Hope and Haven

It's been a while so I thought it was high time to write an update on the girls.

I'll start with Hope...

     Hope finished her first reading lessons last week. We have been going through the book Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. We finally finished. By the end of the book, a child can read at a 2nd grade level, so that is approximately where Hope is now. She loves to sit on the couch and read books to herself out loud. She is very good at sight reading and sounding out new words as well. She loves to help me read our worship stories in the mornings and evenings.

     Two weeks ago, we decided it was about time to take Hope and get her hair cut. It is hot season here right now, and Hope's hair was getting long and causing her to be hot, hot, hot. Also, her hair is prone to tangle, and she dislikes getting it combed for that reason. So, shorter hair would help with that as well. I took her to a little shop down the road a little way. She absolutely refused to get her hair washed, but when she sat up in the barber's chair she did really well sitting still (as well as any four year old can :). The barber gave her a layered bob which is SO easy to take care of and looks really sweet on her. She likes her haircut, she's nice and cool, and we don't have battles over hair combing. Yay!

     Haven is growing, growing, growing. She is using more sentences now, putting words together very well. Some of her words that she says are way-guh-bug (ladybug), dab-up (stand up), and kee-bup (clean up).
     Just today, Haven had her first success on the potty. She had a couple of accidents, both of which I whisked her to the potty right after. The second time, she sat there and actually went quite a bit in the potty. Robbie, Hope and I were all able to cheer for her, and she was so proud of her success. Then, two more times this evening we had success with both #1 and #2. I am amazed at the success we've had in just one day of really trying. I think part of it was just getting her to successfully go a few times, and then once she realized what she's supposed to do, she's been able to have more successful trips. I'm so proud of her. If she continues on at this rate, when the baby comes in October we'll only have the baby in diapers!

I just love our girls to pieces. They are both so special. They love each other and love playing with each other, and reading books with and beside each other. I think they have a special relationship. Of course they have their off times, as well, but these two are SO precious.