The Interview //Age 4

Photo courtesy the Lovely & Talented Auntie Mo.

1. What is your favorite color?
Pink, red, yellow and orange and purple and that's it.

2. What is your favorite toy?
Dollhouse with the van.

3. What is your favorite fruit?
Like strawberries.

4. What is your favorite tv show?
Watch Scooby.

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch?
Macaroni & chicken.

6. What is your favorite outfit?
Like a dress- that I wear for church and a shirt- plain white one.

7. What is your favorite game?
Puzzles and like, Star Wars and Sleeping Beauty.

8. What is your favorite snack?
Is like, Goldfish and Chex Mix.

9. What is your favorite animal?
Horse and zebra.

10. What is your favorite song?
Hey, Soul Sister, and Won't You Stand Up.

11. What is your favorite book?
Sleeping Beauty, Tangled, Belle, and Cinderella.

12. Who is your best friend?
E.

13. What is your favorite cereal?
Umm, like, Peanut Butter Crunch.

14. What is your favorite thing to do outside?
Umm, like, ahhh ... play with tractors and trains and horses.

15. What is your favorite drink?
Water and coffee. And, lemmelade. And milk.
Edited to add ... she doesn't drink coffee, Mama promises.

16. What is your favorite holiday?
Like, Christmas.

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night?
PillowPet (Otto, Syracuse's mascot), NaNa, and my stuffed animals (about 15) and that's it.

18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?
I TOLD YOU, Peanut Butter Crunch.

19. What did you have for dinner on your birthday?
Pizza and Sleeping Beauty cake.

20. What do you want to be when you grow up?
A computer worker and I really, really, really want, is to work.

Merry

Wordless Wednesday

Ninja Swathed in Pink

Dear lil' dude:

Just wanted to let you know how awesome I think you are. And how awesome you really are.
This weekend, at Christmas with Papa and Grandma G. you received a fuzzy pink bathrobe handmade by Grandma.
Your first robe ever. Oh, the preciousness.
Then you put it on and went all Ninja on us.
Showcasing your karate skills.
Skills we didn't even know you had.
It was ... awesome.
Thanks for being ... well, so awesome.

Mama loves.

2011

We had our family pictures taken last month by the Lovely & Talented Auntie Mo. on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon- our 6th wedding anniversary. It took me a solid day to settle on a Christmas card this year ...





















And 2011's lil' dude family Christmas card:


Merry, merry!

Wall of Fame

Each year right before her birthday, the Dad and I pore over the entire year in lil' dude pictures, trying to narrow down our favorites to just four to blow up for the wall in the dining room. It's hard work.

Even harder work? Going through the past years' photos tucked into the frames and trying not to lose my shit ... I can't even!
The first year- pictures of her in tiny Onesie, dressed in her first Jordan hat, 24 hours old wrapped in the standard hospital blanket. Hiding in NaNa at two months old, wearing a Onesies hand-stamped with her name, made by her Fairy Godmother. Wearing her first pair of pink shoes. Breaking Mama's heart with the oozing adorableness and forever memories.

At this rate, we'll have 72 20" x 20" photos to display at her high school graduation.

Introducing 2011's Wall of Fame.

Mama's picks:


The summer of 2011 will forever be burned into my brain as the days of endless swimming, sun, and SPF. We took advantage of each and every savory day.


Ad indicated by the new blog header I had the Dad make, this photo is just little girl. A beach towel, wet hair from the lake, a sugary confectionery bigger than your head, a chipped hot pink manicure, and your bestie in the background.

And the Dad's picks:


Jordan brand. Been rockin' that since she was a single day old.


And a big girl in a hoodie, canvasing the pumpkin patch this fall.

All That Glitters & Is Sticky

Photo Credit

Today, I am thankful for the flexibility I have in my workplace.
So I could volunteer to bake Christmas cookies with 20 4-year-olds.
It was one of my favorite Mama memories to date.
The lil' dude's heart visibly swelled with pride and anticipation as I walked her into school, and stayed.

