Music to my ears

We have never -- not once -- watched Barney in this house. Before we became mothers, I think we all looked at our mom friends and thought that they had totally lost IT. Whatever IT is -- the individuality they used to have, the independence, the self-awareness, the coolness of being put together. I see my sisters and non-mom friends look at me that way when I get to the 18th story about my kids as I am sitting at a girls' happy hour, and I know I used to give it, too. Well, pre-kids, I don't remember how or why, but that crazy purple dinosaur became the symbol in my mind of losing IT. My 4 yo Little Angel girl watched Barney at day care a couple of years ago and recently asked if we could watch it. My "no" was challenged with her "why?" In a moment of weakness, I confessed that I did not like Barney and that we would not watch him in this house. Well, I know where Little Angel gets her stubborn streak, but I didn't expect to see it this early. Later that day, we were looking at a catalog of birthday decorations, and she deviously said, "Mommy, I want to have a Barney party!" I finally succeeded in putting the kabash on that idea by reminding her that she hadn't watched him since she was 2, but that took several days. Since then, she LOVES to sing the Barney Song to me. "I love you. You love me. We're a happy family. With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you. Won't you say you love me, too." I cringe and listen to 3 or 4 rounds of it. Who knew that Little Man was listening, too. Tonight at the dinner table, he busted out with "I uuuhh you." My heart melted! It was the first time he said it without responding immediately to one of us saying it to him. I was soaking it in, and watching the little gleam of pride in his eyes. My eyes surely reflected that pride since I was so overjoyed that he said I love you! Then, he continues. He sang "I uuuuhh you" for the entire tune of the Barney song! Little Man has been humming snippets of songs for a few weeks now -- "E-I-E-I-O" to "Ashes, Ashes, We all fall down!" He picks the most emphasized of his favorites. Who knew that Little Angel and Little Man would melt my hearts enough that I would not only tolerate the Barney song, but actually have that song top my charts!

The Evil Eye

"Do they teach you that when you're in school to be a teacher?" asked Tatum. "What? Do they teach us what?" "The evil eye." I prefer to call it the look. But either way, apparently, I have mastered it. My 8th graders duck and cover when I give them the look. They know they've gone too far, and it's time to focus and straighten up. Hannah definitely knows it and cuts it out. And, Hudson. My sweet 15-month-old Hudson who loves to cuddle momma and to get into trouble. I give him the look when he goes for the fireplace, the TV, the oven, the plugs, cords or vaporizer (just a few of his favorite no-nos). I try to limit it to things that will hurt him, and I do quickly redirect (thank you, parenting 101). But, he still goes for those things. And, when I pick him up to redirect, he screams and kicks and fights the whole way to the toys that are appropriate. Then, he gets down, looks at me, and races right back for the taboo thing. After a couple of attempts, he bows his head and gives me the look. He furrows his little brow, sets his little mouth and stares hard at me. No. I didn't learn at "teacher school." The look comes with children. It's just part of the passage into parenthood! (And, luckily, it works well in the classroom, too!)

Ears and Fears

Hudson had ear tubes put in almost a month ago. I was SOOO nervous about the surgery. Four ear infections in four months led us to a specialist. And then he didn't have a fifth infection. Would we be jumping the gun? Why should we do the surgery anyway? He's not really developmentally behind. Sure, he isn't walking yet, but Hannah wasn't totally mobile at 13 months either. No, he doesn't say the right sound each time, but he does communicate with us. There was still fluid on his ears, so we decided to go for it in hopes of preventing future developmental delays or hearing problems that we may not be aware of yet. The big morning arrived. Hudson looked so innocent and little in the hospital gown. It was frightening seeing our baby in that little gown. He was so sweet and playful -- no clue what was coming. Wouldn't it be nice if we were all that calm before surgeries? Now, 2 weeks later, he is doing AWESOME! He walks when I force him (but cries every step of the way). And he's talking up a storm. Daddy, Momma, Yay, Hi, Bye, Moo, Woof Woof, Duchess, Duck, etc. His favorite, though, is POOP. Luckily, he only says it in response to us asking if he has pooped. It cracks me up, because it's high pitched and with a full body response. Hannah, on the other hand, gets really upset with it. She informed him that it's not nice to talk about poop. She tried to use the word as many times as she could in her directions to him. My sweet little boy is gonna make it! Tubes and all.

