10 Months

Annemarie Colleen is ten months old as of yesterday.  And she's wonderful.  

I had a feeling my sweet girl wasn't feeling quite herself when I trekked off to work yesterday.  When I got home: 103.9 temp and a very sad baby.

But she'll be fine in a few days and, even sick, that girl is something fabulous.

At ten months, Annie:

1.) coasts around furniture with relative ease

2.) climbs up and over nearly everything

3.) giggles constantly and is super-ticklish

4.) adores her father

6.) still hates to be snuggled to sleep

7.) still wears her pearls every single day...even at the pool 

8.) has a dark, shiny, beautiful little pixie

9.) loves her headbands and hair bows

10.) does not care for shoes

11.) loves blueberries

12.) and bananas

13.) and peas, carrots, corn, rice, graham crackers...well, food. Girl can eat.

14.) makes an Olympic sport of nursing

15.) is warm and affectionate and the nicest little fancy-pants I have ever met.

Ugh, that girl.  She's fabulous. She even makes a virus look good.

Glitter in her veins, that one.

I'm not winning any awards today for timeliness of posts, as I'm now over a month late on commemorating Leo's birthday, but can I at least get credit for the effort?

While not adequately documented, Leo's birthday was actually quite wonderful with lots of singing and cake and dinner picked out just by him. (Shrimp this year.  It wasn't his favorite, but he thought it looked cool in the display case at the store.) We had to wait to celebrate as a family until Adam was home, and had a great time just being a family and showing our sweet and incredibly handsome boy some lovin'. We went to the park, out to lunch, opened presents...the typical low-key birthday-type things. Honestly, and it pains me to say it, but Leo doesn't ask for much, so low-key suits him well.  It was hard even getting him to ask for presents because all he really wanted for his birthday was for us to sing to him and have cake.  That's it. When he did open his presents (relatively small ones, I might add), he just fell beside himself.  "For me? You got these for me? For my birthday?! For MY birthday?!" God bless that sweet kid.

And, without further ado, here is Leo's very first birthday interview.  (He hasn't quite got the hang of it yet. He'll get there.)

1. Leo, how old are you this year? (Holds up four fingers.) Mom, look at me.  This is how old I am.

2.) Do you know when you turned four? (Holds up four fingers again.) Like this? Like, when I go like this?

3.) How does it feel to be four years old? I don't know. 'Citing, I guess.  (Patrick chimes in, "Just say it feels happy. It sounds better if you just say happy.")

4.) How was your birthday this year? April 30th. (Clearly, we're off here.)

5.) What is the most important thing you have learned in life so far? I have learned how to build Legos.

6.) How do you think you are different now than you were at three? (Holds up four fingers again.) It looks like this. 

7.) What is your favorite things about yourself? I like to play with toys. (Picking nose.) I have curly hair.

8.) You'll be in preschool pretty soon! How does that make you feel? I'm happy to be going to school. Da-da-dum!

9.) Who is your best friend? Patrick. Not Hatchie, because all of the time he is rude to me.

10.) What is one thing you like to learn about? God. God books.

11.) Tell me about our family. Should I say framly or fam-i-ly? Family. Family. Daddy and Mommy. We play the DS. Patrick is family. I'm family. Hatchie is framly...I mean fam-i-ly, Annie is family.  And you. And Daddy.

12.) What do you like about being a big brother? What? I don't think about any of these things. I don't know, I guess.

13.) If you had a whole day to do anything you wanted, what would you do? Play with Patrick. And I would go see Grandma again.

14.) What is your favorite song? (Singing) Everything is Awesome!

15.) What is your favorite movie? Everything is Awesome, I mean The Lego Movie.

16.) Favorite book? The Lego Movie Book.

17.) Favorite toy? Emmett.

18.) What do you want to be when you grow up? I just want to go to school. Maybe a fireman.

19.) How old do you think you'llbe when you get married? I'm getting so tired of this.  I don't think about these things.

20.) What do you know about girls? You. Hooters. (Omg.)

21.) Favorite food? Chicken nuggets.

22.) Favorite candy? Granola bars!!!

23.) Are you scared of anything? I'm scared when you turn the lights off in my room.

24.) Anything else you want to say. No. Please can I be done?

Yes. Done. My conscience can rest easily now.

Happy Summer Vacation to all!

It's The Last Day of Kindergarten And All Is Well

I feel like there are several other posts that need to come before this, but I'll have to work my way there.  For now, here's the latest:

Today is Patrick John's last day of kindergarten.  I went to see our big guy at school today (and bring the teachers' gifts I forgot to send in the first place) and while I marveled at the half-grown, friendly, cheerful little guy on the monkey bars (who even let me hug and kiss him in front of his friends), one of his teachers struck up a conversation with me.  As she spoke, my pride for Patrick continued to grow.

"Patrick always listens the first time."

"Patrick always does the right thing."

"Patrick is always happy to be here."

"Patrick's laugh.  The big laugh.  Do you know what I'm talking about?" (Do I ever.)

"If I ever had a little boy, I would dress him just like Patrick."

 

And there was this kid, the one with the big attitude who butts heads with me daily and who allllllwwwaaays think he's right, the one I worried about having home full-time again and the fighting that is sure to ensue, the one whose behavior I question...that one, he's a good kid.  When I'm not there to remind him, he's a good kid.  

Either because of us or in spite of us, something has gone right in that handsome little freckled boy.

I'm just so proud. So proud.

(And maybe still just a little worried about the fighting this summer.  These boys. They fight.)