A Christmas Program

First of all, I must REALLY apologize for posting these photographs. They are truly awful. I can make a million different excuses: bad lighting, operator error, horrible camera, my camera was intimidated by the other mommy's cameras, etc. Bad as they are, I think they illustrate Hannah's participation in her Christmas program.

Hannah's teacher said that she could not have been more shocked! Our little girl did not open her mouth once during her entire program. Except to yawn. Repeatedly. She also stretched and stood up when everyone else was sitting. Then she sat when everyone else was standing. She pulled her dress up. She did not sing. Her teacher said that during practices and during class she was the loudest and most expressive singer; that she would get on stage and sing even when there was no one else up there with her. I, however, was not shocked. Having just attended The Nutcracker with her a few days before, I could see where this was going.

Coloring Lesson

Hannah and her Papa spent some time blowing noses and coloring. It was a pretty good day!

Happy Birthday, Paul!

I love you because:

When you hold our baby, she looks at you like this (and she still does!)

You love me...all the time!

You can catch hummingbirds in your hand (that's a strange hybrid hummingbird with dog feet!!)

You tie dental floss to crab legs so that the kids can have a pet on the beach.

You built our kids a cool clubhouse!

You take pictures of rainbows. Every single time!

This just makes my heart melt! (This is Cassie, by the way!)

You are part monkey and totally fearless!

You play rough and tumble with our kids, which makes them brave and strong and also which evens out my warm and squishy!

Because you think this is a restaurant and you take us there to have dinner!

Because you Dance, Dance, Revolution like a pro!!!!

Because you now have reading glasses that you wear down at the end of your nose.

Because you could easily win any single reality game show (except The Biggest Loser.)

Because you have a huge amount of confidence and strength, and that makes me feel safe and loved.

You amaze me at your ability to do EVERYTHING!!!!

Happy Birthday!

Posted originally in February, 2008.

Cassie and Santa, Plus Some Jumproping

The fancier the better for Cassie. She is actually wearing a hoop skirt (that came with a costume) under this dress.

Unfortunately, you can't wear hoops while jumping rope!

Santa- Visit #3

Another visit to Santa.

Another ride on the cars.

Just like years in the past.

I Think I Let Her Down

Holly danced in The Nutcracker on Saturday. It was also a tea party for little ones. They had it beautifully decorated and all the girls were dressed in their finest with shiny shoes and big bows. Hannah went with her cousin, Gracie, and both girls were very excited. They sat quietly on their carpet squares and looked back at us frequently, just to make sure that we were within arm's reach. Even during the scary Nutcracker vs. Mouse King part, they sat wide-eyed, completely enthralled.

After every dance, the ballerinas invited the girls to join them on the dance floor. They twirled and jumped and flitted and floated- except Hannah. She didn't know what to do. She felt uncomfortable and awkward. Dancing at home is very different from dancing in front of two rows of mommies with cameras. She stood in the middle of the dance floor while all the girls were in circles holding hands. She turned to me, and in a teeny, tiny, little voice said "Mommy?" I smiled super big and did the brush off motion with my hands and said, "Go dance!" My cousin, Melissa, finally took her to Gracie.

But I should have saved her. I should have pulled her onto my lap where she clearly would have been happier. I recognized that look of shyness mixed with fear. Every time I picture her standing there alone, her little face so uneasy, it breaks my heart.

She told me later that she prefers soccer to dancing. Oh, and she tried to eat the really old gumdrops that were glued on the really old styrofoam tree.

Some Barnes & Noble Stories For You!

A woman was placing an order for a book. I asked and received her first name. The problem came with the last name. When I asked for it she replied, "Well, now, that's a long story." Really? Does it have to be?

A woman locked her kids in the car on the Friday after Thanksgiving. I called the police to unlock her car, then stood outside trying to teach her two year old, through the window, the manual dexterity required to unlock all the doors. He really wasn't interested in learning new skills though, and thought he would just stick to continuously locking the doors. Over and over.

Question, "Do you have a book that has a picture of a lady on it, except that it isn't a lady, it's actually an ear? Oh, and I think it has 'renaissance' in the title." Yes, we have that. Not exactly as you described now is it?

The Mess A Ghost Can Make

Remember when I told you about the panda bears? And the rummaging around in her room? Well, tonight the two met and created horribly loud crashes and horribly big messes.

Someone decided that the pandas needed bins to sleep in. Unfortunately the bins were filled with a million different toys. All of which had be dumped out. By someone. Not Hannah, but Baby Ghost. See? Hannah is here in her bed where she is supposed to be.

Feelings..and Some Random Hannah-ness

Mommy did you ever feel like this when you were a little girl?

"Like what, baby? How do you feel?"

I expected some sort of big, powerful statement.

She said, "Like this" and she half closed her eyes and fell back on me.

Yes, Hannah, I have often felt just like that!

Every night I ask Hannah what her favorite part of the day was. Tonight she said that it was watching Rick Steve's Europe.

Hannah was gazing lovingly and longingly at the Mama, Middle, and Baby Panda Bears in Cassie's room. She said, "Mama, don't you just wish that those bears were yours?" Since then she has been dragging them around and assigning each one their own panda language.

More Baby Ghost stories. I told you about the wedding with Baby Ghost's daddy. They now call each other honey (I don't know where she got that!) Well, it seems that her honey went and got a bloodhound dog without asking Hannah. Now Hannah has to take care of it. She is not a happy wife.

Lately she has hit upon a new phrase that makes her feel powerful. It starts with "Don't you dare..." She uses it when fussing at her brother and sisters, mainly. I heard the following statements: To Cassie she said, "Don't you dare make fun of my baby, she is ill!" To Christian she said, "How dare you talk to a little girl like me that way!"

This week she started a new habit of ending every sentence with "Check!"

Hannah sleeps with a monitor on in her room, by her choice. When she was a baby it was necessary, but now that she gets in and out of bed on her own it isn't needed quite so much. I usually use it for entertainment purposes so that I can hear her when she is playing with her babies or singing to herself. Now she gets up out of bed at night to turn on her "termonitor." It's only a small part of her evening ritual. Another part of her ritual is calling me up to her room at least twice after I tuck her in and say goodnight. Tonight, after she called me up for the second time, she told me that I could turn her termonitor off. When I asked why, she told me that she didn't think she would be calling me again tonight. And she didn't. Because she didn't want me to hear her rummaging around long after she was supposed to be asleep.

What Did You Call Me?

Hannah has many nicknames. So many that she introduces herself as Hannah Banana Marie Boddeker Snook Possum. She calls this her "whole name." In addition to these names she is also called "Sugar Lump" due to her proclivity to stealing Grandma Rowald's sugar cubes. Sometimes she is called "Banana Boat" (a variation of Hannah Banana.) She is frequently dubbed "Sassafras" when she is particularly sassy. Her Daddy calls her "Baby Girl" to which she replies, "I AM NOT A BABY!" She sadly, has recently changed the "Possum" part to "Princess." I sometimes call her "Fred" as in Ready Freddy. Grandma Lisa calls her "Lamby." Poppa calls her "Girly." Paul sometimes refers to her as George, for reasons only known to him. Today, Hannah told me that she would like to change her name to Cassie Cooper.