My nose is growing

Real or not real? That is Hannah's favorite game to play lately. Monsters. Real or not real? The Beast in "Beauty and the Beast?" Dinosaurs? Bats? Bears? Dora and other cartoon characters? I'm pretty honest with her. I don't want to ruin the "magic" of princesses and other fantasy characters, but I don't want the witches to scare her away from watching or reading about those princesses (which happens for her a lot). I also don't want her to be so scared that she can't leave my sight in our own home (which has happened, too). Hannah's teacher told a boy this week that his nose would grow if he told a lie just like Pinnochio. So, Hannah's been asking about the story of Pinnochio. I confirmed her teacher's story. Hannah asked if Pinnochio was real, and I told her it was just a story... This afternoon, she told me that she had turned out her light. A lie, which was immediately followed with a reach for the nose. I asked her if she was telling the truth, and she nodded her head while holding her nose. I told her that her nose was growing. She looked doubtful as she felt around on her nose. She asked how noses grew? I told her it was magic that only parents could see. She asked if it would grow into a branch? I replied that as soon as she told the truth her nose would go back to normal. "Mommy, I didn't turn off the light." Her nose was back to normal. But mine had grown!

POSITIVEly Questioning Myself

When I was a kid, my parents called me "Norm," as in Norman Vincent Peale. This was right after we got City Slickers on video, so I thought they were nicknaming me after the calf that Billy Crystal delivered in the movie. After I finally got upset, they explained who Norman Vincent Peale was: the author of The Power of Positive Thinking. I think of myself as a "glass half-full" type of person (unless, of course, you see someone pour half of a glass out, in which case, I think I would then and only then call it half-empty). It seems, though, that others no longer see me as "Norm." This morning, a student informed me that he "never hears anything positive in class" from me. Granted, this is only one period of the day, and the opinion of one student in that one class. And he told me this at the prompting of the counselor and his parent, both of whom suggested positive reinforcement as a behavior modification for me to use with him, so that idea was in his head. But STILL! It breaks my heart to think that my students might not feel uplifted, empowered, positive, supported, and educated by their time spent with me. Tonight, I was baby-talking to Hudson. "That's right, Hud! See, getting jammies on is fun! You've got it!" He was grumpy, so I was trying to keep him smiling, and the "goochie-goo" voice usually has that effect for a couple of minutes. Hannah started grinning at me, in the background. I asked her in the same voice, "Do you like it when Mommy talks this way?" She affirmed. As the conversation continued, she revealed that my baby voice means LOVE. So, by not using it with her, she thinks I love Hudson more than I love her. I don't use the baby voice with her. Honestly, the voice feels forced and sarcastic but it calms Hudson who is still learning words but gets tone already. And Hannah's not a baby. So unless we're role-playing with her as a baby, I don't use the sing-song with her. Apparently, in her mind, that boils down to I love her less. Maybe I'm not being positive enough with her. Hannah and Hudson mean the world to me, and I work so hard not to say "No" to either of them, to keep it positive. Here's a positive: I'm positive that I need to change my approach and wording with kids. Hannah, Hudson, and my students all deserve to hear the positive things I think. I pray for the strength to show them that side of me so that they know how much I value them. Not feeling so positive about myself now...

