Things I Have Been Wanting to Write About

These are little bits I've been wanting to write about lately, mostly about Jane. Then it seems like my head is in one place while my body is another and the kids are everywhere in between. Anyway, here they are, in no particular order.

1. Jane still plays pretend. She still plays pretend a lot. The funniest from the past week: overhearing Christopher Robin (Bad Guy) talk to "his girlfriend" (Jane). Their conversation went like this:
BG/CR: "Who are you?"
J: "I'm Jane."
a pause, then BG/CR: "Are you my girlfriend?"
without hesitating, J: "Yes."

2. Jane's favorite names for things: Ashley and Panessa. If you ask her what something/someone's name is, she'll most likely answer Ashley. If you ask her who she's talking to on the phone, she'll say Panessa. Panessa seems to be another new imaginary friend, though we've never heard her speak up.

3. Jane and Grey love to talk on the phone. Grey does a fancy-foot dance when he seems my phone. Jane asks what number to speed-dial which relative, then calls them on her own and asks how they are feeling.

4. Grey does this little laugh thing that sounds goofily French to me. "Honh honh honh," goes Grey. He's also been walking around this week with his mouth in a little "o" shape, so he's ready at any moment to say, "Oh la la." Okay, actually, I'm pretty sure the o-mouth is working on the word uh-oh.

5. Grey said "hi" this week. He's been saying "mama," "dada," and "tickle tickle" for a few months now. Also he was studying this picture of Jane and I'm pretty sure he was trying to say Jane--"day," he said.

6. Jane sings constantly. She sings primary songs, songs from movies, twinkle twinkle, and her own originals. She seems especially inspired in the van. The other day she sang one of these gibberish-lyriced, epic songs (they're always epic, aka loud) and then asked me how I liked it. I asked her what it was about. "How I don't miss you," she said. "Because I'm always around?" I asked. "Yeah," she said. I'm glad I'm always around.

7. Jane discovered her tutu, ballet slippers, and leg warmers and for a week, she wore them everyday with a t-shirt. Throughout the day I would hear, "I'm going to class, mom!" and "Will you teach me ballet?" and "When I'm bigger, can I take a ballet class?" Good thing her birthday is coming up...

8. For the most part, Jane and Grey get along really well. For some reason they really like to yell when I'm on the phone. Or maybe I just notice their volume more when I'm trying to talk to someone...

9. The kids climb. They are all over the couches, the tables. Jane understands the rules and points out Grey breaks the chair rule ("no standing on the chair") but Grey is fifteen months old. He can now climb on the dining chairs, which can lead to all kinds of adventures on the dining table or doing somersaults over the couch. I watched him come close to a somersault, and decided he wouldn't get seriously hurt if I let him and maybe he would learn a lesson from it.
He didn't. He fell off the couch, onto his head. He was stunned, but he only lay there for a minute before jumping up and running back around for more.

10. Jane loves Winnie the Pooh, or Pooh for short. We've been watching the old Disney cartoon from the library this week. I guess that's where Jane met Christopher Robin. Grey dances whenever they start singing.

11. Brad and the kids made me breakfast for me for Mother's Day. Jane helped make the waffles, and Brad made a delicious omelet and a fresh strawberry topping for the waffles and fresh orange julius. He also fed the kids and dressed them for church. No wonder it feels like such a holiday for me.

12. We watched LOST last night (that ending? Twist!) and recognized the book Jacob was reading when he was sitting on the bench. Brad said, "Isn't that a book you've read?" And I said, "Yes," and I felt like I'm in some secret LOST Writer's society. The book is a collection of short stories by Flannery O'Connor called Everything That Rises Must Converge. Isn't that a great title? I am intrigued by that book's placement on the show, among other things on LOST last night. I'm also curious about my compulsion to capitalize all of the title LOST each time I type it.

13. Have any of you ever seen Wild Strawberries? I haven't seen it since my sophomore year of college and I doubt I got everything. I've been thinking about it lately and really want to see it again. Maybe it's part of my desire to connect to my Scandinavian roots. Do you ever feel like connecting to your roots? Which ones?