Guess what!!

The day she has been waiting for has finally come. I noticed it tonight after brushing her teeth.

Can you see it?

I told her that I want her to wiggle it and wiggle it so that it comes out before Friday morning.

I don't know if I will be that lucky. But I am going to keep hoping.

And now Andrea wants one.

How Things Happen at Our House

When Grandma is in charge things look this:



When I am in charge things look like this:



And this:





And this:





And then this:



















Which leads to this:





There was still some left over candy the next day, but only until Cousin B got ahold of the tablecloth and the candy ended up on the floor. Somehow the gingerbread houses were safe and stayed on the table!

"Bravest of them All"

Wednesday the three of us went to get shots. One of those fun ones.

A couple weeks ago I took the girls for their well checks I let them choose if they wanted to get a shot or flu mist. Andrea... didn't really understand. Greta decided that she wanted a flu shot. When the nurse told us they only had the flu mist it took some thinking on Greta's part. She volunteered Andrea to be first (she had two other vaccinations to get also, plus the flu mist), Andrea hardly batted an eye, so Greta was okay. She did so well and said she liked the flu mist after it was over. A lot better reaction than saying it felt like she had a bloody nose which was her comment last year. Also a better reaction than the one Andrea had of blowing the mist out and all over my hand instead of sniffing it up!

Back to Wednesday. We couldn't do the flu mist again because it had only been two weeks. Greta wasn't sold on the idea. I went first, Greta volunteered that Andrea go next (such a nice big sister). Andrea was very brave and watched the whole thing then got her happy pink bandage. As Greta went to sit in the chair she said that I had to let her hold my hand really, really, really tight. She sat down, started holding my hands tighter and tighter, then couldn't do it. It was too much. And there was nothing I could do to talk her into it. I was talking to her (even trying to bribe her) for a couple hours after we got home. She was not going to budge. And when I told her that I wanted her to agree she told me that she wasn't going to. I had no idea she was so scared of shots.

The next day I got a call at work. I asked my mom if she was going to get the shot. She handed the phone to Greta who told me that she wanted to get the shot. "Really?! Do you want Grandma to take you or do you want me to?" "Grandma." I was just about to tell her that she could call and talk to me when she got it (as a distraction) when she said (hesitantly) "Okay. I'll go with you. Then you can see how brave I am. But you have to let me bring my Mickey Mouse sucker." That made my day. It also made me laugh.

We met up for the shot, waited our turn, I sat in the chair and she got on my lap. She covered her arms up, refusing to budge, even to let the lady clean her arm, until her sucker was open and was in her mouth. Lucky for us the lady giving the shot was really, really fast. She almost didn't make it. Instead there was a quick wipe then shot and we were done. And I didn't let her see the tiny bit of blood which I think was what had her so worried. (She saw that I bled a tiny bit. Andrea had not bled at all.)

Her grandpa, grandma, Andrea, and I all kept telling her how proud we were of her and how brave she was. The lady that gave the shot told her that she was "the bravest of them all". That made Greta light up even more.

This experience taught me more about Greta. I already knew that she has her own ideas and opinions about certain things. There are some things that you cannot make her do, at least until she thinks it through and feels like she is making the decision herself. This time I didn't think she would give in. She surprised me. :)

"Are you wearing your spectacles?"

Last week I had an eye exam. The next day I got contacts. Greta didn't really understand contacts but she wanted to, so I told her I would show her. The next day (Saturday) she came into my bedroom first thing in the morning. I asked if she wanted to watch me put them in. She wanted to watch me take them out, so I showed her, then put it back in.

Sunday night I was covering Andrea at bedtime when Greta asked, "Are you wearing your spectacles?" I said, "What?" (That seems to be what I say when I want someone to explain what they are asking, but how would they know that is what I am asking??) "Are you wearing your spectacles?"

I think she understood that I had no idea what she was talking about by the look of complete confusion on my face, because she said something about the things on my eyes. I laughed and said that no, I was not wearing the contacts, and where did she hear the word spectacles?