Gender roles

Okay. I'm going to say it. I HATE stereotyping gender roles. I don't agree with them. I feel they set kids up to grow up thinking and acting in certain ways because that's what is expected of them. Hannah played t-ball this summer and is signed up for soccer. She loves "wrackling" (her word for a mix of wrestling and tackling) with her Daddy. Her favorite movies are Toy Story and Cars. Don't get me wrong: she can be "girlie," too. She likes getting dressed up for church usually and loves taking care of her stuffed animals and dolls. The other night way after her bedtime, Hannah told me in her matter-of-fact adult tone that she changed her mind a bunch about what she wants to be when she grows up. I told her that was the great thing about life: you could think about different things you'd want to do and try on different jobs. Her current aspiration: to be a mommy. :-) Now, for Hudson. He sits in a pink bumbo (because I'm too cheap to buy another one when we have a perfectly good one right here). He squeals in a higher pitch than Hannah. And, man, can he pitch a fit when you try to wipe his face or when he wakes up at 1 am, again at 3 am, and one more time at 5 am. He also is much more sensitive about teething than Hannah ever was. He is stubborn -- continually going for the wires, remote control, and Hannah's toys, even after a no. If he gets to grab a toy of Hannah's, he really likes her baby dolls (I think it's the tough plastic of their hands because he chews on them). Hannah's my "baby girl," while Hudson is my "little man." Do I really do this? I try not to. Since I grew up in a house full of girls, one of my biggest fears I've had since I was young about raising a boy and a girl is that I would have double standards and be tested on all this! I want both of them to be strong, independent, well rounded people. Dave asked me the other night if he couldn't even teach Hudson chivalry -- things like opening the door for a woman, paying for a date, etc. Yes, but I would like Hannah to hold the door open for someone else who needs it, too. But how would I feel if she had to pay on a first date? Hmmm... The tests to my theories are only beginning!

Lessons learned

It happens regularly. I am going about life, thinking that I'm teaching Hannah a thing or two. Then, bam, she hits me with little things that speak volumes about her and me. Lesson One: Sometimes, it's okay to put my children's needs and wants over others'. Today at church, I happened to look up to notice that a little girl was sad because they were out of crayons for the children's packets. Hannah had gotten a set of 8 crayons, so I thought that she could share since she wouldn't even use 1/2 of them. I snuck back to give them to her, not realizing that Hannah had followed me. More importantly, I did not ASK Hannah or even explain to her what I was doing. I just gave. I was thinking, learning opportunity: we share. After Hannah and I went to the bathroom so she could cry it out, I realized what I had done. I put someone else's wants above my baby's. I was doing it in Christian spirit and to teach her to share, but I didn't tell her what I was doing or give her the choice of which colors to share. I hurt her feelings and confused her, and that is the last thing that I should do for my little girl. While I don't think this one incident will scar her for life, I find myself doing that in other ways to. I'll get frustrated with her for wanting more snuggle time when I need to be up grading for my students, for instance. I'm probably being a little hard on myself, but I do think that there is something to be said for letting her know that she is most important to me. Lesson Two: My children sometimes want the things that I can do for them. I've been weepy all week about going back to school and not getting as much time with my babies. I have loved every second of this summer with Hannah and Hudson. Hannah and I have talked about our favorite things we've done this summer each evening this week. Tonight, I asked her if she liked staying with me and Hudson more or going to school more. She said "school" with a "duh" kind of response. I have been working myself into a tizzy over not spending all my days and nights with her and Hudson, and she gave me that little nugget. Sometimes, Mommy does get it right, even when I think I have it all wrong.

Ode to Packaged Foods

Oh, how I love you, packaged food From goldfish to gummies Fruit cups and mac'n'cheese Rice krispie treats 100 calorie packs And, yes, baby food You fill Hannah's tummy Bring smiles to her face You keep me on track While I stay in the race Hudson loves your many flavors On the run or at school Much simpler than homemade And, you bring on his drool. I know you're not as healthy And we'll pay down the line But you're easy, and you please me and I'm glad that you're mine!

