We Got Our Dirt

So, today was Ash Wednesday, and our little family did as it always has ... Hubby played Masses at church, I went to the service that fits best in my work day, and Maggie attended Mass with my parents. A bit disjointed and un-together, but it's the best way we know how to observe this day right now.

This was the first year that Maggie was old enough to ask questions, of which there were surprisingly few because all she cared about was getting ashes on her forehead.

Let's just say, the girl was less than thrilled.

My mom said that when it was their turn, she received her ashes first, and when the gentleman went to give Maggie's, Maggie leaned way back in my mom's arms in an attempt to avoid them.

Maggie did get her ashes, but walking back to their pew she was, apparently, a bit indignant.

"Nana, dey put duut on my head!"

To say she didn't like the dirt may be the understatement of the year. After Mass, she and my parents went out to breakfast, and while at the restaurant Maggie asked my mom for a wipey (wet wipe), so my mom asked her why she needed it. Maggie told her that she wanted to cwean the duut.

When Maggie and I got home last night, I was getting her out of her car seat and she pointed to my forehead saying, "Mama, you got duut on you head." I acknowledged that yes, I did, and they were called ashes, and gave a simple little sentence about Ash Wednesday and why we wear ashes.

My sweet girl thought a moment, then replied: "I don't yike da duut."

Nappy Time for the Babies

Maggie put Baby Emma and Baby Gabriel to bed before heading upstairs for her nap today, and when I glanced at them as I passed by, I was ever so thankful they are dolls.

You can't tell, but she really does love her 'babies' :)

Sweet Lil' Mommy

My Maggie is (mostly) a good little mommy to her babies. She especially cares for Baby Emma. She and I are often found on the sofa, me holding Baby Emma and Maggie administering all manner of necessities, like medicine, taking her temperature, giving her a bath, changing her diaper, and, of course, feeding her.

She worries me a bit with the shots she gives Baby Emma in her forehead.

And how *ahem* gently she puts Baby Emma to bed. (Can you say 'bonk'?)

And that she has on occasion held Baby Emma by the leg while trying to unbuckle her baby stroller.

And has tossed Baby Emma when said buckle proved too difficult for the one hand of little fingers Maggie was using to undo the strap.

But hey, it's not like she will be babysitting for real any time soon. Thankfully J

I snapped the picture below with my cell phone so the quality isn't the best, but I just love how mommy-ish she looks. Watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and feeding her Baby Emma - so sweet. Too cute for words!



Maggie Words

These are some of my girl's most frequent conversations. She still refers to herself often in the third person which cracks me up. And yes, I realize it is February, but Christmas is still being sung in our home J

I go ta Aunt Ashwee's weddin'. Aunt Ashwee get maow'ded. I dance wif Mommy and Daddy. I dance wif Nina Maowy. Santa Cwaus dance, too! (I go to Aunt Ashli's wedding. Aunt Ashli get married. I dance with Mommy and Daddy. I dance with Nina Mary. Santa Claus dance, too!)

I go on a woadtwip! (I go on a roadtrip!)

I p'yay wif Jack. I jump ona twampo'yine! I go bouncth! (I play with Jack. I jump on the trampoline! I go bounce!)

I get sick. I fwo'wed up. (I get sick. I throwed up. Incidentally, it was all over her Nana.)

Mommy, Mo-mo baw'eefed on the steers. (Mommy, Mo-mo barfed on the stairs.)

I wanna watch Pwep n Yandin'. (I want to watch Prep & Landing.)

Mommy, I wan' some hhiman-hims (Mommy, I want some M&Ms. We don't keep these in the house but Maggie loves them and will randomly ask for them, in the hopes they appear. I think Christmas spoiled her J)

Way-ya my tickas? I need a make a val'yen'tine. (Where are my stickers? I need to make a valentine.)

Mommy, you wanna pay wif my ki'schen? (Mommy, you want to play with my kitchen?)

I nee my tool! (I need my stool! - usually hollered when I'm in the kitchen and she wants to 'help')

When singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town": Need ta watsh out. Better not cwy. I tell you why. Santa Cwaus is comin' to town!

When singing "Frosty the Snowman": Fwosty a No'man, a ha'wee ja'wee souldt. Wif da corn in da pipe and a but-tin nose and two eyes made out a coaldt.

Maggie loves to request Dashin' ina 'No (Jingle Bells) and Deckin' ina Haws (Deck the Halls). Woo-doff (Rudolph) is also a favorite.

When singing "Jingle Bells": Jinga be'wls, Jinga be'wls, Jinga be'wls all da waaay! Wha' fun a wide ina horse swaaay!
We have this conversation frequently, with regards to her birthday:
Me: Maggie, what do you want for your birthday?
Maggie: I haf a Fwosty buff'dee pawty. I haf 8 bee'yoons at my pawtee.
Me: You want 8 balloons for your birthday party?
Maggie: Yeeaah.
Me: What else do you want?
Maggie: A gif.
Me: What kind of gift?
Maggie: A yittle one.
Me: What do you want in your little gift?
Maggie: Toys!
Me: What kind of toys?
Maggie: Yots of toys!

