Some Things You Just Don't Borrow

Lately Hannah has been coming home from Grandma Lisa's house with rolls of toilet paper. So much toilet paper that my mother-in-law pulled me aside and quietly asked me if perhaps we had stopped purchasing it. I assured her that we do indeed have plenty in our home. Apparently it is just not up to Hannah's standards.

Preschool Photos

Hannah's 3 year old preschool pictures.

New Old Piano

Thanks to the magic of Facebook, I was able to find and purchase an antique upright piano. For really cheap. It's not great, and parts are missing (like those brass sconces on the sides of the piano in the photo below) but it plays, and with tuning it will sound pretty good. It's mahogany and has some beautiful inlay work. I'm counting on my Daddy to make it look shiny and new again. He's amazing at things like that. I played piano for years and still read a bit of music. How fun to try again! It's going in our dining room, which I am slowly taking over as my own.

Some Random Hannah Cuteness

Although at times I fancy myself a writer, this is really just an average, everyday, Mommyblog. Like a million other ones out there. I created it mainly for my parents and friends to see how our family is doing. So, please indulge me as I give you some bits and pieces of family cuteness. Of course, cute to me may be massive boredom to you. I completely understand if you just skip this one!

Hannah has been known to sneak in Cassie's room while I'm at work and Paul is in charge. She tends to do some rearranging and for Cassie that is the worst possible thing. So, Cassie posted a note on her door complete with many exclamation points.

Hannah is not one to let her sister outdo her. Her rebuttal:

So there!

Yesterday I received a phone call from Ms. Laura, Hannah's preschool teacher. Any conversation that starts with "Natalie, do you have a minute?" is always pretty scary! Ms. Laura told me that Hannah bumped her head at school that day. She was giving her hugs and kisses to make it better and then told Hannah that she was precious and so sweet that she was going to take her home with her. Hannah looked up and said, "Ms. Laura, can I tell you something? I'm not always this good at home." Sort of like a warning. As if Ms. Laura could take her home, but she was just letting her know what she was in store for! Laura thought it was so funny that she had to call to tell me!

I overheard Hannah telling Cassie while they were playing baby dolls, "Don't you dare make fun of my baby, she is quite ill!" There are times that she talks like a very old lady. A sassy old lady.

Hannah loves eating pancakes and bacon for dinner. I make her pancakes in the shape of teddy bears then I put chocolate chips for eyes and a nose. For some reason she then puts toothpicks all over them. They look like little voodoo dolls when she is done. It's kind of creepy, but she ate 3 of them tonight!

She told me tonight that she no longer wants to be a kite holder when she grows up. Instead she wants to be a kite flyer. She thinks this will be a great job, plus it pays $4.00 a week. I'm not sure where she got her information, but I believe it to be faulty.

My friend Melissa was walking Hannah out to her car to give her a present. Hannah looked up at her and told her quite randomly, "My Mommy loves me so much." And I do. It's nice that she knows it too!

Halloween 2009

This year we had a spontaneous trick or treating party with our cousins. Holly made other plans that didn't involve her family, so we crashed our cousin's neighborhood and had a great time!!

If you ask me the Grim Reaper was pretty scary...

and Sandy from Grease was scary in a completely different way!

The Day the Grim Reaper Came to Visit Cinderella

I'm happy to report that after this photo was taken, Cinderella beat the tar out of the Grim Reaper with her magic wand. Bippedy, Boppedy, Boo!

It's the Small Things

I tend to get easily overwhelmed when I think of motherhood on a large scale. I start to hyperventilate when I think of Hannah as a college student, or when I think of Cassie dating. When I wonder if there is some big something that I might forget to teach them, or show them, or a tradition that I forget to start, I panic. It's also hard work, really hard.

But when I squint I can't see the big, scary stuff anymore, and instead I see the way Hannah's little legs swing and dangle in the chair while she sings to herself, and I beg myself to remember the way her sweet arms feel around my neck when she leans over to give me a kiss, or how very soft and plump her cheeks are when I kiss her. I see the way she makes up beautiful names for annoying weeds (bumble-fuzzies) and picks them to save "forever and ever because they are so beautiful."

I love it that she thanks God for Build a Bear Workshop and for gum in the same breath that she thanks Him for her family and the "wonderful day." My heart almost bursts when she asks me if I will always be her Mommy, even when she is an old lady. It makes me so happy to be able to say, "Yes, I will always be your Mommy."