My boy

Hudson is such a HAPPY boy! I am blessed with his easy going attitude, his gorgeous gaze that pulls you in, and his contagious laugh. We've been practicing all sorts of new tricks. (I feel like I'm talking about a dog!) How big is Hudson? SO BIG! He puts his hands up on his ears... He's been working on waving, and today he started waving to strangers. First, the women behind us in line, and then Hudson started waving like crazy to the lady behind the counter. Luckily, she responded in kind, so they waved back and forth and laughed at each other. Today was a huge day for Hudson. He said DA, he waved, and he sat up by himself. He has been saying consanants: M, G, B, L, W, and even a TH type of sound. Da Da Da Da finally got added to the list! I don't think he associates it with Daddy yet, but at least he can say it when he's ready! On the way to VBS, he and Hannah cracked each other up in the car. He laughs so hard, it is almost a cackle. He is super ticklish -- on the back, booty, thighs, underarms, and neck. He also anticipates my tickles, and laughs when I say, "I'm gonna get your sugars," even when I don't reach in for the tickle. He'll laugh at all sorts of things (even his sister's tantrums)! My very favorite thing Hudson does: in the middle of a very dramatic screaming cry with huge tears, I'll pick him up or take him from his daddy (or whoever has him). He stops mid-sob, puts his head on my shoulder and smiles. Nothing feels better than that love. I love my momma's boy!

Rules to live by

I regularly read that kids need structure, limitations, and rules. I am the worst at structure -- bedtime last night was 7:30; tonight it will be 8:30 or 9. I am regaining strength on limitations. The first 6-8 weeks of Hudson's life, Hannah got by with things because I was either nursing, tired, or just couldn't think of a reason to not give in. (Yes! We are paying the price royally now that we are trying to put limits back in place!) But rules, those I get -- and, boy, does Hannah. Hannah overheard me saying "butt," and said, "Excuse me, Mommy," in her craziest voice. "We don't say butt." She saw a guy standing on the roof of a house he was building, and she said, "We don't stand on houses." One day, out of the blue, she asked "Are you rich?" First, I thought she said a word that rhymes with rich. But, once I figured out what she was saying, I was confused on where she even heard the word. Turns out, she was quoting Cars, and didn't know what the word meant just knew that "Lightning McQueen asks Sally that." So, I explain what rich means, the best you can to a 2-year-old. Then, tell her that it's really not a very nice question to ask people. When we watched Cars next, she told me that Lightning made a bad choice by asking Sally that question. (Her memory scares me because it'd been a month since we watched the movie and had the conversation.) We were watching men's figure skating that I recorded last night, and she was concerned with two things: 1. "Did his buttons break?" Huh? "His shirt is open. Did his shirt tear?" and 2. "We are not supposed to twirl like that. We can get dizzy." Well, they took lessons to learn how to spin without getting dizzy, so it's okay for them. It's cute... Until her friends come over, and she tells them, or worse, comes and tells me in front of their parents, "Johnny was jumping off the fireplace. We don't jump off the fireplace." So, now I try not to give her rules with we. I stress that these are her rules, but they may not be the rules for everyone. Of course, now that she's almost 3, she is trying to test those rules occasionally. But, most of all she seems to really like the rules -- especially if she can boss someone else around and give them the same rules! :-)

Imagination at work

Hannah's imagination is going crazy these days! A few weeks ago at dinner with Mimi and Pawpaw, she told us that Mimi couldn't drink her diet coke because Na-Na-Naa was in her drink. I can't remember now if that was our first visit with Na-Na-Naa or not, but she was serious that her friend was there. I finally found out that sometimes Na-Na-Naa is a green squirrel, sometimes a panda bear, and sometimes an elephant. Na-Na-Naa can fit in the palm of her hand (or a cup) and works a lot of hours away from us. One morning, Marty the Zebra (yes, she stole this from Madagascar) joined Na-Na-Naa when Hannah woke up and has been with him ever since. Her most recent addition was Cody Masters, who is a boy in an older class at her school that she talks about from time to time. Now, he goes swimming, takes naps, eats dinner and hangs out with us regularly. I did have to draw the line on Cody Masters showering with us. Na-Na-Naa and Marty shower with us, but Cody Masters has caused us to have talks about privacy! Ha Ha! While we were in San Antonio this weekend, Hannah noticed a building across the riverwalk from us with vines growing on it. She said, "Yook (Look)! That building is dressed up like a tree." I love her outlook on things! She goes from being very imaginative to being pretty practical, though. One of her favorite questions this weekend became, "Can a (insert animal here) talk?" She's asked about an elephant, a monster, a robot, a lion, a cow, etc. I ask her what sounds those animals make and explain that is their talking, but they don't talk in the way that people talk unless they're pretend like on TV or in books.

