Gracie is Funny

Ask her, she'll tell you - she's funny. Here's some of the more recent ones...

1. She was watching So You Think You Can Dance and first she yells "whoa look at that skirt" (it was flapper-esque)then when she started dancing Grace yelled "Dance Girlie, shake those hips!"

2. Grace drools when she sleeps, now if she wakes up and there's a wet spot she'll say "Ooops...I dripped"

3. I asked Grace if she wanted to dance..."Do your happy feet" I said to which she replied "My feet aren't happy they are stinky"

4. Grace started Moo-ing when I changed her poop after nap. "Why are you moo-ing Grace" "Because it stinks like cows"

5. Grace likes to ride the carousel at the mall and the lady asked Grace if she liked horses: "Yes I do but Mom doesn't; she's kind of a scaredy horse"

The World Through Her Eyes

I know Grace is smart. She's constantly picking up on things and adding new material to her ever growing bag of tricks and yet I had somehow allowed myself to believe she would only pick up the good. Now I'm not so naive to think that her yelling at driver's in traffic is not directly related to my own behavior nor can I blame anyone but myself for her yelling fucking idiot (that was the last time either of us said it) but I did think that she was only repeating these things and that the real internalization of stuff was still on the road ahead...how wrong I was...

The first glint of this was the other night while I was on the phone with Dallan. His company tends to delay the basics of truck maintenance and as a result we are separated for much longer than even we've become accustomed to. I was frustrated (it's been over two weeks since we've last seen him) and I was getting louder, not at him but the situation. Grace started to immediately say I'm sorry mommy, I'm sorry. For what I asked. Because you yelled at daddy... How can I explain to this precious little thing that just because I'm yelling at daddy I'm not yelling at daddy. She never sees us fight (probably because she never really sees us together) and this is really rocking her world, any heightened tone leads her to apologize quickly and it breaks my heart.

Then today Grace caught me crying when she woke up from nap. I wiped the tears quickly away and tried to pretend nothing was wrong. From Grace's mouth: "I need to cry too 'cause you can't alone."

How wonderfully in tune she is and yet I had wished she wouldn't know heartache or sadness. Unfortunately, this too seems to have come to Grace sooner than it normally does and I know it is only the beginning in this category, but how thankful I am that she says what's she's thinking. Hopefully as time goes on this too will continue and this beautiful gift will continue to embody the name she carries.

Learning Our Colors

For Father's Day, Grace, Auntie Moe and I took Grandpa to a River Cats baseball game. Grace and I weren't able to make it until the fourth inning so we were only there about two hours, but my sunburn would lead you to believe I had been sunbathing for a week...

Fast forward to Tuesday...When I picked Grace up from "school" Miss Melanie said to me "Wow, did you get sunburned!" Grace piped in and said "yeah, mommy is PINK and I got BROWN!" Ummm...we exchange glances and I thought quickly about how to handle this milestone in our multi-racial family..."Grace you were always brown..." "Oh" she said, "then I got BLACK!" I just smiled.

She is accurate about 75% of the time when it comes to her colors, the one time she always is right is the color white, though for Grace it is the color "milk", as in "I want to wear my milk shorts" or "those clouds are milk" or "mommy you are milk". Indeed baby I am...

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...

Ms. G went to his first baseball game today and she was more into the game than half the people dotted across the lawn seats...She couldn't get enough of everything she saw and she kept screaming "BAAAASSSSEEEBALL mommy". A few weeks back we went camping and Grace picked up a bat and ball and actually managed to hit a few. Surprisingly she can pitch that ball too...More interesting is how she can do it with either her left or right hand...

Today my dad said that maybe I should look into t-ball for her. I didn't know she was paying attention but she jumped right in and said "I'm gonna be a star!"

I'm anticipating many a summer day at a baseball diamond... :)

Catching Up

It is always astounding to me how fast time flies and how the moments seem to be elusively slipping through our fingers. Not updating this is in no way an indication of Grace's lack of all-together-way-too-cuteness but rather a telling tale of her mother trying to hold it all together and keep up...

For those of you that get to experience Grace in all her vibrant living, you know there is absolutely nothing baby left about this remarkable little girl. We've reflected a lot the last month about the joy of bringing her home two years ago. We've also reflected on how a mere three years ago, parenting seemed such a far off adventure. And now, well we can't function without her smiles (and tiffs of tissy) and laughter (and screaming), her independence (translate stubbornness) and cuddly (nee clingy)nature. Here's some highlights from the past little bit...

1. Coming home the other night, the windows were rolled down and a man on a motorcycle pulls up. He revs the engine for no reason and Grace shakes her head, hunches her shoulders, throws up her hands and says "that's just ridikalis..."

2. Grace has been pushing boundaries and when I say "Can you listen please" without missing a beat, Grace will say "I can but I won't"

3. When Grace has to apologize after a time out she will say first "sorry I had a freakout"

4. At night when she prays, she has a unique way of thanking Heavenly Father for similar things to our family prayers: I will say thank you for our home and our full bellies, Grace says thank you for tall walls and yummy fruit woops (regardless of what food it is she ate...)

5. Grace knows her full name, Grace Sofia Wivingston just like mommies is Mommy Kirsten Grace's mommy Wivingston.

6. Grace wants to be a mommy. Yes you read that right; she doesn't just want us to have another baby she wants one of her own. Luckily she promised to be a bride and wife first...

7. Ask her, she has Bieber fever (daddy might too...)

8. Finally we can comb through her hair without neighbors suspecting we are murdering her...to get through it she gives herself a pep talk: "It's no big deal. I'm a big girl. It's gonna be over soon"

9. "Guess what," Grace says, "you are my favorite"...no baby, you are...

10. Enjoy the many faces of Grace....

Dare I Say....

Ms. G might actually be potty trained! We had number one down but somehow she just couldn't (or wouldn't) go number two. Then I called it a turd and magically that has solved the problem...

So in case you're wondering, going poop on the potty isn't good enough but losing a turd is...

Whatever she calls it, we're glad she's doing it!

Lets Makeup...

Last night I went to an Arbonne party with some of the ladies from school. It was fun and they were great for allowing me to bring Ms. G to the party and then to indulge her crazy singing (ba-ba black sheep), her cookie crumbs and constant bathroom trips. By the time we had gotten to the part about makeup, she was fixated and asked the demonstrator if she could play with some "akeup". I figured since it was all natural she would be okay... Okay however is an inexact term. She was better than okay at working the mirror and eye shadow applicator. She was a pro at displaying her handy work. Too bad it was more of a "costume" look rather than everyday wear....She was thrilled and I was amused and here it is for your viewing pleasure: