Lauren grows up, just a bit

Have you ever had one of those experiences with your children when you look at them one day and say to yourself, "something is certainly different".  Well, we had such an experience with Lauren recently.  Joshua spent from July 6th to July 18th with Brad's parents... and somewhere around July 13th, I recall... Brad had to leave for a week long business trip to Kansas City.  So.... I had Lauren all to myself from the time Brad left for his trip until we picked up Joshua in Indy on the 18th.  Lauren missed her brother, badly... but did get used to it, especially since she did get to talk to him on the phone periodically...and she knew he was at "Papa's".  Lauren missed daddy, but an interesting thing happened..... she didn't really show it until July 17! The night before we were heading to pick up Joshua .... she sat up in bed and said with this intense cry.... "want Bye-ah".... and just sobbed.... then she went on to cry, "Daddy, daddy, daddy".... I could not comfort her.  So we called Brad and he talked to her a bit on the phone to calm her.  Before he left for weeks (maybe months).... they had become best of friends... Brad would take her to the park, take her with him on his evening walk around the neighborhood, play with her in the back yard, take her swimming.... she just couldn't wait for daddy to get home from work each night. 

Now I'm the caretaker - but not as good at the playing and having fun stuff.  Each parent takes on a role - and I'm the one dealing with the house, laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, school activities, etc.  So when I realized that she would be totally bored with me all week without Joshua OR Brad.... my girls in my small group insisted that I send her to VBS at church each evening.  So I did. 

She came home the first night showing me how to do jumping jacks! She was so proud of herself and just smiled and smiled.  Night two.... she came home showing how to "touch your toes".... one of my friends husband had the toddlers during part of VBS to do toddler sports....well this was just up her alley.  They played basketball and soccer.... of course after "warming up".  More than one of the guys from our church told me what a great dribbler Lauren is.... and how she has basketball scholarship written all over her... being in the BBN (Big Blue Nation).... basketball is HUGE -- so of course that's a great compliment... but I also informed these guys... she's predicted to be around 4 foot 8 or MAYBE 4 foot 10, unless she really takes off the normal growth pattern.... so not so sure about the basketball scholarship :) 

Each night I asked her if she wanted to go to church and do jumping jacks and she eagerly shook her head yes... so night after night -- she learned more about Jesus, learned songs and even did the motions, and  of course got to participate in toddler sports.  She loved every minute of it....and here is what I learned about Lauren:

1.) She loves organized activities or organized sports
2.) She is VERY adaptable
3.) She totally understands what others tell her - even if she doesn't know them
4.) She is tolerant
5.) She is strong
6.) She is brave

Closing ceremony was amazing.  Here is a picture of their worship time -- and I will post a link that hopefully you can connect to in order to see one of their closing ceremony songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BS1DcGTCAc  (of course she's the little one in the front row in yellow t-shirt in this video - and yes, that quick wave was a "shout out" to momma in the audience - I waved to her first and she noticed, so she waved back, but then got right back into her song :))

So when Brad returned, we picked him up at the airport of Friday night right after the VBS closing ... Joshua of course ran to him and hugged him ....and was very excited to see him.  Usually, Lauren would follow suit and do what Joshua does...but this time she was a bit different.  She went to Brad - hugged his legs a bit -- and then was ready to come back to me.  Every since his return she has declared that she's "momma's baby".... previously she would most often say, "daddy's baby".... and she has been clinging more to me.  She's punishing Brad for leaving her -- and it shows.  She's protecting her little heart from getting close again - so she won't have to miss him so much the next time.  Brad is patiently working his way back into her trust, but it's very interesting to watch.  Oh she loves him so.... and she just wants to jump back into their old routines...but she's cautious.  She's getting there... I mean the girl loves to go outside and with this KY heat right now... Brad is about the only one that will take her on these long walks or to the park to play....and especially now since we've watched her reaction, Brad wants to be the only one to take her to the park until things get back to "normal".  We're getting there -- she is laughing with him, hugging him, and off on his shoulders for their walk.  So we're not concerned, just keeping a watchful eye :) 

When Brad returned he said to me, "she's different....how can that be that in one week she's grown up?... but really there is something so much different about her.... she's not a baby, she's a little girl"...confident and assured...learning and thriving - yep little Lauren grows up these last few weeks, just a bit.