Hannahisms

The first trimester of this pregnancy, we ruined Hannah's bedtime habits because I laid down with her every night. Usually, at some point in the night, Dave would come in and move her to her room. I did not want to lay down with Hannah last night, so I told her I had to do some laundry and that I'd be right down the hall. Within minutes, she was crying. I went in and quoted one of her favorite books "Llama llama what a tizzy. Sometimes momma's very busy. Please stop all this llama drama and [go to sleep for your momma]." (The actual story says "and be patient with your momma.") I barely got the words out before Hannah was saying, "That's not how it goes." I thought I was busted for changing the words, but NO. She quoted back to me another part of the story -- which was very appropriate to how she was feeling. "Llama llama red pajama feels alone without his momma." She had me there, so I gave in and laid down with her. I'm such a sucker! Some of Hannah's latest thoughts and statements that make me laugh, smile, and sometimes scratch my head:

• "Marty said 'Ummm, excuse me. You're biting my butt." We haven't watched Madagascar in weeks, and she's never quoted that line before. Plus, she calls it a "booty" not a "butt."
• "Mommy, I want to watch the freakin' Backyardigans." (I had ignored her the first several times she told me she wanted to watch "The Backyardigans" because she didn't need to watch TV right then. I couldn't ignore that request -- but I sure didn't give in with the word freakin' thrown in there. I was impressed that she used it correctly, though.) The funniest part of her statement is that she had most recently heard the word from her Mimi not me or Dave because Mimi had been looking for her "freakin' phone" a couple of days before.
• If I'm going to throw Mimi under the bus here, then I should probably mention that she also said "Damn Damnit" thinking she was quoting Pawpaw saying GD. She was frustrated because she kept dropping the phone because she was so tired. Hannah tried to put Pawpaw in time out for that one.

Grover

Dave and I are expecting #2 in December, and we're trying to keep Hannah involved and excited about having a baby brother or sister. Hannah is not very interested yet in naming things. When Aunt Jo got her a Beta fish for her birthday, it took us a week for her to come up with "Blue" as its name. When we asked what do you want to name it, she came up with "Boopsy" (her name for herself) and "Aaaggh!" (which is her go to name for fish, dolls, etc.), but finally did throw out "Blue."

Well, Dave and I told Hannah the story about her name while she was in Mommy's tummy. We called her "Cooper" because she was all cooped up in there. The day Dave and I realized we were having a baby, I rode down to Granbury with him on his work. We had been throwing out all sorts of names on the drive down and then we passed Cooper's Hardware Store. It seemed fitting. That was day 1 of the pregnancy.

After a couple of weeks this time, I realized that we hadn't named the baby while it's in Mommy's tummy. I have a hard time saying "It," and I really don't like saying "He/She." So we enlisted Hannah to help. Again, she took a few days. I thought "Frog" had finally stuck, until Hannah piped up with "Grover." Grover was the one to stick.

I have been keeping her updated. This week -- Grover is the size of a kumkwat. That is as greek to her as it is to me, so I need to figure out what size that means Gvoer is. She gives hugs and kisses to Grover daily and started telling secrets the other night. I think she overheard me say that I was having nightmares about having a blue, furry baby, so she told Grover a secret a couple of days ago: "I hope you're blue, Grover. I love you." I'm not telling her secrets -- I'm not allowed to listen. She repeated it to me right after she told my tummy!

It's so cool to see how excited she is about being a big sister. She thinks she is having a baby brother. I guess time will tell.

