More
entries for the Jelly Book, starring little miss
Gianna.
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We went early to church at the Cathedral, It was during the most sacred
part of the Mass and I was stroking Gianna's cheeks. She sweetly looked
up at me and as I cupped her chin in my hands and gave her little cheeks a
playful squeeze and she smiled and whispered....."I am a guppy....."
It was the cutest thing I'd ever seen and it sent us both into a terrible
bout of inappropriate church
giggles. (See video.)
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G:
Hey Mommy, how did you get curly hair if MeMaw has straight hair?
Me:
(starting to answer but getting interrupted...)
G:
Oh yeah, never mind, I remember: you caught your curly hair from
PePaw.
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Looking at a beautiful
stained glass depicting the "Holy Spirit"
G: Oooh, that's a
pretty one of the Peace Pigeon
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We went to an awesome
birthday party out in the country where there where beautiful horses. One
of Gianna's school friends wanted to show her mom the horses, but insisted on
bringing Gianna who apparently had a gift for "calling them". I
tagged along and the mom and I doubled over with laughter as Gianna belted out
her best horse call, "HEE HAW, HEE HAW, HEE HAW!" And would you
believe the horses came?
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Each week, Gianna's teacher
sends home a stack of graded papers. As I was sifting through an
assignment with a task of putting words in alphabetical order, I noticed she
got it wrong. Curious as to how she interpreted the question, I wanted to
check her answer.
The Task: Put in ABC
order
She technically put them in
ABC order. A was first, B was second and C was third. It was marked
wrong, but I totally gave her credit.
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We were at
the school carnvial and Gianna spotted her Spanish teacher.
G:
Mommy, can I go say "hi" to Senora Smith?
Me:
Gianna, you don't say "hi" to your Spanish teacher. What do you
say?
G:
Oh, I know. Bonjour, Senora Smith!
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Went to a
little party at a friend's house and it was particularly cold. One of the cool
moms (I'm not part of that group) was wearing a great vest and a fur
hat....which, I must say, would have totally looked ridiculous on me.
Gianna was
very impressed. She was up to the mom and complimented her on her hat.
After she was thanked, Gianna blurted, "So, is that a real skunk or
is it a fox?" (For the record, it was real fake fur.)
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Waking up
to white roof tops and frosted cars, Gianna excitedly asked, "Guess who came? Frosted Jack?
Frosty Jack? Wait, what's that 'winter man's' name?"
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With the
colder temps, Gianna and both have to be mindful of re-applying Carmex or
Chapstic. She told me, "Man,
my lips keep getting 'chapter and chapter'!!"
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During her turbulent
transition to her new school, Gianna's behavior at home was very challenging. I
was in communication with her counselor at school to help navigate the rough
waters. After a particularly difficult string of difficult days I ran
into the counselor who told me Gianna reported that she'd been very good at
home. I was befuddled by this news and was eager to ask Gianna what was
up.
Me: Gianna, why did
you tell Ms. Sue that you've been so good? You're behavior has been pretty
rotten lately.
G: I have been good. Remember those two days
last week?
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When I go
to Gianna's school Masses I usually sit in the back and let her sit with her
classmates. One particular week I decided to join her class and sit next
to her. As I was singing the song after communion (a song I've sung since
I was a child) I began singing the harmony. Gianna whipped her little
head around and not so discretely remarked, "Mommy! Why
are you singing off key?"
Before I could explain to her what I was doing the mom behind, laughing
hysterically, me slapped me on the back, "Oh my gosh, that is the funniest
thing. Don't worry, I can't sing either!"
I can too sing! I'm not singing harmony anymore.
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Gianna and I were driving
through some HORRIBLE weather. It was truly scary.
After we made it through
safely, she exclaimed, "Wow!
That was the worriest I've ever been in my life!"
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G: I know that I am
supposed to wear a special dress for my First Communion, but what do I wear for
my Second Communion?
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* * *
G: I feel
like I swallowed flies for lunch
ME: Do you
mean you feel like you have butterflies in your tummy?
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G: I can't
wait to go to heaven.
Me:
Really? I feel the same way sometimes.
G:
Yeah, you know who I can't wait to see?
Me: Well,
I have a pretty good idea.
G:
Squanto. I can't wait to see Squanto in heaven.
Me: The
Native American who helped the Pilgrims?
Me: I
gotta say, Squanto would not have been one of my guesses.
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G: I stuck up for one
of the kids at recess today.
Me: Really?
What did you do?
G: Well, some kids
were making fun of this 'chuffy' boy and I told them that it wasn't very nice.
Me: Well Gianna, that
was really kind of you. What is chuffy, though?
G: He was a little
big and round.
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Last year when Gianna saw
the coming attractions for the new Annie movie, she was very adamant that she
wanted to see it. One day I showed her a picture of the original Annie
and she asked who it was. I told her it was Annie, like from the upcoming
movie. She told me it WAS NOT Annie because Annie had brown skin.
