May 8 2010

looking back to your birthday

Posted on 5/8/2010 by April

We were so busy CELEBRATING you around your birthday that I forgot to post pictures of the wonderful events! In our family, we have birthday weeks (instead of just birth days) – so we can celebrate many days.

On the Sunday before your birthday, you had your birthday party at a local YMCA and invited all of the kids from your class including 2 of your teachers. You wanted it to be a pj party, so we all wore our fanciest pj’s and had a gret time.

On your birthday (a Tuesday morning), I surprised you by coming over to your Daddy’s house for all of us to share breakfast together. You and your Daddy made me what you call a “smooth-i-lie.”

We went to school together for your birthday celebration – a special thing your school does where you dress in a robe and crown and a friend parades in the room with you while we all wave pretty wands. Your teacher Barbie lights a candle for every year of your life, and your Daddy and I told stories of each of those years – something special that we remember from that year. Daddy Jim filmed the whole special event (I will see if I can post the video here). What a very special, special time. Then Barbie gives you a very special heart pin.

You, your Daddy and I made special fruit cup treats for your birthday, and you shared them with the whole first floor and many others.

Daniel’s class play was on your birthday – so we all went and cheered him on as he was “Francene” in a play about Earth Day. He got to dress up like a girl – everyone hooted and hollered and he LOVED the attention!!

I picked you up at 2:30pm when school was out, and we played in the playground for a bit before swimming lessons.

Siobhan, Johanna, you and I drove to swimming lessons together. You did SUCH a great job. Then we headed to your birthday dinner at a local restaurant. Your Daddy and Meghan had decorations on the table when we arrived. We had yummy pizza and salad, opened some presents and sang HAPPY BIRTHDAY a few more times!!

What a wonderful day! Happy Birthday Baby Girl.

Here are pictures from all these events:

1. The PARTY

2. Breakfast with Mama and Daddy @ Daddy’s

3. School Birthday Celebration

4. Daniel’s Play – He was “Francene” and was fantastic!

5. Playing with friends with slate after school

6. Swimming Lessons

7. Birthday Dinner

What a wonderfully full day!! Happy Birthday my wonderful love bug!!

Your little shoes next to mine melted my heart….

May 8 2010

5th year well visit

Posted on 5/8/2010 by April

Again – you are perfect…

On the way to the doctor’s appointment, I explained, “Baby, the doctor is just going to make sure you are healthy and growing up strong. She will check to make sure you are getting taller and are about the right size for a 5-year old.”

With all seriously you assured me, “Mama, I am only 4-year old tall. Five-year old tall would be this tall,” and you held your hand a good 6 inches or more above your head.”
So sweet…

Your pediatrician gave you far more than a clean bill of health. She said you were doing just terrific in your growing and developing into a wonderful girl!! We could not be more happy or proud of you!! At one point, she said “I bet all of her teachers love her!! She is such a great listener and has so much spirit and energy!!” What joy you continue to bring to everyone you meet.

Here are some very fun pictures from the day!

Your statistics with your quick drawing. You are DEFINITELY five-year old tall my Sweet!!

May 8 2010

know why?

Posted on 5/8/2010 by April

Mother’s Day is tomorrow – you made me a beautiful ceramic pot and planted me a beautiful little flower in it – and, of course, you were so excited that you couldn’t wait until tomorrow to give it to me. 🙂

When we were hanging out tonight you said, “Tomorrow you don’t have to do anything Mama!! Tomorrow you can be sleepy all day if you want.”

Then, when we were snuggling in bed, just before you feel asleep you said, “Know why I like you best Mama?”

“Why Baby?”

“Because you are the greatest person… in the whole wide world.
“Because you give me treats.
“Because you are a girl.
“And because you are kind to me and love on me a lot.”

I do so love loving you Baby Girl. Being your Mommy (and Daniel & Madeline’s Step Mommy) is my greatest and most favorite joy and responsibility by far.

You snuggled in tight and fell sound asleep.

I am so very blessed…

Apr 20 2010

as you go to bed…

Posted on 4/20/2010 by April

Each night, we have story time with whomever is available.
Then we turn on the night light, turn on music (usually Veggietale’s junior’s lullabies) and rock while we say prayers. Eventually we move over to the bed and snuggle in together.

