Thursday, July 30, 2009
My little old soul
Yesterday at dinner Violet whispered: "Hey, I've got to tell you a secret. When I grow up to be a pretty girl and get married and have a baby, I'm going to still live with you. Then, when you get old, I'll take care of you. Then, when you die, I'll take care of your furniture."
Friday, July 17, 2009
diving board day
There must be something magical about age 4, because Violet has just been....different. She quit biting her nails, exactly 2 years to the day after I saw her do it the first time. (2nd birthday to 4th birthday.)
Today we went to her last swimming class. She went off the diving board all by herself. Mr. Matt was her teacher. Violet spent the next 2 hrs. and 45 minutes jumping off. Eventually, I joined her. She'd get on one diving board and I'd get on the one next to her and we'd go at the same time. My little shrimp! Jumping into the 11' deep end all by herself. She was really proud of herself. At least 5 people stopped me and asked how old she was. I'd make her take a break. I'd wrap her in two towels and snuggle her up on my lap in our umbrella chair. I gave her 50 cents and she went and bought BBQ potato chips all by herself. She came back, munched on them and watched everyone. She shared the chips with me.
When we got home, she and I hung out while John had band practice. I was reclining on the porch swing and reading while she was playing in the back yard. It was an unusually cool, breezy evening. PERFECT. Violet went and got pillows and blankets and snuggled in with me on the swing. I just wanted to freeze time.
Then, she went and took her first shower by herself while I cleaned the bathroom. Then, to further impress me, she brushed her teeth on her own and then announced, "I'm going to go clean my room." It was as if the more I was pleased with her, the more she wanted to please me. This has not happened to this magnitude before! She went into her room, dried her hair, hung up her towel got pj's on and began folding her clothes and putting them in their drawers!! Then she said, "I'm going to go do the dishes!" I did draw the line there and say that she had been awesome enough for one day.
Daddy read to her. Then, I bounced her to sleep on the couch. She was lying on top of me. Tears just streamed down my cheeks. The love I have for her is.....well, you mother's know. You can't say it. Only a lump in the throat comes up. I just want to absorb her into me. It's like we are one, but two bodies. I love John deeply, but it is a much different love for Violet. Almost like my DNA is tingling. It reminds me of Superman flying around Earth so fast to reverse it. I just picture all of this white light forming this web cocoon all around us until we melt into each other.
Good night Violet. I love you beyond words.
Today we went to her last swimming class. She went off the diving board all by herself. Mr. Matt was her teacher. Violet spent the next 2 hrs. and 45 minutes jumping off. Eventually, I joined her. She'd get on one diving board and I'd get on the one next to her and we'd go at the same time. My little shrimp! Jumping into the 11' deep end all by herself. She was really proud of herself. At least 5 people stopped me and asked how old she was. I'd make her take a break. I'd wrap her in two towels and snuggle her up on my lap in our umbrella chair. I gave her 50 cents and she went and bought BBQ potato chips all by herself. She came back, munched on them and watched everyone. She shared the chips with me.
When we got home, she and I hung out while John had band practice. I was reclining on the porch swing and reading while she was playing in the back yard. It was an unusually cool, breezy evening. PERFECT. Violet went and got pillows and blankets and snuggled in with me on the swing. I just wanted to freeze time.
Then, she went and took her first shower by herself while I cleaned the bathroom. Then, to further impress me, she brushed her teeth on her own and then announced, "I'm going to go clean my room." It was as if the more I was pleased with her, the more she wanted to please me. This has not happened to this magnitude before! She went into her room, dried her hair, hung up her towel got pj's on and began folding her clothes and putting them in their drawers!! Then she said, "I'm going to go do the dishes!" I did draw the line there and say that she had been awesome enough for one day.
Daddy read to her. Then, I bounced her to sleep on the couch. She was lying on top of me. Tears just streamed down my cheeks. The love I have for her is.....well, you mother's know. You can't say it. Only a lump in the throat comes up. I just want to absorb her into me. It's like we are one, but two bodies. I love John deeply, but it is a much different love for Violet. Almost like my DNA is tingling. It reminds me of Superman flying around Earth so fast to reverse it. I just picture all of this white light forming this web cocoon all around us until we melt into each other.
Good night Violet. I love you beyond words.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
more stories
It's been awhile since I posted Violet's latest adorable sayings. Here are a few.
1) On the 4th of July, Violet saw our dentist, Dr. Brown (an African American woman) running in the 10K. Later that day she said, I wish I were black so that I could have a black baby and then I would name it Dr. Brown and it could grow up and be a doctor.
