Friday, February 15, 2013

Valentine's Day

Here are some of Gianna's Valentine's we made this year.
Her little mailbox purse, BEFORE...

....and AFTER... 


Instead of sending more sugary sweets to Gianna's classmates, I made this little sun-catchers out of.....*drumroll, please*.....TOILET PAPER ROLLS and tissue paper.



* * * * * * * * * * *

I went to Gianna's school help the kids pass out their Valentine's.  I get so tickled because our family friend's little boy is in the Kindergarten class and comes to G's class every morning to greet her.
He is SO adorable and absolutely hilarious - as are both his brothers.
Watching their little exchanges in the mornings is like watching a coming of age movie with tiny little actors. Brady saunters toward her classroom, leans against the door frame, calls Gianna's name and then says, "Hey, where's my hug."  It's like watching a little miniature Fonzie from Happy Days.

I think I've said before that Valentine's Day is NOT my favorite holiday. It never has been. Being single for 30+ years pretty much set the stage - and even after I met Iain, that holiday seemed to always be tainted. I think we had our 1st argument on Valentine's Day and somehow each year following we were experiencing some sort of disappointment or irritation. And now, well, I guess you can imagine how rotten these last two have been without Iain. For some reason, I cried all day yesterday. I would have done anything to have even a crappy day with my greatest love. Ugh.
The worst part is that I don't even get to ignore the holiday. I have a precious four year old that is thrilled with each holiday and who had her 1st school experience with sending and receiving Valentine's.  I have to pretend that it is the most wonderful day of the year...for her. Don't get me wrong, she's worth the effort and sacrifice, but...ouch.

This little conversation hard says it most kindly...

Tuesday, February 05, 2013

Jelly Book - Volume 11 ~ Winter 2012-13

Oh the treasured nuggets that come out of my child's mouth!  I'd been keeping these little Jelly Book entries on my phone but it's a hard habit to keep up with.  I know I missed a ton of them, but here are the ones I could recall.

"WHAT is the statue of livery doing in front of Wal-mart?" (Said while passing the poor workers dressed in costume in front of Liberty Tax Services.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
G:  Guess what? I petted a Grape Dane at school today. 
Me:  A what?
G:  A Grape Dane.  He's a Ferapee dog.  He loves on people who are sick to help them get better.

God bless the therapy dogs.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
SInce she was VERY young, I've always been able to understand most everything she says. I've seldom been frustrated by trying to decipher her speech. But one day after school, she said,
"You say uh-uh."
Me:  I said what?
G: No. You say uh-uh.
Me: What did Mommy say.
G: No. You say uh-uh.
After a good five minutes of running around that circle and asking a ton of questions I figured it out. They learned a new letter at school that day.  The Letter U.
Hence the phrase, "U's say uh-uh"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
While getting into the car on a particularly cold morning, Gianna noticed the that windows were iced over. "Mommy, LOOK! There's frosting on the windows!" 

Then as we began driving through the neighborhood, she realized that the rooftops and grass were dusted with white.  "It looks like Frosted Jack came last night, Mommy!"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Playing in the tub I heard her say, "Oh look at this gourmet." 
Me:  Do you know what that means? 
G:  No, I made it up.
Me: Well, actually it's a really word.  It means fancy food.

She was amazed she guess a real word.

Next morning at breakfast she was very proud to use her new word.
"Well Mommy, you look very gourmet today."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Gianna brought a little craft home from school last week.  When I asked what it was she told me, "It's for Gram Hawk day. 

Clueless as to what she was referring, I asked for clarification.
Her explanation?

"It's when the Gram Hawk comes out of his hole and if he sees his shadow there will be six more weeks of winter."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
She had a park date with a school friend who had to leave to get ready for gymnastics.  Gianna was excited and surprised to learn her friend took gymnastics and was full of questions about the flips and tricks her friend was learning.

When we got home Gianna told me, "Mommy, can you BELIEVE that Nacey takes Olympics!"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Why do the mens have nipples but no boobies?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
While grocery shopping at Wal-mart, I turned down the soup isle and was met by a most offensive smell...that wasn't food related.  Once Gianna got a whiff of if, she groaned and loudly asked with a disgusted tone, "WHAT is that smell.?"  There were people who in close proximity so I quickly shushed her while explaining that we don't want to say those things so loudly.  When she asked why we couldn't do that I said, "Gianna, it could be that someone may have passed gas. We wouldn't want to embarrass them."