A star is born

As a typical 2-year-old, Hannah was testing her independence while riding from school to Half-Price Books. Usually, she wants to (and I encourage her to) take off her shoes when I pick her up from school. She seems more relaxed with her shoes off, and I know I love to kick off my shoes after a long day. Well, yesterday, I asked her not to take her shoes and socks off. I didn't want to re-dress her. So, when one shoe hit me in the head, I asked her to please make a good choice and leave the other shoe on, and then to please leave the socks on. Needless to say, that did not happen. Hannah and I communicate via the vanity mirror, but I sometimes forget. As I was fuming and making angry face contortions to keep from saying something that I would hear repeated back to me a thousand times, Hannah said, "You mad, mommy?" No. I'm not mad, just disappointed. "Are you sad, mommy?" Yes. I am upset that you made that choice. "Cry, mommy. Make a tear." I chortled and said, I can't just make a tear... Wait a second. Can you? At which point, she jutted that bottom lip out and started moaning. As a tear formed in the corner of her eye, I burst out laughing. Are you kidding me? Very few people I know can "make a tear." She must be destined for stardom. Either that or for turning on those tears to pull on mommy's heart strings. (Once I started laughing, though, she did, too. She did that I'm-trying-not-to-smile smile and continued to attempt crying, but it was all over at that point.)

I don't know what the future holds...

Hannah is 2!! I can hardly believe it. We went to the doctor for a check-up, and she did great. No tears were involved, but she was very shy with the doctor and nurses. She is still in the 90th percentile of height and weight. I just took a height predictor on www.babycenter.com, which predicts her height at 18 will be 5'9" (give or take a couple of inches) -- even with my whopping 5' and Dave's 5'7" in the mix. Wouldn't that be crazy? It's so strange to think of her in the future. I know she'll have a sense of humor -- not just because her daddy is hilarious, but she's also pretty darn funny, too. The BACKGROUND: We have a regular waitress, who is like a friend to us, at our favorite restaurant. Since Hannah's known and listed names, she's included Iris in her list of names. Iris always takes special care of Hannah -- bringing beans, tortillas, rice specially for Hannah. The FUNNY: So, last week Mimi had made chicken and rice for Hannah. She asked if she wanted more rice, and Hannah looked at her and retorted, "No, Iris, I don't want more rice." She paused a second, and then started her laugh that is her "I crack myself up" laugh.

What's in a name?

Hannah has begun calling me "mom." I'm not ready for that, so I have started calling her "Han" in response, which irks her so she goes back to calling me mommy.

On the way home from school the other day, she was talking about my school as we drove by. We started talking about the different names I have. What do you call me? Mommy. What does Daddy call me? Kristen. What do my students call me? Mrs. Harford. I was impressed...

So, then I asked her what different people call her. She busted out with BOOPSY as one of her names. Up until that point, I had never heard the name Boopsy, and I sure wasn't aware of that as a nickname for her. So, I pop open my visor mirror to look at Hannah -- BOOPSY? She just carcked up. From there, she made up a name for me and for Daddy.

Of course, she still won't name her baby dolls, but she's stuck with the same names all week for the three of us.

Radeo

We went to the rodeo Sunday, and Hannah was amazing to watch! She was so enthralled with everything. Mom said that Mere was more excited about seeing Hannah at the rodeo than she was to just be there! I agree. It's so much fun to watch her take in the world around her. She told us on the ride there that she wanted to see tractors. We typically walk through the exhibit hall, so someone in the fam must have told her about seeing the tractors. She also wanted to pat animals. I have been to the FW Stock Show & Rodeo nearly every year of my life, so in carrying on the tradition, Hannah went with us last year, too. Even at that age, she hardly flinched at the fireworks during the National Anthem. This year, too, she was taken in by the sights and sounds of it, but not at all jumpy or nervous about them. She jumps when our garage door goes up and she knows that Daddy is about to walk through the door, but no problems at the rodeo's loud noises. She got to pat several cows; see sheep, goats, llamas, chickens, ducks, horses, and rabbits; and didn't miss much of the action during the rodeo either. Even though we could see how tired Hannah was, she didn't want to miss a thing -- and didn't get cranky either! I figured Hannah's favorite parts of the day would include some of my favorites:

• Seeing the mommy pig with lots of baby pigs. She was talking to me yesterday about the baby pig biting the mommy pig, so I briefly explained that the baby probably doesn't have teeth so it didn't hurt...
• Watching the cowboys and cowgirls ride horsies and cows. Hannah even applauded when the bronc riders lasted their 8 seconds and was concerned when "Cowboys hat fall down on ground."
• "Riding" the tractors at the exhibit hall. I never before realized that tractors came in every color, but Hannah rode them all red, orange, yellow, blue, black, gray, green... At the John Deere booth, we looked at the toy tractors and asked which one she might want. She pointed to one of the real tractors that was probably the size of her room and said "I want that one."

