Hale Family Tales

Hannah is 8 1/2.  She is doing a lot of growing up these days. 

Sometimes it just smacks me in the forehead how much she is changing. 

Ryan was traveling all last week and when he got home I was filling him in on how challenging it had been all week to understand where Hannah was coming from…sometimes she is independent and mature and sometimes she curls up on my lap and wants to be held.  Its hard to be sure if little kid Hannah is responding or pre-pubescent Hannah is there…the cute face is the same.

The morning after Ryan returned from his trip we went to IHOP for breakfast.  Hannah said to her dad, “You know, Dad, I am tall for my age and I am getting older, so I don’t think I am going to take a coloring sheet when we go to a restaurant anymore.”

Smack!  My jaw dropped.  Glad Dad was there to respond to that one.

When she sits down on the sofa to chat or hang out, she crosses her long legs like a young lady.

Smack!

Both of her Grandma’s have commented on the fact that she carries on real and informative conversations over the phone with them.

Smack!…Hope those conversations aren’t too informative and Mom gets told on…

Tonight at dinner, I almost choked over my pasta when she looked over at Ryan and said, “So, Dad, how was work today?”

Smack!

Oh, then she went out and rode her bicycle all evening and played in the mud with her sister.

Phew, I still have a little more time…

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.

Yep, it was bound to happen.

Hannah wiped out big time last night on her bike while we were at the park.  She was playing with some kids who were on scooters and she got busy paying more attention to them whizzing by than focusing on her bike.

Bloody nose, bloody lip, bloody knuckles, bruised knees.  I haven’t seen her yet this morning, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she has some bruising around her eyes…She felt pretty rough when she went to bed last night.  I even woke up in the night to check on her.

BUT, even with shaken confidence, she got back on that bike and we came back home from the park the long way.

Way to go, Han!  We will fall down, unfortunately, in life, but the important thing is that you got back on that bike!

Hannah and her Daddy are currently on a bike ride.

I am ashamed to say that she just got her first “non training wheel” bike last week.  In Missouri, we lived on a hilly, rocky road where it would have been impossible for her to learn.

She  had a couple of lessons this week after Dad got home from work and now they are off on a trail ride.

I am very proud of her – in fact, I was telling her that just a little bit ago while she sailed past me.  I distracted her and she fell.  As I looked at her hand and I could still feel that stingy, hot burn from having fallen on concrete.  Remember?

Alas, I am inside making the preparations to dye the Easter eggs and she is off with her Dad!

Hannah said out of the blue the other day that she would probably win if she were to ever enter “The Slowest Eater” contest.  Her wheels were turning considering this concept…

I’m not sure where she came up with that one, but, come on, the kid knows the meaning of “savor”.  That is one of my favorite things about her – her ability to savor life.

The other night as we were driving home from Awana, Hannah was wondering out loud if there will be kids in the new neighborhood to play with once we move to Denver.

She looked over at Ellie and said, “don’t worry, I will find you a nice three year old friend that you like to play with as much as Lily (our neighbor across the street.)”

I have always been pretty strict on how much TV my kids watch.  Hannah is allowed to watch two shows after her schoolwork and chores are complete.

“Mom, I’ve been thinking about watching 3 shows now.” – very grown-up sounding, as if this is her decision.

“Mmm-Hmmm, Honey” (head in the refrigerator looking for apple juice for Ellie)…”Wait, why would you watch 3 shows?”

“I’m older and so I decided I need three now.”

Pouring the juice now, I think, “I can work this to my advantage”.

I nonchalantly mention that, gee, I would trade off an extra TV show for an extra chore…

She agrees, mentioning how she is willing to dust.  I mention how the dishwasher needs unloading.

Really, it is a lesson on the concept of free enterprise.  I have something she wants and she can provide a service I want.

Hannah’s math curriculum is not named by grade level but rather by the Greek alphabet.  She has completed Alpha and Beta. She will be starting the “Grandma” level next week.  At least that is what I overheard her tell her Dad.