Little Girls.

The girls are so close. They're best friends, despite how much they love to annoy each other. They'll be bugging each other, but once they look at each other, they just start cracking up. When one laughs, the other joins in and then the laughter just explodes and seems endless. It's my little piece of heaven.

They drive each other crazy, they drive me crazy, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I love how immediately after they get their Sunday dresses on for church, they both twirl around the front room and spin until they fall down.

Lately I've been especially grateful to be a mom. And even more blessed that I get to be Claire and Aoife's mom. Maybe it's because Claire's been singing along to every song on the country station and Taylor Swift and Luke Bryan are a couple of her favorites. Or maybe it's when Aoife comes around the corner with her big blue eyes and devilish grin and simply says, "Hi.". I love watching her tot around the house usually with a giant stuffed dog under her arm. I love the sound of cackling little girls in the morning.

But most of all I'm grateful for the lessons Claire's been teaching Ross and me. Here are some of her recent quotes:

I look so cute today, Mom.
I can run so fast.
I'm so good at basketball.
I'm magical.
I did a good job.
I'm so smart. 
I'm so cute.
I'm a sweet girl.
Aoife loves me.
I can do it.
I painted that and I did a good job.
I'm so strong.

We were sitting down to dinner when Ross said something about how he wished he had Claire's confidence. And I do, too. How much better would my day be if I could say just one of things Claire does about myself and believe it 100%? She's always commenting about how great she is at something, or what a good job she did at whatever. And I love it. I love that she knows she's cute and sweet and smart and that she knows who she is. It's everything I could want for her and a good reminder that I'm doing completely failing as a mother.

I love these blonde critters and I'm excited we get to add another. I'm really luckily to have these little crazies in my life.