Has she been happy today?

Every night I check on Hope just before I go to bed, put the blankets back on her and think kids are soooo adorable when they are asleep! (I don't check on Arthur because he always ends up in our bed!) As I tiptoe away I often think about the day and assess if it has been a good one for Hope...has she been happy today? I suppose all parents want their children to be happy and with Hope it's not much different I suppose. When I ask myself that question I follow it up with "did she feel loved today, did she get enough attention and input?". I put a lot of pressure on myself and Bryan Johnston to make sure our kids have had a good dose of cuddles and interaction and with Hope I suppose I'm a bit more anxious because communication is not easy and it's hard to know what she wants and whether she is content. Hope said her first words, mama, dada and dog quite early on but her speech has been slow. We used a few basic signs from 6 months to teach her to sign for food, thirsty, more, please and thank you and have added a few along the way but I wish we had been more efficient because this week what with the little rages, brother attacks and throwing things I can see she is getting very frustrated with not being understood or getting things the way she wants them. So am a bit sad because my honey girl is not sooo happy and I feel like I'm letting her down but at the same time I suppose that's life and we just have to persevere and work through hardships. I'm just hoping that we teach our little ones to manage life's tough times in a way that builds character and a love for God and am reading up quickly on toddlerhood books to try get Hope through this with good graces and manners and a lovely demeanor despite her current behavior....eeeeek!