Hannah has a great friend back in Missouri – our sweet Margo who lived just down the road. Hannah and Margo have played together since they were 4 years old. They spent a lot of time over the years at one each others houses. Margo is one of the sweetest people I have ever met with deep compassion for others obvious after spending just a little bit of time with her.
Hannah has missed Margo very much and Margo has missed Hannah. They have been e-mailing and calling one another a couple of times a week. I believe that their friendship can remain in this day and age of technology. I also believe that their friendship is probably the sort that can last.
Tonight they were chatting on the phone while I was fixing dinner. They decided to play a silly animal guessing game that they used to play all the time. They played “rock, paper, scissors” (over the phone!) to see who would go first then got started guessing animals. I could almost hear Margo’s voice and loved the relaxed tone of Hannah’s voice as they chatted and played.
Hannah told me the other night that she hasn’t found a “Margo” yet in Denver. I told her that it will take time – and she will probably have only a handful of “Margo’s” in her whole lifetime. She’ll have lots of friends, but only a few that will be as dear to her as Sweet Margo.
Hannah taught Ellie to spell and write her name: “E-L-L-I-E”.
Daddy taught her how to spell her last name: “H-A-L-E”.
I thought, “let’s teach her ‘Dad’ and ‘Mama”. She picked up pretty quickly on Dad: “D-A-D”.
Then we tried Mama: “N-O-N-O”.
Where did she get that?
Ryan laughed out loud.
Ellie had a pretty big adjustment the first few weeks we were here that she only saw her Daddy for a little while in the evening. Before we moved here, Ryan had a home office and while he was working all day, he would pop in for lunch or a cold drink, and we could always go into his office to share with him the big accomplishments of our day. (Of course, we tried not to bug him and both girls learned early on to never go into his office if he was on the phone.)
But, even though we were doing separate things, he was there.
This morning as Ryan went out the garage door to leave for work, Ellie was groggily coming downstairs with her blankie and taggie. I knew we could catch him and wave to him as he left. She waved, she blew a kiss. Daddy couldn’t help himself – got out of the car and was back for hugs and kisses before he left.
I’m sure they both will have a better day now!
My mom has always wondered aloud why God didn’t make an on/off button on children.
I answered, “that’s easy. We would wear out the off button!”
I don’t really need an on/off button….but I sure would like some volume control.
Ellie has been following me around all morning happily singing very non-sensical, stream-of-conscious-type-songs in forte.
But then again, that button could be taken advantage of too….hmmm.
I saw some marshmallows in the pantry. That would muffle the sound – but then there is the sugar effect…
It’s Monday – it is snowing AGAIN – and I am getting a lot of exercise….in patience, that is. Hummmm.
Have you ever noticed how many songs focus on love – romantic love? Lost love, found love, loving through the circumstances, enduring love…
I was thinking yesterday that not many songs recount the love that a parent has for a child – and the few that do stand out. “Butterfly Kisses” “Daddy’s Hands” “In my Daughter’s Eyes” “Sunrise, Sunset”
I think to a certain degree that a parents’ love for their child is almost too profound, too deep, and too instinctive to put to words. Sometimes romantic love is a choice and a solemn digging-in-the-heels of commitment. Parental love is like breathing – and is expressed in so many ways, oftentimes sacrificially; especially when sleep is interrupted; schedules are dominated by naps, homework, ball practice; money is channeled toward shoes, braces, dance lessons, adoption costs. I think it takes 9 months of nausea, stretch marks, backaches and finally labor and delivery to get that little squishy person here for a reason. I think adoption is months and years of hurdles, reams of paperwork, and willingness to literally go the ends of the earth for a reason.
These bonds are not ever to be broken. The process in forging the relationship between a parent and a child is smelted through a fiery refining process. There are no words to express our feelings for our child other than the I love you’s/I’m proud that you are my daughter/I am thankful for you/I am blessed to have you in my life…
This post is quite rambling, but I finally decided that is ok…there are just no words.
Ellie is deep into creative play making cookies and having a birthday party with playdoh or being a kitty and wanting to crawl on the floor at Costco on all fours. She is forever in “pretend mode”.
Tonight she crawled up on my lap after she finished her dinner and I said, “hello, who are you?” I was expecting to hear that she was a unicorn or a kitty or a pterodactyl and I was planning to join into her game…
She looked me straight in the eyes and said, “I’m Ellie.”
He told me he loved me last night before going to sleep. I said, “I love you, too.” Sort of in the we’ve-been-married-13-years-and-this-subject- is-pretty-much-covered-and-I-am-reading-a-good-book-over-here sort of way.
Then I said, “thank you for taking us up to Estes Park today. I love-love-love that town. There is just something about that town and the scenery and the little shops and the people and the snow…. and…. and….”
Laughingly, he pointed out that I was way more enthusiastic about our trip to the mountains than telling him good-night.
Feeling a bit guilty, as I returned to my book, the thought occurred to me that I wouldn’t have enjoyed Estes Park nearly as much if I hadn’t been sharing the day with him.
Grandma said, “What was your favorite thing you saw at the aquarium today, Ellie?”
Ellie immediately answered, “The dinosaur skeleton on the wall.”
This girl has a one track mind – well, two tracked – her two favorite subjects are dinosaurs and planning a trip to Disney World to see the princesses.
Hannah beat Grandpa today at Candyland. Ellie won a game of Candyland and Trouble.
They won fair and square – he didn’t throw the games.
It’s ok, though – we fed him cookies.
Ellie ran in the house full of excitement. “Mommy, I found the hugest dandelion ever!”
It was a daffodil from the side yard we hadn’t noticed yet.
She ran back outside and came back quickly with a whole fistful.
We put them in water and placed them in the center of the dinnertable.
Afraid she would start plucking daffodils from every yard she passes, mistaking them for dandelions, I said, “Honey, it is fine to pick these yellow flowers from our yard, but please don’t pick them from any of the neighbors yards. ”
I am getting the idea that spring comes so late in this climate that everyone cherishes the show of color that their bulbs bring – they are everywhere. Ellie’s cute and all, but I am afraid the neighbors wouldn’t take kindly to her picking their daffodils.