That's about as far as we get. She never comes up with specifics - although she asked my mom last week for an iPod. The thing is that Maggie totally knows what it is and how to use it, so it's not so far-fetched a request. She uses my mom's iPad by herself better than I do. Crazy!

Mass-ive Fun

My girl cracks me up, y'all. And in church, no less.

At Mass last night, Maggie was surrounded by babies (or chi'dwens, depending on how 'big' they are), so I had an entire service filled with oh, yoook, he's key-uuute as well as trying to keep her from constantly touching them all (I looked over once to see her petting the fingers of the little girl in front of us).

All I can say is she really, really likes kids. All of them. No matter their ages.

Plus, she's just a social butterfly. Maggie has never met a child she didn't like, or say 'hi' to, or ask their name (wha' you name?), or try to hold hands with. When Hubby takes her to the park, she attaches herself to whatever group of chi'dwens is playing there.

(Preschool is going to be fun - I'm already bracing myself for the reports of "Maggie is a delight in class but she talks too much". That's her Daddy coming out. We always say she looks like me and acts like him J)

She was thrilled when she had the good fortune to run around with Norah and Stella after Mass. One of the drawbacks of being an 'only' is the lack of built-in play pals. Hubby and I are going to have to be better about making playdates with her friends. She asks about them often so I know we need to give her more opportunities to see them.

Aside from the baby-ogling, Maggie also did some staring at our behind-us pew-neighbor. She would just stare at him while he was singing during Mass. No smiling. Just staring. It seemed pretty rude and I tried to get her to stop but it also tickled me a bit, which probably isn't a good thing. I don't know what he thought about it, but hopefully he just chalked it up to toddlerhood.

If Maggie wasn't staring at our friend, she was swaying around singing with us. Well, almost with us. She was singing at the same time, but while the congregation was singing the 'Alleluia', I distinctly heard the first verse of 'Frosty the Snowman' next to me.

'... witda corn in da pipe and da but-tin nose and two eyes made out of coatd ...'

Y'all know that Jesus likes Frosty, too, right?

Joyful and Joy-fill: Part Deaux

After all the fun (including the best wedding reception party EVER - it included a high school marching band!), we packed up and headed back to our home in the southwest to celebrate Christmas.

We are so thankful for a healthy family this Christmas. Maggie and I were sick off and on the entire month of December last year, and Maggie was still sick on Christmas day, but this year everyone was well. Joy! 

Maggie had so much fun, and Hubby and I enjoyed her Christmas enthusiasm. She made us laugh so much because when she got downstairs on Christmas morning and saw her Santa gift – a play kitchen – we couldn’t get her to open any other presents! I would ask, “Maggie, do you want to open this present from Nina Mary?” and hear in response, “No. I pyay wif my ki’shen.” When we could finally get her to open a gift, she would pull it out, say she liked it, then run back to her kitchen. At least Santa scored big points this year J

(I just noticed how unladen our Christmas tree looks. Seems awfully bare under there, I know, but the bulk of our gifts were wrapped and waiting under my momma's tree. I figured there was no sense in hauling gifts down to her place when most of them were shipped directly there, but that does make for a sparse picture at home. Ah well. The girl didn't notice.)

The other big ticket items she got this year were from the grandparents: a huge dollhouse from Grandma and Grandpa, a v-tech InnoTab from her Pop, and a drivable, battery-operated Ford F150 from Nana and Papaw. Maggie wanted me to get in the truck with her and ride, but after explaining there was no way Mommy would fit, she settled for Cinda’gweya. Everyone needs company when cruising around the driveway.

A cute thing has begun happening pretty frequently at home. My folks gave me a Kindle for Christmas and, as I am not only an avid reader but one who often reads 1200 pagers, I love it! The Kindle is much lighter and easier to hold than The Sunne in Splendour (I am currently on my 5^th or 6^th journey through that monster). In the evenings, when Hubby is watching sports or flipping channels, I will sit on the couch with my Kindle and Maggie will climb up there with her InnoTab and turn her books on (it reads to her). She commented that “Mommy haf you computa and Maggie have her computa, too!” She loves sitting on me while we both read – such sweet little moments together. Joy!

Thank you, Jesus, for our joy-filled life!

Joyful and Joy-filled: Part One

We have experienced so much joy during the Advent and Christmas seasons this year, it’s almost too much to relate, but I’ll give it a try J

We travelled to Louisiana two weeks before Christmas for the wedding of one of my two best friends, Ashli. Maggie did so well on the road trip! It took us 3 days but she could not have been a better traveller. The only issue we had was that she would not go to bed at night in the condo timeshare we were staying in. Many tearful nights, including one with my mom driving Maggie around until she fell asleep at midnight, made it a little hard, but other than that, it was a great time.

(It was awful that Maggie so disliked the condo we were in. So many tears at bedtime, which is not like her at all. She would just cling to me when I tried to lay her down. Maggie is usually the easiest child to put to bed ever, but not at that condo. The only thing we can figure is that she watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse that first night and saw the sleepover episode where Goofy tells a ‘scary’ story about the Silly Gilly Gumble, and it freaked her out once bedtime rolled around. Maggie mentioned SGG a couple of times during the week, so that’s what we think happened. Needless to say, the sleepover episode will not be replayed at our home any time soon.)