Lately, we have gotten into an interesting routine – you say you are scared and can’t go to sleep,and you ask me to help you think of happy things… It goes something like this…

“Let’s think about flowers, the warm sun and blue skies.
“Let’s think about sandboxes, and playgrounds, and swingsets
“Let’s think about an AMAZING God who loves us so very much
“Let’s think about blowing really big bubbles and riding our bikes down the street
“Let’s think about strawberries, and watermelons, and really sweet blackberries
“Let’s think about picnics, and seashells, and sand castles, and waves
“Let’s think about playing tag with Daniel and coloring with Madeline
“Let’s think about horsey rides with Daddy Jim and dancing with Mommy
“Let’s think about Oma and Opa, Grandma and Papa
“Let’s think about cousin Niklas, Gabriella, Moises, and Elisabeth
“Let’s think about Auntie Amy, Uncle Hakon, Auntie Bi, Uncle Mark and Uncle Matt
“Let’s think about Siobhan and Barbie and Amy and Johanna
…

and at some point, you fall asleep…

What a precious time for both of us
I love you

Apr 10 2010

read your first word

Posted on 4/10/2010 by April

Hi Baby Girl –

It has been far too long since I’ve written to you, and i really want to talk with you on a regular basis so we can both remember the amazing adventures and accomplishments of yours nearly everyday… Let’s see what I can remember…

* I am calling you “bug” these days. You said tonight, “yeah, I’m your love bug” in a rather matter-of-fact comment.
* Since January, you have been spending Tuesday after school in swim lessons with your “sister” Sibhon, Wednesday’s & Friday’s with Kate and Delilah and Thursday’s with either Barbie or Amy. Here are some pictures to remind us about these days:

* You know all of your letters A-Z, the sound they make and how to write them. You really like to help me make the grocery list each week, and it melts my heart to carry that list around!! You write words by writing each letter but if you run out of room on the page in the middle of a word, sometimes you continue above the word, sometimes below, and sometimes on a different part of the page. : )
* You read your first word a few days ago, and you were so excited. The word was “for.” You were drinking milk out of a glass that said “Milk for Santa.” As I was attending to something else, I could hear you sound out the word – ffffffff….oooo…or… ffor. Mama, does this say “for”?!?!?” You were so excited – as was I.
* You jumped in the deep end during swim lessons last Tuesday. You haven’t passed the swim test yet, but it sounds like you are making awesome progress. You can swim back stroke quite confidently.
* We still rock and lay down in bed together each night. It’s a time I truly treasure. We often giggle alot! Almost every night you say, “Mama, if Daddy Jim snores, you can sleep with me.” Sometimes you get up in the middle of the night (say 2:30am), come into our room, and say “Mama, I have something very important to tell you.”” “What Sweetie?” “If Daddy Jim snores, you can come sleep with me.”
* I left for 3 days for a conference, and by the 3rd day you were getting sort of crabby… definitely not your sweet, wonderful self. You had a hard time listening to Kate, and Barbie said you weren’t yourself in school. The next morning after I got home, I gave you a stern talking-to about listening… letting you know that there would be consequences if you didn’t listen for Amy that day. You listened carefully, and then said most sincerely,
“Mama, what’s a quansiquence?”
“A quansiquence is when you don’t get to do something you like, like maybe you don’t get to watch tv for a week.”
Again, you paused and asked,
“Mama, how long is a week?”
Sigh – In some ways you are growing up soooo quickly, in other ways, you are still so my baby.

* One of your favorite private jokes between us is when I say something like, “You look a lot like my little girl, but she went to school all squeaky clean. You can’t be my little girl because you are so dirty.” And then you show me my favorite birth mark on you to prove that you’re my Sweet daughter, and we both laugh. You often ask me to “play that game.” I am so unbelievably grateful that you are really, truly my kid.
* Last week you rode your bike around the block. You are still using training wheels, and Daddy Jim ran next to you. You did a fantastic job, and you were so proud of yourself!
* You are still totally an outside girl – loving to pick flowers, build habitats for worms and pill bugs, collect rocks and sticks, and jump in puddles.

I’ll add pictures to all of these things very soon.
I love you Sweet Girl.

