched her run and play and socialize with all the other little kids who will be attending preschool this fall.  I was proud of how confident and composed she was while we were there.  Is it possible that she has become the capable child who is navigating her way through social graces with children and teachers she has just met?  Already?   It's hard to wrap my head around.   

Avery, too, can hold her own.  At the dinner table each night we say a simple prayer together that I learned from my grandparents.  We hold hands and each recite the words together, "God is great, God is good..."  Last night, for the first time, Avery cheerfully held hands with Lucas and Norah and completed the family circle for our prayer.  She even tried to mumble along with us as we prayed.  I know the day is coming when she, like Norah, will know our mealtime prayer by heart.  

All this is making me realize I need a way to capture all these precious moments.   I am following (though rather late) in the footsteps of friends and family who have brilliantly decided to chronicle their kids' lives on the no-fuss, hassle free web.   And, so, this is the beginning of our family's blog.