2) The other night, I was having trouble putting Violet to bed. She kept getting out. I lowered her all the way down to the red. (We have a chart with color levels. She has to be on Violet at night, (the best color of course) to have privileges the next day. I lowered her right down to the red and she didn't even care. That is when I know that we are in a power struggle and fighting won't help and taking away stuff she loves won't phase her a bit. So I stopped, I took a few more deep breaths, and said, "Stand up here on your bed. Take deep breaths. Now, tell me what you are feeling." Violet said through sobs, "I'm ...feeling...sadness in my heart." (It was so sweet I wanted to cry, but so funny, I wanted to laugh.) But I remained calm and said, "Why do you have sadness in your heart?" She said, "Because I can't sleep in your bed. I want to sleep in your bed FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER." And I said, "What about when you get married? Will your husband sleep in our bed, too?" She laughed. "And what if you have kids? Will they all sleep in my bed?!!! That will be too many people!! I"m going to get kicked in the head!!" She laughed and calmed down. I then told her she could be back up on the purple if she didn't get out of bed again. She did it!
3) About a month or so ago Violet said,"You're not my real mommie. I didn't come out of your uterus!" A couple of days later she said, "I didn't come from your uterus, I came from China." Now I've heard of adopted kids not claiming their adopted parents just to push their buttons. But, I've never heard of a biological child claiming to be adopted in order to hurt their parents feelings. Leave it to Violet!!!
4) One night in May, we were all sitting out by our camp fire in the back yard. John had just mowed and commented that my garden really looked great. Violet said, "Anne's garden looks better!"
First of all, "Who are you?" Second of all, "We haven't even been to Anne's house this spring so you don't even know what her garden looks like."
You little punk.
5) The other day, John was attempting to give Violet a time out because she was being a grump. John said, "What's going on? Why are you acting out?" Violet replied, "I just want to be free. I just want to do what I want to do."
6) Violet has been practicing some stand up comedy. I can't even write it down, it's just absurd. But, it is really, really funny.
7) The other day, I was on the phone with mom and Violet built a shrine to her brothers. She took a Catholic virgin Mary candle and a silver Buddhist lotus and her Haiti box and stacked them up. I she then propped her chair up in front of it. I heard her singing, "Erickson, Erickson, we love you. Lovekender, Lovekender, we miss you." She reapeated it over and over like a chant and had her little hands in prayer position. ....that one did make me cry!
1) On the 4th of July, Violet saw our dentist, Dr. Brown (an African American woman) running in the 10K. Later that day she said, I wish I were black so that I could have a black baby and then I would name it Dr. Brown and it could grow up and be a doctor.
2) The other night, I was having trouble putting Violet to bed. She kept getting out. I lowered her all the way down to the red. (We have a chart with color levels. She has to be on Violet at night, (the best color of course) to have privileges the next day. I lowered her right down to the red and she didn't even care. That is when I know that we are in a power struggle and fighting won't help and taking away stuff she loves won't phase her a bit. So I stopped, I took a few more deep breaths, and said, "Stand up here on your bed. Take deep breaths. Now, tell me what you are feeling." Violet said through sobs, "I'm ...feeling...sadness in my heart." (It was so sweet I wanted to cry, but so funny, I wanted to laugh.) But I remained calm and said, "Why do you have sadness in your heart?" She said, "Because I can't sleep in your bed. I want to sleep in your bed FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER." And I said, "What about when you get married? Will your husband sleep in our bed, too?" She laughed. "And what if you have kids? Will they all sleep in my bed?!!! That will be too many people!! I"m going to get kicked in the head!!" She laughed and calmed down. I then told her she could be back up on the purple if she didn't get out of bed again. She did it!
3) About a month or so ago Violet said,"You're not my real mommie. I didn't come out of your uterus!" A couple of days later she said, "I didn't come from your uterus, I came from China." Now I've heard of adopted kids not claiming their adopted parents just to push their buttons. But, I've never heard of a biological child claiming to be adopted in order to hurt their parents feelings. Leave it to Violet!!!
4) One night in May, we were all sitting out by our camp fire in the back yard. John had just mowed and commented that my garden really looked great. Violet said, "Anne's garden looks better!"
First of all, "Who are you?" Second of all, "We haven't even been to Anne's house this spring so you don't even know what her garden looks like."
You little punk.
5) The other day, John was attempting to give Violet a time out because she was being a grump. John said, "What's going on? Why are you acting out?" Violet replied, "I just want to be free. I just want to do what I want to do."
6) Violet has been practicing some stand up comedy. I can't even write it down, it's just absurd. But, it is really, really funny.
7) The other day, I was on the phone with mom and Violet built a shrine to her brothers. She took a Catholic virgin Mary candle and a silver Buddhist lotus and her Haiti box and stacked them up. I she then propped her chair up in front of it. I heard her singing, "Erickson, Erickson, we love you. Lovekender, Lovekender, we miss you." She reapeated it over and over like a chant and had her little hands in prayer position. ....that one did make me cry!
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