Mar 15 2010

kids’ work

Posted on 3/15/2010 by April

Back when I was sick last Oct/Nov (with the swine flu – so really sick) and you, Madeline & Daniel weren’t allowed near me, you and Madeline made me a book. It was so sweet – you were so caring and loving. Check it out:

Daddy Jim

Madeline’s self portrait

Daniel

Maya

Our family

And some drawings by you:

*******************
Some other artwork I love:

Maya’s self portrait back in October

“Daniel and me sledding down the hill”

The nativity you made in January

Rainbow and Birds

An article authored by Madeline Hannah

Feb 8 2010

the art of manipulation

Posted on 2/8/2010 by April

We are laying in bed last night – snuggled up, waiting for you to fall asleep. A few minutes pass.

You state out loud, “Mama, do you know what I do?”

“What Baby?”

“When Daddy is trying to leave the room, I just keep talking…. I tell him ‘I love you.’ ‘i will hug you in the morning. ‘i will tell give you a kiss in the morning.'”

[relatively long pause]

“I even do the ‘ummmm’s” and the ‘uhhhhh’s.’ They work just as well.”

I laughed so hard!!

Sigh – watching you grow is such a trip!!

Jan 27 2010

milestones

Posted on 1/27/2010 by April

I can’t possibly keep up!

You are growing like a weed – you can do more and more and more every day. You understand more and more and more every day. It’s all just so crazy… and fun!!

Yesterday, you zipped up your own coat. Just plain crazy.

You get dressed by yourself, you crack the wittiest of jokes, you can spell many words without help… When did this happen? So seems like overnight.

The other day I desperately pleaded, “Baby, do you think when you drink that red juice, that you could maybe get more in your mouth and less on your upper lip?!?!?” You responded quite matter-of-factly, without missing a beat, “Kids do that, Mom.”

Right.

So fun – I love being part of your growing up, Peanut Butter. I just love it!

pictures coming soon –

Love you

Jan 20 2010

looking back to Christmas 2009

Posted on 1/20/2010 by April

Hey there Baby Girl…

You, your Daddy, Daddy Jim, Madeline, Daniel and I ALLLLL went over to Aunti Judi & Uncle Jim’s for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner… It was so great for us to all be together for that – Your Aunti Judi and Uncle Jim have a beautiful gift of nurturing the development of family among many unrelated people. We are so grateful they are in our lives.

But before dinner, we went to the Christmas Play at church – and you were a STAR!!!! Check it out!!! (The first 2 pictures were from rehearsal – you can find you by looking for stipey pants. the third picture is from the performance.)

Dinner at Judi & Jim’s

You selected and painted a lovely ceramic cat bank as a gift for your Autie Judi and Uncle Jim:

You sure love your CJ:

Daddy Jim and the girls:

Maya and Delilah:

This is the only picture I was in – not a good one, but I wanted you to remember I was there. : )

Shall we toast?

What a silly girl!

Barbara (Libby’s daughter/ Jim’s niece) and Uncle Jim toast:

Our good friend Coral (Do you know that she almost delivered you? She is an OB/Gyn in my practice. AND a good friend! Pretty cool!)

Delilah’s Mommy, Martha & of course, Auntie Judi

Wrapping Libby:

This picture TOTALLY cracks me up -I call it, ‘Ok, enough CJ.’ 🙂 You two are TOO fun to watch!

Christmas Morning at Dad’s

Christmas Evening at our home
Julie, Madeline & Daniel’s Mom, joined us for the celebration (You love Julie!!). We invited your Dad too, but he wasn’t able to come:

CHRISTMAS TRIP PART I – A SKI TRIP @ SEVEN SPRINGS, PA WITH AUNTIE JENNY AND HER WONDERFUL FAMILY

Auntie Jenny & Grandma Judy:

Crazy Hair:

All of us on the ski hill

Skiing with Jim Dandy:

Cousin Anna:

Cousin Abigail:

Madeline:

Cousin Matt (snow boarder):

Daniel:

Cousin Jonathon Jr:

More skiing:

Hanging with Jenny:

Swimming fun!

Hanging with Jim Dandy:

CHRISTMAS TRIP PART II – A VISIT WITH UNCLE MARK, AUNT BIANCA, NIKLAS AND OUR NEW COUSINS (WHO WE GOT TO MEET FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS TRIP), GABRIELLA (12) AND MOISES (WHO TURNED 16 WHILE WE WERE THERE – ON JAN 1)