But, no. Alas, when we loaded up in Daddy's pickup truck at the end of the day, I asked what her favorite part of the day was. She retold the "schtick skit" put on by the clowns where they came out in an ambulance (or a firetruck in our world) and dropped the girl on the ground and rode round and round...

Of course, at school the next day it was a different story. Reportedly, she told them that her favorite part was seeing cowboys. "Were they cute?" her teacher asked. To which she replied a resounding "Yeessshhh."

Angel

My little angel! Hannah has been with us recently for two nice dinners. Both times, she has been so good (as long as we overlook that she sticks her finger up her nose when she gets embarrassed). I always bring several activities to choose from, but Hannah typically picks coloring and does it with zest.

In the video, Hannah is singing "Angels we have heard on high." No, she doesn't get that Christmas is over this year (partly because we still haven't gotten the Christmas tree taken down, but that's a whole other story). Just to translate, she says, "Angels we have heard high. sweetly singing all the time... and mountains ... echoing their joy today." She is my sweet little angel!

To make my birthday very happy, Hannah has been practicing singing to me. See below.

Fearless love of animals

Hannah LOVES animals. She is so fearless around them! I, personally, am not the biggest animal lover. I love my dogs, but they stink and are big so they can make big messes with their clumsy tails. I love Gracie, my mom's beagle, who likes to snuggle and is obsessed with fetching. I like little dogs, too, for the most part. But Hannah is not particular about the animal; she loves them all. She can typically identify most of the 10 dogs of my parents, sisters, and home by their bark! I can't even tell the difference between my own dogs in the backyard unless I'm studying them. Mom and Dad adopted 2 horses this week. Hannah wanted to get in the corral with the horses and had no problem putting her hand to their mouths and patting them, while I was kinda nervous that they might bite at me. "I want to ride Chief." So, we let her sit on him as he stood still. Again, no fear! She loved it. She held on to the reins and swung them saying "Giddyup! Giddyup, Chief!" I can't wait until we can get her up there with someone who knows what they're doing who can hold on to her and manage the horse! She'll love it. On the car ride home, Hannah informed me, "I ride Sunny later." We need to go to a petting zoo soon. At Christmas time, Hannah got to rub the sheep who were in the nativity play our church put on. She is still talking about the sheep over a month later. She is not fearless in everything -- we have instilled a healthy fear of cars in her, but I hope she is able to hold onto her love of animals!

practically speaking

Hannah is such a big girl these days. In the past six weeks, Hannah has stayed with Mere, Jo, and Melanie (a friend of Jo's). I told her for a few days before they came over that they were coming to play with her, and she was okay with our conversation and comfortable when they each got here to babysit. From what I hear, she has done okay once I leave only getting upset a couple of times. Last night, I told her that Jen was coming over to play with her in a couple of days. She instantly was suspicious. "Where Mommy going?" "Well, I have a meeting to go to." No sense in telling her I'm going to be with the family at Bry's wedding. "Daddy, too?" "Yes. Daddy has to go to the meeting, too." She asked several more questions, and then I started asking her if she thought Jen would like watching "Horton Hears a Who?," coloring Strawberry Shortcake, reading Baby Danced the Polka, etc. She thought that Jen would like all that, and also thought she might enjoy playing blocks. She kept asking, "in couple days?" I assume she understands what that means, but who knows if she was just regurgitating words! Everyday, she amazes me with how practical she can be! Of course, she also is becoming so independent. Hannah overheard me talking to Mere on the phone about painting Hannah's room. Later, she started asking questions about it. "Mere paint Hannah room?" Yes. Mere is going to paint your room green. "I know, I know," she said with her finger in the air. "How 'bout pink?" How 'bout green? That would be pretty with all the things in your room. "Mmmm... I think pink." What if we do green, and we put pink flowers on the wall? Alas, she is a persistent one, so I guess we are going with pink after all. What a girly girl!