Gone Fishing

I've written before about how similar Abby and I are. The fact that we are so much alike helps when it comes to having fun, but it also causes us to butt our stubborn heads...quite a lot actually. She doesn’t give Jason half as much trouble as she does me when it comes to things like getting ready and following directions. That’s much of what makes the mornings run so smoothly - mom gets factored out of the equation pretty early, and those two can enjoy each other’s company.

Tonight was another example of how well they get along. After dinner I was enjoying a nice cup of hot tea, when Abby decided she needed a black dress. Abby doesn’t have a black dress, but she would not listen to reason - or her mother. So, as she called from the stairs, imploring me to get her a black dress, I refused to move, telling her there was no such dress. I’d had a good, but tiring, day at school and I wasn’t about to go searching for a dress that didn’t exist, so I sipped my tea and figured that at some point she’d give up - she did.

A bit later I heard her upstairs with Jason, and although I couldn’t make out what was being said, I could hear quite a bit of loud yelling. This is not at all typical, so I thought I should just get up and investigate. As I got upstairs I saw that things were not as dire as I had predicted. Yes, they were both yelling, but that’s because they were both fishing.

I had to laugh when I spotted them next to each other in our bed playing a fishing video game. Abby held the fishing rod controller, and Jason had the standard controller. I watched as they (loudly) encouraged each other to cast their lines, and then laughed and shouted when a fish was caught. Abby saw me and said, “Look, Mama! I’m fishing with Dada!” She was thrilled, and they were both having a blast.

So I smiled, and went downstairs to finish my tea, leaving them to have their fun.

Soon enough it was time to call it quits because the “fisherwoman” needed to get to bed. She put up a bit of resistance, until I suggested that she take her fish with her. She slid off the bed and then said, “Oh, wait a minute!” and turned around to grab her “bucket” of fish to bring upstairs. She held that pretend bucket in her little fist as we started to go, and then backtracked to give them to Bruiser - apparently he looked hungry for some of her fresh catch.

I suspect there will be more fishing adventures for those two to come.

Even though this is several years old, it remains one of my favorites!

Twas the Last Day of Break

Ahh, the last day of Christmas vacation. This is always bitter sweet to me. I enjoy teaching and it is good for me to have a set schedule, but I also love that I have the luxury of enjoying my hobbies when I'm on a break, because of that it is always hard to head back to school.

Abby, on the other hand, can't wait to get back to her teachers and friends. This makes me so happy!

So in honor of our last day, I give you my version of "Twas the Night Before Christmas".

Twas the Last Day of Break

Twas the last day of break and all through the house

every creature was preparing - and trying not to grouse.

The backpacks were placed by the front door with care,

in hopes that a snowstorm might come out of thin air.

And Abby was nestled, all snug in her her bed,

while visions of letters danced in her head.

While I in my slippers, stood packing her lunch

I noticed some laundry I’d missed - quite a bunch.

Away to the washer I flew like a flash

tore open the top and threw things in with a splash.

When what to my wondering eyes came to sight,

but a couple more loads that needed cleaning this night.

With a sigh and a groan I trudged away from those clothes,

Knowing that it’d be some time before in bed I could doze.

My break had gone fast, in the blink of an eye,

It made me quite grumpy - I’m not going to lie.

But then I thought back to all that we’d done,

The laughing and joking, and all of the the fun.

What a blessing it is to have had all this time,

to be with my family - to complain is a crime.

I do miss my students, and their inquisitive ways,

And Abby’s been asking for school, for quite a few days.

So we’ll enjoy these last few hours of our Christmas holiday,

And be so very thankful for the extra time we’ve had to play.

This was taken a couple of days ago, but it shows how ready she is
to get back in the swing of "working" again.

Abby's First Crush

It seems that Abby has her first crush. Over break one of her favorite movies has become "Enchanted" - you know that charming little movie about the princess that “falls” from a cartoon to real life? Not only does Abby love the music, and will sometimes insist on both of us singing the “Happy Working Song” as we straighten up, but it seems that she is quite enamored of one of the stars.

This afternoon, while we were enjoying some mother-daughter bonding over a coloring book and some crayons, she asked to watch “Giselle”, more specifically she wanted to watch “Edward”. Now, the character of Edward is played by James Marsden and is perfect for the guileless prince who follows his “one true love” to New York City. As we colored she would keep patting my arm and saying things like, “Look! Look, Mom it’s Edward!” But the best was when she told me, “I want Edward to come to Abby’s house, and give me hugs.”

I couldn’t help it - I laughed. She wanted to know what was so funny, and all I could tell her was, “You are.” I followed up my laughing by asking her if she had a crush on Edward. She gave me a prim little, “Yes.”

I will say that Jason didn’t think it was quite as funny as I did. Later, when she was playing with her Barbies, we heard her have the girl Barbie say, “Hi Edward. Want to get married?” to the boy Barbie - he didn’t laugh quite as heartily as I.

Abby was enjoying some of "The Phantom of the Opera" today,
and of course, she needed to wear her opera hat!

