counting, story-telling, spelling, what?

Lucy Joy!  You are taking off!  This has been a big week.  First of all, after struggling to get 1-2-3 in order, you just started counting to 8!  You've done it several times.  I was really surprised to hear it!  (You throw a five in after 8 and that loops you right back around to 6 and 7, but you'll get to 10 soon!)

On the way to Ms. Connie's the other day, you kept saying,
"Storytime?  Storytime, mama?  Okay. 
Once-pon-ti. (Once upon a time).
lawkejfoinsadlij (a little gibberish).
Theeeeee END!" 
I got about 12 stories that morning :)

You've enjoyed drawing lately.  When you're especially proud of your artwork, you say "Fri-fri ME!" so we put it up on the fridge.  You handed me a crayon and said, "Name, ME!" (so that I would write your name on it).  I started writing and said out loud, "L..."  YOU filled in with, "U...C....Y."  Nana and I looked at each other, pretty much flabbergasted.  You're spelling?!  That's just crazy, Lulu!

Lucy, you have been my big buddy lately.  As we talk through where we're headed, you ask me, "Mama play, too?" to make sure that we're sticking together (and I'm not just dropping you off).  As we "work" at the coffee table, coloring, drawing, and watching Puppy Mine YET again, you have been pulling up your little stool riiiight beside me and saying, "Side-t-side Mama."  Sometimes you lay down, and invite me, "Mama lay down side-t-side me!"  When I'm washing dishes, your favorite spot is on the counter next to the sink.  When I'm putting on make-up, you're lathering on the chapstick right by me.  When I'm headed to the potty, you joyfully shout, "I go too!"  When I walk in the door to Ms. Connies, I hear your running feet and, "MY mama!"  Tonight you said, "Tree!  I try!"  You pulled your little stool over to the light switch and lit up our tree.  You just beamed.  I just can't imagine a sweeter dallop of joy in my life than you are, Joy-Baby.  You are such a blessing from God!  You make Mama so happy.

what Lucy says

Here's a little of what Lucy is saying these days (in addition to the adorable John-namings):

• "Up ME, Mama!"  (With hands out to be lifted up)
• "I too, Mama."  (We do about everything together)
• "I try."  (Becoming very independent)
• "Tuck in me!"  (When our covers get a little tangly)
• "Puppy mine!"  (Requesting the song "Snuggle Puppy."  Every. 1.5. Seconds.)
• "I like-y too!"  (Her way of saying she likes something.  This is rare and has only described sweet potatoes and Uncle John's new haircut).
• "My milky fall down."  (It used to be just fall... now we say fall down).
• "______ hit me eye!"  (The start of a little tattling and a little fibbing).
• "Mama funny!"  "Nana silly!"  (This girl knows her stuff)
• "I stuck!" (When she or something she's playing with is stuck.  This sounds unfortunately/hilariously like "I suck!", so we may or may not try to get things stuck to hear it.)
• "Me, Mama!"  (Like, "look at ME, mama!")
• "Monkey snacks!"  (These are fruit snacks which sometimes feature Curious George.  They are the best thing of all time, and she requests them daily.)
• "Mirror!"  (This is dictated after we put in her hairbow every day.  She's got to check out the results of all our toils, and she LIKES what she sees :)  As Bonnie Meyers said, I think these Ethiopian sweeties have a little bit of the blood of the Queen of Sheeba in their veins!).
• "Dit up. Dit up.  Dit up."  (If I'm taking a little too long playing on the floor, she's all business.... Very serious and trying to help move the process along.)
• "Cookie Elmo John!"  (I know it's in the last post, but I hear this SO often.  She proudly proclaimed, "Cookie Elmo John!" to the people in line next to us for the nursery and to our guests the minute the came in the door.  It's a pretty big deal, people.)
• "I did it!"  (A nod to the many, many Dora episodes we've watched.  Accompanied with two fisted triumphant hand raise.)
• "More beans?  More?"  (Lots of play kitchen talk, and everything she serves up (and many things I serve up in the real kitchen) are "beans".  (Can you tell who's budget cooking?))
• "Hola!"  (Lucy is somewhat shy around new people, but she busts out with HOLA loud and clear.  And we've noticed a trend with her use of Spanish.  All people with long, black hair get "Hola!"s (Hispanics, Indian or Asian women, goth teenagers... They're all fair game!)
• I say, "Lucy, you make Mama..." and she replies "SO happy!" I just let that sentence hang one day and she chimed right in with EXACTLY what I was going to say :) Maybe she's heard it a few times...

All things John and wonderful

Lucy is just crazy about her Uncle John.  She asks if we're going to see him almost every day.  Recently, she began adding a "John" to everything she loves.  I think of it as almost adding a "Saint" to things.  Saint Theresa or John Elmo.  You know.

So, please allow me to introduce a few of Lucy's most favorite things, donned with the name of one of her most favorite people.  We have...