"From the Barbie Princess and the Pauper." Ah-ha. "The queen says, 'Where are my spectacles? Where are my spectacles?' " (I probably just slaughtered the queen's quote. Greta corrected me when I was telling this story the other day.)

Silly girl. And once again I am amazed at the random, funny things my kids learn from silly shows.

Greta had a scary dream this morning

I heard her crying before she opened my door (what usually wakes me up). It was 4:30am. She climbed in to bed with me with tears on her cheeks. I asked what her dream was about.

"I saved some Smarties that you had given me. Andrea ate them!"

The part about Andrea wouldn't surprise me at all. The girl loves sugar!!!

A new cousin!

Greta cried and cried when it was time to leave. Once we did she told me she didn't want Carolyn to come over on Wednesday. (That is HUGE! She always wants Carolyn to come over.) She wants her aunt, uncle, and baby cousin to come over. Such a sweet girl.

Greta sang the funnest song I had ever heard this evening after we left the hospital (second visit of the day). Something about Sammy's father asked him to buy a loaf of bread...??? She sang it at least three times, and there are five verses (she forgot one until the last time she sang it for me). Each verse made me laugh, partially because it is such a funny song, partially because she has such a cute singing voice.

She is feeling better!

Yesterday Greta was sick all morning and into the afternoon. I started offering her Pedialyte that I remembered having in the evening when she kept begging for water. Remembering that my mom had said Andrea had a bit of diarrhea the day before I gave her some also. Both girls loved it.

This morning Greta is doing even better. She woke me up at 7:00 a.m. as she ran for the toilet. Luckily she was just hungry and not starting another round of throw up. She ate four crackers, had a couple drinks, and went back to bed for about 45 minutes. When we came downstairs I asked if she wanted more of the medicine drink. Andrea had been given some Tang before Greta and I got downstairs. I poured Greta half a glass of Pedialyte. Andrea wanted some too, so I gave her about a quarter of a glass. She wasn't impressed. She wanted "ohm" (all of it). She didn't want it anymore, and kept reaching for Greta's cup. Her grandpa and I kept asking her if she wanted different drinks - orange juice, apple juice, Tang... she didn't want any of it. Finally my dad pulled out the apple juice and held it next to Greta's cup, saying, "Look! It's apple juice!" Greta seemed amazed. When she had her next sip she said, "It does taste like apple juice!" (It really doesn't.) Andrea was still saying that she wanted Greta's drink.

My dad: "It's okay to want."
Greta to Andrea: "That's what Grandpa tells me!"
Me to Greta: "Do you like it when he says that to you?"
Greta: *silence* "I'm not saying."

That made my dad, mom, and me laugh. She did eventually say that no, she doesn't like it when he tells her that.

I guess I can't make my family live under a rock

Today I took Greta and Andrea with me to Target. Yesterday I had heard about some great clearance sales they were having, so I wanted to see what I might find. I didn't find much. While walking through the girls clothes I started pushing the cart toward a pink shirt with Hershey's kisses on it. I thought Greta might like it. She saw one shirt and one shirt only; a black Hannah Montana shirt. Doh!! I have hoped that we could avoid High School Musical, Camp Rock (or whatever it is), Hannah Montana, and others. But this is what she wanted. When I asked who Hannah Montana is Greta told me "a singer." That's all she knows. But the other girls at school think she is cool. She cried for at least five minutes because I didn't take it off the rack (I was still deciding, and I didn't want to get her hopes up by putting it in the cart like I normally would, just to change my mind and put it back. Okay, really, I just didn't want to get it). We walked around, Greta finally told me that she wanted to go home, so I found the last couple things I needed and we started to head for the front of the store. Then I saw my mom pushing her own cart. Greta also saw her and ran to catch up. She was told about the Hannah Montana shirt right away. "Can we go get it Grandma???" For whatever reason my cart was no longer good enough for my girls. I stopped to look at a few things and lost my family, only to find them closer to the girls clothes. My first time through the little and bigger girl sections I didn't find anything. The second time I found a few things. One of which was a PINK Hannah Montana shirt. I held it up to Greta's back when she wasn't paying attention to see if this shirt would actually keep her belly covered. It looked like it would. I had it strategically folded in the cart so she couldn't see what it was, just that a pink shirt was in the cart. She asked to see it a couple times.

