Funny Papers

When I was little, I loved reading the morning newspaper at my grandparents' house over peanut butter toast and cocoa.
I most especially loved reading the comics, or as I called them, the funny papers.

These stories are from the lil' dude's funny papers.

Last night, her and the Dad were shooting hoops on her basket downstairs. I was in the laundry room.
Up, I heard her request, pointing to the barstools.
The Dad gave her a lift, hoisting her belly-up. Bartender! he said in his most Lloyd Christmas voice from Dumb & Dumber.
The lil' dude giggled, and said, milk!
Good answer!

This morning it was dark and cold. I went into wake the lil' dude, opening her curtains and shades, getting her outfit ready for the day, rearranging her animals she pitched out of her crib in the night.
She snored on.
I brushed the blond bangs out of her eyes, and whispered to her.
She snored on.
I scooped her warm body up and kissed her neck and ears.
Bed, she whispered, her eyes shut tight. Bed. Please, Mama, bed?
A girl after my own heart.

She eventually woke up and discovered her joys in the day. Daddy! Beagle! NaNa! Barrette! Milk! Shirt! Socks! Everything was really, really exciting to her. She happily shouted out each item, taking a joyful inventory of her surroundings.
She scampered down the stairs to the entryway, grabbed her shoes and hoodie, and sat on the stairs for help. I got her readied-up, then looked her in the eye. "Are you ready to rock, lil' dude?"
Rock!
I laughed all the way to work.

Wordless Wednesday

On the Way Home

Yesterday on our carpooling adventure home.

The Dad, to the lil' dude: "Do you want to tell Mama what you did at daycare today?"
Lil' dude, pointing: "Truck."
TD: "That's right sweetie. That's a semi-truck. Look! There are three of them!"
LD: "Truck."
Mama: "So, should I guess?"
TD: "Lil dude, tell Mama what you did today."
LD: Silence.
M, gasping: "Did you go potty??"
TD: "Really? No. She climbed out of her Pack 'n' Play."
M: "Oh. No."
TD: "Yep, the Daycare Lady went in there to see if she was up from her nap, and there she was, playing in the closet."
M: "Oh. No. You know what this means."
TD: "Yes. We're screwed."

Miss Manners

Lil' dude, you are a conundrum.

You eat mud.
You lick the linoleum.
You eat sidewalk chalk.
You love holding bugs and spiders and worms.
You chew on the Beagle's smelly chew toys.

Yet, now, as we've moved your grownup-ness to the dinner table, you request a napkin for your personal grooming habits at each meal.
Hannns, you drawl out. Hannns!
At first I had no idea what you meant, until you pointed to my napkin.

You take a bite, wipe your face, patting the corners of your mouth like your great-grandma does. You clean off your hands.
Then, you place the napkin back on your place mat.
Eat another bite.
Repeat.

So ... how is it you are by day, such a grubworm, a filthy remnant of girl come bathtime, yet you have the best table manners ever?

Wordless Wednesday

There, There & Fruit Snacks

We had a secret, sneaky mission, and it involved a red wagon.

The Dad and I, we're stand-in's for the lil' dude's neighborhood bestie, E., who lives across the street. On days her Mama or Daddy can't fetch her from daycare on time, we do it. We're all one village, after all.

So, the lil' dude and I left our respective work days early and went on our secret mission. Lil' dude kept repeating E's name on the way home- excited for a playdate after she hadn't seen her in over one whole week!

We wagonned up and rolled into E's daycare playground to get her. She was all smiles as she came running over and climbed into the wagon's passenger seat. We gathered her things from her daycare lady and away we went.

And, the screaming erupted.

Poor E. was all confused as to why her Daddy wasn't there to get her, and why she was leaving in a wagon. She cried the 500 feet to our porch. I pulled fast, while the lil' dude did what she does best, and comforted her sad, little friend.

Pat, pat, on her leg. She reached into E's bag and found her nigh-nigh and Nuk, her comfort items. She kept talking to her, and touching her. I imagine her babble translated into a toddlerspeak for, there, there, friend. There, there. It's gonna be OK. I'm right here.

It. Melted. My. Heart.

I got the girls in the house, the tears wiped, the shoes off. E. was still sniffling, but not so much.
The lil' dude asked for a 'nack, and for two of them. I poured fruit snacks into two bowls, as instructed, filled up pink sippies for water, and watched as everything was righted with the world.

Perspective

What a beautiful child.
She's been a good eater too. Let's us know right away what she likes and doesn't like.
One word she likes is "MOVIE".
Everyone thought she should be older than her age, she's so smart.
Is so good at repeating the things you ask her to, or what something is.
What a beautiful smile she has.
How much she looks like her daddy.
At the parade, once she got the hang of going out and getting candy, she was an old pro at it. She filled her little hands to the brim. We really had to watch her because she would put a Tootsie Roll in her mouth paper and all.
We are so very proud of her.
She goes up to your wedding photo and says Mama, and Daddy, and giggles.
I love her laugh....it's so hardy, she's such a happy little girl.

These words were directly copy and pasted from an email from your Grandma S. last week, lil' dude. It's clear how much she adores you, and it was nice to hear those things about our daughter.

This weekend was rough on you. You are adjusting to being home, I think. You've asserted an independent streak we haven't seen yet. A disobedient streak. The picture above was taken Saturday night. How adorable and charming you are in your bathtub! You're the sweetest. See the red scrape on your forehead? You insisted on running down the deck stairs without shoes on, as Daddy asked you politely to go get. And of course you tumbled down a few steps, and the tears ensued. You're the stubbornnest.
You can bellow NO at the top of your lungs.
You can contort your tiny body into the saddest, mooshiest piles of girl.
You can throw all your buddies out of your crib during naptime, then cry for them back.
You can say love you.
You can be polite.
You can say sorry.
You can get so worked up, you throw up in your sleep. (That's a family first! Midnight vomiting. You're a big kid now!)

I meant this blog to be a personal record of all Mama's feelings and memories towards you. This, what I am writing today, is no different. We already know each day will not and cannot be 100% roses. Life isn't like that. That certainly doesn't mean anything different when it comes to you, lil' dude. I still love you the same.

But days like this, it helps to read the words someone else offers on you, to remind me the gift you are to me, to Daddy. How much impact you have on people who are not your parents. How important and special you are.

Because no matter what? Manners or no manners, Tantrums or no tantrums, hugs, or no hugs, Mama loves.