Catching Phrases

Lately I've noticed how much I say certain phrases over and over, not because I catch myself saying them, but because Abby has started repeating them. For some reason some of the things that I say sound so much funnier coming out of her mouth. Here are a few that I've heard recently.

"I have an idea!"

When I say this it is usually followed by Abby saying, "'Tis it?", but when Abby says it, it usually means she wants something. Tonight she was extra funny when she said it. She came to me after finishing her dinner and asked, "What's next?" I told her that she'd already eaten her dinner, so there was no "next".

"I have an idea!" she said.

"What?" I asked.

"How 'bout noodles!"

"Nope"

"Oh, ummm," she continued. "I have an idea!"

"What?" I asked again.

"How 'bout soup!"

"You already ate your dinner," I reminded her again.

"Oh, too bad.....I have an idea!"

"What?" 

"How 'bout pepperoni pizza!"

"Abby" I said around a laugh, "No."

"Ohhhh....too bad.....I have an idea!"

"What!?!"

"A popsicle!"

I think that may have been her plan all along, because she got that popsicle.

"Sup Dawg!"

Abby got a pair of walkie-talkies for Christmas. She loves her "pink phones", but she doesn't quite have the concept down. First, she likes to be right next to you while using them, which often produces squealing feedback. Second, she has to be reminded that in order for her voice to come through, she needs to hold down the side button the whole time she is talking. It usually isn't a problem hearing her though - since she's right next to you.

Today, she wanted to talk on her "phones" so she sat next to me at the table, picked up her handset and said, "'Sup Dawg!" right into the speaker. Apparently I've said that one too many times into my own handset. Oops!

"Way cool!"

Now, I know I don't say this....at least I think I don't....Anyway, yesterday as we were coloring she let that one fly. Usually when I'm coloring with Abby she will get distracted by what I'm doing and steal my paper  trade with me, replacing it with the one she was working on. Yesterday though, she was great. We colored together and she didn't try to take my picture once. Each time either of us would finish a picture we'd hold it up and ask, "What do you think?" That was the cue for the other one of us to lay the praise on thick. 

It was while I was coloring one picture though that Abby looked over and said, "What are you doing?" When I told her I was coloring the sky she said, "Wow! That's way cool, Mom!" I thought about recording that, so I could play it back over and over during Abby's teen years, but I thought that might be a little much.

"Bruiser's fine!"

Somewhere along the way Bruiser got it in his head that if Abby is sitting on my lap, or cuddling on the couch with me, it means that all the "kids" in the house will eventually get a turn. He has this habit of getting right up and digging his nose under my arm, pushing his way in. Abby thinks this is hilarious. I will usually pet him, and acknowledge him, but he's a glutton and so it will often take a firm, "Bruiser! That's enough!" before he backs down.

Once again this scenario played out this morning. With Abby giggling on my lap, and Bruiser howling and trying to climb up too, I finally cried out, "Alright everyone...that's enough!" To which Abby replied, "Aww c'mon, Mom. Bruiser's fine!"

After which both of them picked up right where they'd left off.

I could go on and on about how now she says, "Ouchie-wa-wa" instead of just, "Ouch" when something hurts, or how her favorite question these days is, "What's so funny?", but I've got to end this post at some point. Suffice it to say, Abby is repeating back so much of what we say, that I'm awfully glad we don't use any stronger language than, "Aww bugger-de-do!" when I stub my toe, or  the "Oh fudge popsicle!" Jason said when he dropped something the other day. I just never know what's going to come out of that pert little mouth of hers...

Cowgirl Abby

By 7:30 this morning we were ready - ready for a couple of Abby's buddies to descend upon us for a day of rollicking play....but then we got the call that one of them had gotten sick. Abby was disappointed, but she was more worried about her friend. Having been there a time or two, she knows that it is no fun to be sick.

Hoping to lift her spirits (and give us something to do), Jason suggested we take a little trip to the toy store. Around lunch time I proposed the trip to Abby and she jumped at the opportunity. The first words out of her mouth were, "Where's my money?"

Last night, after she'd gotten her allowance, she promptly "hid" it in her bedroom. And so, she ran right to the spot and got her dollar. She didn't let go of that dollar the whole time we got ready and drove to the store.

Luckily, Jason was in the neighborhood, so he was able to come too. Oh, she was fun to watch in that store. She went with the idea that she would get a dollie, and I figured that she would be heading right in that direction once we walked in the door, but she got stuck right off the bat. There were Christmas decorations to look at, and a whole case of umbrellas, but it was the brooms that really caught her eye. She grabbed one and demonstrated her technique, all the while talking about how she would clean the kitchen. Jason made the remark that she now knew how to get more moo-la, so it made sense that she would find something that would help her with her chores - and keep her pockets lined.

It was when she saw the dress-up clothes, though that all of her good intentions went out the window. She tried on hats and looked at dresses, but fell in love with the cowboy outfit. Once she had that she told us, "Nope, no more dollies - cowgirl outfit!"

Having made her choice we were on to the counter. She paid her dollar and Daddy generously fronted her the rest of the money. As we walked to the car she had to show everyone what she'd gotten. I felt kind of bad for the guy trying to get in the store - she wouldn't let him in until he'd shown a proper appreciation for her first purchase.