"Elmo John"



 

"Cookie Elmo John"

 

 

"Baby John"

 

 

"John Mommy"

 

And, 'tis the season for

"Baby Punky John"

 



 

This has been cracking us up!  She gave all these John names, and calls each thing this name EVERY SINGLE TIME.  We hear A LOT about "Cookie Elmo John".  I love that "Baby John" is a lovely black girl.  And I'm a liiiiiiittle insulted that John Mommy is supposed to be a grandma!  But I'm super happy that this girl loves her Uncle John.  He's SO good to both of us.  I may just start "John-naming" things, too.  So have a John-jolly day, full of sun-John-shine! 

PS.  My mom will be totally on board.  When she messed up my name, she called me "Macy" (our dog).  Later that week she messed up John's name.  What did she call him, you may ask?  "God." (It's true.)
 

Lucy's first year video

Prepare yourselves for some serious adorable-ness!  Lucy's recent birthday made me go sorting through all the lovely picture I have of this girl.  I made a little video of her first year (birth to 1) of my favorite pics and videos.  I set it to Snuggle Puppy (from Sandra Boynton's Philidelphia Chickens c.d.--which we (both) love!).  She LOVES this song, and it was THE song I'd sing in her ear to calm her down.  She still requests it sometimes.  Once I finish sorting through the birthday footage, I hope to have another video of her second year.  It was so fun to make (revisiting that tiny baby and our first adventures).  And Lucy has really enjoyed watching it.  She requested it twice this morning.  She smiles and laughs at herself.  The really cute part is that she is really watching others to see them watching (and enjoying) her in the video.  She caught Uncle John's eye one of the first times we watched it, and smiled back at him, and then pointed to the video (like, "Pay attention!")

 

Without further ado, here is the link to her first year video:

 

Lucy's first year

 

 

(It's also on the bar at the right, under her forever day video).

Lucy is 2!

Lucy Joy!  I can't tell you what a JOY you are to me!

I love you SO VERY MUCH!  You are a blessing from God, and I am so thankful for you!  I enjoyed today so much.  Just like I enjoy all my days with you, sweet girl.

Happy to Lucy!
                           (or, as you said all day)

                                          Happy to me!
 

snippits

Lucy Joy, you are keeping your mama busy!  So many things happen every day that I want to remember! 

Today we belly-laughed over a little sock malfunction at bedtime.  And you told me, "Mama, I likey too!" about our dinner (sweet potatos, pineapple, and ham). 

Nana and I were singing to you with all our hearts  in the car the other day, and you cut in with, "Stop.  Stop.  Stop!" 

You love your jacket and, when I said, "Here's Baby's jacket," meaning yours, you heard "baby jacket", and said in your high-pitched voice reserved for babies, "Aww!  A BA-BY jack jack!" and hugged it.  You still call it your baby jack jack.

Here are a few sweet moments from when before church last week:

You're feeding a picture of yourself as a baby.

On the go!  This is why I have to resort to video.  But I love it, actually, because it captures all of you!  (Except that awesome smell...)  Here you are chatting, but I love that I caught you saying Mom-mom and Lulu.  I hear those a lot :)

And here you are taking a book to your chair to do some reading.  I've written about this before, but you are all business sometimes.  You say, "Okay,  now...."  kind of like you're starting a meeting instead of just reading your spider book.

And finally, you're playing and singing with a favorite toy.  You sure are intent on clapping and hand motions at this stage!  You even throw in some words!  But my favorite part is an agreeable hug you give.  You're so sweet!

 

 

homesick

I had a dream a few nights ago.  I was 20 again and starting my semester in Mexico.  We fresh-faced students were at an orientation, eagerly awaiting our family placements.  All of a sudden, I had a sinking feeling in my stomach.  Lucy!  Where was she?  What had I done with her?  Then I remembered, she's with my parents.  "She's fine," I told myself.  "She loves them and they're taking good care of her."  But I wasn't very happy about it, especially when I realized that this trip was 5 weeks long. 

Later that night, I was getting settled in in my new digs.  Anyone who has ever made a big move (to college, to a new place, especially overseas) will tell you that the first night is tough.  When it's getting dark, the new room seems totally unfamiliar, and the lights and shadows stand out to you because they're not the comfortable old ones you're used to.  It's not a great feeling, and I've had my share of very homesick first nights away from home.  But I've never felt as homesick as I felt in my dream for Lucy.  I just sat on my bed and realized that I COULD NOT stand to not tuck her in for five whole weeks!  I felt awful!  I started scheming to get home...

Then I woke up.  And, even though it was a dream, it felt SO real!  I had been so miserable!  I took a deep breath and smiled.  Whew!  The relief was palpable!  (And then maybe I ran across the house to disturb/check on my sweet sleeping baby).  All day yesterday I just felt so happy and thankful to have her near me!  It's kind of silly, but it was a good reminder in the midst of the too-many-bags-spilt-milk-my-shirt-is-on-inside-out reality of mine that the thing to focus on is gratitude for my blessings.

                                                         A cute little blessing, in particular.