Hula Hoopin'

Chloe and I went to the Bellingham Farmers Market the other weekend with my Mom, Shana and the girls.  It was a beautiful day, and we all had a pretty good time.  There were plenty of things I really enjoyed seeing there.  Chloe especially liked the live music, the hula hoops and the balloon guy.  We also got some yummy cookies from a local bakery.  She was super into practicing the hoops.  She is still trying to master the art of twirling hips, so she still does the hold and spin method using her arms.  as the hoop spins its way down her body, she's trying to wiggle her little body in just the right way.  

I love this picture below with her little shoes and how she's standing on the outside of her foot.  I like her little sagging pants and the way she's holding her hands shows her concentration.  I also like how this picture makes it look like she's an old pro.  

At one point she and Keiani were both hoopin' and when Chloe spun her hoop it popped Keiani in the mouth and gave her a bloody lip.  Keiani was pretty much ok, but definitely had  a sore there.  Chloe felt absolutely horrible and was tearing up watching Shana tend to her cousin.  She immediately forgot about the hoops and followed them while they went to get some napkins.  I talked Chloe through her feelings and she told me she really wanted to appologize to Keiani, so we waited till the right time and she was so sweet and sincere.  It was kind of sad, but also good because it was a vital moment for me to help her through her feelings.  Chloe is super hard on herself about things, which is good because she is pretty much self regulating, but I work hard on helping her identify her feelings and figure the best way to act on them.  I would rather not let her keep all those beautiful, conscientious feelings inside to where they could become hurtful to her spirit.  We talk about what might help her feel better and its a good time to ask her what might help others, too.  I make sure she knows that her feelings are good and it means she really cares about Keiani.  I remind her that it was an accident and everyone makes mistakes.  I make sure she knows that no one is upset with her at all.  With Chloe, it's beautiful when her feelings are so raw.  Her face changes and she gets this completely innocent frown and her eyes well up with tears.  She tries so hard to talk through her emotion and tell me what she's thinking.  It tugs so hard at my mommy heart and more than once I've teared up with her.  She is so sincere and fragile in these moments.  I hold them like they are the single most important moment in her life.  These are the moments I just cannot mess up.  Ever.