Since the original plan was to take Abby and her friends out to lunch, I even offered to get her a pizza to take home, but she didn't want any of that. She only wanted to get home as soon as she could, so she could get that costume on.

So now we have another occupation to add to Abby's list - she told me this afternoon, in no uncertain terms, that she wanted to be a cowboy when she grew up. And that is that!

Abby paid her dollar, but on the way home asked, "Where'd
my dollar go?"  We had to explain that this was how things
worked. If she wanted something at a store, she had to give up her
dollars. Welcome to the world, Kiddo!

Seems it was a fair trade. One dollar = one item...right?

There's a new sheriff in town.

"Well, howdy, Pardner! What brings you to town?"

Cooking

Cooking is not my favorite, but this afternoon as I started working on dinner Abby decided to help, and we had a great time.

My first chore was to peel the potatoes, since Abby couldn't help with that for real, she improvised. She used her finger as a potato peeler and her other fist as a potato. I told her that her "real" job was to keep me company, so she decided to tell me a story. Here's how it went:

Once upon a time there was a King Mama who was peeling potatoes, and Princess Abigail helped her. They lived happily ever after. The end.

Once we had all the peeling done, I set to cutting the potatoes. That's when she leaned on the counter to watch me and said, "So, Mom....how was your day?" I loved that she was taking the job of providing company for me so seriously, so I didn't remind her that we'd spent the whole day together, and she knew how my day had been going. Instead, I shared my favorite parts of the day and asked her how her day was going, to which she replied, "Um...good."

The most fun though was while she was mixing up the green bean casserole. By that point we had Disney radio playing on Pandora and were belting out "Be Our Guest" and "You've Got a Friend in Me" along with some of our other favorites, while Bruiser howled in the other room.

Tonight cooking was actually fun...thanks to Abby.

It was a musical day all around here!

Abby's dinner was "noodles" tonight, and even though
she's gotten pretty good at keeping them in the bowl, she still ended
up with sauce all over her face and shirt.

Abby got her first payday. Since she cleared the table (one of
her new chores) Jason doled out her allowance. The funny thing was
she didn't want to take her sauce covered shirt off, so Jason tried to encourage
her. Unfortunately he didn't think about what he said, before he said it. It was
only after he told her, "Abby, if you want your money, your going to have
to take your shirt off," that we realized that wasn't quite the message we
wanted to send to our daughter.  Oops!

Patience

On a "Patience" scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being "The Patience of a Saint", Abby ranks about a 1 (and I may be generous here). In short, Abby has no patience. I firmly believe this is due to both nature and nurture. Jason said just the other day, "She has no patience!" He then turned to me and continued, "That one's my fault - I can't wait for anything." I also think that being an only child has not done her any service when it comes to waiting for things - frankly, she generally doesn't have to. This is something we've been deliberately trying to correct, now that we are seeing some "brat-ish" behavior rearing it's ugly head, so it is a work in progress for all of us.

Now, Abby isn't always a little terror when she doesn't get what she wants - when she wants it, she also has the tendency to dissolve into a pathetic mass of heartbroken weeping. Such was the case today.

Jason wasn't feeling all that great today, and since he needs to head back to work tomorrow (poor guy!) he wanted to lay low. Abby and I were working on our third day at home, and both of us were getting a bit stir crazy, so we took a trip out to see Nana and Papa. Before we left though, they wanted us to bring along Abby's snow stuff and sled, because they were excited to take her out to play. So, I packed up the car and we headed out.

Now, the sled is just long enough that I had to put the seat down next to Abby for it to fit, so she knew, as soon as she climbed into the car, what fun she would have with Nana and Papa. She had a good hour in the car to dream about all the sledding fun she would have. So, when we arrived she was ready to go - unfortunately, we got there a bit early and needed to wait for Papa to get back from the store. This was not good.

Abby, who had insisted on getting the sled out of the car and wouldn't let it out of her sight, didn't like to hear that she would need to wait, so once we got her in the house (with the sled) she sat by the door and bawled....pathetically....as if her heart were breaking....

The best course of action when this happens is to leave her alone for a bit, Abby likes a little time to wallow. Finally, she would take some comfort from me, and an alternative - we'd take the sled into the living room and she could sit in it, watching TV, until Papa came home. With big tears running down her face, she agreed to that, but there was no way we were getting her coat off.

And they all piled in.

Soon enough Papa got home and joined in the practicing that Abby and Nana had been doing in the sled. Have I mentioned what good sports Nana and Papa are? Then, leaving me with a couple of hours on my own (much appreciated, since Abby decided that 4:45 a.m. would be the start to our day today) they left to have some fun.

They came home tired and happy, talking about what a fun time they all had. I thought about mentioning to Abby that it was well worth the wait, but I figured I'd let that sleeping dog lie.

I love the absolute joy on both of their faces!

Good thing Nana can see where they're going!

I think that Nana got her workout today. What a stinker, making Nana drag her back up the hill!

Tire swings are always a good idea!