Little Lady Conversations

Tonight, we took Maya's little friend, Lydia, with us to gymnastics. It was the last day of this session, so they encouraged everyone to bring a friend to class. We dropped off Liam in exchange for Lydia, so the girls rode together in the backseat of the truck. I wish we could have recorded their conversation during the entire ride. You can only imagine what a 2 1/2 year old and 3 1/2 year old have to talk about for 15 minutes... oh, boy, was it funny! Maya would ask Lydia, "Where's your dowhouse?" Lydia would say, "At my house!" I don't know how many times we heard that, then they got into a discussion about Maya getting a dollhouse. Lydia said she has TWO dollhouses, so Maya then needed two dollhouses. I told her we would put it on her Christmas list. Lucky for us, she's still young enough that tactic actually works! At one point, Maya says, "You know what else?" I replied, "No. What?" She goes, "I don't know, eider." (giggle, sigh, little smile) She is too darn cute!!

Class went great, and Lydia really seemed to enjoy herself. Maya had a great time, showing Lydia the ropes, so to speak. They ended the class with some parachute play, which I haven't seen before, so that was cool. At one point, they were supposed to fill the chute with air, then hold it down in front of them, so there would be a big mountain in the middle of all the kids. The kids were to stay on the outside of the parachute. They counted to 3, the parachute went up, and just before it came back down, two little bodies scampered into the parachute mountain. Who do you think they belonged to? You guessed it, Lydia and Maya were M.I.A. Every once in a while, I could see one of their hands pushing against the inside of the chute. Either the teachers didn't notice or didn't care, but they never made them come out. I only started to worry when some of the kids started stepping on the chute to get the air out of it, but both girls resurfaced on the outside completely unscathed.

On the way home, they got into a little squabble about who was bigger. Lydia says, "I'm taller." Maya replies, "I'm wery, WERY bigger!" Lydia must have shaken her head "no" because Maya dropped her head down and began to pout. I asked her what was wrong, and she explained, "Yihia (Lydia) says I'm not bigger." I said, "Well, you BOTH must be big to be big sisters, right?" Maya liked that, but Lydia wasn't so sure. Lydia is definitely bigger than Maya, but not in Maya's eyes! I tried to soften the blow by reminding Maya that she is bigger than Charlie and Liam. She seemed to like that. Sadly, that will probably be short-lived because I bet those boys will be bigger than Maya inside of this next year. I can't wait to have the girls together again. Their conversations are hilarious!

Ash Wednesday

Look at what Buddy can do!! He's 13 1/2 months, and he's figured out how to climb onto everything! His determination to keep up with Maya, coupled with the fact that he's strong enough and tall enough to physically match her every move, makes him a TOTAL danger to himself! Just like Maya, he has no fear. Now, the race is on to see who ends up in a cast first (my money's on Liam)... ugh, I loathe the thought!

Here they are, just climbing on a Christmas storage box that STILL needs to be put away. Yes, it will be a long night. We have Mom's Club play group here tomorrow morning, so I need to get on this stuff! Well, that and fact that it's the middle of February already! News flash: Christmas is OVER!
I'm so happy that we decided to get this play set for the kids for Christmas this year. They are on it constantly whenever we're in the basement. It's a huge hit! In the last week, Liam has worked up the courage to go down the slide all by himself. Just this week, Maya has started sitting at the bottom of the slide, holding her hands out, saying, "I dot chu, Buddy!"
He slides down, crashing into her, and they giggle every single time...
Maya has invented a new way to go down the slide, head-first (which I'm going on record as saying that I am NOT crazy about this) and on her back. She loves it!Another favorite past time in our house is playing "library girl", which entails taking the books off of the shelves in Will's office. Typically, a library girl would be found re-shelving the books, but not in this library...
And here's our little "library boy"...
After careful consideration and dozens of book pushed to the floor, they climbed into the big, comfy chair and settled in for a little "light" reading...
The garbage man is here!! Garbage day is a HUGE hit. The kids run to the window and watch the truck go around the cul-de-sac...
Liam listens intently as Maya explains the finer points of trash collection. Likely, he is taking it all in as helpful information to assist him when he plays "garbage boy". That's what Maya says when I am yelling at Liam to get out of the trash can. "Mommy, Buddy's being garbage boy!" Oh, yeah, I forgot. Then by all means, take out those egg shells and raw meat scraps with your bare hands... heeheehee... just kidding!