Every moment in LA was joyful – seeing friends I had not seen in years, spending time with my two best friends who are more like sisters, hugging my godsons and their grandmother (my second mama), hanging out with my mom, spending so much time with Maggie.

Most of all, watching my beautiful friend as she and her love were bound together in the Sacrament of Marriage. Ashli made a stunning bride, and I am beyond thrilled for her and Lee.

picture credit: Mary Mechler

We all worked a lot while we were there, helping Ashli with whatever she needed, driving her around as she checked things off of an every-growing to-do list, but just being there with her and Mary made it joyful.

We did have some family fun while in Louisiana. Joy! Hubby flew in Wednesday morning, and we spent that day in the French Quarter. I had not been there since I left the South in 1998, and Hubby never, so we were all excited. Maggie’s grandfather, Pop, drove over from Alabama to meet her and spend time with her, and he walked the Quarter with us.

We ate an early dinner at Pere Antoine’s, and I was so disappointed that their Monte Cristo was no longer on the menu (not so much joy). Don’t get me wrong, I had a great meal, but y’all, their Monte Cristo was to-die-for good and I was so looking forward to it. Apparently I should visit more often than every 13 years.

On our way back to the parking garage, we passed back by the St. Louis Cathedral and heard music, so we went inside and listened to the last few songs of a free Christmas jazz concert. Joy! It was so fun, and Maggie really enjoyed herself – the girl loves music! It would have been nice to attend the entire concert, but I am thankful for what we did hear.

We stopped by Café du Monde before leaving. Joy! Joy! Joy! I cannot visit the French Quarter without indulging in beignets and café au lait, no matter the time of day or night. I miss those beignets – fresh and hot with powdered sugar sticking to them. Mmmmm. So messy and good. Hubby and Maggie ate beignets for the first time and enjoyed them quite as much as I. I may have to try making them at home, though I doubt they will turn out the same. Atmosphere contributes so much to the experience of a meal, and Café du Monde has elevated beignet-making to an art, and I just think our Arizona kitchen is an unqualified substitute J

I miss the South, y’all. I didn’t realize how much until I was there, but it just felt so good to be there. However, I will admit that, as it was unseasonably warm up until the day of the wedding and my Arizona-acclimated body is no longer used to Southern humidity, I may or may not have been vocal about all the sweating J I invested in an $8 deodorant because I was so worried about being icky in a taffeta-ish bridesmaid dress (Secret Clinical Strength Waterproof WORKS – I’m saving it for the Mary’s wedding in May!). Of course, then the weather got cold. Figures!

I am so thankful to have been blessed with a mom who loves my friend's enough to drive across country with me and my child, a Hubby who understands how important it was for me to be in Louisiana a week before Christmas even though it meant a quite a few days apart, sister-friends who I love so much and who know me so well, family and friends who make it feel like I never left the South when we're together, travelling mercies and beautiful weather on the road (thank you, Jesus! We couldn't have asked for better!), In-Laws who generously care for our furry kiddos when our family is out of town ... our lives are truly joyful, and joy-filled!

Coming soon: the conclusion of our Christmas festivies in Joyful and Joy-filled: Part Deux

2011 Christmas Card

Merry Christmas!

Reading:
Isaiah 52:7-10
Hebrews 1:1-6
John 1:1-18

Reflection:
During the first and second centuries, the Roman Empire enjoyed a period of relative prosperity and tranquility. In one of the great marketing campaigns of history, Caesar Augustus was hailed as a "god" and the "savior of the world" for the peace he enforced.

And enforce it he did. "Peace" meant everyone in their place, everyone bowing to the power and authority of the emperor. The celebrated Roman peace was built largely on intimidation and violence against the vulnerable, the poor, and the powerless. It was a tense, anxious, costly "peace."

And then, one night in a backwater of the great empire, a new vision of peace appeared. It was peace centered on that perfect love between a mother and her newborn child. It was peace that brought together heaven and earth.

The song heard over the village that night proclaimed the peace that would be the nucleus of the kingdom this child would initiate.

Peace is not just the absence of strife but the presence of compassion and forgiveness. Peace is not fearful passivity but loving perseverance to reconcile and heal. Peace is not enforced by one's power but celebrated in mutual respect and generosity. Peace is not the province of the powerful but the responsibility of all "men and women of good will." Peace exalts humility, poverty, simplicity, service. The economy of peace is built on justice for all and the dignity of the most vulnerable.

Today the peace of God dawns. God's love takes on a human face and heart and body. The work of building God's kingdom of peace begins on Christmas Day.

Meditation: In what concrete ways can you transform "peace" from an absence of conflict into God's peace of generosity, forgiveness, and humility?

Prayer: Welcome, O Child of Bethlehem! Fill our empty hearts with your Father's peace. May your Spirit make us ministers of that peace, enabling us to become God's "people of good will."

from "Daily Reflections for Advent and Christmas: Waiting in Joyful Hope 2011-12" by Jay V. Cormier