Thanks to the band Imagine Dragons for the inspiration for this post...
"I’ve had the highest mountains
I’ve had the deepest rivers
You can have it all but life keeps moving
I take it in but don’t look down
‘Cause I’m on top of the world, ‘ay
I’m on top of the world, ‘ay
Waiting on this for a while now
Paying my dues to the dirt
I’ve been waiting to smile, ‘ay
Been holding it in for a while, ‘ay
Take you with me if I can
Been dreaming of this since a child
I’m on top of the world."
We heard this song on the car radio the other day, and I asked Wendy, "Are you on top of the world?" She responded, "No, that's SILLY! I'm in the car." Trying to explain English idioms to a 3-year-old is not easy, but the truth is, we are feeling on top of the world. Wendy is doing so well, and this summer has been a blast. Last summer, we were still getting to know each other and doing all sorts of developmental screenings, but this summer has been filled with fun family times, including a trip to Disney World, zoo visits, bike rides and just playing in the backyard.
Right after school let out, we headed to Florida to see my family and to visit Disney World. Technically, this was Wendy's 2nd trip to a Disney resort because we went to the park in Hong Kong on our way home from China. I spent months teaching Wendy about Mickey, Minnie and Winnie the Pooh, in the hopes she would not be frightened by the characters. We read books, watched Disney Junior and talked a lot about everything from the airplane ride to staying at "Umma and Boompa's" house. She was so excited, and the preparation paid off big-time. She told everyone she met that she was going on an airplane to Disney World and was going to see "Winnie the Pooh, Minnie Mouse, Mickey, Goofy, Donald Duck and Umma and Boompa." When Winnie the Pooh walked up to our table at breakfast, she ran to him and gave him a big hug. I couldn't believe it. My shy girl even bounced with Tigger and high-fived Donald Duck. She also cracked us up with her perceptions, such as when we saw a Disney bus with Mickey's picture, and she said, "Mickey is on the school bus. He is going home. He is tired." When we returned to St. Louis, Bill said, "Congratulations, you converted another one."
Because my parents live in Florida, we had the luxury of spending three glorious weeks there. This was Wendy's first trip, and I was a little worried she would think we had moved. However, she quickly understood the idea of "vacation" and even whispered to me at the end of week one: "Mom... I'm in Florida." I said, "That's funny. I'm in Florida, too." A couple of minutes later, she repeated, "Mom, I'm in Florida." I was also nervous she wouldn't like the beach because she disliked grass so much last summer. However, she had no problem at all walking on the sand and making mud pies and sandy soup.
"If you love somebody
Better tell them while they’re here ’cause
They just may run away from you
You’ll never know quite when, well
Then again it just depends on
How long of time is left for you"
Maybe because we waited for so long and because as I age, time seems so limited, I am really trying to enjoy every moment with our growing girls. Wendy turned 3 this month, and we are loving all of her funny expressions. For her, it was never just the word "birthday," it was "my happy birthday," as in "My happy birthday is coming up," or "Are we going to eat my happy birthday (cake)?" I was a little sentimental when I donated the first set of clothes she had outgrown because many of the items were outfits I had been saving for her for nearly a decade. Two nights ago, we converted the crib to a toddler bed. We put a 5-foot long stuffed bear next to it in case she falls out, but so far, so good. In no time at all, she will be sleeping in a regular twin bed and putting on her sister's makeup.
The language explosion has happened, too. Her vocabulary suddenly seems enormous, and she is always asking "why?" Seriously. Like a hundred times a day. Yes, I have resorted to answering with "Because" on several occasions when I have run out of answers and energy. Our funny girl is repeating phrases like the famous one from the film Captain Phillips: "Look at me. Look at me. I'm the captain now." (No, we did not let her watch the movie; Bill and Maddie say this phrase to each other all of the time, so she picked it up, too.) She is also showing a clever side. Tonight, when she wanted more mac and cheese, I told her she had to eat five of her green beans. A few minutes later, she said she had eaten them, but really, she had just chewed them and put them back on her plate. I realized I needed to be more specific: "Wendy, you can't just eat them, you have to swallow them."
Maddie is having a fabulous summer, too, and will be starting seventh grade in a few weeks. (Gasp!) She recently played the role of Carlotta--the opera diva--in a YMCA camp's production of Phantom of the Opera meets "Scooby Doo." When it comes to stage productions, she is fearless--she has no problem singing solos or acting silly on stage. She did not get that from me, and I love that quality about her. She did get her love of reading from me and has started a family book club, which pretty much consists of Maddie and me, but her choices have been great. She researched book titles thoroughly and made bookmarks for all of us. She also started a blog reviewing books for teens and tweens. For her "happy birthday," she had cake designed after John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. Of course I am biased, but I'm so proud of the funny, bright young woman she is becoming.
"And I know it’s hard when you’re falling down
And it’s a long way up when you hit the ground
Get up now, get up, get up now."
For all of those readers who are still waiting to get their match or to bring their babies home, I hope this peek into our lives gives you hope that it will happen. It will happen, and you will feel on top of the world, too. When little Wendy is happiest, she starts to gallop around the house. It is the cutest gesture possible, and it warms my heart every time.
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