An update on Mia Gianna

Photo taken a year ago today. (What???)

Gianna is doing great.  

She took the move in stride.  At first, she wasn't in love with the new house (she calls it "the barn house"), but she loves everything else in her life.  She jumped right into her new school and didn't have any issues at all. In fact, there has been no sadness at drop-off, no crying, no sleep issues and no bathroom issues. She's done so well.  Of course, she is three years old and I think having her family (Bode) around helps with everything.

She has the most fun every day just hanging out with her big brother.  She often just follows his lead, and is always happy to just do what he wants to do (jump off the couch 500 times? Sounds great!). They are close.  They are so close.  They do everything together right now: eat together, bathe together, go to school together (separate classes but they are near each other), swim together (lessons), and sleep together (in the same room). It is beautiful and I really just hope that they remember these special times when they are older. 

(The only problem (if you want to call it a problem), is that I tend to lump Gianna and Bode together, as if they were the same age.  Gianna has always been a fast learner, keeping up with her older brother.  In fact, I don't remember a time, ever, when Gianna was upset because she could not keep up with Bode. She just always did. And so I forget that behaviorally and developmentally and all "ally's"  she is actually 21 months younger.  It is something that I need to work on.)

Gianna is a sweet, sweet girl. She loves caring for her baby dolls, hugging them and feeding them.  She loves her real-life baby doll, Nico.  She is very sweet to him, patting him on the head and giving him praise. She has always had her own made up special names for him ("xie xie" and "schnoofy").  She wants to please, and as much as I hate to put that in writing, it is a trait of hers.  If she can make someone (me) happy, then she is happy.

She loves shopping.  Bode and "Daddy" go skiing on Saturdays.  Gianna goes shopping with "Mommy" and Nico.  She loves it.  She happily goes to Target, to the grocery store, the book store or to a clothing store.  She adores shopping for dresses and gets positively giddy when she gets to buy a new dress. 

She wants to wear a dress every day. In fact, she only gets sad if I tell her that she can not wear a dress (when it is particularly cold or rainy out).  Sometimes she will even try to sneak a dress on when I am not looking!  Her favorite item of clothing is a pink tutu given to her by her Uncle Greg and Aunt Jeanne. She would wear it every day if I let her (I won't).  If something is pink, she will wear it.  Sometimes, she will wear purple.  Someone remarked, "Gianna, I think every item of clothing you have is pink!" and looked at me like I had purposely reinforced the "pink propaganda" (for girls) onto my daughter. Let me assure you: I did not.  Pink always has been Gianna's color of choice and I have had very little to do with it.  I will let her wear any color that she wants, and right now, her choice is pink.  

For her birthday, she will tell you that she wants a "pink princess birthday."  It is kind of sad how "pink" and "princess" dominates her thoughts. But I'm not going to try to change it/her. It is not going to hurt anything!

Her choice of reading material is "Cinderella" or "princess" books only.  At first, she wanted nothing but the Disney inspired Cinderella materials. But I finally found a beautiful Cinderella book that is not Disney.  I am not opposed to princesses, but I do get irritated at Disney materials. Have you ever read those stories? It really is disheartening how the "princess" falls in love with the prince and lives happily every after. Happiness really hinges on getting that prince to fall in love with you and marry you. This is a message for a 3 year old? A 3 year old needs to know about falling in love and marriage? If you are looking for some non-Disney princess stories, I recommend "The Paperbag Princess,"  "Cinderella" (a non-Disney version)   and "Princesses on the Run."

Here is a mini-interview:

What is your name?  Mia Gianna.

Do you go by Mia?  Yes.

So people  call you Mia?  Yes. You call me Mia, too.  [Note: everyone - including me - calls her Gianna!]

What is your favorite food? I like French fries. Broccoli.  Umm, can I tell you other things?  I like to play with uh my Barbies.

What's your favorite color? Pink and purple.

What do you like to do? Like, drawing princesses. Umm, I like somersaults and to roll. [here, she starts rolling across the floor until she crashes into the other wall.]

What do you think of your brother Bode? [She's too busy laughing as they roll across the floor together as Bode chants, "Uh oh, we're stuck together, we're stuck together...whoah...we're stuck together." Then Gianna starts crying because Bode hurt her. The interview is over.]

The only annoying thing about Gianna is her tendency to scream when she's upset (usually at something that Bode has done to her).  Her reaction is always a loud, high pitched screechy-scream.  It makes me crazy. Ai yi yi you do not want to be standing near her when she screams.  You don't even want to be in the same room when she screams.

Sometimes, when she laughs, she covers her mouth with her little hand. It is a sweet, lady-like gesture.

When she sleeps, she looks beautiful.  I always check on her at night, and I love looking at her beautiful profile in sleep. It always reminds me of that gorgeous baby that slept on my bed in the hospital. The tiny baby girl that I could not take my eyes off of while she just slept and slept. :)

It is hard to remember her as a tiny baby, because she has always been "so big" while keeping up with her brother. She reminds us sometimes, that she is still just 3, when she gets tired on walks and needs to be carried, or when she falls asleep while resting with me in a chair. The one blessing is that she has kept her chunky thighs and bottom, and still has a rotund baby belly to match. Love it! I am not anxious for this one to lean out. Oh, no.