Her eyes grew wide and with a dismissive roll of them she said without missing a beat, "I don't think someone passed gas - I think someone passed poo-poo!"
I laughed for a good 15 minutes.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
G: Hey, Mommy can I wear on your 'boobie holders?"
Me: First of all, it's called a bra and second of all, I think it's big enough to wear you.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I bought her several classic movies for Christmas.  One night we sat down to watch one of her choice.  Ready?   "The Lizard of Oz" 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
When we moved in to my parents' home Gianna slept in bed with me for about three months which was good for both of us.  About a week after I moved her in to her own room she told me she no longer wanted to sleep in there. When I asked why she said it was because there were ghosts in there.
Me:  Gianna, there's no ghosts in that room.
Gianna:  There ARE, Mommy.
Me: (quickly realizing I'd better validate her fears) Well, you're in luck.  I happy to have Ghost Spray. C'mon, let's go get get it.
(Astonished by my comment - followed me to my room where I grabbed some Body Spray I never use except to occasionally freshen my sheets.)
Gianna:  I cannot believe you have Ghost Spray!!!!! What does it do?
Me:  Watch. (I sprayed her entire room, under her bed, in the closet, the whole deal.)  OK, you're good!  No ghosts will come anywhere NEAR this spray.
Gianna:  Thank you so much!

Fast forward about a week later when we were getting ready for school.  I was putting on my make-up and she was watching me intently.  As I put powder on my face, she asked, "Can I have some of that?"  I was happy to oblige since I knew it wouldn't show on her. Then I put on my perfume and she excitedly asked if she could try some. 
Me:  Oh no, that's Mommy's expensive perfume. But here, you can have some of this.
(I quickly swiped a small bottle off my shelf and sprayed a tiny mist in the air in front of her.)
Her eyes BUGGED OUT of her head and she quickly asked, "IS THAT GHOST SPRAY????"
I stammered as I was trying to save face and concoct some sort of story until she interrupted with exasperation and an eye roll,  "GREAT! Now I'm gonna smell like a GHOST!"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
G:  Mommy, can we play ant piles in my hiney?
Me:  WHAT?
G: Can we play ant piles in my hiney?
Me: Gianna, what are you talking about?
G:  Remember that game we played at Matthew's house? Can we play that?
Me: Gianna, it's called Ants in Your Pants

Friday, February 01, 2013

Smitten

I'm smitten by this sweet girl - full of innocense, full of charm, full of love.
That's all. Just smitten.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Princess Parties

Two Princess Parties in a row!  No complaints with my princess...that's for sure.

The first was a party at Club Tabby for sweet little Paige who turned two. She was also adopted and is the most exuberant little girl with a HUGE personality.

They had a "real" princess in attendance and when Gianna asked her name and she responded, "Cinderella."  I thought Gianna was going to come out of her skin. "MOMMY! Can you believe Cinderella is HERE?"

Immediately, Gianna asked to see her shoes. Poor Cinderella stammered some excuse and whispered to me that she wasn't even wearing shoes.  Poor Princess really started sweating when Gianna started asking questions... "What was your stepmother's name again?"  "Are your sisters mean or nice now?" "Do they live with you in your castle now?" Yada, yada, yada. I was having to secretly feed answers to her behind Gianna's back. 
Ooh girl! If you're going tell a bunch of toddlers/pre-schoolers you're Cinderella - you'd better come knowing your Cinderella trivia - or Cinderella facts - not so trivial to a four year old super-fan. Gianna knows her Cinderella facts (from all THREE movies - thank you very much.)


And Paige's new baby brother, Pierce, is the most precious little squish.






Our second party was Sophia's Royal Ball.  Sophia is one GIanna's best little girl friends. They were so precious.


 Gianna and another little friend named Sophia had a little concert.  They were hilarious...and precious.

 Check out the great cake that Sophia's DADDY made.  Kudos to Michael!

  And here are these two little best buds.



Friday, January 25, 2013

First Sick Day

On the night of my birthday at precisely midnight, my door swung open and Gianna announced that she had thrown up in her bed - and broke down in tears.  That nasty stomach flu is running rampant in this area, so I was concerned, but I think we may have skated by with a mild bug.

Gianna has only gotten sick to her stomach one other time while on vacation in Florida almost 2 years ago and has never forgotten it.  Thankfully, Iain was there to save the day, because I'm a horrible stomach-sick patient and a horrible stomach-sick momma. God knows this about me and has been very, very kind to me in this area.  Surprisingly, I dealt with it all fairly well.  Gianna, on the other hand, was quite traumatized and loathsome of the entire experience.  She didn't want to go back to sleep in fear of another "attack" so we watched a movie instead.


Now, as pitiful as she felt - and as unpleasant as the situation was, the drama that this little monkey produced in response to it all was nothing short of hilarious.

She was convinced she was going to die and asked a thousand questions of all the why's and wherefore's of vomit. At one point she declared, "I bet of have the stomach virus! This is just terrible."

She really milked the whole thing (which I didn't mind) and was convinced that there was no one sicker than her on the planet.  She moped around like Eeyore and warned anyone within 20 feet of her that they had better stay clear of her germs. She had a movie marathon and was pretty lethargic punctuated by bouts of energy and fantastical ideas of possible activities for us to do. Sickness didn't affect her her incredible planning skills, that's for sure.

I'm telling you, that sleeping, sick baby is just about the sweetest thing I've ever laid eyes on. Look at those perfect pink lips. 

She woke up back to her old chipper self this morning and returned to school - positive she was greatly missed. (Can you imagine how quiet her class must've been the day she missed?!)  She's happy to share her tales of sickness to anyone who will listen, so if you see her, you might think twice about broaching the subject. :)
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