Since getting back to work and school last week, we've been talking on the phone a lot. It's tough going from spending all day, every day, together to only seeing each other after work until bedtime – even though I have been going to bed with you most nights...Anyway, every time I call, you usually answer and never want to let me go even after our conversation has totally been spent. You stall by saying, "Maaaaa-uum? I love you. All the way to the sky and around the sky." When I ask to talk to Nana, you say no. So I ask, "what's Nana doing?" Yesterday, without hesitation, you said, "Gam-ba-ling."
Ha! And huh? I didn't know you knew that Nana's scratch-n-wins constituted gambling. Regardless, it was hilarious – and true.
In older news, Christmas was good. Rather, being home over Christmas and New Year's was good. Dad only had to work one day and it wasn't even a full day. That was nice. Even nicer was that Grandma and Grandpa came for the weekend before Christmas and Uncle Nigel flew down on Dec. 19 - and everyone was bearing presents. You opened a good handful the week leading up to the 25th and whatever, it was better than having all of them get lost in the shuffle. It did give you a pretty greedy attitude overall and we're working (and fighting) to correct that. But this year, this Christmas, for the first time you weren't completely disappointed with everything you received - gracious even. It helped that most of your loot was "pretty stuff" which was as descriptive as it got when you asked for anything. Here's that time in pictures.
This last one is from New Year's Day. Nana had us and Margaret over for a really yummy supper.More recently, you've started swimming lessons and an obsession with swimming. There could be worse hobbies. In the last seven days, you've gone from barely wanting to get your face wet to completely submerging yourself and swimming under water with your eyes open. You even practiced in the tub last night to prepare for this morning. Quite impressive. We were set to go skating this afternoon (with your fancy new princess skates and snow helmet) but you fell asleep on the way home after lunch so you are crashed out on the couch right now. Nice to have some physical activities - it's been so cold then totally contrasted by single digit temps this past week.
Which takes us inside. Your days are filled with dressing up and making yourself up, sometimes with Brynn who you usually have playdates with every Tuesday and Thursday after preschool. It's nice to have such a good friend. The dresses were mostly from Christmas, but you also got a box of Disney princess dresses shortly after Christmas with all the points you and Nana had earned from Chuck E. Cheeses - all 4,500 points. Nice...
I made the mermaid tail yesterday as the Ariel costume only came with a skirt. The nerve...
And that's about it. Which is enough on top of work and school. Your baby brother is growing. We can see him kick and squirm quite a bit now. Every morning you whip up my shirt to see if he's grown, to whisper to him, tell him how cute he's going to be and all the things you want to teach him. This morning you were pushing nice and hard under my belly button when he returned the push and kicked you, in his normal Thumper way, square in your little hand. The look on your face was priceless. Wow, you said, he's strong. Only 14 weeks to go...I hope. My ribs are taking a beating.
