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Truce
The relationship between Piper Finn and Beckett has been turbulent since their first meeting. Their two years together have been filled with highs and lows. The highs – sweet photos, short hugs, occasional sharing. The lows – pushing, smacking, hitting, general lack of kindness. This weekend, a new level of understanding was reached between these young friends. While enjoying a taco together on a recent outing, Beckett and Piper sat beside one another. Beck leaned in and bumped his fist a few times at Piper. Piper leaned in toward him and whispered, “Beckett?” Beckett put down his fist and said, “Huh?” “No fighting today, okay?” Beckett responded, “Okay.” And their…
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How We Roll
Recently Mosely asked if she could dress Piper Finn for our day’s outing. I said yes. Not only because I like to encourage sisterly love and older sibling helping, but because it was a busy morning. Kevin was out of town. Breakfast had not been served. (Or, more accurately, breakfast had not been passed out in cellophane wrapped squares. Hey, I think they were organic pop tarts, does that make it better? Who cares – right?) I still had to dress Wilder. London couldn’t find her other Chuck Taylor and Bergen was not satisfied with the choice of button up shirts I had placed on the table for him to…
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I Wish This Was More Unusual Than It Sounds
As Piper was just heading to her nap, she said, “I poo on little people.” I sort of laughed. Because it sounded funny, okay? And then, because I wanted to move on to my next task, I said something like, “Oh, okay. Sleep well, Little Willow.” And she said, “I poo on little people.” Insistent – eh? Not satisfied with my response? Alright Piper. “Oh. Well, Piper. Don’t poo on little people.” And then she pointed to a basket on her floor. Full of Fisher-Price Little People. Uh-oh. Now things were beginning to make more sense. Unfortunately. The Little People victim was not hard to spot. The brown smear across…
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From Her Point of View
We were having tacos for dinner. Piper was sitting near Kevin. Kevin prefers his tacos in the style of a taco salad. Piper looked at Kevin’s plate, piled with crushed taco shells and all the toppings. And she asked, “Daddy, why are you eating compost?”
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The Wise Finnian
This little girl may be a genius. Or not. But I probably owe her a positive post since the last time that I wrote about her I think I may have mentioned the word “terrible” and dwelt heavily upon her tiny child misbehavior. At any rate, I think we all know there are many sides to every person. So why would a two foot tall person be any different? We think she is learning the ropes awfully fast. Of all the Keigley children, perhaps even including Riley, Piper Finn is the only one not at all afraid of Magnus. (The dog that is beginning to make me question my judgement.)…
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Not Yet Two
That second year of every child’s life is supposed to be the killer one, right? I mean, the year has gotten so bad historically that someone gave the entire 365 days a special name – The Terrible Two’s. I don’t have any two-year-olds living in my house right now. But I have this one kid, who is NOT two, mind you, who spent her day trying to live like a legendary Terrible Two. After breakfast I stepped into the bathroom. (Uh-oh. I should know better than to do that, right?) When I emerged, mere mili-seconds later, I heard Piper making interesting sounds in the other part of our house. I…
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Something About Love
Piper has a little friend. His name is Beckett. Piper is not always very kind to Beckett. Beckett will be standing still. Minding his own business. Being happy and content – a model citizen. Piper approaches out of the shadowy background. She walks behind her young companion. And then, without provocation, Piper two-hand shoves Beckett. It’s awful. I am so embarrassed by her behavior. Ashamed. What in the world? Why would she do that? I scoop her up and take her off to the other room for some baby discipline. But I don’t stop loving her. When we are done with the discipline, I don’t turn away from her affection.…
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Wee Little Finnian Facts
Tonight, even as I type this, Piper Finnian is sleeping in her big girl bed. A bed without walls. A bed that does not mandate containment, but merely suggests containment. Wait, did I type “sleeping”? She is not sleeping. At last check, her lights were on. I have corrected that situation and now we will proceed to see how the night breaks down. In other Piper news, she learned a trick from her friends Mandy and Jody. And it’s really cute. She lies down somewhere, anywhere, puts her hands behind her head and says in an exaggerated sigh, “Lax”. (Which means “relax” you know.) Oh and she can also drink…
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Mudlicious
Funny story. It had been raining all day and the sun didn’t come out until after dinner. With both mom and kids anxious for some time spent outdoors, I went against my better judgement and answered in the affirmative when four small faces requested permission to play outside. Yes, four. I even let the little Willow join her siblings for some big time play time. What with all the torrential downpours all day, it wasn’t exactly their fault that the most exciting adventures awaiting outside were discovered at the bottom of a mud puddle. I mean, they are children after all. I let the play go on as long as…
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The Magic’s in the Music . . . .
(Photo disclaimer – another photo that has very little to do with the post. But it’s Piper and that little unnecssary, but adorable, ponytail. Well, calling that sprig a “ponytail” is a stretch, I know!) When Bergen Hawkeye was a baby I finally had a good idea to help him differentiate between day time naps and night time sleep. Mosely was dependent on a blanket and that was really a bad idea because blankets can be lost (she has lost two) and blankets can be forgotten on road trips. And lost blankets add up to sleepless nights for Mosely and everyone else within earshot. So with Bergen I wanted to…
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Poop and Potential
Every morning it is my privilege to enter little Willow’s room to give her a good morning kiss and hug and to see her sleepy, sweet eyes light up when I enter the room. And nearly every morning the same smell and the same words greet me as I enter her domain. “Poo Poo,” she declares, pointing to her itsy bum. And the smell pervading the room affirms her assertion. For some reason this morning, I was talking Baby Smack to her as I changed her diaper for the eleventy-billionth time. Now, Baby Smack by its very nature does not need to make sense, and so it frequently does not.…
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Little Creases
The little creases on Piper Finn’s body are one of my favorite things about that kid. You know the creases I am talking about. The one at the wrist. The one at her elbow. The itiest creases surrounding each knuckle on her teeny hands. The crease where her ankle connects to her foot. Her neck creases. I love those little parts.