On another note, today is the first time I have observed Ash Wednesday. Since joining the Presbyterian church, I have not had the time or desire to learn about some of their rituals. I'm just being honest. Really, after Liam was born, I think we went to church (maybe) five times that whole first year. It just wasn't a priority. Now, things are much different. I have the time. I have the desire. I called my friend (and pastor), Jen, to find out about these different holy days... Ash Wednesday, Lent, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and found out that all of these days, lead up to the main event, Easter Sunday. Tonight, Will and I took turns going to church to observe Ash Wednesday in preparation of the Lenten season. I was first to go, and when I entered the sanctuary, the lights were off, there was soft meditative music playing, and Jen was sitting in the first row of pews, waiting to share Communion with anyone who wanted to partake. As I took my place in the pew, I didn't really know what to expect. This season is about cleansing, starting over, recognizing how we've strayed from God, and refocusing our lives back to Him. Pretty powerful stuff. I sat there quietly and thought about my short-comings as a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, and a friend, and I gave thanks for all the MANY blessings in my life. Often, being in church stirs up a lot of emotion in me, and I'm not sure why. Like many times before, the flood gates opened, and tears just started pouring out. My struggle lies in my inability to relinquish control to God. I'm a natural worrier, a caregiver, and most often, I tend to bear the weight of the world on my shoulders. As I sat in that pew, I tried so very hard to just "turn it all over to God," and the resulting tears came from the realization and shame that even in church, I struggle with that concept. As I made my way to the front of the church (with hot tears still streaming down my face), I was comforted with Jen's open arms, a warm embrace between good friends. I felt that without saying a word, she understood. She reminded me of the sacrifice that Jesus made for me, so I could have forgiveness. I ate the bread and drank the juice, and then she placed the sign on the cross on my forehead with ashes, which is done to remind us of our own mortality (another tear-inducing topic for me). We embraced again, and she whispered to me, "I'm so glad you're my friend," and all I could choke out was a heartfelt, "Me, too." I'm so thankful for the people that have been placed in my life, Jen being one of many. Having the opportunity to sit and reflect on my life and relationships was a great thing for me. It took some time, but I came to realize that leaning on God is what I need to be doing this season and for the rest of my life. I'm going to make a more conscience effort to do just that... let God have control. I'm anxious to find out how it feels to live without that weight on my shoulders. (As an aside, I also gave up Facebook, fast-food, take-out, and chocolate... for the next 40 days. I also prayed for LOTS of patience. I can always use more of that, especially now that we're potty training.)

Now, to lighten the mood...
Tonight, Maya was getting ready for bed, putting on her Ariel socks, and told me that I needed Ariel on my socks, too. I agreed and said, "Yeah, Mommy's socks are just plain white. They're pretty boring." She went on about her business, and we began reading some bedtime stories.

Fast-forward about 10 minutes... I had just finished reading "Mother Goose", and she went to the bookshelf to pick out the next book in the line-up. She picked up some Little Golden Book off the shelf and said, "Dis book's boring," and put it in the box with her wipes, next to the bookshelf. She picked up another Little Golden Book off the shelf and said, "Dis book's boring, too," and placed it with the other "boring" book in the box of misfit books. Since I've NEVER heard Maya call anything "boring" before, I was totally taken off-guard, so I asked, "That book is boring?" She replied, "Yeah, juss wike your socks." I cracked up!! I was laughing harder than I'd laughed all day, maybe all week. I never would have guessed that nonchalant statement about the design (or lack thereof) of my socks would resurface just moments later, in a description about her books! Oh my goodness... that girl is just too much sometimes!

Chicago MARATHON!