She is a sweet, happy girl and I love seeing her, and her personality, grow every day.

xo

12/52

A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2014. Linking up with Jodi and her 52 project.

Bode: loves chasing me in the backyard. The closer he gets to "catching" me, the harder I laugh, and the slower I run.

Gianna:  swinging

Nico: knows how to throw a ball, catch a ball, kick a ball, run and jump. He is our most "athletic" child.

"Anna"

Nico has not been feeling well these past 2 days.  A fever (and it appears to be only and weirdly a"fever") has been going through our house, starting with Bode, me, and then it  hit Nico.  Nico has been 'off' with this fever, and he is also teething. So this poor little baby has been dealing with a lot, not sleeping well, not eating much, and not feeling good.  He has not been smiling or laughing.  He's been wanting "Mama" a lot, and only wants me to hold him 24/7.  So this means I'm doing everything that I normally do, but I'm holding Nico on my hip while I do it.

Tonight, as per our usual routine, I was sitting and reading books with the babies before bed. We were all on the floor, and I was sitting between Bode and Gianna.  Nico started crying for me, and I stopped reading and told him nicely that I had to finish the story.  He got frustrated and struck Gianna.  And he looked at me while he was doing it. So he was clearly expressing his disapproval with my refusal to drop everything for him.  I paused, and since Gianna didn't even react to Nico's "hit," I looked at Nico and made a sad face.  "I'm sorry, Nico, I know that you're ready for bed. But we don't hit Gianna.  We love Gianna."  And I gave Gianna a kiss on the head (where Nico had hit her) and then I gave her a hug.  "We love Gianna," I repeated and kept my arm around her.

Nico watched me.  And then I resumed reading.  Then, he leaned over and 'fell' on Gianna to give her a hug.  It was so sweet. He just leaned on her and put his arms around her.  I said, "Yes! Love Gianna. We love Gianna!" I continued to 'love' Gianna.

Smiling at me, he continued hugging Gianna, and then he said, "Anna, Anna..." 

Yay! He said Gianna's name!  (Well, almost!)

"YES!" I cried, "Yes, this is Anna. GiANNA." I squished the two of them together, continuing my Anne-Sullivan-to-Helen-Keller style of teaching. "Anna," I repeated over and over, patting Gianna's head. "giANNA," I said, smushing them into a hug.

Then I leaned over and whispered to Gianna, "Do you hear what Nico is saying? He is saying your name! That is very special! You are a good sister. Nico loves you."

Of course Bode, Mr. Facts Only, pointed out that Nico really didn't say "GI-anna," but "Anna" (AHN-na, without the "gee").  I reminded him that Nico is learning how to speak and he's trying new words all the time.  [Also, technically, I think Nico already says Bode's name, but it's not as clear as "Anna" and I'm probably the only one that understands him! Nico already says Priscilla, "puh-duh-ya" and RWF & I think it is funny that Priscilla ranks higher on the scale than Bode and Gianna. And she has a harder name!]

Nico said her name a few more times, probably because I got so happy and encouraged him every time he said, "Anna."  Then we continued reading, and Nico laid down with his head resting on my legs.  I finished up quickly and then put everyone to bed. 

Hooray for Nico! Hooray for Gianna!

xo

Laundry

While I was talking on the phone, I watched as Gianna sat down in this laundry basket. I got off the phone and started a to-do list while Gianna continued to sit (and giggle).  Then, a few minutes later, Bode joined her:

Happy Tuesday.
xo

11/52

A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2014. Linking up with Jodi and her 52 project. 

Bode: our story teller at the dinner table

Gianna: sharp eyes

Nico: discovered bubbles this week

She's twirling

My Mia Gianna update has been postponed.  We had a glorious day, weather-wise, and so we were outside all day. Activities involved:  taking a walk, "hunting" dandelions and, most importantly, twirling in the yard.

This weather has been such a welcome relief. I really needed the sunshine. My mood has been sour lately.  I think the grey skies and rain were starting to contribute to a more negative mind space.  And the children are just so happy with the sunshine!  Bode is particularly vocal about the sun these days.  The other morning at breakfast, he sang, "Oh Mr. Sun, please come out so that I can see you." His melancholy call seemed to only echo my own internal plea. 

So the RX has been lots of outside time, taking walks with Nico and P, watching Nico stomp through the remaining puddles for as long as he wants, and watching the other two monkeys run around our yard like, well, monkeys.

For those of you still in the freezing temps, I hope that these pictures warm you. ;)
xo

Tuesday

Gianna on her birthday last year

Our week officially starts on Tuesday, I think.  It seems like the official start to the week because the children start school on Tuesdays.  So Monday night is my "Sunday" night - full of dread and preparation for the week ahead.  I always thought that when I was older, that the Sunday night blues would magically go away, because then I wouldn't be facing a week of school and homework.  Au contraire! When you get older, it gets worse, because the Sunday night before school blues are replaced with the Sunday night before work blues.  And when you have children, you just multiply the work by how many children you have and there you are...it never ends.