I have never been so happy to come to work bearing chocolate smudges on my sweater. With glitter everywhere. The kids? All covered in glitter and happy stickiness. I was just collateral damage to the December wonderfulness!
And I stamp-guarantee my Mini will remember this day for years to come. Her freaky little memory works just like mine does: awesomely.

As I stood over each of her little classmates and surefire friends, introducing myself as the lil' dude's mom, it dawned on me how the next chapter of life is going to be. As some one's mom. A little productive member of society. She'll introduce me to her friends and teachers and friend's parents. I will show up and I will disappoint her when I can't. Eventually, I will show up and I will disappoint her when I can. She'll wish I could appear. She'll wish I could disappear. But, we'll tread through that as the time comes.

For now, it's about a gigantic smile and endless hugs and needing me more than anything has ever been needed in a sea of sugar cookies. Right where I want to be.

4

Happy birthday to my sweet, darling daughter today.
You turned four at 12:37pm today with me right beside you.
We set the world on fire this morning ... doing the things you love the most.
It's been a perfect day for a four year old, with promise of more fabulousness as the day wears on.

You used to weigh eight pounds.
You also used to wear size eight in shoes.
I remember sending your baby Tylenol in a Ziploc bag to daycare after your immunizations or sickness, with a note bearing dosing information.
Now, I tuck a tube of chapstick in your pocket for you to use all day long.

I tell you the truth. I expect the same in return.
You make me insanely proud and extremely content.
You're the heartbeat and liner notes and navigational beacon and whip cream on top of everything I love and adore.
You're my very best girl, and I promise, I never take you for granted.
You're no small miracle, of that I am sure.

So happy, happy 4th birthday, lil' dude.
You're an amazing human.
And I love you more than there is glitter in the Magic Kingdom.

Kiss, kiss.
Two kisses, always.

Mama loves.

Village People

Photo Credit

A pretty significant thing happened here this week in the lil' dude's world.
Not one, but two of her tiny besties prayed for her at bedtime.

I can't even ...
I can't even type that out without getting emotional.
How extraordinarily lucky is my daughter that her friends count her in their blessings each day?
That they fiercely wish for her to have a happy Christmas?
That they include her on the laundry list of most importants like their brothers, Grandpas, and Daddies?

It's overwhelming. I feel so lucky to be her Mama.
I feel so honored by the already miniature allegiance in her life.
That she forever knows what it's like to belong to such a tribe, a lucky association, is my greatest wish for her.

On the Four

One morning this week, the lil' dude was dressed to kill in a ruffly gray dress, leggings, and a little cardi all set for school.
We moved the processional to the entryway in preparation for leaving for the day, to school and work.
I told my sweet girl to don her Uggs as I donned mine.
That was a fatal mistake.
Apparently.

She screeched out in protest, that her Uggs were atrociously ugly and didn't match her pretty outfit.
She.
Would.
Not.
Wear.
Plain.
Uggs.

Plain?
She crumpled to the floor, the tears hot and a lot, pooling all around her.
Am I being punked? I kept thinking. I was in disbelief.
My sweet, mild-mannered preschooler, acting like this?

Glittery Uggs, Mama! I only want glittery Uggs!
No more plain ones!

Holy shit, she was for real.
Where was her DAD?



Needless to say, we were late for school that morning.
I hadn't wrestled with 37 pounds of bat-shit crazy in like, forever.
But I got her boots on her.
And her coat.
And hat.
And seatbelt.
I took away her birthday.
Yeah, I totally did.
I am That Mom.

In less than a week, she'll be four for real.
Throwing herself on the floor, crying out against the cruel injustices of the world.
I should recant. Throwing herself on the four.
What exactly did I just get myself into?

She was an angel infant. No colic. No teething issues. No sleep stress.
Just chubby, fuzzy baby love.

She was an angel toddler. No terrible 2's. No separation anxiety. No blatant disobedience.
Just crazy, cherubic girly love.

My own Mama said at age four, she sorta wanted to give me away. That a switch was flipped.
Well Mama, don't you go worrying about redemption not being redeemed.
I think she's the cute one, the sprite of a blond who resides in my heart and home.
You can stop smiling now.