Guess what?? I'm running in the Chicago Marathon!! Buddy looks as though to say, "Say, what??"...That's right!! I am officially registered as of tonight, so there's no turning back now. I will be running as a competitor in the Chicago Marathon on October 10, 2010 (10.10.10 cool, huh?), and I'm super excited and proud of myself for committing to this HUGE endeavor! It will be such an accomplishment to cross the finish line!
Oh, look! There's one of my biggest fans right now! I can already hear it, "Yay, Mama! Go, go, go!!" I can't wait to hear Maya cheering, "C-M-O, Mahco, Mahco, watch him go!" (This is from Angelina Ballerina, where Marco runs in a marathon, and Angelina makes up a cheer for him. Maya chants this all the time!) If that's not motivation, I don't know what is!

"...mose savorite dirl in whoe why worowd."

As Maya and I were snuggled up on the couch, looking at a "Women's Running" magazine tonight, she said to me, "Mommy, you my mose savorite dirl in whoe why worowd." I gave her a big squeeze and kiss and said, "Awww... thank you, sweetie! You're my most favorite girl in the whole wide world, too." She looks at me and says, "No! You MY savorite dirl!" Okay, clearly this was turning into a game of ownership! I wasn't into playing "who owns the most favorite girl in the whole wide world," so I graciously conceded. Well, Will was sitting on the couch with us, though he could not see our faces because we were concealed behind a magazine, and he asked, "What about me? Maya, am I your favorite boy in the whole wide world?" Maya looks up at me, scrunches up her nose in a look of disgust, and shakes her head 'no'. (Sidenote - she's already so smart to know that if she said it out loud, her Daddy would hear her, and she didn't want to hurt his feelings! I find that fascinating!) Will, who you'll remember couldn't see her said, "Maya, what about me?" I lifted the magazine just a little so he could see what she was doing, and he said, "I'm not your favorite boy the in whole wide world?!" She said, "No!" He asks, "Then who's your favorite boy?" Maya explains what she makes sound to be so blatantly obvious, "Buddy! Buddy my savorite boy in whoe why worowd! You my savorite Daddy in whoe why worowd." Awww....

Also, in church today, Maya was the only kid to go up to the steps of the alter for the Children's Message, so she got to have some one-on-one time (in front of a very captive audience) with our lay-pastor, Donna. At one point, Donna asked her if she has any brothers or sisters, and Maya told her, "I have Buddy!" Donna looked at me for an explanation, so I explained, "She has one brother, and she calls him 'Buddy'." I think she single-handedly warmed the hearts of every person in the congregation. I'm so proud of her!

Liam is starting to build a little vocabulary, too! A few days ago, he was standing in his crib, arms outstretched, saying, "Down! Down!", and today, he was standing in the bathtub (clearly done with his bath), arms outstretched again, saying, "Ow! Ow! Ow!" (out, out, out!). What a smart boy! He also says, "Hi!", "booh" (book), "Wheee!" (while going down slide), and one of our personal favorites, "Uh-uh-oh", "Uh-oh", or "Uh-oh-oh"... it varies all the time, but it's just as funny every time! His first and second words ( at about 11 months and favorites of ours) were "Bock!" (bonk - said while he is favorite head-butting game, laughing and smiling all the while) and "Whoa!" (said whenever he fell down). He also makes a little high-pitched "ruh, ruh!" sound whenever he sees a puppy, meows like a kitty when he sees a cat, and in the doctor's office this week, he roared at a painting of a lion on the wall! It was so funny! He was standing there, looking at the mural, and let out this, "roar!" (think baby Simba, The Lion King). Dr. Sterenberg looked at Liam, then looked at me and asked, "Did he just roar at that lion?!" Laughing, I said, "Yes, I think he did!" He's building his vocabulary VERY quickly! He's just so smart!

Inspirational Poem... A Must Read!