School lunches have been easy.  I'm lucky, because I have easy eaters.  I have found the magic formula for Bode and Gianna and make the same lunch almost every day.  There have been little complaints. In fact, they are pretty matter-of-fact about what I should not pack, and will tell me in their 'lunch review' after school.  "Mom, don't pack me bananas," Bode might say, "only blueberries."  And Gianna will tell me, "I don't want celery sticks, only carrots."  Easy.  But still, every Tuesday morning, I'll be sitting down, enjoying a much-needed cup of coffee when "lunch boxes" seizes me.  I abandon my hot coffee and start to work on lunches:  a Sunbutter sandwich for Bode, blueberries, and pretzels.  For Gianna: a cheese wrap (shred ched in a tortilla) or pasta salad (rotini pasta, olive oil, peas, and Parm), black olives, Goldfish crackers, and (sometimes) carrots.  

It is time for school re-enrollment for the children, and I'm at a loss.  Their current teacher has emailed me a few times, asking me when we can sit down and do the contract signing.  Last night, as part of my dreaded Sunday/Monday night before school dread, I summoned the courage to reply to her email. I told her that we are not settled and are looking for a new home. I told her that while I love the school, I can't sign a contract until I know where we will live. It was hard to send that email, but I'm glad that I did.  Maybe this will help move us in the right direction (whatever direction that will be). We are looking at two schools: Bode and Gianna's current school and another school that will require a move. As I mentioned yesterday, I'm searching for a new house.  I feel at the 'whim' of something outside myself, maybe the real estate market. It's not a peaceful place to be, feeling like you're at the mercy of something almost intangible.  A bunch of decisions can be made once we figure out where we live.  

Gianna's teacher wants to do a home visit and discuss all-things-Gianna with me.  Unfortunately, I have little interest in this discussion right now, because I don't know if she'll even be around for Gianna in the coming school year.  Isn't that horrible?  While I welcome the chance to discuss my daughter, and hear her teacher's insights, I feel like it is fleeting and unnecessary, especially when there are so many other things I can spend time doing.  (I know that there is nothing of concern to address, as her teacher has already assured me that Gianna is doing beautifully!). And speaking of Gianna, I would like to do my own little update.  I feel like with Nico being "the baby" and Bode having many issues these days, I have ignored my precious snowflake Gianna. So tomorrow I will provide some thoughts on what Miss Mia is all about these days.

Stay tuned!

xo

No one's home

We have been in the area for a couple of months, and while things are settling, I still feel...unsettled. I am not happy where we are, what our current life looks like, and the overall 'unsettledness' that accompanies our every day. 

RWF cautions me that we have only been here a couple of months, and that it always takes me a long time to feel comfortable.  I do hate change, and am slow to adapt.  This makes change and moving even harder for me. 

I have been actively seeking out books to read about families that move, and design blogs on how the mother (usually it's the mother) sets to work getting her house ready and decorated spectacularly.  The decoration aspect of the new home always involves much planning and anticipation. When I read these accounts, I am hoping to be inspired.  But usually, I am inspired for about 3 minutes ("that was brilliant how she painted the front door orange!") and then I return to apathy about our own house ("who cares.").  

I have no desire to decorate or even unpack. The only decorating I have done is in our kitchen, taping up pictures painted by Bode and Gianna. I have unpacked the essentials - dishes, towels, clothes, etc.  But the personal (photos, mementos, etc.) is still boxed.  

This weekend, Bode said that we lived in "hillbilly hell."  I have no idea where he got that expression but of course, RWF looked at me knowingly.  "What?!!" I exclaimed to RWF, "I didn't say that! I swear, it wasn't me!"  I then quizzed Bode on where he heard that and he said that he didn't know (really, he wasn't interested in answering my question).  RWF looked at me with disdain and sighed, "We really have to be careful about what we say."  "It wasn't me!" I protested.  Then I sat there quietly, trying to remember if I had ever uttered such words. I am usually careful around the children about what I say and think aloud.  I don't want them to pick up on any negativity or feel that anything in their world could be out of sorts. And it's not even something I would say about this place (see? I'm still defensive. I didn't say it!). 

So, as far as putting down roots, unpacking our personal stuff, and decorating, I am still getting used to the idea.

Have you ever moved, or lived somewhere that you felt like wasn't your home, or where you weren't supposed to be?

Happy Monday, friends.

xo

10/52

A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2014. Linking up with Jodi and her 52 project.

Bode: even after skiing for 2 hours, he still wants to hang outside, in our front yard (and is outgrowing his ski thermals, oy!)

Gianna: Cinderella in the mud

Nico: examining a pine cone from his brother

09/52

A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2014. Linking up with Jodi and her 52 project.

Bode: pre-haircut

Gianna: found something budding in the yard

Nico: enjoying a bagel