My Little Jackie Paper....

Monday mornings are becoming Tommy and I's special times. Bright Beginning play time at Woodcliff, a trip to the mall and coffee shop together and Puff the Magic Dragon on a loop in the car. He loves that song and as I listen to it, I realize why. It's a perfect song for him - this little boy with a huge imagination and who's brain never stops. Reminds me, yet again, how lucky I am to be a (mostly) stay at home mom to this little boy AND to appreciate every minute with him...almost four...ugh....

Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea, and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called honah lee...
Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal puff, and brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff.

Together they would travel on a boat with billowed sail...
Jackie kept a lookout perched on Puff’s gigantic tail...
Noble kings and princes would bow whene’er they came,
Pirate ships would lower their flag when puff roared out his name.

A dragon lives forever but not so little boys...painted wings and giant rings make way for other toys.
One grey night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more...
And puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar.
His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain...
Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane.
Without his life-long friend, Puff could not be brave,
So puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave...


And every time that last verse plays....I catch him getting teary in the rear view mirror.

"I'm just a little bit tired mom....I'm just yawning," he'll say every time, and look out the window.

Don't worry, Tommy...I don't want him to grow up either.

Hey Luce...

Just in case I don't say it enough....I am so proud of you for the following things:

1. Getting out of bed at 7 a.m. and efficiently eating breakfast, getting dressed, getting teeth and hair brushed and walking in the Michigan cold at 8:05 a.m. with nary a complaint and usually, a smile.

2. Carpooling and play dating with moms you don't know all that well and places you aren't "used to," yet rolling with it just fine. (Incidentally, when I tell her I am proud of her for going somewhere new, she'll ask, "why?" - as if September 2009 is not even in her repertoire of memory, yet stuck in my head for life).

3. Being wonderful in restaurants and stores. I take that for granted now. The other day, Dad and I remembered how we barely entered a restaurant during your age of 18 months through 3 years old. Now I can take you anywhere, even if there's a wait.

4. Eating your vegetables. Trying new things. Being our "good eater," as opposed to a certain small male in our house who eats salami, cheese and popcicles. Nice.

5. Creating a fun art project for yourself almost every afternoon, all by yourself. Currently, you are making a bookmark in the family room.

6. Doing great at swimming class with kids much older than you, even past bedtime. It never gets old to see your little body backstroking across a pool!

7. Always saving an extra excited hug for me whenever we meet up again.

I love you and am so, so proud of you, my girl!

Love,
Mom

Just When I Thought it was All Gone....

Still in my positive "New Year" efforts on the home front, I took advantage of some alone time this morning to tackle our dreaded linen closet upstairs. I am one of those people who has a clean house at all times, but go to two places (coat closet and linen closet) and you realize I have lost all control.

Off I went to organize and start my usual piles: trash, garage sale item, etc.
I grabbed and pulled out random pillow cases, towels and washcloths and, suddenly, there they were....the last of the baby items that had been hidden away.
Baby towels. Baby washcloths. And lastly, the little pink tub that we would bath our newborn in when they were so teeny tiny.
Not sure how that got stuck back there but so it was.

I remember when Lucy turned three and I realized the towels were getting too small, but I ignored it and made her dry off with them anyway. I guess I hid them away.

I will admit, I threw some in the trash and a couple, still nice ones, in the garage sale pile. Later, Lucy saw the pile and asked me about the towels.

"Is this what I looked like as a baby, mom (towel on her head and smiling in the mirror)?
"It sure is Luce."
"Can I use this towel as a blanket for my babies in my room?"
"Sure," I said, secretly breathing a sigh of relief that there is a reason to still keep one or two in our house just a little bit longer.

And that pink bathtub? It now stores all of our light bulbs very nicely.
:)

Too Old....

With a new haircut, telling me "I am texting Lily about a playdate," having opinions about outfits each morning and finding random sticky notes with the words spelled out: "My magozin" and "I lik power lucky you" (not kidding)....the girl is just growing up before our very eyes!

Stop growing, Luce!!! I am proud and all....but slow down!

Love, Mom