Bless her heart.

It's official. An official announcement. We are moving back to Michigan at the end of June. Ford is going to attend law school at Michigan State University. They've offered him quite a hefty scholarship that's too good to pass up. So, we pack up or little lives and move on Up North. More to come about the move but for now...
My brain works differently from most people...(well, especially my husband's brain) when it comes to organizing, planning and packing for that matter. I realize my methods may seem random, erratic or even ridiculous to some...but they make perfect sense to me. That said, we have so much to do to get ready to go. Most of the house is in shambles...we have begun sorting and pulling things out of drawers and cupboards in preparation for a yard sale on Saturday. Well, one project leads me to another room where I see another project needs attention and so on and so on...well somehow last night I randomly started a photo project...Amelia's photo album. Yes, I've been a slacker with the photo albums and baby book, but I figure the blog gets me off the hook in that capacity. I've only taken 3000 pictures of the kid and have the first 2 years of her life backed up on disc...just haven't printed them and placed them in a album yet...waiting for a whole day to myself to do that? Right. So, last night was as good a night as any....
I got as far as the pregnancy pictures...you know the proverbial side view photos of my tummy from one month to the next to see the growth progression from (semi) flat to ginormous.
This morning. I showed Amelia my work. I showed her how my tummy grew and grew and I explained to her that it was her in there, when she was just tiny, growing inside my tummy, getting bigger and bigger...
She listened intently, wide eyed and intrigued.
I asked her if she remembered. She nodded and said "suckie."
I asked her if she had a suckie in there, she nodded and said..."uh huh."
Next I asked her if it was warm and cozy in there. "Uh, huh," she said.
"What color was it in there?
Confidently she replied, "GREEN!! PINK!!!"
Nice. "Really?" I asked.
"Uh, huh."
And then she opened up my robe, paused and then patted my tummy and said..."get in."
"You want to get back in my tummy?" I asked her.
She smiled, "Yeah."
Bless her heart.
Sometimes I wish she could.

Saturday morning...

ZUMBA!

pink ship shops

We are on our "summer schedule" as I like to call it. Amelia has been sleeping late, taking late naps and ultimately going to bed late. Too late for a one year old, in my opinion. I have been working on getting Amelia to put herself to sleep...yes the saga continues. (Another blog in and of itself). But let's just say that it's taking her longer to fall asleep than usual. So...this morning Amelia woke up not at 8:00 am like every other day as of late...but at 5:45 am. She's napping now (and so is Ford) and as I sit here alone listening to the thunder (it's been raining here for what seems like 2 weeks straight) I have been thinking about what a memorable Saturday morning this one has been...

Ford had Amelia out for a walk in the rain, outfitted with rain coat and umbrella at 6:30 am, followed by a yummy breakfast of daddy's scrambled eggs and waffles. When I woke up Amelia was quick to tell me about the snail they had discovered crawling up her blue plastic cup, that had been left out on the porch overnight. She then she showed me the fort she and her daddy built between the desk and the couch equipped with pillows, blankets, dollies, stuffed animals and books. Next, while changing her diaper in her room, she discovered her "simming suits" in her drawer and immediately began to put on the purple floral bikini with sarong...with a little help she was ready to go...where? ZUMBA class at the YMCA. On Saturday mornings there is a parent/child ZUMBA class, which is really a dance/aerobic/free movement kind of exercise class and I have been wanting to take Amelia to...and today was the day. Ford came too, knowing it was going to be something to see, no doubt. Upon arriving, Amelia was a bit intimidated and clung to my neck...I jumped in and started dancing while holding her and encouraging her to watch the other kids and their fancy moves. I took her to the back of the class and set her down on her feet where she finally loosened up a bit and agreed to hold my hands and dance with me. Soon, she was in the center of the room, shaking her booty with the best of them to African beats, Latin grooves and even a little Ton Loc...yes, Funky Cold Medina...and she was loving every minute of. The best was when the instructor yelled for everyone to go get an exercise ball and when all the big girls went running to the back of the room, Amelia did not hesitate, or even look to see where I was, and she was off like a shot, following the masses. I'm pretty sure she had no idea where everyone was going, but she sure wasn't going to miss out. Hilarious. As ZUMBA class was winding down, Amelia was just getting started. She pleaded to the instructor in her little voice and used her toddler sign language "MORE, MORE!" But class was over, we thanked the nice lady and off we went...
And to top off our eventful Saturday morning, we stopped by the little shop that sells pink flip flops (we were waiting for her size to come in) and picked hers up. Thinking Amelia would crash from exhaustion on the ride...she actually did not stop talking and babbling all the way home..."zumba, dance?! booty? booty? booty? um zumba...um girls...dance...ship shops, pink ones!...yah!" What a day, and all before nap.

p.s. check out the music on my new playlist feature...well, it's already playing, right? Turn it up! Dance! It's fun!

Did I just say that?

Amelia is almost two...as sweet as she is, there are times when she certainly acts like a two/three year old. I find myself being caught off guard at times with some of this new and interesting emerging behavior. I haven't read any books about this topic yet, like I have with most other topics. At this point, it's all instinct. As a mom in my (mid) thirties, :) I feel like I should have the maturity and patience to handle whatever this little tiny person has to dish out, right? Should all be a breeze, right? I'll just know what to do and say, right? For the most part, yes, this is usually the case. But I have to laugh at some of the things that have come out of my mouth in the midst these toddler tantrums. I have been surprised some of my off the cuff responses on more than one occasion and have had to ask myself, "did I just say that???"

"THAT is unacceptable behavior." (Super Nanny influence).
"Mister doesn't like it when you scream." (Blame it on the cat).
"Amelia Sava!" (Yes, this is the ultimate. Utilizing the middle name means Momma means business. Who am I kidding, she doesn't even know that's her middle name yet...and for real, did I just say that???)

Loves to pray.

Amelia loves clicking in her patten leathers...handed
down from cousinsSofia and Kate. She often makes me wear my high heels too.

Amelia hiding behind the chair (from the thunder).

Christopher, Amelia and Sam on Easter.

Amelia loves to pray. Lately she folds her hands and closes her eyes when we pray at dinnertime. We usually say the traditional "Bless us, oh Lord and these thy gifts..."

Amelia interjects a word here and there when she can. This morning I had a chuckle when I overheard she and Ford praying before they ate their cereal...
Ford continues..."from they bounty, through Christ our Lord..."
Amelia interjects:
"my bouncy.....amen."

Did she just say that?

I sneeze. "Bess you, Mommy." And then continues eating her cottage cheese.

After an outing to Radnor Lake with Ford and upon returning, Ford says, "Amelia, tell Mommy what kind of bird we saw up in the tree."
Eyes all big with wonder she replies, "ooood-pocka." (Woodpecker).

Playing with Ford on the side porch: Jumps up and down continuously, for fun, and then says, "Dada...jump...I woch." Pulls herself up on a chair, pushes back her hair and waits for Ford to start jumping.

Walks up to me after finishing a snack, holds up her hands and says..."Mommy, wosh honds...wipe honds...Meesta...ped heem." (Apparently she wanted to pet the cat but her hands were covered in hummus.)

As she listens to me talk to my mom on the phone about how I have been on the look out for some cute summer sandals for Amelia...
"Mommy...um, sheep-shops...pink ones...mall."
Did she just ask me to take her to the mall to buy pink flip-flops?
I believe she did.