Now, don't get me wrong: I
have no trouble with Annie having brown skin, but I think one should always be
familiar with and appreciate an original work before the remake.
Soooo - I let her watch the Annie with Carol Burnett as Ms. Hanigan
She LOVED it - but it got
her in some serious trouble with Mommy.
Any time she threw one of
her famous fits, she'd try and muster up any sort of pseudo curse
words that she could. Calling me a "haskell" is one of her
go-tos. (Derived from rascal.) Then her bazooka is always, "You,
you, you.....Ms. Hanigan!"
It took her three weeks to work that out of her vocabulary in order to earn
movie tickets to see the new movie.
(I'm frankly shocked that
Gianna doesn't know any curse words (except for stupid, butt, haskel and Ms. Hanigan,
but I'm in SO much trouble when it she does.)
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Our good friends invited us
to their house for fireworks one night over the holiday. G: "Mr.
Mickey, you got the quiet ones, right?"
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The morning after seeing the new Annie I asked her what she wanted
for breakfast.
She didn't even flinch. "Cannoli!"
(Having seen the movie, would help understand that one.)
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*
Driving in the car one day, trying to make conversation I asked,
"So Gianna, what word
would you use to describe yourself?"
Me: (shocked and concerned)
Um, where did you hear that word?
Me: ME??? When
have I ever said that?
G: You call me that
all the time!
Me: Sassy, Gianna!
SASSY!
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It's no
surprise that Gianna is not a fan of loud (and sudden) noises. She's
getting better, but it still affects her. On New Year's Eve this year she was
more outdone than scared of the obnoxious fireworks. After several
attemps of trying to fall asleep she declared, "I think they shouldn't
call it New Year's Eve. I think they should call it eve of rude people who
pop fireworks outside the city limits when it's illegal!"
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G: We were
jumping rope at P.E. and I was so suffocated.
Me: Suffocated? What does that mean?
G: It means never give up no matter what.
G: Are you
surprised I know a big word like that?
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The only commercial TV that I let Gianna watch
occasionally are food shows. She LOVES the Pioneer Woman and gets quite a
kick out of the competition shows such as Chopped. I love that she uses a lot
of the terminology and that she practices them during our meals.
One day we
were eating a supper my mom cooked and Gianna started her critique.
G:
Well, the taste is okay, I like the smell, but I'm having a hard
getting used to the texture. And for that reason, MeMaw, you've been
chopped.
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My good
friend graciously took Gianna shopping for my birthday. When she was
telling me about their day, my friend said she got the giggles when she took
Gianna to the bathroom.
Gianna
said she was nervous to go in by herself, so my friend stood in the stall with
her. When Gianna got up, the automatic flush kicked in, which invariably
freaks Gianna out. Gianna was exasperated when she exclaimed, "I just don't get why
these toilets flush without your permission!!!"
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After that same shopping
trip, Gianna exclaimed in one long breath,
"I got you the best
birthday gift. You're not even going to believe it. You have to open it last
because if you open it 1st your really not going to like anyone else's after that."
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One day after eating supper
with my parents, my dad produced a bowl of figs and proudly told Gianna that
they were the figs from his tree that he frozen last summer. When I sat
back down to join them, Gianna leaned over to me and whispered, "Those are from last
July - DONT EAT THEM!"
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Gianna came home one day
without her school sweater. When I was questioning her as to where she last had
it, she said,
G: Oh yeah, it was in
the bathroom. I took it off in the bathroom.
Me: GIANNA! You
should never take your sweater off in the bathroom. Please tell me you didn't
put it on the floor.
G: No, Mommy. I put
it on the sweater hanger in the really big stall.
Me: Gianna! That's
not a sweater hanger; it's a handicap rail!
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We were playing in the
backyard and I saw Gianna kneeling by a tree picking the bark off.
Me: Gianna, what are
you doing?
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G:
My nose is snuffy on only one side. Is that why God gave us two
nostrils?
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Gianna
asked to go play outside after school. I told her she could, but noticed
my mom outside quietly reading her prayer book. I told Gianna she could
go outside but she was NOT to disturb MeMaw or ask her to play as she was
having some quiet prayer time.
I watched
Gianna go out the door and very slowly passing my mother while looking straight
ahead of her.
Soon after
Gianna disappeared, my mom came in to tell me what Gianna said.
She
apparently, whispered out of the corner of her mouth,
"MeMaw,
my mom doesn't want me talking to you, but as soon as you're done with your
quiet time, I'll be waiting to play with you in the yard."
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Gianna is famous for saying
she is full after eating only part of her meal, and then quickly asking what
she could have for dessert.
Me: You cannot say
you're full and not finish your meal and then ask for dessert!
Me: You can't have it
both ways.
G: Well, did you know
I have two stomachs?
G: Yep, I have a
regular one and a dessert one. Even if the regular one is full - the dessert
one can still be empty.
Me: Well played,
little one. Well played.
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