Lost Generation
By Jonathan Reed

I realize this may be a shock but
'Happiness comes from within'
is a lie, and
'Money will make me happy'
So in thirty years I will tell my children
they are not the most important thing in my life.
My employer will know that
I have my priorities straight because
work
is more important than
family
I tell you this
Once upon a time
Families stayed together
but this will not be true in my era
this is a quick fix society
Experts tell me
Thirty years from now I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of my divorce
I do not concede that
I will live in a country of my own making
In the future
Environmental destruction will be the norm
No longer can it be said that
My peers and I care about this earth
It will be evident that
My generation is apathetic and lethargic
It is foolish to presume that
There is hope.

And all of this will come true unless we choose to reverse it.

Read this poem, line for line, from the bottom to the top, and you will get a much different message. It's brilliant.

Dat Makes Me Nervous!

I was tucking Maya in for her nap this afternoon, and as she settled in with her big stuffed Minnie Mouse, she patted the big poofy bow on Minnie's head and said VERY seriously, "Dat makes me nervous." I looked at Minnie and asked, "What makes you nervous?" Maya responded, again very seriously, "Dis bow makes me nervous!" I cracked up laughing (I couldn't possibly hold it in any longer!), and asked, "Why does that bow make you nervous?" She cracked a smile and explained, "Dat bow makes me nervous betause it's siwwys!" We both laughed some more. She can be SO goofy sometimes! This is definitely the FIRST time I have heard her use the word "nervous". It seems as though we may have a bit of a drama queen on our hands!

Maya's Quotes of the Day...

This morning, Maya went into Liam's room with me to get him out of bed. While I was retrieving an outfit out of his closet for his 1 year old pictures, I turned to look at the crib, and this is what I saw/heard: Liam was standing up at the side of the bed, gripping the top of the railing, giving it a shake every now and then. Maya was standing right in front of him, arms outstretched up to him, and she said, "I tan't dit you, Buddy. I not taw enough." It was the sound of sincere apology in her voice that made me catch my breath. Then she turned to me and said, "Buddy needs you hewp get out a bed." Awww... she really tries so hard to help her brother ANY time she sees he is in distress (well, unless the distress was caused by her, then he's on his own). Another good example is when he starts to fuss while I am changing him in the laundry room. Maya could be totally engrossed in a cartoon in the living room, and I can count on her to come running in with a toy for him to play with, "Hewe, Buddy!" I don't even have to ask. She runs in, gives him the toy, and runs back out. Her little heart can't bear to see him upset, even for a second. It's really cute.

On another note, just when I think I have her figured out, something happens that totally throws me for a loop. Yesterday, I snapped a picture of a squirrel on Maya's bird feeder. She happened to be napping at the time of the invasion, so I got a few shots of the squirrel, helping itself to some bird seed. I thought she'd be thrilled to see the squirrel. Tonight, I remembered I had the pictures, and Maya had not yet seen them. I grabbed the camera and told her there were some pictures I had taken for her. She was all excited to see the pictures until I explained what she was looking at. Her demeanor changed from one of happy excitement (because she LOVES looking at pictures on the camera) to one of GREAT disdain as she responded, "NO! I don't want sirrel on my bird seeder!" I said, "I'm sorry, I thought you would like it." With a look of disgust on her face, she restated, "No. I don't want dat sirrel on dare!" I reassured her that the next time I saw I squirrel on her feeder, I would tell it to get off of there. She was satisfied with that, thank goodness! I cracked up. Apparently, she's got quite a bit of Nanny in her! I just thought, somewhere in heaven, Nanny is laughing out loud and saying, "That's my girl!" I SO wish that Nanny could have met Maya. There are times when Maya does remind us a lot of Nanny, and I think Nanny would have gotten quite a kick out of her budding, spunky personality. I think she would have found that she'd met her match in this compact package of cleverness and wit. I can only imagine the conversations the two of them would have had... I'm sure a top priority would have been plotting to get rid of the squirrels once and for all. It's truly a loss for both of them, not having the opportunity to spend some of this life together on earth. Nanny will always be missed, but I think we'll always have bits and pieces of her spirit shining through in Maya. That will prove to be interesting, I'm sure! As Will so eloquently put it once, "I love Nanny, but I sure as heck don't want to RAISE Nanny!" Hahaha... We shall see... : )