wednesday, february 4 2009

this morning started out as awesome as it usually does. someone with iceberg toes waking me up saying, "hi mama. how did you sleep?"

have i mentioned that he does so with pure dinosaur breath? don't tell him i said it. but whew.

but you know what? i wouldn't have it any other way.

we got up and going and woke the goo up. never fun to wake the goo up. but she got going once she brought her muh, blankie, and pillow into the living room with big h. she adores that guy. loves his socks off. (wait...maybe THAT'S why his feet are always so cold. ba da bing! thanks, i'll be here the rest of the week.)

for the record, buz is dying while reading this because that was so NOT funny. like, at all.

i got everyone's lunches packed. i say that like i have six children. nope. just two. got goo dressed. (pictures to come later. but i put her in an outfit that my mom bought her. and oh my, she got so many compliments on it.)

olivia was over. goo had her yogos in a bowl. big h had his lego magazine ready to read in the car. and we were set.

i've finally figured out the key to a great start to our mornings on the mornings that goo goes to school. actually talk about school on the way there.

i know. you wish you were me. i'm a genius, really.

so it's fun to just talk about school and what either kid might get to do. and what job big h might have for the day. and we always end on "ah give BIG HUGS to peem and ar-may-yuh!!!!"

(translation: i give big hugs to pam and carmela.)

seriously, i have no idea what i'm going to do when the year is over. goo ADORES these women. loves them. everyday, when we ask what the best part of her day was, she responds with "playing on the playground with pam and carmela."

um, yeah, today was sunday, goo.

anyway, she marched herself right into school and started making her way to the kitchen area and then, of course, to the easel. shocker. home girl has a romantic relationship with art and its supplies.

dropped both kiddos off and came home. worked around the house for a little bit. and then, walked my neighborhood for an hour. oh, it was so nice. it was thirty-something degrees. and i had just enough on to keep me warm and my iPod earphones blaring in my ears.

i always put my iPod on shuffle when my kiddos aren't around. not just because i don't want to listen to the same thing over and over again. but because i love what pops up next. the first three songs that came on this morning were one of the instrumental songs from the movie Cars, brick house by the commodores (big h's favorite song), and the friendship company by sandy patti.

i'm not going to lie. i was teary. i had one of those moments of clarity where the Lord was speaking directly to me. directly to me. whispering, "janet, i have you right where i want you."

and i smiled the whole way home.

i came home and honestly, i really wanted to take a shower and then take a nap. but i ended up piddling around the house. or as buz calls it, "dilly dallying."

i am a professional dilly dallier.

so it was time to get my kiddos. talked to pam and carmela, and they said that goo was really, really starting to talk and communicate so effectively. and they said that they could tell that it was giving her so much confidence in the classroom.

classroom, people. she's two and a half. i loved that they used the word classroom.

we picked up big h and he told me that he got to sit by the teacher at story time. i was so excited for him because clearly he was excited. then, he told me it was because one of the girls "just wouldn't stop hugging me even after i asked her to stop."

c'mon big h. girls can't help it. we just want to hug you all day long.

we played at the school playground. well, i didn't really play. just goo and big h. and it was so fun to see them together. none of big h's friends were on the playground. and neither were goo's. so they were each other's friends. i LOVED it. and one time, goo was playing by herself in a little corner, and she didn't have muh with her. all of the sudden, big h noticed and he freaked out and yelled at me, "mama! i've gotta go find muh. she's lost!" and he found her. goo hadn't noticed. but i did. and i loved it.

after that, we decided to go downtown to daddy's office to say hi. wednesdays are hard days for dad. so we decided to go love on him at work and give him about half an hour of our time and affection. we ended up having a snack in one of the little places at his office. and we stayed a while and he was able to come home with us. it was awesome.

came home, had dinner, and took baths. and goo brushed her teeth FOREVER. and then, while we read stories, we all tickled goo and let her laugh.

oh, her laugh. it's a beautiful sound.

and now i'm getting ready to get off the computer. yep. 840pm. nice.

oh, i can't forget! tomorrow, i get to play with my new friend. i am so pumped. goo will have a friend of her own. so much fun! kelly, i can't wait to hang out tomorrow.

what i'm thankful for? pam and carmela. i am so thankful for two women who adore my daughter during her very first drop off experience. they teach her about jesus and show her jesus in their actions twice a week. they love on her as though they were her own. they change her diaper, even when it's yucky. they help her clean up after herself at snack time and lunchtime. they enable her to do big girl things. but they still love on her like a sweet baby. i love these women so much.

big h on the way to see dad. clearly, my car conversation topics are riveting.

see? pins and needles.

through the back of my seat.

and now we are awake. and eager.

goo serious about her gatorade.

shocker. big h telling a story.

i don't know what about this picture makes me think goo is in some old-fashioned diner in california. clearly, i need to go to bed.

hard at work.

the front of goo's dress, so my mom can see.

see the lip? serious. please do not interrupt.