We shopped around for awhile, were walking toward toilet paper, when Greta told me she found the perfect thing to wash the toilets. I think it was a Clorox Toilet Wand. She carried that box around for maybe ten minutes. She would not put it down. She thought that's what we needed. I don't think she knows that I have a toilet brush. She finally put it down after I pointed out a package of tissues that included a Hannah Montana box. Then she didn't want to put that down. I can't remember what my mom finally said, but she put the packageback where it belonged. No tears.

We left the store with Greta not really knowing whether or not there was a Hannah Montana shirt in a cart. But then she thought she saw the checker put one in my bag. She kept asking to look, but I made her wait until we got home to pull all the shirts out. Once again I got zero credit. "The man put a Hannah Montana shirt in our bag!!!" *sigh*

They always make me laugh

Last night I told the girls to find books to read before they went to bed. Andrea said, "Weh's doh-tah soos?" It took me a second to figure out she was asking "Where is Dr. Seuss?" I'm not sure which Dr. Seuss book she was referring to - maybe The Cat in the Hat?

Today in Primary the singing leader had snowflakes that she had the kids sit on. When we got home that's what Greta wanted to do, so I cut papers into squares, folded them, and showed her what to do. We made four (or more?) papers worth of snowflakes of various sizes. Toward the end she said, "This is totally, totally awesome!" I am sure I taught her awesome, but totally...?

At lunch we had yummy skillet dinner. Andrea didn't eat much, but she did tell Greta "Dis is ree, ree, ree, ree good." But she didn't say good. I had to ask her what she said, then figured it out just as my parents told me.

As crazy and wild as these girls are, they have hearts of gold. If I get hurt (even pretending) Greta gets sad right along with me and wants to make me feel better. Greta loves making things to give to people, usually some kind of drawing or painting. She has been wanting us to help her spell out messages that she writes. Andrea knows how to make your heart melt. She is the hardest kid to be mad at! All she has to do is smile at you or tell you that she loves you and she is forgiven. And she has the saddest, most heartbreaking cry. I heard that tonight when I went upstairs after multiple times telling them to be quiet, it's bedtime, etc. It broke my heart and I had to hug and kiss her until she wasn't so sad. She is finally letting me wear a sweater around the house without making me take it off. She used to think that if I wore a sweater it meant I was leaving. And if I give her a kiss she says, "No bye-bye."

No guesses?!

Fine.

"Mommy ict ah ahm" = Mommy licked my arm
"Uh oo Tuh" = Love you Greta ("Tuh" used to be "Tuh-tuh")

Last week (or was it the week before??) she asked me to read the "Polar Bear, Polar Bear, what do you hear?" story. I might have been too slow to start reading and she started doing it herself. She had me rolling! But she did so well. And I was so surprised.

"Po (not to be confused with poo. It's Po, like the Teletubby) Beh, Po Beh, wuh oo he-uh. I hee uh ____ (usually "peatot". She loves the peacock picture) uh uh e-uh." (Translated is "Polar Bear, Polar Bear, what do you hear? I hear a ____ (peacock) _____ (whatever sound they make, which she doesn't usually say) in my ear.") She knows all the animals in the book. Her current favorite book is an oldie Golden Book, "Donald Duck and the One Bear" - AKA "Pizza book." I'm not sure if it's all the pizza that makes her love the book, or if it's the story, or Donald, Daisy, and Donald's nephews.

Greta is doing better, but still very hoarse. When I got home from work Monday I walked right past her lying on the couch. She didn't tell me she was there, and the sounds of "Mommy!!" is usually where they both are. Her grandma had told her she needed to get lots of rest so she could get better, so she was. I asked her how she was doing. Her response: "Not well." She is mostly surviving on popsicles, because right now she can get away with it, but she did eat her whold corn dog from Dairy Queen yesterday. Her outfit today.... yikes!! I need to take a picture. There was a day several weeks ago that I took her picture, then took her out in public. LOL! She's a kid, and she can get away with it. At least she's happy.