Elmo's Party

Since Steve and I have been together, we've always spent Thanksgiving with his family. My family has never really done anything special for the day except enjoy a day off of work or school. But since it's a long weekend, and my mom's birthday is November 25th, we always go visit her for her birthday more than Thanksgiving. So, this past Thanksgiving when Hannah saw my mom's birthday present wrapped in pretty pink paper while we were in Georgia, she informed us she was "reh-reh go to the party." For four and half hours while we drove from Columbus to Pulaski she talked about going to the party. About half way through the trip, it went from just a party to Elmo's party. I'm still not sure where the idea of Elmo having a party came from, but Hannah was adamant that we should be going. We made it to my mom's house, and my mom unwrapped her birthday presents. I think Hannah may have been a little disappointed in my mom's gifts and that Elmo didn't show up for the "party."

So when we heard that Sesame Street Live would be coming to Nashville, we decided Hannah would love to go. I worried that the adult size characters would scare her since she'd only seen Elmo on TV, in books or the doll size version. We tried to prepare her by telling her we were going to see a BIG Elmo so she wouldn't be too freaked out at the show.

For the first 15 minutes of the performance, Hannah didn't move. She stared in complete awe at the stage. But as soon as she realized the child in front of her had some sort of toy that could spin and light up, her attention quickly shifted from the stage. She still enjoyed the characters, but she constantly pointed to the child's toy and said, "I have that." The toy didn't look particularly safe to me, so I didn't jump at the chance to spend $15 so my child could poke her eye out. Even without the toy, I think Hannah did very well and really enjoyed her first musical.

Madison

After 15 years of being my faithful companion, Madison is no longer with me. He still longed to play and jump into my arms, but his little body was giving out. Steve and I were with him as we let his body relax, and the pain went away. We took him to his Gran’s house to be reunited with Maggie.

Steve, Hannah and I miss him terribly, but I am so grateful I was able to keep him as long as I did. He took care of me when I was sick or just sad. He was with me as I grew from a dependent college student to an independent adult, wife and mother.

I will always love my sweet baby boy.

End of Summer Vacation

A few weeks ago, we were able to take a family trip to Gulf Shores for a little relaxation on the beach. This year’s vacation included the whole family with Gran, Daddy B, Steve, Hannah and even Madison joining me. Nashville was in the middle of a two week rainy season, so we were glad to get away and enjoy some sunshine and sand!

I’d been a little apprehensive prior to the trip since Hannah doesn’t have a very good track record with long drives in the car. Last year’s trip does not bring back happy thoughts when I remember the drive home from Ft. Walton. Maybe she’s just a little older and her attention span has gotten a bit longer, but she did really well travelling both to and from Gulf Shores. We were grateful for her love of Elmo since his books and movies helped keep her occupied for several hours.

During last year’s vacation, Hannah didn’t seem to have the same love for the beach as her Daddy and I do. She didn’t want to go near the ocean and couldn’t stand one grain of sand touching her which meant she spent the entire time on a sheet playing with toys and bird watching. This year she decided to be a little braver and even took her shoes off to walk in the sand. She let us cover her feet with sand and didn’t seem to mind when we even got it on her face. And the ocean? Well, we’ve got to save something for next year.

Each day was spent soaking up the sun, finding sea shells, tickling our toes in the ocean, swimming in the pool and taking naps. We ate fabulous meals of seafood with my favorite being the crab and shrimp au gratin at Louisiana Lagniappe. The weather was gorgeous every day, and going in September meant the beaches and restaurants weren’t quite as crowded.

We’ve been home two and half weeks, and Hannah is still asking to go back to the beach. I know I’m ready.

Like Mama Too

The day after I posted Like Father, Like Daughter, Hannah reminded me of my own OCD tendencies. After her bath last night, I heard her playing in the living room with her blocks. I assumed she was building another one of her four block high towers that she would then knock tumbling to the floor. Instead, she had organized them into a very neat and straight line. And she even had the patience to line up 17 blocks!

I guess there are plenty of my quirks in her little DNA.

The only difference is I would have organized them by color. Or alphabetically.

Like Father, Like Daughter

I smile when I see Hannah doing little things that remind me of myself. Like when she straightens the top of her hamper after tossing her clothes inside or when she mindlessly twirls her hair between her fingers. But leaving her shoes next to the stairs? That's all Daddy.

I Yuh You

To anyone else, “I yuh you” probably doesn’t sound very exciting, but just a few nights ago Hannah said this completely unprompted to me when her daddy was putting her to bed. She’s heard both Steve and I say, “I love you” to her since the day she was born, and she would even repeat it to us when we asked. But this was the first time I heard her say, “I yuh you, Mama” without either one of us asking. Since then she’s said, “I yuh you, dog,” but her daddy is still waiting for his turn. :)

Hearing those words and seeing this sweet face makes all those sleepless nights and temper tantrums totally worth it.

Her Social Calendar is Full

Who knew a 2 year old could have such a busy social life? Lately we’ve been very busy keeping up with Hannah’s calendar.

Hannah’s friend, Brady, turned two just one week after her birthday. We were invited to go bowling for his birthday. I wasn’t sure how a group of two year olds would manage to throw a 10 pound ball down a bowling lane, but at the Franklin bowling lanes , kids are invited to go mini bowling. Doesn’t she look like a professional as she concentrates on her form?





In late June, she began taking gymnastics (also known as "na-nacks") at Let It Shine. While she’s not a fan of the trampoline, she likes to swing, slide and climb. She’s doing great at circle time, and she’s getting better at completing the obstacle course properly. Of course if she could, she’d bounce from one obstacle to another completely out of order, but she’s learning to follow directions and complete tasks as instructed.





The annual Riverwalk Fourth of July parade is a chance for Hannah to ride in her decked out wagon, but it also gives her daddy a chance to make her some cool spinners. Isn’t she cute in her star spangled shorts?





Finally, last week we took Hannah to her first baseball game. She would’ve much rather run the bases with the boys since she kept pointing to the field and saying, “I play. I play.” A player from the opposing team was kind enough to give her her very first baseball from a game. I think her daddy was more excited than she was. She enjoyed the hot dogs and ice cream as well as the people watching (just like her mommy).



We’re enjoying our busy summer even though Hannah’s social schedule keeps us on our toes!