Do you want to do it yourself? Otherwise, I'll need to.
Pout::wiggle::whine.
Pausing, tired, I look at her.
She crosses her arms and pooches those lips.
Having my attention, she tries again. This time cross arms::pooch::throw-head-down::"No!"
I hold the laugh, and grab the camera: Several pictures pass, and she asks to see.
Wash your face, and I'll show them to you on the computer.
The wiping begins, followed by some washcloth sucking. Then a little more wiping. The job is nearly complete when I ask, "Can I gently wipe your nose?" Yah. "Can I gently wipe your cheek?" Yah. "Can I gently wipe your other cheek?" Yah. Until every corner of her face is clean.
Then I had to fly her across the house as an airplane to change her diaper, "fuel" up her belly button with my finger and buckle up passengers with each snap of her clothing to keep her still on the changing table.
Little A watched half of the play and slept half of the time on "daddy's" lap. AD was a dream, sleeping the whole time.
Because the theater encourages the children to sit up close on the floor in front of the stage and H didn't want to do it alone, she and I sat there with the rest of the children (and a couple other parents). Like last year, Missoula Children's Theatre and local children, from 5 years of age up to high school, put together a play in a week's time! The presentation of the fairy tale is a spoof of the original, very children friendly and full of humor.
During the play, H was so quiet, taking it all in. Afterward, she had plenty to say about it and wanted to pretend for the rest of the day. She was a forest bat (used by the queen to do her duty deeds), Little A was Snow White, Daddy was the huntsman, and I was the wicked queen.
The only disappointment H had about the play was Snow White's dress wasn't pretty enough, but I think the sugar cookies in the lobby following made up for it.
Yesterday and today, we have been getting our hands dirty in paper making mixed with flower seeds. H and A were talking this morning that it "feels" (and looks, I might add) like squishy kiwi.
Asked H if she'd like to make sugar cookies yesterday for "Daddy" since we weren't able to get to it on Valentine's. She said, "Maybe we can make president cookies for President's Day!"
Wow.
So a few presidental silhouettes were drawn and traced on dough.
Unfortunately, Obama is the one H would have recognized, but he didn't turn out so convincing.
Washington, Lincoln, or Obama cookie cutters could be handy around here because there has got to be better things to spend such time on that last longer than a sugar cookie!
AD here is a week shy of 3 months. He gives more smiles and coos. Boy, they melt the heart!
This week we enjoyed turning birthday balloons into colorful, floor lights and strung a set of them across AD's window. In the light of the balloons and the warmth of the sun, H "read" to A many books while I fed AD.
There are several favorite moments captured: A hears AD "burp." For now, the girls call noises from the other end burps--no rush clearing that one up. A hands H a book that is full of words, and H declines the request! Finally, throughout, I love seeing A watch H carefully and imitate her moves, postures, and such.
Remembering "ALL" the books she read to A yesterday, this morning H said, "That was TIRING!"
When asked several weeks ago, to whom she'd like to send a Valentine's, H must have thought of nearly everyone she has played with this year or anyone who has shown her love in some way, because the list of friends and family near and far became pretty hefty.
She got started making cards right away. Then her efforts slowed a bit, and my hands got involved more and more...but each person on the list has a card!
The date snuck up on me! Last night as I pondered life during a regular AD feeding, I realized if we don't get many of these cards out this morning, they won't only arrive late, they could be considered early for next year!
Well, we did it with stickers, plastic jewels, googlie eyes, and lots of hearts tucked neatly in homemade envelops (the only way to enclose some of these odd shaped creations)!
Hanna Lorann is five! This past week I was thinking that next year at this time we will only get two more of these stretches before she reaches 18! These five years were full, but truly flew by! Wow.
This was the first year that she had an idea for every part of her celebration, from decorations, food, dessert, gifts, and activities.
Sunday, the day before her birthday, Espi and I surprised her with an afternoon at one of her museum choices, the new and improved Wild Life Experience. This museum went from boring to amazing in the last couple years! We played there for about 3 hours, moved pretty quickly, and still didn't get to all the exhibits. Now one of my favorites in the Denver area, I look forward to enjoying this museum more and more as the children get older.
(at the WLE)
Tucking her into bed the night before her big day, Hanna gave the reminder that we needed to blow up balloons and LOTS of them! So Espi and I set up decorations, including lots of balloons. Everything was ready other than I needed to finish up her cake and make a birthday crown that she had requested. Last minute details can often hurt. The two layer cake didn't have enough frosting to cover all of the sides and the crown had some resemblance to a Greek god's helmet with wings on the sides!
(I cut out 5 dancing princess to hang under the table light. At the table, the girls would blow on them to make them dance a little more.)
Yesterday, her birthday morning, was pancakes with berries, opening presents, then off to play with some friends. We returned just in time to grab some quickie-lunch-food for the truck ride to the ice skating rink to play with cousins. Hanna ice skated using the walker or held hands with me mostly. However, she had a good stretch of skating with no help at all and was very proud of not falling. Once the hour and a half of skating was over, we sang "Happy Birthday" with Strawberry Pop cupcakes (a recipe from my grandma and mom), and then pretty much let the kids run around until they collapsed into vehicles for heading home.
(An exhausted Hanna is captured on camera holding up two homemade cards from her cousins. Little AD got good lovin' from his aunt!)
Her day finished with hot dogs, oven fries, and moon squirters (aka cherry tomatoes) for dinner before we broke out her strawberry cake with heart sprinkles and ice cream to reinforce her very special five-year-old birthday wishes.
Whew! Are you tired!? I am kinda tired! We all slept pretty well last night, and the girls (and even I) took some nice naps today, too!
Lately, H is big on giving three guesses, like "Guess what I am thinking. You get three guesses." Come on! A little help please! Yet, when she is so broad, she has often been thinking, "I love you." So maybe she was just being extra easy on Daddy tonight...
At the dinner table: "Dad, guess if I had schooltime today. You get three guesses."
(AD snuggling with mini owls given by his baby sister:: H piecing together a puzzle of her grandpa and a couple baseball legends:: A making a pint-sized hideaway)
This is what was captured throughout the house this morning. Good Tuesday to you! Love, Lulu
